Part of why we run Create Digital Music and Create Digital Motion is that there’s a lovely parallel to what’s happening in digital music making and what’s happening in visualism and live visuals. Which is to say, in case you haven’t been following CDMusic lately, there’s plenty of gear you may want.
First and foremost, the Akai LPD8 could be the perfect controller for visualists: pads and knobs in what we expect will be a cheap device, all in a <1 lb. form factor that fits alongside your laptop. The KORG nano nearly got there, and the nanoKONTROL with its scenes, knobs, and faders is still ideal for visualists, but the LPD8 almost looks like more of a visual performance controller than a music one.
Akai Does Mini MIDI Keyboard, Pads, a la Korg nano
Of course, that said, I’d be curious: what would your ideal mobile visual controller look like? Maybe there’s room for a DIY entry.
In other news, if you’ve had any fun with handheld flash video recorders but needed one that could cope with situations demanding high quality audio, check out the just-announced Zoom Q3:
Zoom Q3 Mobile Video + Stereo Sound, Love Child of an H4 Recorder and a Flip
Sure, it’s only 640×480 30fps — which also means you’ll have to crop the image for 16:9 — but it can do something even a lot of pricey cameras can’t, and record lossless WAV audio. In fact, I could see carrying both this and an HD camcorder in my gig bag. Not only that, but if you’ve ever needed to record a gig you played with musicians and the audio sucked, you immediately know why this is important. The video quality is a total mystery until we see it, but stay tuned.
Other gear you’re lusting after? Be sure to tell us about it.