Confusion Studios has announced the release today of two new MIDI controller apps for iPad: MDDX1 and MDDX2.
Both of the new apps are MIDI controllers for the Yamaha Reface DX. Yamaha released the Reface DX – a portable, FM-synthesis-based keyboard – in 2015. Each of the new apps is based on a user-created layout for MIDI Designer Pro 2; each has a unique approach to controlling the Reface DX.
The Editor: MDDX1
MDDX1: Voice Editor for Reface DX (pictured, below) allows for control of every parameter on the Yamaha Reface DX, and provides “surprising new control vistas.” The MDDX1 app extends the interface of the Reface DX, providing an algorithms display, Master Tune, Transpose, Randomize and other new sections.
Performance Tool: MDDX2
MDDX2: Performance Tool is an additional, performance- focused interface for the Reface DX. As the author of the layout puts it, “This layout is pretty simple, just one page shows all the available functions. It is mainly what you find in the ‘FM’ keypad of the synth: frequencies, levels and feedback settings separately per operator plus the algorithm select.” In addition, developer Ibo Kai added an Amp Mode section. This auxiliary controller for the Reface DX is intended for live and studio performance, where a full-blown editor is not practical.
MDDX1 and MDDX2 join the four other stand-alone MIDI Designer applications “for dedicated control”: MIDI Designer XW: Casio XW Solo Synth Controller; MD77: Voice Editor for Yamaha SY77/TG77; MDClav: Clavinova Controller; and MDXG: XG Sound Set Controller.
Pricing and Availability
Confusion Studios’ MDDX1 and MDDX2 will run on any iPad with iOS 9.3 or newer, and are available today for download via the iTunes App Store. MDDX1 is $9.99, and MDDX2 is $3.99. With both apps, the app purchase may be applied towards a bundle purchase including MIDI Designer Pro 2.
Yamaha should have developed and given these free for their ReFace users.
Great idea to release these stand alone.
MIDI Designer is a deep, powerful app. Would reallllllly like to see an update with a new slider design though. When you look at a layout with lots of sliders, including those as-nice-as-it-gets screenshots above, you see a whole lot of slider ‘chrome’ but very little actual slider position. It’s like a huge array of little black rectangles with white dots inside and LEDs on top (and no sliders!). You almost have to use the numeric LEDs to ‘read’ the values which sort of defeats the purpose of sliders. 🙂 Either a simple, flat, high contrast design, a way to set the slider backgrounds to blend into the page background color and/or a way to get rid of the white indicators (not sure the purpose of those when there are LEDs at the top) would all be welcome changes.
I’m not buying any hardware or Ipad gimmickry from either Korg, Roland and Yamaha. Everything they sell is crippled and needs to pay extra just to get a acceptable experience. If they did so in the past, it’s because they wanted to cut down on hardware knobs but today, all their gear should come straight with free software. Might as well go completely ITB (like I do) with some decent plugins. Running a hardware setup is sooo inconvenient nowadays unless the machine can bring out something VST can’t.
Yamaha, please make a synth that can load and export patches of the DX (7 etc..) legacy synths.