Apple Releases Mainstage 2 Device Interface for VAX77
Working together for the past year, Infinite Response and Apple have developed an operating mode called ‘Host Control’ that allows Mainstage 2 to display all its presets on the VAX77 touchscreen, and map all of its controllers to the VAX 77 controllers, via a USB connection. The tight integration allows for random-access, touchscreen control of presets within a Mainstage concert, and ‘latches’ the 9 MIDI CC sliders from the touchscreen to the main effects and EQ knobs on Mainstage 2. All this frees a player from needing a computer screen nearby during performances.
In addition to this Host Control capability, the VAX77 transmits true Polyphonic Aftertouch, a much sought after but rarely implemented control that enables a player to accentuate individual notes of a chord with finger pressure, and High-Res Velocity MIDI signals (14,000 levels of volume control, instead of 127). For hard- and software instruments that have these controls enabled, including plugins hosted in Mainstage, the VAX77 gives the player an unprecedented level of expressiveness.
An important aspect of the dynamic control a player gets with the VAX77 is the remarkable, patented key action that is being hailed as the fastest weighted-action ever created. The VAX77 doesn’t have mechanical switches under the keys -- instead, it uses magnets in the keys and magnetic (Hall) sensors underneath, and a high speed Digital Signal Processor analyzes key motion thousands of times per second so notes are played precisely at the right time and volume.
Built to last a lifetime, and housed in a lightweight magnesium chassis, the VAX77 folds in half and fits neatly into its carrying case. Folded, it will fit into the overhead compartment of most airliners and is a breeze to handle on public transportation.