Performing on stage is a delicate interplay of musicians, the instruments they play and the equipment amplifying the soundscapes being explored. Oh, and the people enjoying it all, of course. But with more versatility and options comes a more crowded — and wired — stage, making the act of playing good music a lot more complicated than it needs to be.
No one is a fan of wires, especially the Aalberg Audio team based in Norway. Its selection of controllers to wirelessly control musical equipment proves that. In its MOON Switcher campaign, three products are on offer: the Aero, the Moon, and the Remote app. The AERO is a wireless remote controller that enables real-time control of up to eight Aalberg FX pedals and MOON-connected devices. It can store up to three presets across all connected devices which can be recalled from the controller.
The Moon and the Remote app are the team’s newest creations. The former is a wireless receiver enabling control of third party musical equipment, while the Remote app can control up to eight Moon-connected devices as well in addition to saving an infinite number of presets. Together, each of the products work together using Bluetooth to control amplifiers, stompboxes, pedals and MIDI units anywhere on stage, allowing for seamless transitions and easier setup and breakdown overall.
$229 gets backers three Moon Switchers, an Aero, the Remote app and adapters for an amplifier, a MIDI device, and a ABY/FX-Looper, all of which is expected to ship August 2017. (There are other packages with different offers, as well.) Aalberg Audio is looking for about $37,000 by November 6th, 2016 to see success.
This ecosystem of wireless audio equipment controllers is an impressive achievement. Switching presets is instant and musicians will definitely be smitten with how effortless all three products make playing music. DJs who want to go wireless would do well to check out the ETHER Transmitter, a product that applies the same philosophy behind the Moon Switcher campaign to DJ equipment.