Would you use this as a controller?

The AlphaSphere is a different approach to the MIDI/DAW Controller. It is designed by Adam Place founder of the company Nu Desine. The AlphaSphere comes in two styles; Nexus and Elite. They offer a unique way to trigger sounds/samples and play music with 48 pressure and velocity sensitive pads. When used with the included AlphaLive software the AlphaSphere can be used as a standalone instrument or as a controller for your DAW.

ELITE ONLY FEATURES:

• MIDI port to connect AlphaSphere to external MIDI compatible hardware
• 2 x Assignable Dials
• 3 x Assignable Buttons
• Custom soft touch finish
• Available in black

HARDWARE:

• 48 tactile pressure and velocity* sensitive pads
• Ergonomic and spherical modular design
• Hexagonal lattice pad layout, allowing for alternative notational arrangements
• Responsive LED lighting
• USB 2.0 connectivity and bus powered
• Fully compatible with any MIDI software
• Dimensions: 26cm(W) x 26cm(D) x 32cm(H)
• Weighs approximately 3kg

*8 smallest pads are pressure sensitive only.


SOFTWARE:

• Custom software allows the device to be programmed to a highly customised level
• Use as the devices MIDI mapping editor
• Use to trigger, loop, and manipulate audio samples
• Use to record and manipulate MIDI and audio step sequences
• Convert pad data to OSC (Open Sound Control) messages
• Comes with a 1GB library of audio loops and hits compiled by professional sample library companies
• Program pads individually or by custom groups
• Store up to 20 ‘scenes’ of pad settings within a single project
• Open-source under the GNU General Public Licence v2.
• Runs on both Mac OS X (10.5 and above) and Windows (XP SP3 and above)
• Supports Core Audio, ASIO, WASAPI and DirectSound

MIDI COMPATIBILITY:

• Map preset notational scales or layouts to the pads, or set notes to pads individually
• Compatible with polyphonic aftertouch
• Set the pressure of each pad to send polyphonic aftertouch, channel aftertouch, mod wheel, pitchbend, or a CC message
• Supports multichannel MIDI, allowing multiple instruments to be played at the same time

Here's a video interview he did for Dubspot showing how he came up with the idea and how it can be utilized as a controller.





Here's a tutorial showing the AlphaSphere being used with Logic Pro X:



More tutorials featuring other DAWs can be found here.

The AlphaSphere Nexus can be purchased on their website  for £500/821.45 USD, the Nexus sells for £1000/1642.90 USD. U.S./Canada customers are urged to buy from from any of their North American dealers.