Published 25/8/09
Stompbox audio interface for Mac
Apogee have extended their range of handsome Mac-based audio hardware, with the release of the Gio, a pedal controller-cum-audio interface. It comes in the form of a USB bus-powered floor controller, with five dynamically colour-coded stomp switches, two patch-select buttons labelled ‘previous’ and ‘next’, a wah-wah-style MIDI expression pedal, and five large backlit transport buttons.
As with Apogee’s Mac-based interfaces — the diminutive One, the slightly larger Duet, and the full-featured Ensemble — the Gio is housed in sleek aluminium to match the look of your Apple system. Designed to give the average guitarist hassle-free integration with Mac software, Gio is intended to work out of the box with Logic Pro and Studio 9 and its built-in Main Stage, Amp Designer and Pedalboard guitar emulations, as well as with GarageBand and its own amp and pedal emulations.
While the main controls resemble other guitar controllers on the market, the inclusion of foot-based transport controls is innovative. These controls will be of interest to any home studio owner recording electric guitar with their Mac, who would like to eliminate the need for frustrating guitar/keyboard juggling in order to arm ‘record’. Each of the transport controls lights in context, and the five stomp buttons also have their own coloured lights. Helpfully, the light above each stomp button changes colour to match the assigned effect, so there’s no to use marker pen and gaffer tape to help you remember which virtual effect is which.
The only input is a standard jack socket for guitar. Other connections include an input for a MIDI expression pedal and a stereo line-level jack output for headphones or powered monitors. The Gio currently retails at $395 in the US, with a UK price still to be announced at time of writing.
Sonic Distribution +44 (0)845 500 2500
www.sonic-distribution.com
www.apogeedigital.com
As with Apogee’s Mac-based interfaces — the diminutive One, the slightly larger Duet, and the full-featured Ensemble — the Gio is housed in sleek aluminium to match the look of your Apple system. Designed to give the average guitarist hassle-free integration with Mac software, Gio is intended to work out of the box with Logic Pro and Studio 9 and its built-in Main Stage, Amp Designer and Pedalboard guitar emulations, as well as with GarageBand and its own amp and pedal emulations.
While the main controls resemble other guitar controllers on the market, the inclusion of foot-based transport controls is innovative. These controls will be of interest to any home studio owner recording electric guitar with their Mac, who would like to eliminate the need for frustrating guitar/keyboard juggling in order to arm ‘record’. Each of the transport controls lights in context, and the five stomp buttons also have their own coloured lights. Helpfully, the light above each stomp button changes colour to match the assigned effect, so there’s no to use marker pen and gaffer tape to help you remember which virtual effect is which.
The only input is a standard jack socket for guitar. Other connections include an input for a MIDI expression pedal and a stereo line-level jack output for headphones or powered monitors. The Gio currently retails at $395 in the US, with a UK price still to be announced at time of writing.
Sonic Distribution +44 (0)845 500 2500
www.sonic-distribution.com
www.apogeedigital.com
