M-AUDIO Trigger Finger

Dec 1, 2005 12:00 PM, By Orren Merton

           

M-Audio’s Trigger Finger is a USB-powered MIDI controller that gives you 16 Velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads, 4 sliders, and 8 knobs—all of them user-assignable to transmit an assortment of MIDI messages.

M-Audio's Trigger Finger ($249) joins a growing a number of USB keyboards and other MIDI controllers that offer Velocity-sensitive MIDI pads. MIDI pads are ideal for triggering rhythmic sounds and samples that don't require a traditional keyboard layout to play. The Trigger Finger is multiplatform, portable, and suitable for stage and studio. And, like many M-Audio products, it is affordable.

Aim and Squeeze

Although the Trigger Finger's main feature is its bank of 16 Velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads, it offers much more. Eight rotary knobs are located above the pads, and an LED display, four function buttons, and four sliders are on the left. The first two buttons let you select, edit, and save presets to 16 memory locations. Another button toggles between Control Mute and Note Mute modes, and the remaining button toggles between a user-determined locked Velocity and full Velocity. All the knobs, sliders, and pads are fully user-assignable.

On the back of the Trigger Finger are its USB port, MIDI Out port, and power connection, as well as a Kensington lock slot. Though the Trigger Finger is bus powered, an optional 9V DC adapter lets you use it as a standalone MIDI controller without a computer.

The Trigger Finger is a USB-class-compliant device, meaning it harnesses the built-in MIDI support of Mac OS X or Windows XP. Simply route a USB cable from your computer to the Trigger Finger, and you can immediately use the unit — there aren't any drivers to install. I tried hot-plugging and unplugging the Trigger Finger to and from my Apple Power Mac G5 and Dell Inspirion 6000, and my OS and audio applications always recognized it.

Unlike Mac OS X, Windows XP doesn't offer driverless multiclient USB support. Consequently, if you run Windows XP and want to use the Trigger Finger with more than one application simultaneously (using ReWire to connect Reason to Live, for example), then you will need to install the included multiclient Windows XP driver. Thankfully, M-Audio's MIDI Controller Series Wizard makes installation quick and intuitive.

Using the Trigger Finger is equally intuitive. The unit supplies numerous presets for Live, Reason, and iDrum, as well as for GM- and XG-format drums. To use any of those applications or formats, simply launch your application, select the preset, and start triggering sounds immediately. The package also includes Ableton Live Lite 4.

Trigger Happy

The Trigger Finger is surprisingly deep. Striking a pad with your fingertip will transmit an assigned MIDI Note, Velocity, and a user-definable MIDI Control Change (CC) value (but not Aftertouch) that responds to pressure. With the Velocity Lock feature, you can set up all the pads to trigger the same MIDI note at a different Velocity level. Twisting knobs and moving sliders will also send MIDI CC values. You can send Program Change or Bank Change messages by pressing the Program/Bank Change button and a corresponding pad. To minimize parameter jumps, pressing the Control Mute button lets you move sliders and knobs within the ballpark of your onscreen parameters without sending any values.

You can create your own pad, slider, and knob assignments using either the hardware's user interface or the included Enigma editor software. Because the Trigger Finger has only a 3-character LED for visual feedback, I recommend using Enigma, which offers convenient, graphical, drag-and-drop editing.

I enjoyed using the Trigger Finger. It is simple enough to get up and running quickly, and yet deep enough for even advanced MIDI tweakers. I used the built-in Live and iDrum presets, and I also used the unit to trigger Apple Logic's Sculpture plug-in. I wish it had a better display and perhaps some LCD windows above the sliders and knobs, but those features would increase its cost. In addition, instead of settling for Control Mute mode, I'd rather be able to move a knob or slider without changing its assigned parameter until it reached the current value. Even without those extras, though, you will have a blast with the Trigger Finger.

Overall Rating (1 through 5): 4
M-Audio
www.m-audio.com