Frontier Alpha Track:
The Sound of One Fader Sliding

Apr 20, 2007 5:19 PM, Advertorial by David Battino

           
 

Knob Rules

One way the AlphaTrack improves on normal fader boxes is by employing touch sensitivity. The fader and three knobs have a conductive metal surface that registers as soon as you touch it. That means you don’t have to twist a knob to find out what it does or where the corresponding onscreen control is set. Just touch it lightly and the AlphaTrack’s display shows the parameter and value.

Because the knobs connect to detented, endless encoders rather than simple 5-to-7-o’clock pots, turning them left or right will increment or decrement the current value instead of producing jumps. In Fast mode, each click of the knob changes the value by a large amount (which varies depending on the application) for rapid adjustments. You can then zero in on the precise number you want by pressing down and turning; pressing the knob puts you in Fine mode, which changes the step value to a small amount, usually one unit.

Below the knobs are five mode buttons labeled Pan, Send, EQ, Plug-In, and Auto. In DAWs, these buttons map the knobs to the corresponding functions on the selected mixer channel. For example, in EQ mode, the three knobs control frequency, gain, and Q (resonance). You can move between mixer channels by tapping the AlphaTrack’s Track buttons or (in most cases) by turning knob 1 in Pan mode. Auto mode, short for automation, enables you to record parameter automation moves directly to the DAW track.

In Reason, the AlphaTrack’s knobs control hundreds of different parameters, depending on which device (synthesizer module, effect, or mixer) is selected. Here’s where the built-in display really shines. With Reason’s Subtractor synth selected, for example, pressing the AlphaTrack’s EQ button once maps the knobs to noise decay, color, and level. Pressing it again enters a second mode in which the knobs control modulation envelope attack, decay, and gain. The LED above the pad flashes to indicate you’re in this “Page 2” mode. I noticed that a couple of pixels in the tiny AlphaTrack menu icon at the top of my computer screen started flashing as well! The AlphaTrack is full of these helpful little touches.

The AlphaTrack’s fader registers 1,024 steps, which is eight times smoother than a standard 128-step MIDI slider. Consequently, the fader can be mapped to MIDI Pitch Bend, which offers 16,364 values. With supported programs, you can press the AlphaTrack’s Flip button to transfer a knob’s function to the fader for more precise control. Record-enable, Solo, and Mute buttons next to the fader let you quickly set those aspects of the selected track. I found that especially helpful because the corresponding onscreen buttons in many DAWs are tiny targets to find with a mouse.

Mine the Strip

Another unique AlphaTrack feature is the touch strip. Unlike a normal ribbon controller, it does more than simply adjust a single value. Drag one finger across the strip, and you scroll through your project’s timeline. Drag two fingers, and the speed increases. In Pro Tools, two-finger drags work like a shuttle wheel, accelerating or decelerating the scroll rate based on how far your fingers are from the strip’s center. In Reason, one-finger drags change the timeline position by one beat, and two-finger drags change it by four beats. In Cubase, pressing the AlphaTrack’s Shift button enables audible scrubbing.

The touch strip also responds to taps. Tapping the left or right edge while controlling Reason selects Reason’s left or right loop marker; subsequent drags move the markers. In Pro Tools, Cubase, and Sonar, left and right taps move the playback location to the previous or next marker in the timeline. For controlling a linear parameter like playback position, I found the linear touch strip more intuitive than a jog/shuttle knob.