It has started pop up some interesting midi applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch now. iTM MidiLab from iTouchMidi is the most interesting one for the time being. If you buy the program form iTunes App Store and downloads the software to your computer (Mac), you will get access to the following:

• Midi button matrix (4×4 and 8×8)
• Midi keyboard (C-2 -> C8) with pitch bend
• XY pad (that sends CC 18 & 19)

iTouchMidi also has an application coming up called iTM Tilt that that uses the iPhone’s gyro but it seems to still be in a beta.

Before summer Futuremusic dropped some interesting news that Korg will release their new Nano series around christmas. The Nano series is three midi controllers in mini format. Who hasn’t longed for something smaller to lug around? The price is estimated to a low $100. The only disadvantages I can imagine are that they are too light weight and will move around and that you can’t connect several Nano products to each other so you will need one free usb port per Nano unit. I’m also wishing for that there are endless encoders on the nanoKONTROL unit, but that might be pushing it…

• nanoKEY: 25-key touch sensitive keyboard.
• nanoPADS: 12 “drum pads” and a xy-pad.
• nanoKONTROL: 9 faders, 9 knobs, 18 buttons

All info on Korg’s web site.

If you want to do the opposite and maximize your midi controller you should go for a real midi organ, check this out!

We had a gig at a LG party together with the club Ficks at F12 last week. A drunk buddy succeeded in the art of poring beer in to our Evolution UC33 midi controller. Anders noticed that it started to behave a bit strange and that the faders were wet. He yanked the usb cord quickly and turned it upside down to dry on top of a t-shirt. I tried the UC33 again a couple of days ago and it worked as normal. Apparently it had been worse if it had been wine, Coke or salt water. What gear and what fluids have you combined with a good result?