Good news for VIP-enabled controller users (andn one more reason to love our Akai Advance 49!). As you might have noticed, Akai recently introduced VIP 3.0, a major update that improves the hardware/software experience and provides musicians and producers with easy access to their VST virtual instrument and effect collection.
Following VIP 3.0’s release, EASTWEST is the first developer to announce full VIPMS support for complete integration with VIP 3.0 Software, fusing the tactile feel of hardware with the unrivalled processing capability of VSTs.
VIP 3.0 In A Nutshell
With VIP 3.0, users can drastically enhance the creative capability of any standard MIDI over USB controller thanks to all-new MIDI Learn functionality.
Now artists can seamlessly custom map the controls of any MIDI controller (knobs, encoders, faders, buttons) to VIP’s parameters, for effortless integration and the enhanced workflow that owners of the award-winning Akai Professional Advance Series and M-Audio’s CTRL49 have long enjoyed.
For instant creative capability VIP 3.0 includes an extensive, ever-growing library of MIDI controller mappings including Akai Professional’s MPK88, MPK2 Series, MPK Mini MKII & APC Key 25 and M-Audio’s CODE Series, Oxygen Series & Axiom AIR Mini 32.
VIP 3.0 Highlights
- Plays virtually every VST-compatible plugin and effects unit
- Operates as a standalone virtual instrument and effects player or as a plugin within any AU,VST or AAX compatible DAW
- Organizes user’s plugin collection with intuitive browsing by plugin, artist collection, instrumenttype, timbre and more
- Includes an Effects Browser allowing users to browse effects by type and audition acrossmultiple plugins with a single click
- Access, edit and mix up to 8 virtual instruments at one time in a Multi
- Expanded Multi mixer includes insert effects, send effects, bus tracks and a master outputchannel strip for total routing control
- Effects Stacks combine multiple effects into re-usable patches, accessible in the patch list foreasy selection and auditioning
- NEW | VIPMS – The VIP Native Plugin Map Standard allows 3rd party virtual instrument andeffect developers to produce their own plugin maps for enhanced VIP integration and opening their plugins to the superior workflow offered by VIP
- NEW | MIDI Learn functionality seamlessly maps the controls of any VIP-compatible keyboard(knobs, encoders, faders, buttons) to VIP’s parameters with an ever-growing library of MIDI controller mappings for Akai and M-Audio controller keyboards included
- NEW | Pad Chord Progressions – play factory or user defined chord progressions using a VIP-enabled keyboard controller’s pads
- NEW | Key Control modes: play scales, harmonized chords or chord progressions from a VIPkeyboard or MIDI keyboard.
For further details on VIP 3.0, please visit the official Akai VIP page.
EASTWEST Meets VIP
Akai Professional today announced complete VIP Native Plugin Map Standard (VIPMS) support for EastWest’s catalogue of premium virtual instruments, which are included in their award-winning ComposerCloud subscription service (see our Composer Cloud review).
Now with the combination of VIP 3.0, an EastWest ComposerCloud subscription and a compatible MIDI controller, users can catalogue, browse and manipulate more than 10,000 EastWest instruments with the hands-on ease-of-use facilitated by dedicated hardware controls.
