A remote control program for more than just levels: iPhone Remote

install and enjoy (also install add-on apps called Tapps here: Tapps apps)

Huh? You've had this sort of control of any application already using VNC. Access your desktop from Starbucks, that sort of thing. What's so special about this?

Seems like he's kinda re-inventing the wheel...

@h: First, VNC is extremely slow for this kind of applications. The latency would make it impossible to control ProTools in this way, much less give this kind of real-time feedback.

His interface is made for the iPhone and uses his own light-weight communication protocol to communicate with the application. This is completely unlike remote desktop control software. This is lean, clean, specifically designed to do a tast efficiently and, simply, just perfectly executed. And fun too.

This guy's got more future as a programmer than as musician hahaehhe! Sweet app, congratz!

You can still see some latency in there regardless.

Nothing against it because it's awesome, but SOME controls might be a little hinky to do remotely like that if you're doing stuff for reals.

Processing and network latency is what kept me using direct RF control links for my ROV project a few years back as opposed to trying to cram everything I needed to do over a WiFi or other type of link.

Of course what's being done today is blowing away any thing that was being done even as recently as a few years ago and my ROV is gathering dust, obsolete, in a closet, so there you go. :\

This is awesome.... very awesome.

I'd love to see him make this a universal midi application rather than a pro-tools specific one, but hopefully that's in the works.

I still want somebody to make what I think would be the best DJ application ever: A virtual turntable on the iPhone. Give me the ability to pitch shift and bend any track in my library, and a virtual turntable for vinyl-like control and you could really have something here. Connect two of these up to a mixer and "iPod DJing" could actually mean something other than arranging a playlist.

@h: Boy, its great when someone points out that something is already being done... maybe even being done BETTER... but its really really sad to read when someone points out a much more limited generic application that doesn't perform nearly as well for a particular purpose. --Sounds like that's been going on since the iPhone came out. Sigh. I wish people would think it out some more before saying "why's this new". Sending "data updates" over a network connection is kind of a HUGE optimization versus sending big fat graphical updates to a remote screen. That's why Windows Remote Desktop works better than VNC. Data packets versus just sending huge chunks of image. Come on. It's not complicated.

@jakebathman: You too Jake. Shame! I love Telekinesis. I set up FreeDNS, and I've been really having fun this morning searching my home email with Spotlight, hooking up the media server settings, etc, etc. --But, this is different. That's gotta be respected more than just shrugging and linking to an app for something different. Why the knee jerk reactions?

Do any of these "applications" (they are on a web-site somewhere aren't they?) work if there is no network connection?

I don't have an iPhone (still love the Treo 650), but I thought these apps were not stored on the phone itself but on a web-site somewhere. One of the reasons I like my Treo is that I often travel outside of GSM covered areas. Anyone clear that up for me?

Thanks...

@Cleverboy: I just wanted to refer people to an app that controls something other than levels...I'm not a musician and I know I was elated to find Telekinesis to control lots of things. I think there are probably others with the same sentiment.

As far as this app, it looks wonderful and the refresh rate is something I wish was natively available for other VNC/remote programs...maybe with actual native installation (SDK) we'll be able to get more of this.

@Manos_Lijeros: These programs don't require the internet to run on the iPhone, but they do require a connection to the computer they're controlling (whether that's through a router with or without internet access or through ip and DNS connection to a computer)

@Keebler: That would be sick.

@Keebler: You're thinking about the same thing I've been dreaming of since I got my iPhone! But having to iPhones would be kind of impractical - maybe two iPod Touches with at least 32gigs would do the trick.

I think I know where some of my money will go in February!

what?

this is already available in many other more useful implementations. control surfaces are NOTHING new. remember, you have to spend $300 for the phone plus $200 more for the software. that's ridiculous.

buy a real surface unit and get the tactility of knobs and faders. wtf. this is a gimmick, at best.

@Keebler: That would be hilarious. At least the "turntables" would always be well lit. It would take some insane processing power for a cell phone to not have latency issues. I've been using a MIDI DJ mixer lately and it's pretty sick for what it does, although it has a G5 Quad to help it as well:

[www.johnnyrandom.com]

If the iPhone had virtual turntables I can imagine cuing up would have it sliding everywhere.

This is amazing! I know there are other control surfaces, but this would be for specific uses. I can think of plenty of good examples. I don't see anyone buying an iPhone then this software, but for people who already have the phone, it would be a killer add-on. Although, I think he's smoking crack to sell it for $150. Maybe half that.

That's pretty cool.

On a similar but completely different note, I'm still waiting for someone to develop a wireless Roland 13pin guitar deal. [Sure, I could do it myself, but I'm lazy and would rather pay someone else to do the R&D and actual building.]

That would be teh awesome.

Do we know if this will work on the existing iPhone, or for whatever models come out later in the year? It's a great idea, as long as people who already bought the phone don't miss out.

I use Pro Tools on a daily basis, I think this would be a great ad-on. Especially for doing touch automation. If you have an iPhone already, it beats blowing $1200 on a Mackie Control Universal. Sure the screen is smaller than the MCU, but the MCU only comes with 8 faders anyway. This would be great! If I had an iPhone I would totally buy it.

i'm still surprised that it seems like no one's heard of Remote Buddy. it's not really made for the iphone, but it supports it amazingly. i tried to make a video for you guys, but it was terrible. you still gotta check it out! It's like telekenis but better.

Kudos on the innovation, buuuuuutttt, I'm a voiceover guy and and I can't imagine trying to use my iPhone on a daily basis in that manner.

I've been using the Tranzport ([www.frontierdesign.com]) from inside my booth for a couple years now to control Pro Tools and it works superbly.

Yeah, we know about remote buddy and have talked about it. This application, however, doesn't have anything to do with Remote Buddy. Remote Buddy doesn't have realtime bidirectional communications. This has. It's not the same beast by a far margin.

@ JAKEBATHMAN

So, if a connection to the "controlling computer" is required, is the iPhone (without being modded/hacked), for lack of a better term, a thin client cellhpone as I have seen described in a post elsewhere?

Thanks...

This remote is a bit different than remote buddy and other remotes because it works in realtime. It also translates MIDI to something suitable for Wifi transmission over TCP/IP. There are timing requirements that must be met. Eventually when I get through fixing most of the bugs I will add multi-touch support so that you can move two faders at once. As is, the touch display is really nice and responsive for writing automation. I have 100mm faders and I still like the touch of the iPhone (but I'm partial).

In the future, I will create a general MIDI controller unless someone beats me to it and I will also open up the remote for expansion by 3rd parties.

Finally, the DJ remote is in the works. It will control two sets of machines running iTunes. Simple but will work (I hope). You will be able to cue songs on each "deck" and a largish cross fader will fade between machines. Look for that to "preview" next month.

Unless they can enable the use of multitouch to allow you to alter more than 1 level at the same time, this app is pointless!