Melbourne Instruments has availability of Logic Pro integration for its Roto-Control motorized software and hardware MIDI controller.
The Roto-Control features fully assignable motorized touch-sensitive knobs, user definable haptics for detailed control, high-res screens that provide easy-to-read labels for every control, and internal memory with storage for over 8000 assignments.
Now it can bring a fully-tactile, motorized workflow to Logic Pro, hands-on control of tracks, plug-ins, Smart Controls, and automation.
MIX mode mirrors Logic Pro’s session track names, colours, and order automatically, while providing high-resolution control of volume, pan, sends, and automation alongside instant access to track selection, paging, mute/solo/arm switching, and dedicated TRACK FOCUS.
Plug-in control comes courtesy of PLUGIN mode, allowing users to browse and select Logic Pro instrument and effect plug-ins from ROTO-CONTROL using simple touch-and-learn mapping for any parameter, with up to eight pages of controls per plug-in stored directly on the device.
Logic Pro’s Smart Controls are also automatically mapped to ROTO-CONTROL, controlling up to 16 Smart Control parameters — for working with instruments, macros, and MIDI effects, available in both PLUGIN mode and the dedicated SMART mode itself.
Roto-Control is available now, priced at $399.00 USD (excluding tax) in the USA and Canada, while its RRP (Recommended Retail Price) in Australia of $619.00 AU (including GST) and MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) in the EU of €372.35 EUR (excluding VAT), MSRP in Japan/Asia of $469.00 USD, and MSRP in the UK of £389.00.
Existing owners can download the new firmware for free.
Fender has announced the launch of Fender Studio, a “connected music ecosystem” that comprises both software and hardware, launching several new products while bringing a number of existing PreSonus products under the Fender Studio name.
The headline here is that Fender is rebranding PreSonus Studio One Pro as Fender Studio Pro 8 and relaunching the DAW with new native amp and effects plugins, a revamped interface and much more.
Fender Studio Pro 8 keeps the essence of PreSonus’ well-established DAW intact while integrating a variety of new features and enhancements. The new Fender Mustang Guitar and Rumble Bass plugins offer guitarists an extensive selection of 39 guitar amps and 18 bass amps alongside 125 modelled effects pedals.
The DAW’s interface has been given a significant refresh, with a new Arrangement Overview providing a complete bird’s-eye view of every session and allowing users to navigate arrangements with zoom, pan and highlight tools. This is joined by Channel Overview, a view that combines key parameters of a mixer channel in a single horizontal interface.
Studio Pro 8’s new reverb effect, Studio Verb, combines a broad range of rooms, chambers, halls and spaces with an intuitive spectral display. The Impact drum sampler and Sample One sampler plugins have also been updated with new fade-in/out controls, slicing tools, tempo options and a new modulation matrix.
Alongside this, Studio Pro 8 features Chord Assistant, an intelligent songwriting tool that offers chord recommendations based on existing progressions, while a new AI-powered conversion tool transforms audio files into editable MIDI notes for creative rearrangement.
In addition to the Studio Pro launch, Fender has announced that PreSonus’ Quantum HD and AudioBox Go audio interface lines will also be rebranded under the Fender Studio banner, bringing the existing PreSonus designs into Fender’s newly-launched ecosystem with a few minor tweaks, such as new Fender-designed instrument inputs.
Alongside the rebranded interfaces, Fender has also announced the launch of Fender Motion, a MIDI controller designed to integrate tightly with Fender Studio Pro that’s compatible with any DAW.
Two models have been unveiled, Motion 16 and Motion 32, both of which feature RGB polyphonic FATAR® pads, illuminated encoders and touch strips, along with timeline navigation and session controls. Fender 32 has 32 pads arranged in a keyboard-style layout with a larger screen, while Fender 16 is a more affordable option with a 4×4 grid of pads.
Additionally, Fender has also unveiled an update to Fender Studio, its free entry-level recording app launched back in May last year, that introduces seamless cross-platform compatibility between Fender Studio and Fender Studio Pro.
“For more than a decade, Studio One Pro has set the standard for modern music production,” said Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer at FMIC in a press release.
“Its balance of power, creativity and ease of use has inspired countless artists and shaped how music is made today. With Fender Studio Pro, we are taking those celebrated features and enhancing them with a modernized interface, Fender’s award-winning amp and effects models and new intuitive workflows and capabilities that make creating music faster, more inspiring and more connected than ever.”
Fender Studio Pro is available now and priced at $199.99/£169.99 for a perpetual license, or $19.99/£19.99 for a monthly subscription. Upgrade options are available for existing users.
Fender Motion 16 is priced at $269.99/£279 and Fender Motion 32 is priced at $329.99/£369, and both will be available in Spring 2026.
Gulf Coast Synthesis shared this quick demo of GCS Strum Plate, a plugin that lets you ‘strum’ notes to play your software instruments.
They note, “Instead of using the typical autochord style of an Omnichord and other products, you can hold a chord on a MIDI keyboard and intuitively strum across the gold plate or via the pitch wheel.”
GCS Strum Plate is available now as a free download.
