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Bremmers Audio Design has announced that MultitrackStudio 6, an inexpensive DAW for Windows, supports multi-touch control in the just-released Windows 7.

Here's what they have to say about it:

Touchscreen support has been designed to turn the computer into a recording and mixing device, while allowing some editing as well. You can interact with the knobs you see on the screen directly without having to find your mouse and move it to the right location first. In fact you're not even supposed to have a mouse or keyboard within reach!

The best touch experience is provided by Windows 7 combined with a multi-touch screen. Multi-touch means you can use multiple fingers simultaneously. The new onscreen MIDI keyboard benefits from this. It also allows for two-finger zooming.

While MultitrackStudio 6 is a relatively basic DAW, it's already supporting Windows 7 multitouch in some interesting ways. It will be interesting to see what other music software developers do with multitouch.

Do you think multitouch support will prove to be an advantage for the Windows 7 platform?

Pricing and Availability

MultitrackStudio6 is available now, starting at $69 for a digital download.

Link:

• MultitrackStudio 6

James Lewin
Twitter @podcasting_news

There is nothing I would like to do less than play a virtual keyboard on a touchscreen. I feel like society has gotten so caught up in this touch screen craze that we have forgotten about efficient ergonomics.

28-Oct-09 09:12 AM

Joe - I think you're right that we're at the "gee whiz" stage with touchscreens.

Multitouch touchscreens are going to make sense for situations where dedicated control surfaces aren't needed - like mixing, music notation, sequencing, beat making, etc.

The benefit of the touchscreen over a dedicated controller is that touchscreens will be much less expensive and they'll adapt to any application.

29-Oct-09 12:13 AM

I think the most important thing to keep in mind here is that you're no longer tied to inputting what you want by a combination of keyboard-controller, mouse and computer keyboard but instead you have this free-flowing interaction with your screen. Of course, for real playing you'll want your keyboard but the zooming, note editing and parameter changing seen here is much more intuitive than what is used now.

29-Oct-09 09:11 AM

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