- When the original Trigger Finger landed almost a decade ago, the common trend was for flexible controllers that could slot into almost any role. That meant they were highly configurable but often fell short of the perfect solution. Ten years on and bespoke controllers have taken over, with Native Instruments' Maschine, Ableton's Push, Akai's new MPC range and Arturia's Spark largely designed to perfectly do one thing for one software. And while these more expensive controllers do their thing, ultra-cheap mini controllers from Korg, Akai, Reloop and more cover the gaps. But M-Audio, whose original Trigger Finger won over many with its simplicity, are bucking the bespoke trend with a brand new Trigger Finger Pro (TFP), an ultra-flexible new controller with some unique features.
The TFP is a MIDI controller with 16 RGB pads, four assignable faders and knobs, a backlit display and a flexible sequencer. The unit is almost identical in size and weight to the NI Maschine MK1 but also boasts a removable steel stand. Round the back it's simple: one MIDI DIN port, one USB port and a DC power supply input. (The power supply itself isn't included in the box.)
The TFP doesn't make any sound of its own—it relies on a computer or external sound source. The unit comes bundled with Arsenal (VST, AU, AAX), a software front-end that's the hub of TFP in both standalone and as a plug-in. Also bundled with TFP is a huge collection of sounds and loops from Primeloops, Toolroom Records, Anomaly and more. (Arsenal also supports third-party VSTs.) These sound good and are a nice bonus. TFP essentially has three modes: pad, control and sequencer. The pad and control sections allow up to four banks, giving you 64 pads and 16 knobs/faders in total. What makes the TFP so flexible is that each bank can send different types of MIDI information to different destinations.
For example, Pad Bank A could be controlling the Arsenal software and triggering drums, while Pad Bank B could be sending MIDI messages to a hardware synth or sound module. You can even assign individual MIDI outputs on a pad level. The pads feel pretty solid, too—I found them bouncier than Maschine's—and have aftertouch that can be assigned to any CC. The fun escalates when you bring the sequencer into play as each bank is like a different track, so you can sequence all four banks separately, with up to four bars of 16 steps giving you a total 64 steps per pad. To add even more flexibility, you can store 16 variations of a sequence, which can be triggered by pressing the Next Seq button and loading your sequence of choice. These sequences can also be saved and loaded independently of the patch or preset. To top it all off, the DC power supply means you could use the TFP as your central hub for hardware synths and drum machines, without a laptop in sight. It's a shame M-Audio don't include a power supply to make this happen straight out of the box.
So on paper, the new Trigger Finger matches and in some ways goes beyond its goliath competitors while comfortably beating them in price. So what's the catch? The TFP is indeed powerful, but it's not without its quirks—you will need to have the manual at hand for your first few hours with the unit.
Once you're comfortable with the hardware, it's time to look at Arsenal. Rather than a software groovebox a la NI and Akai's offerings, it's really just a library manager for your patches and plug-ins. There's a lot of downloadable content, including a collection of pre-mapped controls for popular plug-ins from the likes of NI, Slate Digital and D16. Once imported, these plug-ins are automatically mapped to TFP's faders and knobs, though the Learn option lets you easily edit the parameters to your needs. Drums are loaded through AirDrums, a fairly simple sample playback plug-in similar to Ableton's Simpler in controls.
One of the most frustrating things about Arsenal is that it's not currently possible to load multiple kits, synths, loops and sounds onto individual banks. Try to load Massive onto Bank B, and it overwrites the current kit and is active for all four banks. I would love to have Bank A as my drums, B as my bassline, etc., and sequence them separately. The only way to do this at the moment is to load multiple instances of Arsenal in your DAW, change the MIDI channel number input on each instance and assign the relative MIDI channel output on each bank. (This can only be done either for the TFP as a whole or by changing each pad individually.) It's a frustrating limitation, though I've been assured it will be addressed in a future update. Another odd feature is that you can't transpose a bank at a time—you have to change the MIDI note on a per-pad basis. This can be annoying if you just want to transpose an octave. It'd also be nice to see swing on a bank or pad level rather than just global. M-Audio have said both functions will be addressed with an update later this year.
Those are small issues, though, when you look at what the TFP is capable of for the outlay. The step sequencer adds a lot of value, and with the ability to record directly from the pads, it's incredibly quick and fun to get an idea together. Its support for Mackie control means no mapping headaches, and for Live users, the DAW control arrows can navigate and launch clips, freeing up pads to use for whatever you choose. When dealing with this level of depth and flexibility there will always be some head-scratching moments, but your patience is rewarded with a controller that can be shaped and moulded into the centre of your studio or live show.
Ratings:
Cost: 5/5
Versatility: 4.5/5
Build: 4/5
Ease of use: 3.5/5