Polish pro audio manufacturers IGS Audio were demoing their latest prototype at the Musikmesse show in Frankfurt last week. The Rubber Bands 500 OKC is a DAW-controlled Pultec-style equaliser with a touch-sensitive front panel.
OKC stands for One Knob Control and the name is pretty self-explanatory. There is a single endless rotary knob on the front panel and this can be used to adjust any parameter when in standalone mode. Simply touch the parameter that you want to change, then adjust the value. Visual feedback is provided by a ring of LEDs when each knob would normally be.
This style of digital control over an analogue module means that it's very fast to switch between settings. In fact, it is possible to compare two settings instantaneously from the front of the module.
To connect the module to your DAW, there is a separate Master module with a USB connector. This links to each of the OKC modules and allows the plug-in to control as many devices as you like, making stereo and 5.1 surround linking possible.
The module itself should retail for around €725 (ex VAT), while the Master module will cost about €150 for DAW integration. Both should ship in the Summer.
