There was a time when the first MIDI controller any budding electronic musician would buy would be a keyboard, but these days, it’s just as likely to be a pad controller. And if you’re looking for one that stands out from the crowd, the Synido TempoPad C16 is a great place to start.
Synido prides itself on creating products that are not only designed to offer great performance, but also great fun. And the C16 epitomises that ethos: its fresh minty green finish and 16 RGB-backlit pads with customisable colors give it a striking look that’s sure to turn heads.
Fortunately, it also has the specs to back this up. The pads can operate in three modes and are pressure-sensitive with support for aftertouch and 16-level velocity layering. They can be used for drum programming and performance, clip launching and anything else you fancy, and the Bluetooth connectivity means fully wireless operation.
And we do mean fully wireless: the built-in rechargeable battery has a life of up to five hours, which should be more than enough for a gig or studio session.
As well as the pads you’ll also find eight assignable endless encoders and four assignable faders, with the OLED screen giving you instant feedback on parameter settings. In fact, the C16 is designed to ensure that you’ll spend less time looking at your computer screen than ever before: there are built-in transport controls with MMC support, and even a basic 16-track sequencer. This offers note repeat and MIDI Clock sync for BPM matching with external gear.
And speaking of external gear, we should say that, although the C16 is a perfect partner for a laptop, you can use it completely independently and in multiple configurations. You could, for example, set up a Bluetooth connection with your iPad and plug in MIDI cables (you get In, Out and Thru ports) to simultaneously trigger your hardware synths. How’s that for a DAWless setup?
The C16 is a great option for live performance, then, but you’re just as likely to fire it up when you’re jamming or sketching out ideas in your studio at home.
Right now you can purchase the C16 at Amazon for $135.99 as part of a a Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotion that runs until 1 December. The regular price is $169.99.
You can find out more about the C16 and Synido’s other products, including a wide selection of MIDI controllers and audio interfaces, on the Synido website.