How musician Shawn Wasabi helped develop the arcade-inspired Midi Fighter 64
Shawn Wasabi is an LA-based musician, but not in the way you might traditionally think. He doesn’t just play a guitar or piano or produce songs in a DAW (digital audio workstation, like Ableton Live or FL Studio). He’s a controllerism artist, using a piece of equipment called the Midi Fighter 64, a custom 64-button controller commissioned from music tech company DJ TechTools.
Controllerism artists use physical MIDI controllers like the Midi Fighter 64 in conjunction with a DAW, allowing them to perform complex musical routines live. Wasabi uses his Midi Fighter 64 with software called Ableton Live on his MacBook. Samples are loaded into Ableton, which are programmed to play when individual buttons on the controller are pressed, a process...