Our friends at Sound on Sound have given us a sneak preview of quite a novel idea …

On their blog, it says UK pro audio distributors Out Post Sound have announced that they will be distributing Punchlight’s Cue Light systems, which provide visual cue information for Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs).

Products available include the Universal Studio Display — a large timecode readout with record indicator — the Recording Display, which illuminates differently when the DAW is in record and record-ready modes, and the Recording Lamp, a classy looking desk light (below), which glows different colours depending on the status of the DAW.

The products can be connected to DAWs such as Pro Tools (HD, LE and M-Powered systems), Logic, Sonar, Cubase and Nuendo, via special trigger boxes that connect to the MIDI outputs of the connected interface.

MIDI triggered lights? Sounds like a bright idea to me (apologies - Ed).

For more details on the range, head to Out Post Sound’s web site.

Novation is launching its latest and most affordable controller to date, Nocturn. Featuring the latest Automap Universal 2.0 software, exclusive to Novation controllers, Nocturn provides automatic, instant and intelligent control of all automatable plug-ins within every major sequencer, including Pro Tools.

Nocturn features eight touch-sensitive rotary encoders, each equipped with a bright eleven-LED ring (ideal for laptop DJ’ing in a dark club environment). These are accompanied by eight user-assignable illuminated buttons and a smooth, professional 45mm cross-fader. The finishing touch is Novation’s unique ’speed dial’; a touch-sensitive rotary encoder that instantly takes control of whatever your mouse is focused on.

Featuring a new ‘heads-up transparent control GUI’, Automap Universal 2.0 places a transparent control map across your computer screen, to be recalled or hidden at will. Little or no user setup is required, and plug-in control can be customized to be laid out just the way you like it, no matter what music software you use. Simply boot up the plug-in, and you’ll see at a glance how the parameters are automatically assigned to each of Nocturn’s controls. An instant click and control ‘learn’ function is also available for quick re-assigning of controls, or for creating your own controller map in seconds. Multiple page options mean that you can assign a potentially infinite number of parameters for each plug-in.

Automap Universal 2.0 also categorizes all your control maps. A simple browsing facility lets you review all open plug-ins, then quickly switch to control any one of them. Automap Universal 2.0 also supports standard MIDI protocol, providing the same heads-up display for quick and simple assigning of MIDI parameters. This ensures that Nocturn can also control an external hardware MIDI device, any non-automatable plug-ins, or the mixer page in your sequencer.

Nocturn is due to ship worldwide in Q1, 2008.