Into the tray area, you drop one of the four pads – guitar, piano, keys or drums. At one end is a single USB-C port that carries power to the unit and data from it, and in the box you get USB-C and USB-A cables as well as a USB-C to Lightning, covering pretty much all computers, tablets and smartphones. It feels gorgeous but it’s heavier than it looks – though this gives it a reassuringly pro-grade feel. The Play board is constructed from beech and metal.

READ MORE: Cableguys Kickstart 2 review: A flexible sidechain tool at a bargain price.The MPE controller is accessible to beginners but is a powerful tool to help experienced musicians create new patterns, with an additional editor app for deeper control. Joué’s new Play controller, several years in development, falls into the latter camp and is unique in how it combines physical and virtual components. These can take the form of more conventional keyboards and pads, or sometimes touch systems, like those from ROLI and Sensel. Music technology designers put a lot of effort into creating novel MIDI performance experiences for their users.

Bandlab midi controller