Some interesting and rather compact new gear was introduced to the world this week courtesy of Faderfox and Bleep Labs, while Native Instruments hinted at a forthcoming Traktor app for iPad. Meanwhile, XLR8R visited Teebs’ SoCal bedroom studio and teamed up with Native Instruments to give away 10 custom Maschines. Catch up with all of that business and more in this week’s music tech wrap-up.

On XLR8R this week:

– Earlier this week, XLR8R headed south to pay a visit to Brainfeeder affiliate Teebs, who showed us around his bedroom studio and chatted about his production process when working solo and collaborating with Prefuse 73 on their joint project Sons of the Morning. You can check out the full piece on the LA-based producer and his home studio here.

– Also this week, XLR8R teamed up with Native Instruments in order to give away 10 of NI’s Maschine, a hardware sampler/groove sequencer/multi-faceted production unit. To enter the contest, simply head to Maschine’s Facebook page, give it a “like,” and enter your email. The 10 winners will be chosen at random and notified next Tuesday, February 12, so don’t sleep on this one.

New compact toys from Faderfox and Bleep Labs; and is Traktor for iPad on its way?:

– The German MIDI controller designers Faderfox have added a new compact unit to its line this week—introducing the UC3 Universal Controller, a device its maker is calling the “Swiss army knife of controllers.” The new controller comes with eight push encoders and nine faders, all of which can be used throughout eight different groups, yielding a lot of potential control from such a compact device. Plus the UC3 boasts plenty of other useful features, such as the ability to be connected directly to an iPad using a camera connection kit. You can read up on the full details here.

– Austin’s Bleep Labs—who you may remember as the creator the Dam-Drum—introduced the Bleep Drum this week, a miniature drum machine very similar to its Dâm-Funk-inspired predecessor. The Bleep Drum is set to be available as a $60 DIY kit (owners will have to do their own soldering) or as a completed unit for $85, starting in April.

– Yes, the photo above is indeed turntabilist pioneer DJ Qbert holding an iPad; nothing too special, right? However, what is particularly interesting about this photo is that it appeared on the Facebook page of NI’s Traktor, thereby serving as the first hint of a forthcoming Traktor iPad app. No specific details have been released, but the company says it will share more information in the next few weeks about its newest iPad adventure.

If you feel like getting really nerdy with your MIDI:

– Last month’s NAMM conference was not just for gorging on new gear and shiny musical toys, it was also a place to share knowledge and insight about where the worlds of technology and music production meet. One such opportunity came in the form of a panel on MIDI, comprising Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim, Alan Parsons, Jordan Rudess, George Duke, and Craig Anderton. Over the course of 90 minutes, the panel discussed the past, present, and future of MIDI, all of which was captured by Future Music. It’s not exactly the most enthralling 90 minute video around, but for those wishing to gain an in-depth knowledge of MIDI, the insight and topics covered are invaluable.