The old saying, "You got peanut butter on my chocolate!" expresses a deep truth about creativity: two things that differ in characteristics but share a common domain may yield fruitful results when combined.

The people at Frontier Design have taken that lesson to heart. They've taken the wireless network and the audio control surface, spread one all over the other, and thereby given us a whole new experience of using audio gear. They call it the TranzPort, a name that works on multiple levels: the TranzPort allows you to control the transports of your audio software, is designed to be transported from one place to another, works by providing a transport across wireless and USB protocols, and, when you add all that up, you'll likely be TranzPorted by the experience of using it, as I was.

A Mobile, Intelligent Unit

The TranzPort basically does three things, each of which is powerful; but when they're combined, they're dynamite:

• The TranzPort allows you to get up, walk around, and control your computer from anywhere in the room.
• It gives you a remote, interactive display so you can still see what's going on with your software.
• It replaces your mouse with buttons and knobs.

The TranzPort is a wireless, bidirectional remote control that works through walls. It supports everything from iTunes to Pro Tools, measures 7 by 5.5 by 2 inches, and weighs 1 pound.

The getting up and walking around part: man, it's the little things that can really make a difference in your life, probably because they often turn out not to be so little after all. First of all, mobility allows you to get away from computers and other noisy components—which is critical whenever a mic is in use.

But there's more to it than that. Think about it: who's in charge when you're hunched over your PC, virtually bowing to it? Sometimes that posture may be appropriate, because some software does seem designed to crush your spirit. But you don't have to assume the position automatically. The TranzPort is one of those rare pieces of technology that can immediately let you feel better about life, and it does it simply by allowing you to stand up and go wherever you please.

Trust me—try it and see. Since unpacking the TranzPort, I've found myself standing up and walking around a lot, just because I could. And I've been loving it. Frontier claims a typical operating range of 30 feet; I've found the range depends on what's between the unit and its wireless interface. Walls, not surprisingly, cut the range dramatically.

You can't really reclaim your independence if you're forced to make frequent darts across the room to squint at your monitor. And that's the TranzPort's second big benefit: its display interacts with your software, updating to reflect what's going on back at the computer. (Note the important difference with the one-way communication on a typical remote control.) The TranzPort's wireless capability sets you free, and its interactive two-line LCD keeps you that way.

And then there are the buttons and knobs. Physical interfaces that establish a direct link between gesture and action (such as buttons, knobs, keys, strings, pipes, and skins) just plain work better for music. That's because art is a language of feeling (think of the root meanings of "aesthetic" and "anesthetic"), and feeling is experienced in the body. With the mouse, many gestures are redefined and scaled down to something...well, mousy. The TranzPort is not the first control surface to give you buttons and knobs. But the others usually don't let you pick them up and carry them around.

The USB receiver lets you take the control unit up to 30 feet away from your noisy, flashing computer and concentrate on recording or listening.