The Basics: A “stompbox” form-factor, backing-track playback device, $529.

The Apps: There are plenty of reasons why track playback from a laptop in a live setting is less than ideal, and the Irodu P-1 seems to be the remedy.

First, you build songs, sets and sessions (a group of sets) using the Idoru software on your computer. Up to six 16-bit, stereo or mono WAV files (MP3s and MIDI files are okay, too) can be loaded per song, level-controlled and routed to the P-1’s six outputs, in any combination of stereo or mono.

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Your songs/sets/sessions are then stored on a Micro HD card inserted in the P-1. Using buttons or footswitches (hands or feet), you can initiate playback and shuffle the order of songs in your set, or set it for auto-play.

Crafty “jammers” could even load song sections, use loop and advance-to-next functions, and create live jams with backing tracks!

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A bright screen, all-steel construction and proper switches convince me that the P-1 should survive the hard knocks world of live music. Most important to me, the converters sound great and my band loves it!