Controllers

The Command 8 and Icon have revitalised the affordable and the professional ends of Digidesign's controller range. Now Digi have turned their attention to the middle of the market, with a replacement for their tried and tested Control 24.

Digidesign's LE range has received a comprehensive overhaul in the last year, and the new flagship 003 and 003 Rack incorporate many improvements over their predecessors.

Digidesign's D-Command and D-Control represent perhaps the most ambitious attempt yet to integrate recording and mixing systems. Do these Icons symbolise the future of digital audio workstations, or are they merely expensive control surfaces for Pro Tools?

With fader controllers, you often have a choice of buying something dedicated to one software package, or selecting a generic unit that gives versatility at the cost of tight integration. Digidesign's Command 8 aims to offer the best of both worlds.

FireWire audio and MIDI interfaces are gaining in popularity, as are fader surfaces designed for hands-on control of computer recording packages. Now Digidesign have combined the two.

Pro Tools is virtually an industry standard for music production and post-production, even though its powerful mixing and signal processing capabilities have previously only been fully accessible through a computer screen. The recent introduction of Digidesign's own ProControl addresses that problem. Hugh Robjohns just loves being in control...