Hands-on DAW control doesn’t necessarily mean you need to surrender your entire studio desk...
Much like the consoles they set out to replicate, control surfaces come in all shapes and sizes. At one extreme you have the likes of Avid’s S4/S6 and Yamaha’s NUAGE systems, large-format modular beasts that can be kitted out with a huge number of physical controls — a fully loaded S6 can support three operators and house a staggering 192 faders! At the other end of the scale are desktop-friendly devices equipped with a handful of controls and a single fader.
On first thought, it might seem strange to have a control surface with just one fader, but having hands-on control over a single DAW channel at a time can still prove to be incredibly useful: level and parameter adjustments are easier and more intuitive, and writing in automation is far less tedious, to give but two examples. Throw some encoders, function buttons and transport controls into the mix, and you’ve got a genuinely helpful addition to the trusty old mouse and keyboard combo. They also take up less space and generally come in at a lower cost than their multi-fader counterparts, which is always nice!
Avid Dock
The Avid Dock pairs with a tablet running the company’s free Avid Control app, and delivers much of the functionality of their large-format S4 and S6 surfaces in a far smaller and more affordable package. The device supplements the touchscreen interface of Avid Control with a 100mm motorised fader, eight touch-sensitive rotary encoders (with an additional rotary encoder for controlling compatible monitoring software), 32 function buttons, 16 assignable soft keys, two programmable touch strips and a large jog wheel.
The encoders provide hands-on control over mixer functions and plug-in parameters with detailed visual feedback provided via the tablet app, while the fader provides an ‘attention’ channel strip control over the currently selected DAW track. The likes of session navigation and automation modes are handled by dedicated function buttons, and it’s possible to assign the soft keys and touch strips to a huge number of tasks using Avid’s EuControl software — EUCON offers control over just about every element of the DAW, including menu options and recalling custom layouts.
Along with a Channel view and comprehensive metering, the app also features a Mixer page with touchscreen control over additional channels, and those who want to extend the functionality to physical faders can pair the Dock with Avid’s S1. Up to four eight-fader S1 surfaces can run alongside the Dock, each of which can also host a tablet with additional instances of Avid Control. Being an Avid product, it’s no surprise that the Dock boasts tight integration with Pro Tools, but it can also be used alongside a number of other DAWs such as Cubase, Nuendo, Logic Pro, Sequoia and Pyramix.
$1195.
www.avid.com/products/avid-dock
£1198.80 including VAT.
www.avid.com/products/avid-dock
Behringer X-Touch One & X-Touch Mini
The single-fader member of Behringer’s X-Touch family houses a 100mm motorised fader with a rotary encoder and LCD ‘scribble strip’ that displays track names and parameter values, with a Channel section offering control over functions such as mute, solo and record enable.
A second, larger LCD then indicates the rotary controller’s current assignment along with a DAW session time or bars/beats readout, while a dedicated transport section and two rows of function buttons are joined by a jog wheel and zoom/navigation buttons.
The X-Touch One communicates via HUI, Mackie Control or MIDI, and the top-panel controls correspond to standard Mackie Control protocol functions, although the majority of the buttons can be reassigned via an MC User mode. Helpfully, the unit ships with panel overlays labelled with the typical button functions for the most popular compatible DAWs. In terms of expansion, there’s a built-in two-port USB hub that makes it simple to connect other members of the X-Touch range, or indeed any other controllers or USB devices. If you’re after something even smaller, the incredibly compact X-Touch Mini pairs a 600mm (non-motorised) fader with eight rotary encoders and 16 buttons that offer a mixture of transport and function controls, with a pair of switchable layers offering quick access to two sets of controls.
X-Touch One $199, X-Touch Mini $99.
www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0808-AAG
www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0808-AAF
X-Touch One £161, X-Touch Mini £54. Prices include VAT.
www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0808-AAG
www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0808-AAF
Icon Pro Audio P1 Nano
One of the more recent additions to Icon Pro Audio’s growing range of control surfaces is the P1 Nano, a compact, single-fader device that combines a 100mm motorised fader and eight rotary encoders with a wealth of function buttons, a jog wheel and a versatile touchscreen display. Dedicated buttons are provided for the likes of automation, navigation and transport controls, and up to 80 functions can be dragged and dropped into the 16-panel touchscreen display using Icon’s iMAP software. It’s also possible to connect to three DAWs at a time, and switch between dedicated controller layouts via a trio of top-panel buttons. As well as HUI and Mackie Control protocols ensuring compatibility with all major DAW platforms, the unit also boasts MIDI integration for controlling parameters on software instruments. The company also offer the D5 Display, an optional meter-bridge style add-on that adds a row of LCD screens above the P1 Nano’s encoders and displays metering, pan position and parameter value information.
P1 Nano $299, D5 Display $169.
www.iconproaudio.com/product/p1-nano
P1 Nano £322.80, D5 Display £178. Prices include VAT.
www.iconproaudio.com/product/p1-nano
Nektar Panorama CS12
Designed exclusively for Logic Pro, Nektar’s Panorama CS12 provides full control of the Apple DAW’s channel strip parameters and any inserted plug-ins. A 100mm motorised fader is joined by pan, arm, mute and solo controls, while a wealth of encoders and buttons take care of session navigation, transport control, zoom and tempo settings, loop points, marker creation and more.
Any plug-in parameter that can be automated in Logic can be controlled from the CS12, and a set of eight dedicated buttons are provided for quickly switching between insert slots; a parameter learn function makes it simple to create assignments as you go, and more detailed custom maps can be created using the included Nektarine software. The fader boasts 14-bit resolution to allow for accurate adjustments and automation writing, and thanks to a Fine button, that same resolution can be enabled for the rotary controls — Nektar say that the reason they’ve provided an option to switch it on and off is that with Fine mode engaged, some parameters require multiple rotations to scroll through all of their values. A central TFT screen displays colour-coded plug-in parameter assignments and values, which, thanks to the unit’s RGB-backlit encoders, are reflected on the hardware controls. Although the controller currently only supports Logic Pro, Nektar stated before launch that they were planning on extending that support to other DAWs through future updates.
$399.99.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/nektar-panorama-cs12
www.nektartech.com/panorama-cs12
£345 including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/nektar-panorama-cs12
www.nektartech.com/panorama-cs12
PreSonus FaderPort
PreSonus provide a copy of Studio One Artist with each FaderPort purchase. However, not being a Studio One user doesn’t mean you’ll be left out, as the use of HUI and Mackie Control mean that the FaderPort can be used to add some hands-on control to all major DAWs; Ableton Live users benefit from enhanced integration, and can use the FaderPort to switch between session and arranger views, as well as navigating their clips and scenes and controlling volume and pan parameters. In addition to Studio One Artist, a copy of Ableton Live Lite is bundled with the FaderPort.
$199.99.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/presonus-faderport-1
www.presonus.com/en/controllers/control-surface/faderport-series
£169 including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/presonus-faderport-1
www.presonus.com/en/controllers/control-surface/faderport-series
SSL UF1
SSL are one of the biggest names in the console world, and in recent years they’ve set about bringing the large-format console experience to those mixing in the box, by developing a range of control surfaces that can be used alongside their emulation plug-ins.
Their single-fader offering comes in the form of the UF1, which combines a single 100mm motorised fader with two high-res display screens, six rotary encoders, a weighted jog wheel, a transport section and a range of function buttons. Integration with all major DAWs is possible via HUI and Mackie Control (you can even control up to three simultaneously) and there’s a customisable MIDI CC layer that can be used to add hands-on control to the likes of software instruments, sample libraries and external hardware.
As well as providing hands-on control of DAW mixer and plug-in parameters, the four rotary encoders below the main display can also be set to Fader Mode, offering level control over an extra four channels. Custom button mapping can be carried out via the SSL 360° software, which also offers tight integration with their 360°-enabled plug-ins and allows the UF1’s large screen to display true peak, RMS, K-System, 31-band RTA, VU and PPM metering, along with stereo balance, phase correlation and Lissajous phase scope displays courtesy of the (included) SSL Meter plug-in.
The UF1 can also be combined with SSL’s other control surfaces to form part of a larger, virtual SSL console setup. Pairing it up with a UC1 will kit you out with dedicated channel-strip-style EQ and dynamics controls, while adding a UF8 will gain you an additional eight faders and rotary encoders and a healthy selection of extra function buttons. For those with the space and budget, the system can support up to four UF8s, making it possible to create an impressive 33-fader system.
$699.99.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/solid-state-logic-uf1
www.solidstatelogic.com/products/uf1
£598.80 including VAT.
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/solid-state-logic-uf1
www.solidstatelogic.com/products/uf1
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