Control Surfaces Reviews & Features

M-Audio Ships Torq Xponent  

Torq Xponent is both a MIDI control surface for Torq DJ software and a four-output USB audio interface....

Allen & Heath Announces Xone:1D and iLive-80 

Allen & Heath has announced the Xone:1D USB MIDI controller and the iLive-80 control surface....

JazzMutant Introduces Dexter and Announces Lemur 1.6 

JazzMutant has introduced the Dexter DAW Controller—a Lemur-style, multitouch control surface that mimics the look of your DAW's mixer and lets you control it by touching its user interface on Dexter's screen. In addition, Jazzmutant has also announced version 1.6 for the Lemur Multitouch Surface Controller....

M-AUDIO MidAir 

By Vijith Assar

The MidAir keyboard models are among the first wireless devices to integrate the keyboard, a control surface, and the wireless transmitter in one package....

PreSonus Adds Sonar Support for FaderPort 

PreSonus has added Sonar support for the FaderPort USB automation and transport controller. The FaderPort is a single-fader controller that can write single and group channel volume, pan, and mute automation....

M-AUDIO ProjectMix I/O 

By Rusty Cutchin

M-Audio's ProjectMix I/O combines an 18 14 FireWire interface with a full-featured control surface that can operate all of the major software audio applications....

JAZZ MUTANT Lemur (Mac/Win) 

By Jonathan E. Segel

Using a mouse to manipulate the many buttons and knobs in today's DAWs can get tiresome and painful. Though most external control surfaces give you a...

FRONTIER DESIGN GROUP TranzPort 

By Michael Cooper

Every time I want to record my own musical performance from inside one of my tracking rooms, I struggle with running a 30-foot MIDI cable from my MOTU...

TASCAM FW-1082 

By Orren Merton

Tascam's FW-1082 is a FireWire audio/MIDI interface and control surface that can function as a fully capable standalone audio mixer. Tascam and Frontier...

DIGIDESIGN Command|8 

By Nick Peck

Digidesign's new, USB-based Command|8 combines an 8-channel MIDI control surface, a MIDI interface, and a stereo monitor. Command|8 requires Pro Tools...

TASCAM FW-1884 

By Larry the O

Control surfaces such as Tascam's multifunctional FW-1884 were practically nonexistent five years ago. Today, most studios perform all their mixing and...

YAMAHA01X 

By Geary Yelton

Imagine linking all of your audio and MIDI equipment using one bidirectional cable for each device. The mLAN protocol, introduced by Yamaha more than...

JLCOOPER CS-32 MiniDesk (Mac/Win) 

By Marty Cutler

The JLCooper CS-32 is a compact 32-channel control surface that can be adapted to a variety of popular software applications. It is available in either a MIDI or USB configuration....

Evolution U-Control UC-33e (Mac/Win) 

By Mark Vail

The expanding universe of USB/MIDI control surfaces has just expanded a bit more with the introduction of the Evolution U-Control UC-33e ($329.95). This compact upgrade of the original UC-33 offers a nice array of faders, knobs, and buttons for transmitting a variety MIDI messages and SysEx data....

MACKIE DESIGNS Mackie Control 

By Nick Peck

Mackie Control is a full-featured expandable MIDI control surface offering automated 100 mm touch-sensitive motorized faders as well as transport controls. It supports most software DAWs on Mac and PC....

MACKIEBABY HUI 

By Nick Peck

The original Mackie HUI (Human User Interface) MIDI control surface debuted in 1997 and transformed mixing in Pro Tools by offering a physical interface...

DIGIDESIGN DIGI 002 

By Nick Peck

Digidesign has dominated professional music and post production with their TDM-based Pro Tools hardware and software. They have also made strong inroads into the project-studio market with the Digi 001 and Mbox products. With the introduction of the Digi 002, Digidesign creates a high resolution, portable host-based Pro Tools system with robust, flexible I/O and a comprehensive integrated control surface....

Event Electronics EZbus 

By Brian Smithers

The EZbus from Event Electronics is an impressive hybrid that combines a digital mixer, a virtual control surface, and an audio/MIDI interface into a...

C-Mexx MIR (MIDI Interactive Remote) 

By Brian Smithers

For every one of my students who ever cried out in frustration, Why, oh, why do we have to learn hexadecimal numbers? I have the best answer yet: the...

Social Mixer 

Larry the O

Use your mixer as a control surface, too... most digital mixers on the market (and even a few analog mixers) allow you to do that to one degree or another through MIDI....