Whether you’re an old hand, or new to all things mixing, the control surface is a great way to get hold of your virtual mixer and audio plugins. With an ever expanding range of options, here we round up our favourite compact solutions to get hands-on with.

Control Surfaces - Why Use Them?

If the mouse is such an efficient way to tell computers what to do, why do control surfaces even exist? The answer lies with the job in hand, and how things used to be done. The design and layout of most DAWs’ mixers and a great many audio plugins take their cue from real devices. These were machines that were built to do a job before the idea of using a computer for the same job was a thing.

Pilots tell computers how to point aeroplanes in the right direction, but on the flight deck the mouse is nowhere to be seen. Instead is a familiar complement of throttles, control columns, rudders, and all the rest of it pretending to be the mechanical controls they once were. Pilots need familiarity and absolute control.

Audio mixing can be done with a mouse with great success, but many engineers also want familiarity and absolute control. Step forward a whole gamut of mixer and processor-shaped devices to give engineers’ hands all the exercise they need. Here are some of our compact control surface picks to make your mouse jealous…

1 - PreSonus FaderPort v2

Kicking off our list is something of a control surface classic. Taking its cue from the ancient Frontier Design Alphatrack, PreSonus’ FaderPort v2 picks up the baton from its silver (or should that be grey and blue) ancestors. This little gizmo gives hands on control to those without the space for the decadence of eight or more faders, but aside from that it’s no slouch. Of course it has the all important Solo and Mute buttons, but the console feel is rounded out with proper buttons for automation modes as well. Nice big illuminated transport buttons? Check. Extra functions for click, markers, and other navigation? Check. This thing is in serious danger of upstaging the other gear in small studios, making redundancy for your mouse for those important mix moves ever more likely.

2 - Softube Console 1 Channel Mk III

Next up is another modern classic. Softube’s Console 1 has been with us for ten years, and following the original Mk I Swedish units (which everyone knows sound warmer - just kidding) its MK II doppelganger recently gave way to the third iteration of the company’s channel strip audio plugin controller. Console 1 originally pitched itself as a system that could let engineers mix just as they would on a console, but some might say that its all-rotary encoder design excels at processors more than it does on balancing duties.

The original’s tank-like build featured an understated panel which has now been turbocharged with colour displays, a brand new input module, and extra slots to accommodate two EQs and two compressors per-instance. Features such as VESA mounting options also cement Console 1 Mk III’s pro credentials, to be joined by the forthcoming Console 1 Fader Mk III.

3 - Avid S1

As one of the most widely used DAWs for pros, Avid Pro Tools benefits from a range of bespoke controllers with a long lineage. From the Pro Control and Control 24, via the Icon family of large format expandable surfaces, the current S-Series controllers began over ten years ago.

On the compact side of things, many Pro Tools users will be aware of the Artist Mix eight fader surface with the Eucon protocol at its heart. Its replacement is Avid’s S1, which unlike its predecessor has been designed specifically to be used with other units from Avid, or on its own - a serving suggestion for the last option is the Avid Control app for any iOS, Android, or Amazon Fire device perched on top of S1.

This gives control of various functions with or without S1, but one perennial use for Avid Control (among many others) is to give something to S1 that many competing devices lack: a lovely big meter bridge. Throw in extra units, and maybe an Avid dock, and you can see why S1 continues to be the basis for many pros’ compact modular surfaces to get control of one of the engineers’ favourite DAWs.

4 - Nektar Panorama CS12

If you thought that Pro Tools was the only platform with control surfaces specifically made for it, this next one might surprise you. Nektar’s Panorama CS12 has been developed from the ground up to be used with Apple Logic Pro.

This gives full control of all Logic Pro channel strip parameters including plugins. Panorama CS12 also has similar advantages to using other DAW specific controllers, such as fine fader resolution thanks to its up-to 14 bit control resolution via a 100mm motorised fader. Other control surface staples such as navigation and transport are also available, with lots of colour-LED visual feedback enhanced by its own on-board overview display of encoder status, among other things. Advanced direct insert plugin control of both AU and Logic Pro’s included insert effects is available as is control of up to 12 sends per channel.

Panorama CS12 is class compliant, but it uses the Nektar ControlCore software to integrate with Logic Pro. Also included is the Nektarine application/plugin for drag and drop mapping of controls. It might be a third party aftermarket creation, but nonetheless It turns out that DAW-specific control isn’t just Pro Tools-shaped.

5 - SSL UF1

SSL need no introduction here, but known to fewer engineers is the company’s long history of trying to squeeze the absolute most out of ancient protocols such as HUI and MCU. Products such as the discontinued Nucleus have now largely passed standalone control duties to the company’s latest generation of U-Series compact modular DAW control surfaces.

Many will be aware of the UF8 eight fader programmable control surface (full disclaimer: I’m a fan. I write this as one very satisfied customer who bought mine with my own money). It turns out that the octo-centric UF8 was the prequel not only to the UC1 channel processor controller, but also to UF8’s sawn-off lone fader brethren: UF1.

This is of course smaller and more affordable, but it also sports much larger, illuminated buttons for transport, as well as a generously sized display and direct control for SSL’s comprehensive Meter plugin. All the other U-series goodies are there including tonnes of programmability, high quality fader action with fine resolution in any DAW, and fantastic build that makes some of the premium competition’s pricing look increasingly optimistic…

6 - Behringer X-Touch ONE

If you think that control surfaces are an expensive luxury, then you might be surprised to learn that this one might cost less than the things it was designed to control. If you want a motorised, long throw fader with automation on a shoestring, Behringer’s X-Touch ONE is a very strong contender. It also has all the usual bells and whistles such as transport control and navigation, but its trump card has to be a price tag (£140 / $175) to make anyone look twice. Its chunky metal construction surprised me when I looked at a friend’s eight fader X-Touch not so long ago, suggesting it might last longer than previous offerings from certain budget brands might suggest. It also has a couple of nice touches including two USB sockets for hub duties, and Kensington security lock slot to prevent all your friends who pretend to hate it from stealing it…

7 - Rocksolid Audio Micro 3

For those unfamiliar, Rocksolid Audio’s compact, channel-shaped bus powered devices allow engineers to get hands on with channel strips and more besides, with an emphasis on console-style EQ and dynamics processors.

Counting users such as John Cornfield and other fans in the industry, Rocksolid Audio have now distilled previous products into the current Micro 4k and Micro 3 processor channel strip controllers. The two units are broadly similar; if you are used to a 4k layout then there’s the former. The latter has more neutral panel lengending which is a clearer nod to the power of either to control anything you like. Via Rocksolid Audio’s Control Hub software, units can be mapped to parameters using either MIDI CC maps, or the company’s Mouse Mode that drags any DAW (including a certain industry favourite) kicking and screaming into the joys of high quality, compact third party control.

Control Freaks?

For some, DAW-specific control is non-negotiable. Those working on Avid surfaces can truly claim to have hardware that reflects the software and vice versa, and for many, third party controllers, no matter how ingenious, still cannot match that synergy.

The middle ground of programmable compact surfaces with faders can be the ideal route to getting hands on. If you’re DAW-agnostic, working on two or more platforms, setting up one of these little beasts to be laid out exactly as you need it is a great way to speed things up across the board. In my case I want a bank of faders, and I want one-control-per function for my processors as well. I happen to use an SSL UF8 with Console 1 MKI to that end. I’d much prefer that in one box, but I understand why that cannot be (for now…).

Do the big boys and girls really hold all the cards when it comes to compact DAW control surfaces that work well? Anyone who has used Rocksolid Audio’s channel-shaped controllers might agree to disagree. Coupled with a compact single fader controller from our roundup, Micro 3 or Micro 4k could make a very attractive setup for anyone who thinks that mice should be free to roam while they slide and twist the day away…

Do you use a compact control surface? If so what is your weapon(s) of choice and why? Let us know in the comments.