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The Control 2802 is something of a hybrid product, combining a comprehensive monitor controller, a 32-input mixer and a control surface with eight motorised faders. The function of the faders can be 'flipped' between adjusting the mixer section's analogue input levels, or the fader positions in your DAW. Please can someone help. Q1: I have designed a MIDI control Surface to be used to control Logic Pro / Pro Tools / Cubase etc. And was wondering if the Arduino platform (chip and programming environment) is the most suitable platform for this.
Short on cash, got lots of time, and want/need a new piece of DJ gear custom to your needs? It’s time to go DIY! For about $100 you can build your own MIDI controller. Watch the full how to video from guest contributor Kyle Mohr and read the full construction guide inside.
DIY MIDI Controller Shopping List
First you’ll need to purchase all of your tools and materials. I’ve found the best prices and parts are usually sold on eBay from retailers based in China, but they tend to sellout fast and shipping to the States takes 2-3 weeks (this will, however, give you plenty of time to get your enclosure ready and board programmed). But, to make things easier I’ve provided many links for Amazon and US retailers.
Click the below sections to expand the lists:
Parts- Fader Mounting Screws (M2 – 0.4 x 6mm) Mouser or Home Depot
- 5mm LEDs orLEDs with Resistors
Enclosure Finishes
*Note: These are not necessary, but if you have a wood enclosure they help make things look a lot nicer
*Note: These are not necessary, but if you have a wood enclosure they help make things look a lot nicer
Tools
Note: It will put you way over the $100 budget if you need any of these tools, but if you plan to do more projects in the future they certainly will come in handy and you can always buy them really cheap on eBay and Amazon.
- Rosincore Solder *Any Rosin-core solder should do, this is just what I used
- BONUS: here’s a great video on tools you need for electronics projects
DESIGN
This is my awful drawing on a post-it note, but it suffices as an ideal layout and sketch. I followed it up using Adobe Illustrator to make a to-scale blueprint. Download the PDF and EPS files here. This was designed for 4 potentiometers, 4 faders and 4 arcade buttons, but you can certainly swap them out for other components.
For the buttons, you’ll need a 1 inch or 24mm spade bit and you should aim for using a 5/16 bit for the potentiometers. Make sure to leave plenty of space between your components and do not overcrowd the layout. This will result in broken enclosures and tight areas for soldering. You don’t always have to be this exact, you can always just take a marker and ruler, measure distance between components and make sure to keep the distance the same, and mark up the back or inside of your enclosure with drill/cut spots.
Case Building
Once you’ve finalized your layout its time to “build” or make room for your components. You can use anything for an enclosure: an old VHS tape; plastic lunchbox; retro video game cartridge; a wooden box; or even 3D print your own. The main point of DIY besides saving some money and learning what is really inside your gear, is to customize it to be truly original.
Before you start drilling holes be sure to measure all components and their clearance!
When drilling holes for components in the enclosure, especially with thin wood and plastic, to keep it from cracking when drilling, make sure to choose about 6-7 drill bits from very small to your final size.
For LEDs I always use this guide (look under “Making holes if needed”). This will help you slowly get to your desired size without putting too much tension on the material causing it to crack, chip or break. The key is to drill at slow speeds, and gradually go up to the size you need. If something starts to crack or chip, quickly stop and put your drill direction in reverse. Try using it in reverse for a bit to clean up the cut.
Once you’ve drilled, cut and punched your way through the enclosure its time to clean it up. Don’t worry, it always looks like a hack job. The key is to take your time. Try to drill and mark up the inside (spots people won’t see) and even place a spare board under your enclosure that you can drill into. This also helps to reduce tension on the enclosure.
Now if you used plastic, you’re in luck! You’ve just saved yourself days, seriously! For plastic you can simply use the hobby files to file off any jagged edges, or frayed pieces of plastic, which are blocking the holes.
Want to make an awesome wood enclosure?
If you used wood, get ready to go all Ron Swanson on your project. Most cheap wood like we’re using here looks, well, cheap! So how do we class up that piece of junk to look like a custom cut piece of expensive furniture?…Stain!
- I highly recommend pre-stain. It will help the stain spread evenly, especially on cheap/thin wood and prevents spots.
- After 5-15 minutes it’s time to add that stain. Just take a rag, dip in stain and apply to your enclosure. I like to use Dark Walnut. Apply and then immediately remove, and repeat this process a few times. This will give it a more rustic/steampunk look, but if you want something more solid, don’t wipe the stain away, just apply a lot and leave it to dry.
- After a day of drying, apply polyurethane with a brush. Fully coat all sides to protect your enclosure from scratches, and protect, and even strengthen the wood. I suggest brushing it in the direction of the wood grain.
- Let dry for 24hrs, then repeat to your liking. I recommend 3 coats, 24hrs between each coat.
- After the final coat, let dry for 72hrs before adding component parts! This avoids putting my components into a sticky polyurethane mess.
COMPONENTS
Now that you’ve finished your DIY MIDI controller layout and enclosure, it’s time to add your components to the faceplate. Buttons usually just pop in, but some will require a fastener or nut to be placed on the back to secure it (if there is a little resistance, don’t force it, just take your hobby files to it a few times then try again).
Potentiometer knobs will then be placed in with washers and nuts. These should cover any jagged edges you may have from drilling. Tighten with pliers. For linear potentiometers (aka faders) make sure you have the number 1 (power) on the top. This may vary depending on make and model (feel free to test using a breadboard). 2 is usually your signal, and 3 should be ground. Then secure to the faceplate with your M2 screws.
To protect the components, add your Chroma Caps to faders and pots now (or any off-the-shelf caps as well, we just like those the best).
To add the LED, flip over the faceplate or top of enclosure and put your LED into the hole(s) you drilled for it. You may need to use your hobby file again for this to make sure the LED fits just right. Afterwards, push it through just enough to see the tip on the other side. Using a toothpick as an applicator line the circumference of the LED with Gorilla Glue. Once hardened it will ensure your LED doesn’t fall back into the enclosure. Don’t use hot glue, it may melt the LED’s plastic.
Soldering Your Components
Once the glue on the LED is dry, start the soldering process. This make all of the connections from your components to the circuit board, which will then relay the message to your computer or iOS device (oh yeah, this will also work with your iPhone/iPad)!
First you’ll need your Rosin-core solder (way safer than lead-based solder) – I use and recommend .050”-Diameter 63/37 Rosin-Core Solder.
If you haven’t soldered before there is a wealth of tutorials on YouTube. Here are a few of my favorites. Trust me, its not complicated at all, anyone can do it. Just take your time and pay close attention to what you’re doing.
Turn on your soldering iron and let it heat up for a few minutes. Grab your jumper wires. I use these instead of your average spools of wire because they have a single pin at the end instead of braided wire that is quite difficult to push through a hole. They are much more efficient since with normal wire you have to cut, strip, and heat shrink it every time. I also tend to pre-bend them all at 90 degree angles and trim about ¼ off of them to make sure they fit in any enclosure and the Teensy board.
Let’s start from the top and work our way down. First make sure each of your jumper wires will reach from each component to the next, and matching colors is always helpful. I like to use dark colors (black or blue) for the ground line and bright colors (red, orange, yellow) for power while using mild colors (green or white) for the signal line. For D-Shaft potentiometers you want to be certain your pins are on the bottom, this will ensure your knobs fit and that once wired they will be going in the proper direction.
For potentiometers you have 3 lines, ground, active (your analog signal which identifies where the position of your potentiometer is) and your power. They also usually go in that order when looking at the pins, a 4th pin is usually just a dummy pin and will not be used for our project.
Since we only have 1 power and 1 ground point to solder on the Teensy board we need to chain all of our grounds together then all of our power together. Once complete, we need to run that power and ground from the last pot to the first fader, which is soldered and treated as if it was a potentiometer. Follow the guide below.
Once that is complete, run the ground only from your last fader to your buttons. The other point on buttons is your active/signal line.
Solder the active line from each component, 1 single wire from each button, knob, and fader. The Teensy board has built in pull-up resistors that we will access using the Sketch we upload when programming the board so we do not need resistors soldered to the buttons active line.
Next, solder a 220 ohm resistor to the (+) powered pin of the LED, this is to ensure it doesn’t blow out from too much power. Then connect the other side of the resistor to a positive pin on the closest pot. We will then solder the short LED pin (ground) to the closest pots ground pin.
For the last bit of soldering, run the active line from every pot and slider to Analog pins A0 – A7. Where as the active line of each button will be soldered to the Digital pins on the other side of the board B0-B3.
Programming Your DIY MIDI Controller
Setting Up Teensyduino (Arduino + Teensy)
Teensyduino is an add-on for Arduino Uploading Software that enables the Teensy board to be used in the Arduino programming environment. Before we get started you will need to:
- Download Arduino Software *Certain versions of Teensyduino are only compatible with certain versions of the Arduino Software. On the Teensyduino download page this is specified. As of August 2015, “Teensyduino 1.24 supports only Arduino version 1.0.6 and 1.6.1 and 1.6.3 and 1.6.4 and 1.6.5”.
- Download Teensyduino + follow the install instructions on this page (be sure to install all the libraries!)
STEP 1: Plug your Teensy board into the USB port on your computer. After plugged in an orange light on the Teensy should be flashing on and off every second. This is called the ‘blink’ sketch – The Teensy board comes pre-loaded with it.
STEP 2: In the menubar, select Tools->Board->Teensy 2.0.
STEP 3: Also in the menubar, Tools->USB Type->MIDI
STEP 4: Open a sketch file (download mine here). This sketch is set to 8 analog pots (the faders are treated as a knob/pot when it comes to the code) and 4 digital buttons. If you have more knobs or faders, simply change the number here:
If you wish to add more buttons, there is a little more work, but it isn’t too complicated to fix.
STEP 5: Click the upload button (right arrow) to upload the new code to the Teensy. Since this is the first sketch you uploaded, Arduino will ask you to click the reset button on the Teensy. Click it (see image). After clicked, the sketch should immediately upload.
This code is based off a sketch I was given from fellow DIY MIDI engineer/Musician Otem Rellik. Click the button below to expand the code – it’s long!
The Code#include
// define how many pots are active up to number of available analog inputs
#define analogInputs 8
// make arrays for input values and lagged input values
int inputAnalog[analogInputs];
int iAlag[analogInputs];
// make array of cc values
int ccValue[analogInputs];
// index variable for loop
int i;
#define analogInputs 8
// make arrays for input values and lagged input values
int inputAnalog[analogInputs];
int iAlag[analogInputs];
// make array of cc values
int ccValue[analogInputs];
// index variable for loop
int i;
// cc values for buttons
int cc_off = 0;
int cc_on = 65;
int cc_super = 127;
int cc_off = 0;
int cc_on = 65;
int cc_super = 127;
// map buttons to cc for button
int cc0 = 51;
int cc1 = 52;
int cc2 = 53;
int cc3 = 54;
int cc0 = 51;
int cc1 = 52;
int cc2 = 53;
int cc3 = 54;
Bounce button0 = Bounce(0, 3);
Bounce button1 = Bounce(1, 3);
Bounce button2 = Bounce(2, 3);
Bounce button3 = Bounce(3, 3);
Bounce button1 = Bounce(1, 3);
Bounce button2 = Bounce(2, 3);
Bounce button3 = Bounce(3, 3);
void setup() {
// MIDI rate
Serial.begin(31250);
pinMode(0, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(1, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(2, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(3, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(4, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(5, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(6, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(7, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(8, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(9, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(10, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(11, INPUT_PULLUP);
}
// MIDI rate
Serial.begin(31250);
pinMode(0, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(1, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(2, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(3, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(4, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(5, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(6, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(7, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(8, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(9, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(10, INPUT_PULLUP);
pinMode(11, INPUT_PULLUP);
}
void loop() {
// loop trough active inputs for knobs
for (i=0;i<analoginputs;i++){ // read current value at i-th input inputAnalog[i] = analogRead(i); // if magnitude of difference is 8 or more… if (abs(inputAnalog[i] – iAlag[i]) > 7){
// calc the CC value based on the raw value
ccValue[i] = inputAnalog[i]/8;
// send the MIDI
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(i, ccValue[i], 3);
// set raw reading to lagged array for next comparison
iAlag[i] = inputAnalog[i];
}
delay(5); // limits MIDI messages to reasonable number
}
// loop trough active inputs for knobs
for (i=0;i<analoginputs;i++){ // read current value at i-th input inputAnalog[i] = analogRead(i); // if magnitude of difference is 8 or more… if (abs(inputAnalog[i] – iAlag[i]) > 7){
// calc the CC value based on the raw value
ccValue[i] = inputAnalog[i]/8;
// send the MIDI
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(i, ccValue[i], 3);
// set raw reading to lagged array for next comparison
iAlag[i] = inputAnalog[i];
}
delay(5); // limits MIDI messages to reasonable number
}
// Push Button code
button0.update();
button1.update();
button2.update();
button3.update();
button0.update();
button1.update();
button2.update();
button3.update();
if (button0.fallingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc0, cc_on, 3);
}
if (button1.fallingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc1, cc_on, 3);
}
if (button2.fallingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc2, cc_on, 3);
}
if (button3.fallingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc3, cc_on, 3);
}
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc0, cc_on, 3);
}
if (button1.fallingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc1, cc_on, 3);
}
if (button2.fallingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc2, cc_on, 3);
}
if (button3.fallingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc3, cc_on, 3);
}
if (button0.risingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc0, cc_off, 3);
}
if (button1.risingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc1, cc_off, 3);
}
if (button2.risingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc2, cc_off, 3);
}
if (button3.risingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc3, cc_off, 3);
}
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc0, cc_off, 3);
}
if (button1.risingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc1, cc_off, 3);
}
if (button2.risingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc2, cc_off, 3);
}
if (button3.risingEdge())
{
usbMIDI.sendControlChange(cc3, cc_off, 3);
}
}
FINISHING TOUCHES
Before we test our creation, we first need to clean up flux residue with a paper towel and/or Q-tip (for hard to reach areas) and rubbing alcohol. This will remove any materials which could overtime corrode your board and connections.
After that dries it’s time to cover your connections that could potentially touch another and cause a short. You have a few options here: simply tape up any loose connections of bare wire that could touch another or even a metal component part; cover them with hot glue so nothing moves or touches at all; use heat shrink tubing (which doesn’t always fit perfectly); or try liquid electrical tape which comes in a rubber cement style bottle and brush on (which makes covering tight areas a little easier). *If using liquid tape please do so in a well ventilated area.
When the bare wires are covered, plug in your fully-soldered and connected circuit board. The LED should light up and not burn out! Boot up your DAW of choice and make sure you see the Teensy recognized as a MIDI device. Try mapping each component to your DAW and see if a MIDI signal is sent, once you’ve verified, you know you have achieved success!
Lastly, it’s time to close up your MIDI controller so it looks less like Frankenstein’s monster. You can use many things to mount the board in your enclosure but I recommend a generous glob of hot glue on the bottom. After it is mounted, plug in your adapter which is mounted to the enclosure, close the lid and seal it up.
Final Product
You are now the proud creator of your very first DIY MIDI Controller. Go show it off to the world, and be sure to post pictures of your MIDI controllers in the comments below or tag @DJTechTools on your preferred social network.
This DIY MIDI Controller is loosely a based on the DJ TechTools Midi Fighter 3D and DJTT Midi Fighter Twister.
Guide and design by Kyle Mohr
All video and editing by Alex Medvick
All video and editing by Alex Medvick
There’s always room in our studios for the best control surface. When it comes to needing to sync up our pieces of equipment to the digital audio setup in front of us, you can never have too many options to get a true custom feel of what we’re working with (at least in our opinion). As we continue to review the top models in the audio equipment game, today we’re met with a category that some of us producers, engineers and mixers can’t live without. Let’s check out what we found for the top 10 best control surfaces in the market today.
What is a control surface?
A control surface is an external piece of audio equipment that allows you to control the digital audio workstation or other types of software you have in front of you via a computer. It’s a definitive piece of gear in the world of digital technology when it comes to producing, mixing and mastering music. They’re typically hooked up to your rig via USB, FireWire or Ethernet, while some coming in sizes that are even portable for live performances or hooking it up at a fellow musician’s studio.
Like any external gear, especially when it comes to “controlling” your software, sounds and effects, these help us continue to blend both analog and digital setups as we use computers yet steer away from mice and computers at the same time. It just isn’t the same trying to fix levels with our mouse — that’s why we’ll never truly steer away from analog gear, even if it’s a small and simple USB-connected device to give us a more hands-on feel and control to our music. These things come in numerous variations, with different shapes, sizes, capabilities, features and price ranges. Many may even consider a few of these as audio mixers to some. We know many who like to pair these up with their MIDI keyboards and other various MIDI gear to complete their setup.
So now that you know you need a “control surface”, we’ve only scratched the surface in what exactly you were thinking. This term covers a pretty broad range of audio gear. Do you need some faders to control your FX? Knobs for levels of many different types of tracks? We’ll list the essentials below when it comes to finding the best control surface for your current (or future) music creation lab.
Picking the best control surface
- Budget range – As with all music equipment, we’re going to see quite a bit of a price range with this one. Your cash flow is really going to determine which direction you’re going to take with your money, or if you’re planning on saving up, which to eventually end up in. We recommend being patient with your budget if you find a model that’s a bit out of your current thoughts and expectations when it comes to money. We tried to find the best control surfaces in most price-points to give you options, albeit we’ve seen models range from below $100 all the way to above $1,000+.
- Your intended use – As stated previously, the word “control surface” is quite broad. What you’re planning on using the control surface for will help us sift through the different types of knobs, buttons and faders many of these come with. Are you in a home studio needing some simple control of your FX, virtual instruments and other various DAW settings? A live performer needing multiple channels and real-time efficiency to hook up to their laptops? How about a professional needing a mammoth to use in their mixing and mastering endeavors? Since we were only limited to 10 models today, we tried to cover as many bases as we could.
- Extra features – Although your intended use will determine which “features” you’ll need, many of these come with slight additives that don’t necessarily make or break your purchase. For example, we’ve some come with extra LED light notifications (great for performers), touch sensitive controls as opposed to standard hands-on makes, LCD screens, footswitch ports, multiple channels, mixing abilities, and more. Which of these seem worth the money will determine on your own individual needs.
The top 10 best control surfaces
Akai Professional MIDImix
To start off our list, we have now one of the most popular control surfaces in the market for home studios and the like. The Akai MIDImix is one of the best control surface picks out there, and it allows for a durable and portable compact hands-on feel that is not only creative with an ability to mix but also have full control of whatever workstation the artist deems fit. The simplistic design of this control surface allows for mobility for the musician to create music and play while they are outside of their home or office. With this Akai technology, it allows for a greater performance mixer with a sound 8 individual faders, including a master fader and 24 control knobs. You’re also getting 16 buttons arranged in 2 banks (they provide a solo, mute, and record arm function each channel), a ‘single button press’ feature to send all mixer settings straight to your DAW, and great integration with any software you’re using (although they advertise be seamless with Ableton). This maximizes the opportunity to allow a natural and unique sound, but most importantly this is the best control surface for a smaller studio or portable mixing while on the go. Our Akai MIDImix review sheds some more light on the model.
Check pricingreviews of the MIDImix: US | UK
Novation ZeRO SL MkII
The Novation ZeRO SL MkII is a redone creative new version of the former keyless controller, which has been well-regarded as one of the best control surfaces and is similar to previous controllers of their SL line. This device is simple and ideal for use in the comfort of your studio, at home or when performing. The greatest reviews of this product have come from those who play in particularly loud settings which equips the artist to have a premium sound quality. The real underestimated beauty of this product is how easy it is to set up. Often times, it take a musician several minutes to set up their controllers, but this allows for a quick setups within seconds. This control surface also comes with a rather large, 144-character ultra-bright LCD screen that contains all parameter names and values. In addition, it comes with a well-equipped crossfader and a touch sensitive speed dial and knob that can certainly be used to change the value of any parameter in which the cursor selects or deems fit.
View pricesreviews of the SL MkII: US | UK
Avid Artist Control V2
High quality in its nature, the Avid Artist Control v2 is one of the best control surfaces around if your budget is high and you’re near professional in intended use. Now we’re starting to get out of the budget-friendly and home studio use. Growing in popularity, this product allows for better control over too-many-to-count features and tweaks. With the ability to record tracks from the surface, the Artist Control creates the ability to not only solo select but also mute tracks. In addition, the Artist control gains hands-on command over any integration that goes unmatched with any EUCON-enabled audio and video applications. By simply pressing a button you are enabled access to functions and settings using the built-in touchscreen. Some other highlights of this beast include touchscreen control, easy navigation with the jog wheel and transport controls, and ‘Soft Keys’ for additional custom assignment. Another aspect of the Artist Control, is that you are less susceptible to losing any previous work or creative focus, therefore, the functionality there is much more to this product than the cursor and keyboard alone. This feature is the gold standard of one of the best control surfaces on the market. They’re the creator of Pro Tools, after all.
Check reviewsprices of the Artist Control: US | UK
Behringer X-Touch
The Behringer X-Touch has relatively large 9 fully automated sliders and is an overall touch-sensitive control surface has been hard to pass up for recent artists and music producers. Well known for being great for beginners and intermediate producers, this surface also entails 8 rotary controls that come with LED-Collars for adjustments that are quick to use with your any of your favorite parameters. The surface itself is an Ethernet interface for real-time protocol. This product supports HUI and Mackie Control protocols for any of the seamless integrations. In addition, they come with pretty much every compatible music production software. The surface is 8-segment LED meters per channel for quality level control. The footswitch connectors that come with this musical surface are 2 dedicated connectors along with one-foot controller that has been placed for external remote control. State of the art controls that are easy to access are a typical selling point for this product. In a continuously growing industry for music products, the Behringer X-Touch is one of the top-selling control surfaces in the world and is in many stores nationwide. There’s also a smaller and cheaper version if you want to read our X-Touch Mini review.
See pricingreviews of the X-Touch: US | UK
Nektar Panorama P1
This impressive controlling musical product is easy to contain as it is often carried in a compact case that can be compared to one in which you would carry your portable computer. The Nektar Panorama P1 is now considered one of the most comprehensive and most detailed MDI controllers in the market by many. This control surface itself comes with 945mm faders and 28 buttons that comes with a foot switch jack that gives you greater control of the various parameters and any time. There are 61 parameters 16 encoders and 10 LED buttons, making this one of the most exciting and best control surfaces being sold. This clear 3.5 color display allows for the user to have an easier time obtaining the information in which they need. The display also comes with more information that clarifies any workflow that is necessary. Panorama simplifies all controllers and allows for operations to become simply put less complex. Whether you are programming assignments or using for fun, the Panorama P1 is one of the most simple and enjoyable best control surfaces for all users.
Read reviewsprice of the Panorama P1: US | UK
Korg nanoKONTROL 2
The Korg nanoKONTROL 2 takes a break from some higher-priced models and enables the user to have an easy to use relatively small controller that can fit in directly in front of your laptop computer. A lot of software often times do not come with the features that this controller comes with, including control selection that allows for easy transportation. All the buttons that come with it ensure useful information making this one of most dynamic and best control surfaces . The color comes in either black or white and provides a larger than usual knob, fader and three switches that provide easy access to each of the eight channels. In addition, this control surface comes with a marker button, which allows the user an easier time assigning marks. The main difference between the Korg nanoKONTROL and other control surfaces on the market is the arrangement of the software synthesizer. Parameters are significantly easier to be assigned to whatever control the user needs for easy control. The knobs and faders are well known for a higher frequency along with resonance. It’s one of our favorite budget-friendly control surfaces out there is amazing if you’re always on the go.
Check pricingreviews of the nanoKONTROL 2: US | UK
Mackie Control Universal Pro
The Mackie Control Universal Pro (also commonly referred to as the MCU), is a more commonly referenced modern DAW software that is for the most part unlimited in opportunity when it comes down to collecting audio and changing aspects of your work of art. Geared towards the pros or those who know what they’re doing, this is one of the best control surfaces that is easy to manipulate any tracks and adjust the tones to a sound that appears more organic and perhaps less forced. The controllers come with pre labeled Lexan overlays that are particularly popular for applications. The faders and knobs are easy to access and align with the surface. The setup of the product is your typical plug in to the wall USB that comes with almost any DAW. This control surface is relatively compatible to all major music production software, and is meant for common applications that come with most systems. The 8 channel control surface is an extension of the product that enables a larger work space to fall under feasible for most users out there. The touch-sensitive feature, 50 master buttons, 8 V-Pots and motorized and touch-sensitive faders make this the best high-end control surface.
See pricesreviews of the MCU: US | UK
Behringer B-Control Fader BCF-2000
The Behringer B-Control BCF-2000 is a great control surface with a 100-mm, 8 ultra precise set that comes with motorized faders. Only a few similar products come with this high of resolution as this product comes with 8 dual-mode, encoders that also come with feature LED rings. In addition, the state of the art desktop MIDI controller comes with an analog that feels easy to use for the user. The product comes with more than one multi-function foot switch and foot controller connectors that can be used for various MIDI data. This is a hard product to overlook as the configurable MIDI and USB modes add for great flexibility system integration. Various reviews have come back praising BCF-2000 for its expandability. Depending on your music production software support, various units can be used together allowing the user to work in multiple spaces at one time. This is one of the best control surfaces for the money and can be found either online or in your typical music store, not to mention made by one of our favorite brands out there.
View reviewsprices of the BCF-200: US | UK
Focusrite Control 2802
This is only for the serious musician and with a budget that takes the term “best control surface” to another level. This analogue console comes with an Ethernet-based DAW control surface that adds for flexibility and precision for audio content. The Focusrite Control 2802 is an excellent choice for musicians who particularly enjoy the use of a large studio, or for those who just need more room to work with. The Ethernet-connected HUI control layer gives this console a DAW operation. Large format is the only console that this product comes with, there is generally not many options for a smaller one. The size of the product makes it one of the most versatile and best control surfaces on the market and comes with a nice texture. It is particularly unique as it comes with a wide range of quality analogue features that all come in the same frame, such as transparent Class A mic preamps, 10-LED channel meters, Alps faders, stereo mix bus compressor, and a bunch of routing options. There is not a whole lot like this Control 2802 controller in the market, especially within the professional realm for those who even know what some of these terms and features mean.
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PreSonus Fader Port
The different, unique in design PreSonus Fader Port tops off our list of the best control surfaces and has been specifically designed for the user looking for the best control surface who needs flexibility and an on-the-go type of controller. This control surface enables window selection that also comes with play, stop, and record functions. Markers are also easy to manage as the punch in and out also contains a footswitch, however, typical products require purchasing the footswitch separately. If this product is used properly, you can customize it while using your own mappings, while basically using any plug-in parameter of your liking. It is always important to have a great feel, as discomfort while recording can be numbing for musicians. This surface is not only reasonably priced, but is convenient for anybody who brings it to life. Another beauty of this product and why it is one of the best control surfaces in the world is that it comes with virtually all DAW programs, which allows for this product to record amazing fades also write single-channel or grouped-channel volume, mute, and pan automation at the click of a button.
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