2022 Best DAW control surfaces for post sound
The days of analog consoles are slowly disappearing due to the growing demand for the now famous home studios. Of course, analog consoles are still relevant in professional recording studios, however, the digital world is slowly taking over the music industry. Having an analog console inside a home studio is practically impossible. On the one hand, the costs are stratospheric, and, on the other, because they tend to be very large and waste plenty of limited space in the home studio.
However, the most important audio companies know that one of the things that are most missed in the consoles is the ability to manipulate the faders manually, giving a more real tactile sensation to the engineer. That’s why several of them took on the task of creating DAW controllers that allow you to have a feeling similar to that of a real console.
Let’s take a look at three of the best DAW control surfaces for post-sound production in 2022.
Korg nanoKONTROL2
The first factor in favor of this control surface is its price: $79.99. In a nutshell, we can say that this tool allows you to insert eight faders in a single incredibly small device, which fits perfectly next to the audio interface. Its design is so simple that you probably won’t need the instruction manual, and this is also a plus. This surface control is quite popular among electronic musicians and is often used in combination with nanoKEYS as a synthesizer.
Thanks to the included software, you can easily program custom commands for use with various virtual instruments. However, since it does not have motorized faders, this tool is not recommended for those who want to record with automation. Likewise, it is also not recommended for those who use a lot of window groups or tracks, as this does not offer those commands either. Now, if you don’t need any of this, and are just looking for a simple eight-track layout with transport controls, don’t think twice.
Avid Artist Mix
This tool doesn’t just look amazing: it’s a high-quality control surface. Its clean and visually practical design makes it super easy to use even though it has more functionality than any of the options we’ve seen so far. Due to its advanced EUCON protocol technology, this tool offers a much more pleasant touch response than what we are used to from older control surfaces. In case you only use devices and software that are not EUCON-compatible, you can rest assured: Avid Artist Mix is also compatible with other protocols.
As promising as it may sound, it is important to sound a note of caution about this control surface. Because it has an ethernet connection, for newer laptops (which do not have this), an adapter will be a must to be able to use it.
Presonus Fader Port
It’s important to clarify that the biggest challenge most people face with control surfaces is that the table on which they work is not large enough to fit a full-size unit. If that’s the case for you, this is the perfect option. Not only is it quite compact, but it still offers all the essential features you would expect from any DAW controller.
Now, if you’re used to a bit more traditional gear, you might be wondering where the faders are, and the answer is quite simple. Thanks to its channel select functionality, it’s possible to control any track in your session with a single fader. It sounds strange, but that’s the way it is. Since most people don’t use more than one fader at a time, having a lot of faders isn’t really as important as some people think — especially novices.
The highlights of Fader Port are, first, its basic transport controls. Secondly, the window selection options, and finally, the foot switch that allows you to fade tracks in and out without using your hands. It is also important to note that this surface control is compatible with both Mac and Windows, and is priced at about $199.
There is a very similar version: Avid Artist Control. Although its design is very similar, we are actually talking about two quite different tools. The most characteristic feature of the latter is that it only has four faders, even though it adds an advanced and customizable touch screen that allows you to edit and mix quickly. Because the learning curve for this model can be much steeper than the ones we’ve mentioned in this post, Avid Artist Control is not the most recommended choice for beginners.
It is not easy to find, and, in fact, is little known in the industry, despite its benefits.
If you need advice for your audio projects, do not hesitate to contact Enhanced Media Sound Studio, to take your work to the next level!
