Returning the Sense of Touch to Audio Editing

In the beginning, audio recording and editing was performed on thereel-to-reel tape recorder and the mixing console. These had buttonsand faders and knobs. Audio professionals used them every day, and weall became fast and accurate with them. We could adjust the mid EQ onthe music channel without even looking at the board. We could remove asingle syllable from a recorded sentence without thinking about it. Wewere the audio equivalents of touch-typists, and it was good.

Then came the digital audio workstation with its computer keyboard,mouse, and monitor. It had no buttons, no faders, and no knobs. Many ofus had to abandon our friendly controls. We had to adapt, and we did.Nevertheless we longed to have our buttons and knobs back.

Video editors experienced the same situation when they first adoptedNLEs, but the editor manufacturers were far quicker to fill the needfor tactile controls. Systems like Avid, Media 100, and Lightworks havelong had native or third-party products that provided shuttle wheelsand buttons for video editing.

Recently several companies have brought forth control surfaces foraudio editors to lead us out of the fader-less desert and back to thepromised land of buttons, faders, and knobs. They have created desktopboxes that interface with our computers, and these boxes allow us totouch a button labeled PLAY to begin playing back a recording from thecomputer, for example. And it is good once again.

A Variety of Audio Control Devices

These control devices connect to your computer via serial protocol,USB, Ethernet, or MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). Theyrange in size and capability from small and simple to large andsophisticated. Some control surfaces are dedicated to transport controlonly, featuring buttons for Play, Record, Fast Forward and Rewind, andperhaps a jog wheel and some soft buttons. Some provide mixing controlonly, consisting of faders and buttons for mute and solo. Many controlsurfaces support both transport and mixing controls, and at least oneeven features audio inputs and outputs. Low-cost controllers havemanual faders and knobs, while pricier products feature motorizedfaders and knobs that move on their own to indicate changinglevels.

Before I continue, let me pause for a moment to offer a word aboutMIDI for video professionals: You probably have little exposure to thisprotocol. MIDI is simply another serial interface for communicationsthat is optimized for real-time performance of musical instruments.However, MIDI is also a useful protocol for controlling non-musicaldevices. It's inexpensive, and nearly all software audio editorssupport it. The MIDI specification allows for 127 different controllersthat can easily be mapped to operate mixer faders and pans. The MIDIspec also includes a subset called MMC (MIDI Machine Control) that'sspecifically designed to handle transport functions. The only downsideis that it requires a sound card that includes a MIDI hardwareinterface or a separate PCI card with a MIDI interface.

Affordable Controllers

The granddaddy of control surface manufacturers is JLCooper Electronics,which has been building these boxes for well over 10 years. Thecompany's FaderMaster Pro delivers eight 100mm faders and twentyprogrammable buttons for just over $500. It interfaces to your computervia MIDI, so it will work with most audio editors, and it works rightout of the box with the Avid Express and Media Composer video editingsystems.

JLCooper also offers two transport-only controllers – itsinexpensive Media Control Station 2, and its more comprehensive MediaControl Station 3. These are manual control surfaces that can interfacewith an audio or video workstation via MIDI, ADB (Apple Desktop Bus),RS232 or Sony 9-pin serial, or USB (MC3 only).

At under $500, Peavey Electronics offers the PC1600x, a controllerwith sixteen faders to assist in the mixing process. The PC1600x'sinterface is strictly MIDI and there is no provision for transportcontrol, but there are templates available for several popular editors.This controller is a good choice for the audio mixing process, as isEnglish manufacturer Kenton Electronics' Control Freak product. TheControl Freak is another MIDI device that is nearly identical to thePC1600x, both in price and features, sporting 16 faders and sixteenbuttons that can be assigned via MIDI as solos or mutes.

CMAutomation's MotorMix is a bit more expensive at just under $1000,but it includes eight motorized faders that move on playback. It hasdedicated panpots and dedicated buttons for solo and mute on eachchannel, and it works with many audio editors. Moving faders give youan instant visual reference to the levels of various channels in asingle glance, not to mention the fact that they just look cool.

Tascam delivered anew entry into the control surface market with its US-428 at $625retail. The US-428 is both a controller and an audio interface,providing four channels of audio input and two channels of audiooutput, all at 24-bit resolution. All audio and control signals (whichare actually MIDI messages) are carried over a single USB connection tothe computer. This makes the US-428 ideal for use with laptops andsmaller computers that lack slots for a sound card, like the CompaqiPac and the Apple iMac. The US-428 is compatible with Windows 98 SE,ME, or 2000 Editions, and with Macintosh computers running OS 8.6 orbetter.

The significance of the US-428 control surface is two-fold: Tascamhas included high-quality analog and digital audio inputs and outputs,thereby making a separate sound card unnecessary, and it connects viaUSB, so it is compatible with most recent computers running on most anyplatform. The only downside to this product is its short faders and itssupport for a relatively small number of audio editors. But expectTascam to expand the list of US-428 compatible editors quite soon.

Hang on to Your Wallet

As we whiz past the $1,000 price point, control surfaces becomeprogressively more sophisticated and elegant. Among these is thestunning SAC-2K from Radikal Technologies of Germany. Priced at well under$2,000, the SAC-2K (or Software Assigned Controller) features ninemoving faders that are touch-sensitive, so a given fader will stopmoving when you put your finger on it. This is most convenient formaking adjustments to a previous mix. It also has 12 rotary encodersthat can act as panpots, aux sends, or parameter controllers, and LEDsaround the encoders light sequentially to indicate the currentposition. Three two-line-by-40-character displays act as labels for thefaders or the encoders, and the unit has a complete transport sectionwith jog wheel. The SAC-2K also interfaces via USB, and the list ofeditors compatible with it is adequate and growing rapidly.

JLCooper recently released its MCS3000 series controllers, startingat about $3,500. The basic MCS3800 comes with eight motorized fadersand full transport control, and it is expandable with the addition ofmore control modules. A MIDI interface is standard, and optionalinterfaces include serial formats (Sony 9-pin, RS232 and RS422) andUSB. The units include software that can program them to work with avariety of audio editors. As a bonus, the MCS3000 series also workswith most video editors, and the company offers pre-built templates formany of them.

There are a several control surfaces dedicated to runningDigidesign's ProTools software. Mackie's HUI (Human User Interface) isa compact unit that features eight touch-sensitive moving faders, acomplete transport section, an eight-channel meter bridge, and built-inaudio monitoring circuitry that lets you monitor through the HUI as yourecord. Priced at under $3,000, the HUI connects via MIDI or serial(RS-232 or RS-422), and gives you full control of ProTools includingeffects plug-ins.

Should you have eight grand burning a hole in your pocket, you couldsoon acquire a Control24, a joint development of Digidesign andFocusrite. Designed for ProTools, the Control24 combines 24touch-sensitive moving faders, dedicated buttons, complete transportcontrols and an Ethernet interface with 16 analog inputs and full 5.1surround monitoring capabilities. The Control24 is clearly the mostconsole-like of the control surfaces.

With a starting price of about $12,000, Digidesign¹s ProControlis the priciest of the lot. It also communicates with ProTools viaEthernet, and the basic unit features eight touch-sensitive movingfaders and all the transport, editing, and effects controls you couldever need. For those with really deep pockets, ProControl can beexpanded with eight-channel fader packs up to a total of 32channels.

Thanks to these innovative manufacturers, you can go back to a lifefull of faders, knobs, and buttons. No matter what your budget, acontrol surface will ensure that you spend a lot less time mousing youraudio tracks.

Steve Cunningham is a freelance writer, audio editor, voiceoveractor, and producers. He can be reach at Acme Voiceworx at steve@audientmarketing.com.