Audio control surface

As digital audio software is complex and can play any number of functions in the audio chain, control surfaces can be used to control many aspects of music production, including virtual instruments, samplers, signal processors, mixers, DJ software, and music sequencers.

[1] Control surfaces often features faders, knobs (rotary encoders), and buttons that can be assigned to parameters in the software.

Control surfaces with motorized faders can read and write mix automation.

MIDI was the first major interface created for this purpose, although many devices now use USB, FireWire, or Ethernet.

This technology was expensive at first, but the products improved through the 1980s allowing the cost to decrease and making them more commonplace.

They work well in a live production environment, listening to others while creating music, and providing playback to DJs when looping.

They can indicate channel mutes, solo sends, talkback, or perform navigation within a menu.

A large control surface, the Digidesign Profile. This surface connects to the mixing hardware by way of four coaxial cables .