Choosing a DAW Control Surface
- Graham Collins
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
The biggest drawback when recording with software, is the lack of tactile feedback, and the restraint of interacting physically with software through only a mouse and keyboard. Mackie's MCU and Digidesign's ProControl were revolutionary back in the day to speed up the mixing process and allow for more intuitive and creative workflows. But what other options are available now that recording software has matured so significantly in the past 20 years?
Whether you're looking at a large multi-operator Avid S6 setup for film post-production, something small and portable to work on the go, or something in the middle, let's look at some of the various options and features available in 2025 for getting the most out of your DAW.
Mackie's MCU was the first major system on the scene incorporating their own MCU/HUI protocols which were quite robust for their time. To this day, almost any control surface you can buy today will have a Mackie HUI compatibility mode in addition to any proprietary system the manufacturer has come up with. It has become a de facto standard.
The major competitor to that crown is Avid's EUCON protocol which is faster, and more robust, but only found on their brand of hardware controllers. EUCON is available though for other manufacturer's software through licensing. Currently in addition to Pro Tools, Apple's Logic, and Steinberg's Cubase and Nuendo platforms can take advantage of EUCON.
In the range of available products, a determining factor in price range is whether or not faders are motorized or not. The smaller the device, the less likely it is to have motorized faders. If you're just using the sliders and knobs to gain access to quickly adjust parameters in a software instrument, you're probably less excited about spending hundreds of dollars just for motorization. Motorized faders are most important when using any kind of Automation in your DAW, as the ability to have the faders move in realtime on playback makes any overdubs/corrections a breeze.
What about visual feedback? EUCON controllers inherently have the ability to show more channel information and parameters for plugins and effects.
One thing that may not be obvious when you shop around, is physical spacing of controls. Some control surfaces allow for significant space between faders and knobs while others really pack them together. In the case of the latter, make sure you play with it a bit before making a decision about how that affects your workflow. For many, an overcrowded board can be finicky to work with or at worst, too easy to bump controls you didn't mean to touch!
With the exception of some of the tinier one-off controllers, most companies allow for expanding of the system to 24 channels or more by buying either multiple units, or companion units that extend the usable surface.
Another consideration is speed/latency. EUCON is an Ethernet-based protocol and has significantly lower latency than HUI/MCU units which are typically running via MIDI whether it's over USB, or 5-pin DIN MIDI. For many this won't be a huge deal, but if you have some really quick fader movements in quick succession, and need to trim or overwrite manually, every millisecond could be potentially critical.
Some controllers like those from Softube and SSL offer integration with their own console emulation plugins which are included. A bonus if for whatever reason you aren't happy with your DAW's built-in console sound.
Here are the top medium-sized motorized Control Surface units that are popular currently.
There is one more option we should discuss - touchscreens.
Macs don't support touchscreens, but PCs do. You can get a reasonably good touchscreen with multitouch support so that you can just physically touch your display to mix directly in real time. Alternatively, you could look at some of the products from Steven Slate which range in both size and price, and work well on both Mac/PC. While some people really like this option, it isn't for everyone. Depending on the mounting angle of the display some may complain about the lack of comfort, or the virtual nature of this approach.
If you're still having trouble deciding, reach out to us here at the shop! We can help guide you through the process to find what will work best for you.
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