Avid Pro Tools | S6
Avid redefines mixing once again with the all-new S6 control surface.
Leveraging the best of the industry-leading ICON and System 5 product families in a revolutionary new modular design, S6 delivers superior ergonomics and intelligent studio control, providing an intuitive, immersive experience for the modern sound engineer. And because it’s built on proven technology, trusted by top audio professionals in the most demanding production environments,
S6 delivers the performance you need to complete projects faster and deliver the best sounding mixes possible
S6 Highlights
- Customize the surface with only the modules you need for great cost efficiency
- Scale the system from mid- to large-format to match your workflow, with room to grow
- Mix faster and easier with intelligently designed controls, touchscreen and intuitive layout
- Access and manipulate multiple aspects of your mix through the master touchscreen
- See your mix in a whole new way with detailed visual feedback and professional metering
- Get the deep, integrated Pro Tools® mixing control only Avid can provide
- Extend your control to Logic Pro, Nuendo, and other EUCON™-enabled DAWs
- Experience highly responsive, precision control with high-speed EUCON connectivity
- Control up to eight audio workstations simultaneously—even from across the facility
- Configure, scale and reconfigure the surface easily through the Ethernet network
Revolutionary modular design
S6 is built to grow with you at every stage of your business—now and in the future. With a first-of-its-kind modular design, you can customize the surface with the modules you need to match your current workflow for the greatest cost efficiency, and scale the surface—horizontally and vertically—as your business grows. Choose a pre-configured S6 M10 or S6 M40 surface with the options you need or, with S6 M40, customize the surface even further with different channel control combinations.
Mix smarter with superior ergonomics
S6 acts and feels like a physical extension of your software, providing a truly intuitive and immersive experience. Turn around projects faster with high precision editing and mixing control at your fingertips. Quickly access and edit plug-ins, surround panning, and more with the multipoint touchscreen. And see every detail of your mix with unprecedented visual feedback, including waveform scrolling.
Get intelligent studio control
Experience the deep DAW control that only Avid can deliver. Pair S6 with Pro Tools and you gain the Avid advantage of faster workflows, extended visual feedback, and unique features to accelerate your efficiency every step of the way. And extend your control to Logic Pro, Nuendo, and other EUCON™-enabled DAWs, enabling you to mix projects on multiple workstations simultaneously and switch out sessions in seconds—all from a single control surface.
Proven and trusted technology
S6 delivers incredible workflow acceleration, highly responsive handling and deep DAW integration—all built on proven technology, trusted by top audio professionals in the most demanding production environments. The result: you get the exceptional, dynamic performance you need to deliver your best sounding mix possible—on time, every time.
Avid S6—Build your own surface
Because S6 can be scaled both horizontally and vertically using an array of surface modules, you can configure it with the modules you need now to fit your budget, with room to expand as your needs grow. Choose one of the pre-configured systems or build your own. Here’s a look at the various modules and other hardware you can choose.
M40 Master Touch Module
All S6 surfaces include the Master Touch Module (MTM), which provides touchscreen access and control. It features a tilting 12.1-inch multipoint touchscreen, eight adjacent rotary encoders, and dedicated knobs and keys, providing touch and tactile control of plugins, monitoring, soft keys, and more.
A single MTM supports up to 64 faders. To handle large-scale post-production mixes, you can install up to three MTMs to support a 3-operator workflow.
Master modules are the central hubs of your S6 surface. The S6 Automation Module complements the Master Touch Module, providing controls for transport, automation, and more. The other two are options to accelerate surround and post workflows.
S6 Automation Module
This master module is included in all pre-configured systems, but is an optional add when building your own S6 M40-based surface (though you’d probably want one). It features a full transport control section (including a shuttle/jog wheel), focus fader, automation control, color shortcut displays and switches, a numeric keypad, and more for writing automation and navigating projects.
Channel modules
The controls you want and need
Channel modules provide the control and feedback elements you need—from faders and knobs,
to processing and metering. All modules feature reliable, high-speed Ethernet connectivity for easy set-up. Whether a pre-configured surface meets your needs or you want to mix and match modules in your own custom creation, here are the modules you can choose:
S6 Fader Module
8 motorized faders
Dual LED meters per channel (with gain reduction metering) Mute, solo, and other switches with color LEDs Control levels for 8 simultaneous tracks
S6 Knob Module
32 multicolor LED top-lit knobs (4 per channel)
32 OLED displays for labels and visual feedback
11 function select switches per channel with color LEDs Works in conjunction with the Process Module Control up to 32 simultaneous encoder values; stack two Knob Modules
(S6 M40-based surfaces only)
12to get up to 9 knobs per channel
S6 Process Module
8 multicolor LED top-lit knobs (one per channel)
22 function select switches per channel with color LEDs 8 OLED displays for labels and visual feedback Provides mode selectors for Knob Modules to control up to 9 simultaneous encoder values
S6 Display Module
8-channel high-resolution TFT display
Integrated single board computer
Available only with S6 M40 configurations
Provides deep visual feedback, including channel names, audio meters, routing, groups, DAW affiliation, scrolling Pro Tools waveforms, and more
S6 Post Module
Complete post projects faster. With this sound mixing/monitoring option, you can switch between recorded tracks/stems and their inputs and punch into record. It offers two rows of 10 PEC/DIRECT paddles, each with solo and mute buttons and an OLED to view track/stem names. Spill stems onto adjacent paddles for individual control. Create Soft Keys to perform tasks instantly. Switch between monitors and dim, cut, or fold down your mix. And with VCA support on the paddles, you can control over 200 tracks with ease.
S6 Joystick Module
Get the control you need to mix surround sound projects. This option offers dual touch-sensitive joysticks, 3.2-inch TFT and OLED displays, two LED top-lit encoders, 16 panning mode switches with color LEDs, and other switches to position sound, control divergence, and more. Plus, it can be used to control any other knob parameter on S6 to create a wide range of effects.
Frame components—For desk mixing or freestanding
All modules need to be housed in a frame, whether you place S6 on a studio desk or give it a leg assembly to stand on. Depending on the number of modules you choose, your surface can range from mid- to large-format.
There are a number of frame assembly items available, from a full leg assembly to create a freestanding surface, to different size frame buckets and blank panels.
Pro Tools | S4
World-class mixing for smaller studios
Get the mixing power of industry-standard Avid S6 in a more compact control surface for budget-conscious pros and smaller audio post and music facilities. Avid S4 boosts your mixing efficiency with the same award-winning workflows in a more streamlined, semi-modular surface that provides intelligent DAW control. Whether creating music, designing sound, mixing immersive audio, or teaching audio production, it’s the perfect fit for any project.
For audio post
Bring the robust workflows of S6 to your smaller rooms for immersive audio mixing, sound design, ADR, and editorial. S4 provides the versatility you need to take on any project—from film, TV, and OTT media, to commercials and games.
For music
Get the creative capabilities to take on stereo and Dolby Atmos music projects. S4 is the perfect fit for smaller recording studios, independent music/audio post mixers, and smaller rooms and mastering suites in bigger music studio facilities.
For the classroom
S4 provides a more affordable solution to teach students the music and audio post-production workflows they’ll need for a successful career in the media and entertainment industry. Plus, it can be customized to support any class curriculum.
Get the power of S6 in a smaller surface
From its deep DAW control and fully integrated Dolby Atmos workflows, to superior ergonomics and operational ease, Avid S4 gives you the same massive power, monitoring capabilities, and workflows of S6 in a more compact control surface designed for smaller spaces and budgets.
Take command of multiple DAWs
ike S6, S4 is built with EUCON technology, giving you deep, unmatched DAW integration to access and control Pro Tools, Nuendo, Logic Pro, and other audio and video software right from its touchscreen and surface—even two different applications simultaneously. From editing plugins and writing automation, to performing complex tasks with a single key press, it accelerates your efficiency like only an Avid control surface can.
Expand your mixing versatility
Stereo. Surround. Immersive audio. For music, audio post, and media education. No matter the format, DAW, or workflow, S4 makes it easy to expand your creative capabilities, providing additional module options—including joysticks, PEC/Direct paddles, and attention knobs—to support a variety of mixing workflows and opportunities. Win the work you want with a versatile control surface that powers your potential while keeping your budget in check.
See your mix in new ways
S4 supports up to four optional Display Modules, providing extensive visual feedback of your session. From channel meters, groups, EQ curves, and automation data, to scrolling high-res Pro Tools waveforms, which can be edited right from the surface, you gain better insight into every aspect of your session, so you can create incredible mixes with confidence.
Pro Tools | S3
Based on the award-winning Pro Tools | S6, Pro Tools | S3 is a compact, EUCON-enabled, ergonomic desktop control surface that offers a streamlined yet versatile mixing solution for the modern sound engineer.
Like S6, S3 delivers intelligent control over every aspect of Pro Tools and other DAWs, but at a more affordable price. While its small form factor makes it ideal for space-confined or on-the-go music and post mixing, it packs enormous power and accelerated mixing efficiency for faster turnarounds, making it the perfect fit everywhere, from project studios to the largest, most demanding facilities.
Key features
- 16 channel strips with a touch-sensitive, motorized fader and level meter
- 32 touch-sensitive, push-button rotary encoders for panning, gain control, plug-in parameter
- Adjustments, and more (16 channel control, 16 assignable), each with a tricolor LED function indicator
- 32 high-resolution OLED displays for viewing track names/numbers, detailed metering data (from mono to 5.1 surround), parameter names/values, current automation mode, and more
- Solo, mute, channel select, and record/automation-enable keys on every channel
- Touch strip provides easy access to transport controls; S3 can also be used alongside Artist Transport if you prefer full jog/shuttle wheel controls
- Dozens of dedicated buttons and switches for navigation, automation, control assignment, and software control
- Built-in 4×6 AVB Core Audio interface includes 2 XLR mic/line inputs, 2 TRS line inputs, 2 XLR line outputs, 2 TRS line outputs, and a stereo headphone output
- Works with Pro Tools and Pro Tools HD 11.2.1, Media Composer 8.1, Logic Pro X, Cubase 7 and Nuendo 6.5. Resolve 11 and Pyramix 9 support coming soon.
Pro Tools | S1
Mix big in any space
Get the unparalleled speed, rich visual feedback, and software integration of Avid’s high-end consoles in a slimline surface that’s an easy fit for any space or budget. Avid S1 gives you deep hands-on control of your favorite audio and video software. Together with the free Avid Control app on your iPad or Android tablet, it provides great ergonomic efficiency, easy touch workflows, and Avid S6-style metering and processing views, so you can mix more intuitively and turn around better sounding mixes fast.
Get massive power in a mini surface
While Avid S1 fits easily between your display and keyboard, it packs a lot of mixing power into its small surface. From motorized faders and knobs that respond to your touch, to fast-access touchscreen workflows and Soft Keys that enable you to perform complex tasks with a single press, S1 provides the speed and versatility to accelerate any music, audio post, or video project.
Get unmatched software integration
S1 is powered by EUCON, Avid’s high-speed Ethernet control protocol that delivers deep hardware/software integration, giving you full touch and tactile access to a host of Avid and third-party software functions and controls. You can even switch between multiple applications—and workstations—at the touch of a button, providing the most fluid editing and mixing experience.
Gain extensive insight into your mix
S1 not only features high-resolution OLED displays, it integrates with the free Avid Control app on your tablet, providing rich visual feedback to enhance your workflow. From track names, parameter values, and automation, to S6-style monitoring, metering, and channel processing views, you get the comprehensive feedback of a high-end console in a versatile surface for the budget-minded.
Scale the surface to your needs
Need more faders? Connect multiple S1 units together to create an extended, fully integrated control surface that provides more tactile control to handle larger mixes. You can even seamlessly connect Avid Dock to S1 to have dedicated transport controls, a jog wheel, focus fader, and more at your fingertips.
Pro Tools | Dock
Mini footprint. Massive control.
Accelerate your editing and mixing tasks in creative new ways. Based on the advanced touchscreen workflows of the award-winning Avid S6 and hybrid command of the bestselling Artist Control, Avid Dock (formerly Pro Tools | Dock) provides intelligent studio control in a portable, ergonomic, and affordable surface. Working together with your iPad or Android tablet, you get the quick touchscreen access and tactile precision control you need to navigate and control music and post projects faster using your favorite DAWs. And when paired with Avid S1 or S3, you gain new timesaving touch workflows and custom control. Mixing deadlines have met their match.
Mix with speed and precision
Expand your versatility
Discontinued Products
System 5-MC (discontinued)
Based on the ergonomic and powerful System 5 digital console and the innovative MC Pro editing
controller, the System 5-MC mixing control surface tightly integrates with multiple DAWs, enabling you to take deep, hands-on control of EUCON-enabled apps over the high-speed EUCON Ethernet control protocol.
Surface Details
Expandable from 8–48 channel strips/faders
8 touch-sensitive rotary encoders and 100 mm touch-sensitive motorized fader per strip
High-resolution LED metering next to each fader
High-resolution multi-format metering at the top of each channel on the TFT display
Integrated USB keyboard/trackball, jogwheel, twin joysticks, and touchscreen
Channel strips are operationally compatible with standard System 5 consoles
Get instant access with a touch
Quickly access files, system setup, and program various functions from the high-resolution touchscreen, which sits just above the keyboard. The screen also shows you a permanent display of filenames, transport state, fader labels, and the main menu
MC Pro (discontinued)
The compact and ergonomic MC Pro control surface enables you to speed up your post or music editing and take deep hands-on control of Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Nuendo, and other EUCON-enabled applications.
What’s more, the surface automatically detects your current application (when working with multiple apps) and resets all controls to match. And with its programmable SmartSwitches, you can perform complex tasks/keystrokes with a single button press.
Key Features
– Get instant, customizable pushbutton access to hundreds of commands.
– Perform complex macros with the programmable SmartSwitches, with integrated LCDs
– Get easy access to for the system setup and file operations with the touchscreen
– Navigate and edit with the integrated USB keyboard/trackball and jog wheel
– Control settings and more with high-resolution faders (or joysticks) and rotary controls
– With MC Pro, you can take deep, integrated control over up to four of your favorite EUCON
– enabled creative applications, such as Pro Tools, Logic, Nuendo, Pyramix, Digital Performer
– EUCON carries high-resolution control information for faders, knobs, displays, and more
– This enables you to quickly switch between multiple applications and even workstations at the touch of a button, with all controls and displays automatically matching the selected application.
D-Control ES (discontinued)
The flagship ICON tactile worksurface, D-Control ES combines the feel of a large-format console with a level of control and added Pro Tools functionality that can only be accessed with an ICON system. D-Control ES includes a comprehensive array of touch sensitive controls and offers a wide range of visual mixing feedback. With a dedicated center section for most-used controls to stay in the sweet spot, per-channel control over all processing functions and routing, global automation capabilities, and full studio and control room monitoring and communications facilities, D-Control ES arms operators with an unprecedented level of hands-on control over their projects. The D-Control ES worksurface employs an intuitive console layout. The worksurface is expandable to 80 physical faders/channels strips by adding 16-channel Fader Modules. D-Control ES’s ergonomic design enables full control from the channel strips with minimal paging, while its wealth of LCD displays, LED rings, and bar graphs facilitate critical visual session feedback.
Features – Slim, sleek worksurface expandable to 80 physical faders/channel strips by adding optional 16-channel Fader Modules; D-Control ES’s base configuration includes the Main Unit and a single Fader Module with 16 physical faders strips – High-quality, touch-sensitive motorized P&G faders – Six touch-sensitive, multi-purpose rotary encoders per channel strip with multi-color LED rings that display encoder position and metering. Each rotary encoder includes a 6-character alphanumeric, multi-color LCD display for function parameters in addition to one display for the channel scribble strip. – 29 illuminated buttons per channel strip facilitate selection of channel modes and attributes – Inline console mode enables control of input and monitor levels from a single channel strip – Includes a centrally located Focus Channel Strip – Two bar-graph meters per channel and eight Master section bar-graph meters (configurable to display output, input, and gain reduction using discreet colors) – Comprehensive monitor, talkback, communication and listenback control section – Dedicated center section control panels for EQ and dynamics plug-in editing – Includes XMON remote, rack-mounted analog I/O audio monitor and communications system capable of monitoring in up to 7.1 surround with complete, non-destructive AFL/PFL solo – Advanced Surround Panner mixing option with integrated touch screen and touch-sensitive joysticks – Patent-pending, high-speed Ethernet protocol connects console worksurface to Pro Tools|HD Accel DSP mix engine, providing 200x more bandwidth than MIDI-based controllers – Includes uniquely styled ergonomic console frame – VESA standard TFT mounting arm for flat-panel display (display not included)
D-Command ES (discontinued)
D-Command ES, the mid-size controller of the ICON family, packs amazing control and ICON-exclusive Pro Tools functionality into a compact work surface. Featuring dedicated, center section panels for EQ and dynamics plug-in editing, as well as per-channel control over many processing functions, routing, and automation modes, D-Command ES provides operators powerful hands-on command over their projects – also for a studio with limited space. Similar to D-Control ES, the D-Command ES worksurface employs an intuitive console layout. The D-Command ES Main Unit features an easily accessible, central control section with monitoring and communications controls, and includes eight channel faders, which are expandable up to 24 faders with a 16-channel Fader Module. D-Command ES’s ergonomic design enables control of multiple session parameters via the channel strips and provides LCD displays, LED rings, and bar-graph meters to facilitate important visual session feedback. Like it’s larger sibling, D-Command ES supports revolutionary Custom Faders, enabling free mapping of channels, plug-in parameters etc. on touch-sensitive rotary controllers and faders. Already Custom Faders alone gives the operator a massive speed advantage over other controllers not in the ICON class.
Features – Ergonomic worksurface expandable to 24 physical faders/channel strips – High-quality, touch-sensitive motorized faders – Two touch-sensitive, multi-purpose rotary encoders per channel strip with single-color LED rings that display encoder position or metering. Each rotary encoder includes a 6-character alphanumeric LCD display for function parameters in addition to one display for the channel strip – 17 illuminated buttons per channel strip facilitate selection of channel modes and attributes – Two bar-graph meters per channel and eight Master section bar-graph meters – Comprehensive monitor/communications control section – Dedicated, center section control panels for EQ and dynamics plug-in editing – Includes XMON remote, rack-mounted analog I/O audio monitor and communications system capable of monitoring up to 5.1 surround – Patent-pending, high-speed Ethernet protocol connects console worksurface to Pro Tools|HD Accel DSP mix engine, providing 200x more bandwidth than MIDI-based controllers
C|24 (discontinued)
Sleek and stylish, the 24-channel C|24 control surface provides direct hands-on control of Pro Tools and Pro Tools|HD mixing, recording, and editing; a complete array of high-quality analog inputs; and a 5.1 analog monitor section to use with your Pro Tools I/O. It tightly integrates with the latest advancements in Pro Tools software to provide an incredibly powerful and richly featured console option.
Total hands-on control
C|24 provides direct hands-on access to recording, editing, routing, and mixing functions in Pro Tools software. The control surface features 24 bankable channel strips, each with a touch-sensitive, motorized fader; high-quality rotary encoder and LED ring; dedicated Mute, Solo, and channel select illuminated buttons; and dedicated Input, Record, EQ, Dynamics, Insert, Send, and Automation buttons. It also features many more Edit commands, windows management controls, and dedicated buttons than its Control|24 predecessor, plus a Soft Keys section that allows future features to be added as Pro Tools software evolves.
Superb mic preamps and analog submixer
C|24 isn’t just about controlling tracks; you can connect mics, instruments, and line-level devices directly to the control surface’s audio inputs (via DB25 connections). C|24 features 16 super high-quality, low-noise preamps, each with a high-pass filter and variable input gain, that outperform those on Control|24 in every way, including gain, frequency response, signal-to-noise ratio, and more. It also houses an 8-channel stereo line submixer, which can be routed directly to the integrated monitor section, making it easy to mix signals from outboard instruments and gear.
Mix with precision
Get accurate and smooth mixing control through four high-quality, motorized, touch-sensitive, 100mm long throw faders. Easily select tracks for editing just by touching the corresponding fader. Use dedicated keys to bank tracks (eight at a time) or nudge tracks (one at a time) to quickly navigate through projects. You can even lock individual tracks to faders and store them as Layouts (up to 48 per project). Layouts are saved with your project for easy recall, making mixing large projects a breeze. Save multiple Layouts to mix drums, keyboards, guitars, and so on, or just lock a fader to act as a master fader.
