AvidPro Tools | Dock Control Surface, 99006567600

I use 64 fader S6 at my studio. I bought this for home use, and absolutely love it. I hate “mouse” mixing and this is like working on a real console.

Pros:- allows you to create soft-key macros to speed up workflow and reduce the use of your mouse- 8 Touch strip buttons that allow you to assign up to 16 functions/macros (8 instant + 8 when used with Shift button)- very smooth jog wheel and touch sensitive fader- LED meter for the fader- monitor knob can control your master track level- while it’s mostly plastic, the build quality seems solid- USB port in the back to allow you to keep your tablet charged- the top 8 knobs can be used to adjust your plugins with precision- all buttons are customizable for whatever command you want to assign to themCons:- takes up a bit of desk space- only certain size tablets will fit in landscape in the dock- tablet app requires WiFi connection unless you want to get adapters for a wired ethernet connection- power switch is at the back of the dock- not all button descriptions are back-lit so they can be hard to distinguish in a dimly lit roomEven though it’s almost 4 years old, I bought the Avid Dock to use with Pro Tools 2019 and the newly updated Avid Control app released in December 2019. The updated app works on Android tablets so I may get the Huawei MediaPad T5 to replace an old iPad (2nd gen) I'm currently using with the dock.Getting the Dock to show up in EuControl Settings is a little tricky if you use static IP addresses. You need to allow your router to enable DHCP in order for it to get an IP address that is on the same network as your DAW workstation/computer. If you connect it directly to your computer and have the computer network settings to DHCP, the Dock will assign an IP address for your computer (169.254.xxx.xxx). to connect with it. However, you still need to be able to connect via WiFi to your tablet to get everything to work properly. Customer service was great in helping me adjust my router & set up and was pretty quick in response (same day).Once everything was properly connected, I decided to create some soft-key macros. These are absolutely incredible and such a great time saver for mouse clicks and key strokes. And you have the ability to assign them to whatever button or Touch strip button you want. It has a Shift button to allow you to assign twice as many. I’m currently making a list of all the macros I want to create and deciding where to assign them. As an example, I can now create a new stereo instrument track with a press of a button rather than having to go to Track, New, Stereo, Instrument, Create. I’m hoping I can do most of my work on the Dock and less with my mouse and keyboard.I know a lot of people on forums and YouTube say you don’t need the Dock since the Avid Control app is free but the overall layout of Dock works well to complement the touch-screen functions of the tablet. I tried to use the touch-screen to control the faders and knobs but having a real fader and knobs is just more accurate, especially when you are using them for plugins. For those who prefer the touch screen workflow, you would probably be best to look at the Slate Raven instead.I upgraded from a Digi002 as a control surface so the upgrade is very noticeable. I’m hoping to get the Avid S1 in the future to further complement my setup and further improve my workflow.