AES: Digi 002 On Show

First impressions: It's a bit bigger and bulkier than it seems in the pictures, definitely giving the vibe of nice solid construction. Faders feel good, and buttons have a solid feel with a clean click when you press them. Some of the knobs were a bit sticky, due to the rubber on the knobs rubbing against the surface of the controller. I'm assuming that these were prototype or very early production units and this minor fit and finish issue will be solved.

The LCD displays above each channel are larger than expected and very clearly readable from a distance. No need to lean forwward to squint. A great feature is that the LCD's are close enough together that they can also function as one large LCD to display longer messages. Longer words or short sentences are spread out across several LCD's, a very nice touch.

Another first impression is how well the hardware is integrated with the software. While a mouse still seems needed, most normal recording/mixing chores can be handled from the 002 controller. For example, adding eq is as simple as selecting a channel and then hitting the eq button. The eq plugin pops up onscreen and you can edit it with the 8 multi-function knobs above the channel strip. Finished editing - just put the eq away by hitting the eq button again.

Features include: