Digi are clearly no slouches when it comes to keeping up with the Jones' or whoever. The race for the perfect control surface has just had another entry, in the shape of the new Command~8 - a fully featured control surface solution from Digidesign and Focusrite that puts integrated, tactile manipulation of Pro Tools TDM and LE sessions at users' fingertips more affordably and effectively than before. Command|8 has been designed to provide a depth of control consistent with its control surface predecessors at a budget-conscious price point. Its synergy of Digidesign control surface components provides users with a space-efficient, full-featured control surface that is equally at home in a project studio or a professional facility. Command|8's faders, rotary encoders, displays, and dedicated transport controls enable users to build their Pro Tools mixes with the hands-on feel only an integrated control surface can provide. A simple USB connection facilitates communication between Command|8 and a PC or Mac, while its built-in MIDI ports (1-IN/2-OUT) comprise a robust MIDI Interface. Stand-alone MIDI controller mode makes it possible to easily map Command|8's controls to third-party MIDI applications and devices. Command|8's onboard monitor system features acclaimed Focusrite audio performance and quality and supports Pro Tools analogue audio, independently selectable external inputs, and separately controlled speakers and headphones. Similar to Digi 002, each of Command|8's eight bankable channels of tactile controls includes a touch-sensitive fader, an automatable rotary encoder with an LED ring, and a channel meter. A highly luminescent 110-character backlit LCD display (2 rows x 55 characters) runs across the top of the channel array, displaying information such as full track names, plug-in name and page number, and full parameter names in a convenient and easily readable manner. Command|8 features a Focusrite-designed onboard analogue monitor section, eliminating the need for an additional audio mixer. The monitor section features two +4/-10 independently selectable stereo inputs (balanced or unbalanced), stereo speaker outputs (also +4/-10), and a separately controlled headphone amp, providing the monitoring flexibility needed to keep an ear on a session's development. Command|8 can also be used as a stand-alone MIDI controller for any device that accepts MIDI control change messages. It can be used for level, panning, solo, mute, MIDI Machine Control of transports, and other mappable parameters available in popular sequencing applications. Command|8 also supports Avid products including Media Composer Adrenaline, and is natively mapped to the Automation Gain Tool. System Requirements Digidesign-approved Pro Tools LE system (Digi 002. Digi 002 Rack, Mbox, Digi 001) or Pro Tools TDM system (Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools|HD Accel) on Windows XP or Mac OS X. (Multiple Command|8s cannot be interconnected, nor does Command|8 interface with other MIDI-based controllers; however, it can be used in conjunction with Digidesign's ProControl or Control|24.) For more information, visit Digidesign's website at

www.digidesign.com.

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