MACKIE MCU PRO 8-Channel Master Controller with USB

They call it "Universal" for a reason: the Mackie Control Universal Pro might just be the most widely compatible DAW controller on the planet. Plug in a USB cable, and you've got a control surface that works with every major digital audio workstation software package -- Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, Ableton Live, Reason, Digital Performer, Adobe Audition, Cakewalk Sonar -- plus several not-so-major DAWs. Software makers love the MCU Pro for its sophisticated Mackie Control communications protocol, which offers nearly ten times the precision of ordinary MIDI mapping. And the MCU Pro now has smoother, quieter 100 mm motorized faders, along with the easy-to-read 55-character display and comfortable jog wheel. With a much more professional look than those little MIDI-mapping keyboards, the expandable Mackie Control Universal Pro is a serious control surface -- no matter which DAW you choose to build your studio around.

Features:

- Professional control surface for use with all major DAWs -- and some minor ones
- Robust Mackie Control communication protocol, plus Logic Control and HUI modes 
- Generous 55-character LCD and large display for timecode or bars/beats/ticks
- 8 touch-sensitive motorized 100 mm Alps faders
- 8 illuminated "V-Pot" rotary encoders
- Transport buttons, navigation buttons, and large jog/shuttle wheel
- Dedicated and assignable buttons that map to your software's specific functions
- Includes Lexan overlays for specific DAW software

The distinction between consumer and professional products is difficult to pin down these days. As the joke goes, "if it says 'professional' on the box, it probably isn't." However, the Mackie Control Universal Pro is no joke. Granted, if you're the only person who ever sees your own recording setup, one of those plastic MIDI-mapping keyboards with a few short "sliders" slapped on the front panel might do just fine. But Mackie thinks you (and the clients and artists that get to see your setup) just might prefer a touch-sensitive control surface that's fit for a real studio. With robust faders, serious expandability, and across-the-board DAW compatibility, the MCU Pro is exactly what its name implies.

Specs.