Avid C24
If you’re looking for a quality control surface for Pro Tools, you need look no further than the software manufacturer. Avid’s C|24 control surface is a sleek, stylish mid-sized solution for small to medium recording studios. It provides an excellent tactile control method for the recording mixing and editing features inside Pro Tools.
Want to know more? Well then, let’s investigate…
The sleek-looking Avid C24 is a fully-featured and robust control surface for small to medium recording studios.
Overview of the C24
The C 24 has (as the name implies) 24 channels. Each is bankable, has a dedicated touch sensitive fader and high-quality LED-ringed rotary encoder. There is also a very legible 6 character LED strip for instant feedback on channel names, pan direction and other parameters. This makes it incredibly easy for the technician to know what is going on at any time during recording.
There are also dedicated Automation, Solo, Mute, Select, EQ, Record, Insert, Send and Dynamics buttons for each of the channels. This is particularly useful when live tracking, as it significantly simplifies the workflow for the engineer to make rapid changes to the mix without resorting to keyboard shortcuts or mouse commands.
The C24 looks great, and is a treat to use. The motorised, touch-sensitive faders are a pleasure to adjust.
Input and Output options
The Avid C 24 offers an extensive range of input and output options, providing a comprehensive studio solution for even professional recording technicians. It has 16 high-quality, low-noise preamps for input from Microphone, Line or Direct Inject. This is incredibly convenient, as it allows musicians to connect directly to the control surface without requiring another interface or mixing device.
There are high-pass filters and the ability to modify (limit) the gain of the input. This guarantees that you can get a clean signal out of just about any instrument that is plugged into the control surface.
Out of the box you’re given a professional quality 5.1 analog monitor output – perfect for mastering tracks destined for DVD, BlueRay or any other post-stereo destination.
The device also has a 8 channel stereo line sub-mixer, output metering and trimmable inputs and outputs.
The control surface provides a number of features and I/O options - including 16 high-quality preamped inputs suitable for Mic, Line or direct inject.
Other features of the Avid C24
The device also comes with a number of “soft keys” – these have no hard binding. Instead, they can be configured in the software. This is incredibly important to allow an extra degree of customisability, as well as to future proof the device to make sure it supports and upgrades offered by the Pro Tools software.
The C24 also offers built-in Mics for easy remote talkback and listenback. This makes communication between technician and musician a piece of cake, even when the musician is in another room or sound-proof enclosure.
There is an external power-supply, which ensures the device is (relatively) light and slim-lined.
Summary
The C24 offers a range of great features for recording enthusiasts AND professional technicians. The key features of the device include:
- 24 bankable channels
- Dedicated touch-sensitive, motorized fader for each channel
- 24 rotary pots w/ LED rings
- 16 high-quality, low-noise preamps
- Flexible range of I/O options
- 8 channel stereo line sub-mixer with separate levels and ability to “direct route” to monitor
- Professional 5.1 analog monitor output
- Readable 6 character LED strip
- Built-in talkback Mics
In conclusion, the Avid C24 is a very powerful control surface, perfect for small to medium recording studios. It’s incredibly simple to use, while offering a degree of flexibility not often seen in this class of control surfaces. To top it all off, the device is digestibly priced for Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools HD users.
Have you used the C24 before? Do you own one? Tell us what you think of it in the comments below!
