For years, the original Control 24 has been the nerve center of many professional recording studios that needed a professional control surface but couldn't take on the costs of very high-end surfaces. It's no surprise, then, that the unveiling of the new model generated great interest, especially since one of the manufacturer's goals in designing the new controller was to keep all the positive aspects of the original surface while implementing the improvements users had been sending to Digidesign over the years.
The C|24 didn't disappoint at its launch in New York, and shortly afterward it could be enjoyed at the Broadcast show in Madrid. There, many of the advances could be appreciated firsthand, such as the redesign of the 16 mic preamps, the improved monitoring section, the addition of two rows of six characters on each channel's display, the new layout of the controls...
ISP has had the chance to put the C|24 to the test, to verify that its extensive improvements, together with seamless integration with the new features available in the latest versions of Pro Tools, give this new control surface a lot to offer.
Bankable Faders
Like its predecessor, the C|24 offers 24 channels with 100 mm motorized (touch-sensitive) faders and 24 digital encoders, which provide access to all the tracks in the session organized in banks.
The exterior design has changed, however, with a more elegant, modern look and a new control layout that makes the work surface more comfortable.
At the top of the first 16 channels sits the knob that sets the preamp input gain. One of the most common requests among Control 24 users was for better preamps. To that end, Digidesign has included in the C|24 the new preamps the company designed for the 003 product family.
These preamps have a frequency response extending to 100 kHz (-1 dB), with total harmonic distortion plus noise of 0.004% (at 1 kHz) and an EIN (Equivalent Input Noise) of –127 dBu.
Input source selection and high-pass filter activation are now handled by a single button, and three LEDs indicate the chosen option. The input overload LED is retained, and the two buttons for engaging phantom power (in two groups of eight preamps) have been placed on the front of the controller.
The only thing missing in this section is an attenuation pad, which would allow you to adjust the preamp gain if the signal coming from the mic were very hot.
Next come the automation controls for each channel, with five LEDs showing the selected automation mode and a switch for cycling between them.
The familiar EQ, Dyn, Insert, Rec, Select, Solo and Mute buttons are still available, while the old Pan/Send has been replaced by Send, since the Pan view is now active by default (Home view).
As in the previous model, these controls give you single-press access to some of the most commonly used functions, such as EQ and dynamics plug-ins, inserts, sends, solo, mute and so on.
Next to the Rec key, an Input control has been added that, on audio tracks, mirrors the Input Monitor option available in Pro Tools|HD. When the channel controls an instrument track, the Input key transfers the MIDI volume, pan and mute controls to the channel's fader, encoder and mute, respectively.
Continuing with the improvements, each channel's display now has two rows of six characters each. This lets the track name stay visible in the top row while the bottom row shows various parameters, which speeds up work on the surface.
As was already possible on the Control 24, in certain working modes each channel's LCD joins the others to form one large screen, showing more information and letting you use the controls of the other channels for the task.
This happens, for example, in the Plug-in or Send views, in which the various parameters are spread across the encoders/buttons of all the channels. In these modes, the fact that the new C|24's displays are continuous makes viewing much easier.
When you dig deeper into navigating these views, the channel name may disappear to make way for other information. A brief press on the key that accesses that mode (on any channel) will briefly show the information about the track you're working on at that moment.
Below the display are the digital encoder (surrounded by the classic ring of LEDs) and its modifier key. As mentioned earlier, these controls provide access to different parameters, depending on the selected view.
The Flip key, which sends the controls assigned to the encoders to the faders so you can work at higher resolution, is now in the transport section, a more comfortable and accessible location for this powerful control.
The 8:1 submixer is still available on the new C|24, and the ability to monitor its output on the console's main output has been added.
More New Features
Part of the C|24's new physical look has been made possible by two fundamental changes: the external power supply and the new input and output connectors.
Having the new power supply external brings several advantages. For one thing, it moves an inherently noisy element away from the console's audio; for another, it provides better ventilation for the component and makes repairs easier if it fails.
As for the I/O connectors, on the C|24 most connections are made through DB-25 connectors, which reduces the space taken up by the audio connections.
Together, these two changes have allowed the meter bridge, where the power supply and connections were housed in the original model, to be reduced in size, resulting in a more practical controller in terms of footprint.
Another point to keep in mind is that the new C|24 reflects and integrates the changes made to Pro Tools software over recent years, so many of the program's improvements are reflected on the console.
Some of these improvements include support for +12 dB on the faders, categorization of plug-ins into different menus (by both TDM/RTAS and plug-in type) and the option to place your favorite plug-ins at the top of the list.
Some users may miss the numeric keypad, which, among other functions, allowed navigation through session markers. Now this navigation is done using the buttons under the LCD: the markers are available on the second line of the display, similar to how they're presented in Pro Tools' Memory Locations window.
Monitoring
Another aspect that has been improved is the monitoring section, which now lets you control two different input sources of up to six channels each (Main and Alt Surround), two more stereo sources (St 1 and St 2) and a Cue channel (also stereo).
The main output consists of six channels, which can be used in stereo, LCRS or 5.1 surround. Each of these channels can be soloed/muted independently from the console to check the different components of the mix.
As a new feature, there is a trim to adjust the output level of each channel in half-dB steps. This trim is accessed while holding down the respective output control: the adjustment is applied with the main Control Room knob, and the right end of the LED display shows its value.
Complementing the main output, the two independent TRS jacks let you connect a second set of stereo monitors (Alt Mon), which pick up the signal on the L and R channels (if there is signal on the other channels C, Ls, Rs and LFE, it is muted).
Continuing with listening options, the headphone jack is now located under the C|24's transport section. In the headphones you can monitor either the main output or the Cue output, and the level is adjusted with its own knob.
Another interesting detail is that, alongside the Cue output, logically designed for a reference listen, there is an LS (Loudspeaker) output. Designed for connecting speakers in the recording room, it gives many users the chance to connect monitors outside the control room and spare the musician from coming and going. This output has its own level control and a button to enable it.
For communication, the C|24 has a built-in talkback microphone, with an extra connection in case you want to replace it with another. Listenback functionality is also offered, through a connection for placing a listening mic in the recording room.
In this respect, the new Autotalkback function stands out, whereby both the talkback and listenback mics are activated automatically after each recording pass, as does the Slate output, which carries the signal from the talkback mic so you can record spoken information about each take.
Automation
Automation is usually one of the strong points of control surfaces, and the C|24 doesn't fall short, putting practically every aspect you can imagine of Pro Tools automation within reach.
As already mentioned, each channel has its own indicator for the active automation type and a button for selecting the different modes. The rest of the controls are on the left side of the console:
The Auto Enable buttons let you enable (on all tracks) the different types of automation writing, mapping the options available in Pro Tools' Automation window. Here it's a shame that the physical buttons don't follow the layout of the DAW's automation window, to avoid confusion.
In this same section of the controller are the buttons for the Automation Write To functions of Pro Tools|HD and, below them, the global indicators for the automation modes.
The left side of the C|24 also has other functions, such as the modifier keys (Shift, Opt/Alt, Ctrl/Win and Command/Ctrl) or the LCD's Display Mode modifier.
Connections
For users of the old Control 24 who are worried about the C|24's new connections, it should be noted that switching from one surface to the other doesn't have to be complicated.
The DB-25 connectors found on the original model are retained, and the cabling for the mic, line and other inputs, which now connect via DB-25, can be reused with an extra snake and some adapters.
The only point to keep in mind is that the new C|24 follows Dolby-type wiring while the old one was SMPTE-type, so the order of some I/O channels changes.
For example, on the Speakers Out connector, the old order was L-R-C-LFE-Ls-Rs, and the new one is L-C-R-Ls-Rs-LFE. If this connection is made through a DB-25 to TRS snake, you only need to change the order of the TRS connectors, but if the connection goes to other equipment with a DB-25 input, the snake would need to be rewired internally.
On the subject of connections, and considering the large number of inputs and outputs the C|24 has, a couple of ADAT ports are missed that would let you send the signal from the 16 mic preamps out to external gear.
In Action
The console's construction is solid, and the controls' interaction with the DAW is smooth and fluid.
It's true that because a surface like this offers a great number of options, a certain learning curve is needed before you can get the most out of it.
However, both the layout of the controls and their function make even the first steps with the C|24 easy, especially if you're familiar with Pro Tools, since the surface offers a large portion of the options commonly used in the DAW.
The overall feeling is that the functions you usually hunt for with the mouse are right at your fingertips and, once you're familiar with the location of the various controls, the surface achieves an important goal: it lets you work paying more attention to your ears than your eyes.
Users of the previous model will be glad to know that, although some buttons have moved, the workflow with the C|24 is similar to its predecessor's.
You really get the feeling that the original Control 24 has been rethought from top to bottom to produce a more powerful new controller, and the goal has undoubtedly been achieved.
Conclusions
As stated at the beginning, the C|24 is the rightful successor to the Control 24. The new controller not only improves on the weak points of the original but comes with a large number of new functions and features, and a design that improves workflow and handling.
Positioned in the middle of the market, this surface offers many of the features of the higher-end models in a more compact size and at a more affordable price.
Whether for users looking for a powerful control surface or for those who already own the previous model and are thinking of upgrading, the new C|24 is a serious alternative in a field where competition keeps growing.
Other Controls
Above the LED display is the so-called Channel Bar, which houses various controls for acting on each channel's inserts, parameter assignment, pan and send controls, as well as access to the Soft Keys and navigation of the LCD.
Below the monitoring section you can access the various edit modes (Shuffle, Spot, etc.), tools and functions (Trim, Select, Grabber, Tab to Transient, Copy, Paste...), many of the most common windows (Mix, Edit, Workspace, Big Counter, Automation, Markers...), window management in the latest versions (Window Configurations) and some global controls such as Do To All, Do To Selected, Solo Clear or Plug-in Safe.
This same section houses the group management controls that were already available on the previous model, including the Create, Enable, Modify, Delete and Suspend functions.
Finally, in the lower right section of the console are the transport and navigation controls, among which the five Zoom Presets, the Transport Modes, the navigation and zoom keys, the talkback button and the Scrub/Shuttle Wheel stand out.
Technical Specifications
Mic input:
Gain:+18 dB / +65 dB
Frequency response:0 dB @ 10 Hz / -1 dB @ 100 kHz
Maximum input level:+3 dBu
Maximum output level:+24 dBu
EIN:-127 dBu
Total harmonic distortion + noise:0.004% @ 1 kHz / -1 dBFS @ 40 dB gain
Line input:
Gain:+0 dB – +50 dB
Frequency response:-0.5 dB @ 10 Hz / -1 dB @ 100 kHz
Maximum input level:+22 dBu
Maximum output level:+24 dBu
Dynamic range:108 dB (A-weighted) / 105 dB (unweighted)
Total harmonic distortion + noise:0.004% @ -3 dBFS
Instrument input:
Gain:+0 dB / +50 dB
Frequency response:-0.5 dB @ 10 Hz / -1 dB @ 100 kHz
Maximum input level:+22 dBu
Maximum output level:+24 dBu
Signal-to-noise ratio:-97 dB
Dynamic range:108 dB (A-weighted) / 105 dB (unweighted)
Total harmonic distortion + noise:0.004% @ -3 dBFS
Submixer:
Gain:-infinity – +10 dB
Frequency response:-0.5 dB @ 10 Hz / -3 dB @ 160 kHz
Maximum input level:+29.5 dBu
Maximum output level:+29.5 dBu
Signal-to-noise ratio:117 dB (20 Hz – 20 kHz)
Total harmonic distortion + noise:0.00035% @ 1 kHz @ +27 dBu
Monitor section:
Gain:-infinity / unity
Frequency response:-1 dB @ 10 Hz / -1 dB @ 95 kHz
Maximum input level:+23 dBu
Maximum output level:+24 dBu
Signal-to-noise ratio:102 dB (unweighted)
Total harmonic distortion + noise:0.002%
L/R channel matching:+/- 1 dB
