At the 2015 NAMM Show, Avid was showing the Pro Tools S3 control surface, a professional mixing controller and audio interface.
S3 is a compact, EUCON-enabled, desktop control surface for sound engineers. It combines a small form factor, making it suitable for mobile work or project studios, but also offers deep options for accelerated mixing efficiency.
Features:
- 16 Channel Strips
- Touch-Sensitive Motorized Faders
- 10-Segment Signal Level Meters
- 32 Touch-Sensitive Rotary Encoders
- 32 High-Resolution OLED Displays
- Dedicated Function Keys per Channel
- Built-In 4 x 6 AVB Core Audio Interface
- Create Custom Mixer Layouts
- Compact and Application Aware
- Mac OS X, Window 7/8
The Pro Tools S3 controller has a street price of about US $5,000.
5000$ ??! Avid, you are drunk, go home!
These are for professionals, not bedroom producers.
If you’re making money doing production, $5k is not a lot, if the gear will help make you more efficient.
I’m a professional, and yes 5K is not a lot of money if you’re making money. But that doesn’t negate the fact that 5 Grand for a glorified controller is absolutely completely insanely ridiculous. It does prove, however that Avid has completely lost their minds, and they have no idea what their customers want or how to continue making a profit. This should be 1000 bucks at the most. Maybe squeeze it to 1500 because its Avid, and some people would pay to have the name in their studio…
I’m a pro video editor and my production company quit at Pro Tools 10. We use Logic and Nuendo now. Not only has Avid once again crazily overpriced its product, but the deep mapping is probably buggy as hell and when the fader motors fail, only Avid will be able to fix them at outrageous prices and inconvenience after the warranty is up. How is this even close to being worth 5K?
Avid backwards = Diva!
shit my pants $5,000
It should be $500,000!
SSL Nucleus is better, cheaper, and you can control 3 DAW at once, and not only Pro Tools. Too bad for you Avid.
16 faders, jog wheel… and 4×6 interface. All on one ethernet.
Nice.
I knew it was a waste of time… I just went straight to check the pricing… not even worth checking anything else out… so many good options out there now, either for controllers or software… Plus I stopped believing in Avid when they would not update the drivers for my Fast Track Ultra… I know it’s part bad luck, but that still doesn’t count for good costumer service when both my Audio Interface and Apple MacBook Pro “Core 2 Duo” 2.53 13″ [Mid-2009] work perfectly with anything except with each other. And off course, they blame their lack of support on Apple for not listing my Mac model as “Mavericks qualified”. I get sick mad every time I think about it.
If this is meant for professionals, then why the onboard audio interface? This is practically useless to any professional, since clearly they will already be using their own audio hardware.
Also, why the lack of jog wheel and transport controls? I’m still baffled that no manufacturer has figured out that these two components are missing from every current modern compact surface controller.
Get a clue, Avid!
I own two Digidesign 002s and only cost me $750.
I bought a used 003r and only $400.
$5000 ? WTF ?
I’ll be buy a 003 and Command 8 control surface from the used market
which only cost less than $1000 each !!!
WTF ? $5000 ? Go to sleep Avid !
I love mines it gives a lot of versatility with the interface if I want to take it on the bus all I need is it and mic and laptop the price isn’t bad if this is what you do in a mobile work we know live in and it feels as good as the s6 which I also have have s good day people they aren’t making you buy anything it’s your will