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The ICON Concept

More professionals are adopting Avid ICON digital consoles today than any other console, not just for the sound quality and workflow efficiency, but for the unique features, which enable engineers, mixers, and editors to work in ways they never thought possible.

Powered by Pro Tools|HD, ICON enables you to accomplish every aspect of a project within a single environment, from composing music, recording, editing, and mixing to sound design, ADR, pre-dubbing, and finalizing sound to picture. From the large-format and highly expandable D-Control™ ES to the more compact and expandable D-Command® ES, ICON offers great flexibility and more Pro Tools® control and functionality than any other console — period.

Seamless Integration
Like being in a foreign country without an interpreter, when you mix-and-match one company’s DAW with another company’s digital console, communication is frustratingly basic. With ICON and Pro Tools|HD, your console and DAW speak the same language. ICON puts Pro Tools|HD at your fingertips, ensuring that no part of your production will ever get lost in translation. And because you also have the flexibility of adding your favorite outboard gear to your workflow, you can create the ultimate custom workstation, with uncompromising sound quality.

Ultimate Recall
With full recall of every project parameter, including audio and MIDI editing, mixer configuration, processing, and automation, ICON enables you to switch out even the most complex sessions in mere minutes. Customize the console for rapid arrangement of and access to every session element. Even save mixer configurations as templates for specific tasks that can be called up at any moment, dramatically increasing your workflow efficiency.

Custom Faders
Custom Faders lets you customize the console to suit your workflow and gain unprecedented control — not to mention some serious speed — in your mixing. This revolutionary feature lets you designate banks of channel strips on your console to serve as separate, custom-configurable control sections to handle specific tasks. Create track presets by laying out tracks in any order—even duplicates of the same track—that can be recalled at any stage. Map plug-in parameters across rotary encoders, or even to faders to create LARC-style control. Divvy up the console to quickly mix or assign grouped tracks based on type or relationship, no matter how they’re actually arranged in the Pro Tools interface.

Unparalleled Automation
ICON offers automation capabilities that surpass even the most advanced automation packages available with other consoles, and offers additional automation features beyond those even offered in Pro Tools. Everything in Pro Tools can be automated, giving you full dynamic control and absolute recall of every session element, from track volumes, mutes, and panning to every plug-in parameter. Not only do the touch-sensitive encoders and faders enable you to write automation with precision control, you can initiate and change automation modes from the surface too. And because all automation data stays precisely tied to its corresponding audio, you can freely move audio files while keeping the automation information intact.

Soft Keys
ICON consoles feature a customizable Soft Keys section that gives you fast access to Pro Tools commands, functions, and tools right from the surface. Rather than hunt and peck through the Pro Tools interface with your mouse, you can call up automation functions, editing commands, tool selections, window and track settings, MIDI options, memory locations, console preferences, and more with the simple press of a button, and view the associated functions of any Soft Key mode through the six pairs of scribble strips. Bring practically any Pro Tools function to the surface by simply configuring the console with the Soft Keys.

Sound Versatility
With ICON, you’re not locked into dedicated, built-in EQ and dynamics processors. You have access to the industry’s largest collection of plug-in effects, giving you easy ways to instantly transform the sound of the console. From emulations of vintage analog hardware processors and meticulous re-creations of familiar console EQs and dynamics to a wide range of cutting-edge creative processors, you can make ICON sound like a classic analog console or something completely unique.

ICON for Music
From the first vocal take to the final mix, ICON returns record engineering to its artistic roots, giving you the freedom to experiment and explore your creativity to achieve the perfect mix. Tweak the industry’s largest collection of sound processing plug-ins and virtual instruments right from the console. Instantly recall previous mix stages or settings to make changes or try something new. Take advantage of console’s comprehensive automation to keep sessions flowing. Use Custom Faders to quickly mix similar or related tracks (such as an entire rhythm section or chorus of a song) anywhere on the console. Even insert your favorite analog and digital outboard gear, with complete delay compensation.

ICON for Post Production
With increasing client demands and tighter deadlines than ever, ICON greatly streamlines the post-production workflow, enabling you to juggle multiple projects and free up more time to explore creative options in a mix. Control and navigate large track counts across multiple Pro Tools systems from a single console. Re-conform audio and automation simultaneously for those last-minute picture changes. Integrate directly with the Avid® video workflow for unparalleled efficiency. Mix multiple stems and move sounds anywhere within the stereo or surround field with tactile precision. Even take advantage of direct 9-pin machine control, including track arming and transport functions.

Regardless of a project’s size or complexity, ICON enables you to handle it all with ease.