Avid S6

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Compare ICON vs Avid S6

ICON to S6 Campaign Image

Got ICON? See what more you can do with S6

We hope your trusty old ICON D-Control or D-Command surface has served and continues to serve you well. In case you weren't aware, as of August 31, 2018, Avid no longer offers ICON support or repairs. While future versions of Pro Tools will still work with ICON for the foreseeable future, we do not plan on adding new features or functionality to the family, and any new issues that arise may not be addressed. If you want to stay at the forefront of professional music and audio mixing, you can greatly expand your capabilities and opportunities with Avid S6.


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Why adopt S6?

  • Get better visual feedback with extensive metering, scrolling waveforms, and more
  • Experience the most efficient hands-on Dolby Atmos mixing workflows in the industry
  • Customize and scale the modular surface for your mixing preferences and needs
  • Mix faster and more intuitively with full touchscreen control, custom layouts, and programmable soft keys
  • Take control of Pro Tools, Nuendo, Pyramix, Sequoia, Logic Pro, and other DAWs simultaneously
  • Remote control your mix from anywhere in the studio using a mobile device
Gigantic 1200x600

NYC's award-winning post house Gigantic Studios moved from ICON to S6—see why S6 proved to be, literally, a stand up solution to serve independent filmmakers.

YaronFuchs 1200x600

See how Grammy-nominated producer/mixer Yaron Fuchs (Herbie Hancock, John Meyer, Talib Kweli) uses Pro Tools and S6 to bring musicians together.

Compare ICON vs. S6

ICON D-Command ICON D-Control Avid S6
Metering
Meter Bridge:
Dual 30-segment LED meters
Meter Bridge:
Dual 30-segment LED meters 		Display Module:
High-resolution TFT displays with scrolling waveforms, EQ, pan plots, and automation breakpoints

Master Display module:
Up to 4 rows of assignable meters in separate layouts; PEC/DIR dual input/output metering

Fader Module:
Dual 30-segment LED meters on faders with gain reduction

Master Module:
Scrolling meter bridge and track scroller
Color Coding
None
 None Track colors and color-coded functions on knob tops, including dynamics, EQ, and pan

Color coding for track state, including Record, Input, Solo, and Mute
Plugins, EQ, and Dynamics
Customizable strip knobs and faders for plugins (non-configurable EQ and dynamics controls only)—locked to compact center section
 Customizable strip knobs and faders for plugins (non-configurable EQ and dynamics controls only)—locked to center section Fully customizable, color-coded knob and fader layouts for Plugins, EQ, and Dynamics—can be different for each area of the surface
Channel Scalability Fixed channel strip configuration with a minimum 8 faders + master, expandable with two 16-channel fader modules Fixed channel strip configuration with a minimum 8 faders + master, expandable with multiple 16-channel fader modules Flexible, modular channel strip configuration with a minimum 8 faders + master, expandable with multiple 8-channel fader modules for up to 48 faders + master; can be joined to create dual- and 3-operator configurations with up to 144 faders

Choice of 1, 5, or 9 assignable encoders per channel
Workstation Control Switched control of up to two Pro Tools workstations Switched control of up to four Pro Tools workstations Intelligent control of up to 8 workstations, including Pro Tools, Logic, Nuendo, and Pyramix with KVM integration

Aggregate tracks from any connected EUCON workstations on a single surface
Folder Track support
 None  None
 Full support for Folders Tracks, including spilling, opening, and closing from the surface
Surround Mixing, including Dolby Atmos No integrated joystick option—external third-party surround panner option only

No pan plot display 		Optional surround panner with dual touch-sensitive joysticks

Limited pan display on Joystick Module only

Full support for Dolby Atmos immersive audio, with 2D and 3D panning views

Integrated surround panning from the Master Module touchscreen and with the optional Joystick Module

Pan positional views can be displayed on Display Modules, Master Module, and Joystick Module

Dedicated traditional PEC/DIR Post Module for film and audio post-production workflows
Soft Keys Limited surface functions only

No customization or macro support		 Limited surface functions only

No customization or macro support		 Comprehensive, color-coded, and organized by workflow

Fully user-customizable, including macros composed of EUCON and keyboard functions across multiple workstations
Monitoring XMON analog monitoring with up to 7.1 support + communications system XMON analog monitoring with up to 7.1 support + communications system Customizable Pro Tools | MTRX/MTRX Studio analog/digital audio I/O (mix and match mic, line, MADI, Dante, AES3, SDI, and more) with versatile 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, and up to 64 channels of immersive audio monitoring + routing control and communications system

Tutorials

Tips & tricks

  • S6: VCA Masters & Spill Zones

    Create fader zones to access members of a VCA Master group

  • S6: Exploring Track Layouts

    Create custom Track Layouts to control your most important tracks

  • S6: Exploring Expand Zones

    Take dedicated control of EQ and Dynamics with a consistent interface

In-depth workflows

  • S6 Workflows: Master Module

    Speed up navigation and accessing tracks with the Master Module

  • S6 Workflows: Spill Zones

    Quickly place and access all types of tracks with Spill Zones

  • S6 Workflows: Soft Keys

    Enhance editing, mixing and monitoring with Soft Keys

  • S6 Workflows: Attention Zones

    Control plugins, dynamics, EQs, inserts and sends with Attention Zones

  • S6 Workflows: Managing Zones and VCAs

    Get the most out of zones and nested VCAs

  • S6 Workflows: Layouts

    Assign any mix of tracks to the faders with custom Layouts

  • S6 Workflows: Expand Faders

    Take custom control of plugins with Expand Faders