EUCON 2021.6 Software Update Now Available for Avid Control Surfaces
The EUCON 2021.6 software update is now available and introduces a number of significant new capabilities, including one of the user community's most-requested features: Custom Knobs. The 2021.6 release also includes Meter Designer for Avid S1 and S3 surfaces, as well as numerous smaller features and bug fixes.
Custom Knobs (Avid S1, S3, S4, S6, Dock, and Control app)
You can now create custom knob maps for all of your favorite plugins, allowing you to map your most-used plugin parameters onto the control surface exactly as you want them. In addition, you can program different areas of your surfaces to have different knob maps. For instance, you can have one map optimized for the Avid Dock 4x2 knob layout and another for Avid S1 and S3 (1x8 in groups of eight encoders). Similarly, you can have one map for your Avid S4/S6 4x8 Knob Modules while using another in the 4x2 Master Touch Module. If you do not want to build knob layouts for each area, the system intelligently falls back to maps that you've built for other surface configurations (or to the default plugin page table should you not have created any). These new knob maps are stored as .xml files in EuControl Workstation (for small format surfaces) and the Master Module for Avid S4/S6, and are interchangeable between all current surfaces, from S1 to S6.
As well as custom Inserts maps, both the EQ and DYN default Function maps can be rearranged. These are a little different from the Inserts Function, as there is only one map for EQ or DYN. This ensures that similar controls are always in the same place no matter the plugin.
Custom Knobs for Small Format Control Surfaces
Meter Strip Designer (Avid Control, Avid Control Desktop)
Using Avid Control or Avid Control Desktop with the S1 and S3 control surfaces gives you detailed channel strip information along with high resolution metering—which is crucial feedback when mixing. With the new Meter Strip Designer, you can create a custom strip layout that works best for you for both Avid Control and Avid Control Desktop, independently. Drag in and rearrange the order of all the different information blocks, show the graphs separately, or combine them together. In Avid Control Desktop you can still grow and shrink the meter height and resize the window.
Pro Tools Auto Match Indicator (Avid Control, Avid Control Desktop)
Avid S4 and S6 have had Pro Tools Auto Match Indicators for some time, and this useful feature is now available in Avid Control. The indicators on each channel show you where your underlying automation is, aiding smoother automation writing.
Solo/Mute Clear and Channel Dropdown Controls (Avid Control)
2021.6 adds new Solo/Mute Clear options and a Control dropdown that contains additional channel controls and allows for additional ones to be added in the future.
GPO Fader Start (Avid S4 and S6)
In addition to the current GPI controlling S4/S6 Faders, we now have the reverse. Avid S4 and S6 systems can now activate a GPO or Softkeys from a fader move on the surface. The level when it is triggered can be set, as well as which fader or group of faders it comes from.
Many Smaller Features and Bug Fixes
From improvements to footswitch control and speaker renaming on the Monitoring page, to VCA/Folder Spill Lock Master options and Flip Mode LED indication, there are many new and improved features and hundreds of bug fixes and performance enhancements across all surfaces.
Availability
EUCON 2021.6 is now available for all Avid S1, S3, Dock, and Control customers, as well as Avid S4 and S6 systems with a valid Avid Advantage support contract—just log in to your Avid Account and find the installer link. Please note that if you're using Pro Tools with your control surface, some new features will require the recent Pro Tools 2021.6 release to function. For more details about this release, please see the new documentation now available in your Avid Account.
Eddie Jones
After 20 years mixing and designing studios facilities in the UK, I moved to the USA and managed the S5 products for Euphonix. At Avid I designed the S6, S4 and S1 and now manage all control surfaces.