Softube has released Console 1 Compact, a smaller and lower-priced version of its Console 1 mixing control surface. It brings the knob-per-function workflow of the larger Console 1 system to a desk-friendly footprint, aimed at engineers who want hands-on control without the space and cost of the full-size unit.
Console 1 is a hardware controller paired with companion software that maps physical knobs to channel-strip parameters: input, preamps, tape, filters, shape, EQ, compression, and output drive. Compact keeps that one-to-one layered control in a reduced form. It carries 16 touch-sensitive Analog Feel potentiometers and a high-resolution screen, and users switch between full EQ control and full Dynamics control at the push of a button rather than reaching for two banks of knobs at once.
The unit ships with the Core Mixing Suite software, which supplies the sound. That includes a Softube Tape and preamp section, a Shape transient shaper with utility tools, two equalizers (a passive vintage type and a precise modern type), and three compressors based on FET Compressor Mk II, Bus Processor, and an OPTO compressor, plus a drive section for saturation. Channel strips can be built from Softube’s own modeled processors, including emulations of Chandler Limited, Solid State Logic, and Tube-Tech gear, and from third-party plugins by FabFilter, Universal Audio, Plugin Alliance, and others.
Softube positions Compact across several existing user groups: as a portable companion for Console 1 Channel Mk III owners, an upgrade path for Console 1 Mk II users, and a hands-on controller for Flow Studio and Flow Suite users who want physical control over their channel strips. It works with major DAWs including Logic Pro, Cubase, Ableton Live, and Pro Tools, connects over USB-C, and runs without a subscription. Each Shape, EQ, and Compressor section supports two instances.
The hardware uses a bead-blasted aluminum panel in a finish Softube calls Nordic Night Sky, with RGB LEDs that update as the user moves between layers and adjusts settings. It mounts via VESA or the Softube Single Unit Stand, and the system remains modular: it can be expanded with Console 1 Fader units and Flow Studio hardware. Compact sits below the full Console 1 Channel Mk III in Softube’s lineup as the entry point into the Console 1 ecosystem.
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Features
- 16 Analog Feel touch-sensitive potentiometers.
- High-resolution smart screen.
- Layered knob-per-function control with one-button switching between EQ and Dynamics.
- Core Mixing Suite: Softube Tape and preamp, Shape transient shaper, two EQs, three compressors, and a drive section.
- Compressors based on FET Compressor Mk II, Bus Processor, and OPTO Compressor.
- Custom channel strips using Softube and third-party plugins (FabFilter, UAD, Plugin Alliance, and others).
- Two instances per Shape, EQ, and Compressor section.
- Works with all major DAWs; no subscription required.
- Bead-blasted aluminum panel in Nordic Night Sky finish with RGB LED feedback.
- VESA and Softube Single Unit Stand mounting; USB-C connection.
- Expandable with Console 1 Fader units and Flow Studio hardware.
Pricing and Availability
Available now for $499 USD (€495 / £429 including VAT).
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