Softube Console 1 Compact DAW Controller – A Mix Product of the Week

New York, NY (July 10, 2026)—Working on a theme from a variation of its popular Console 1 Channel, Softube has introduced the Console 1 Compact DAW control surface. Console 1 Compact features a small footprint (8.66W x 9.45D, inches) while providing hands-on control over EQ, dynamics, drive and other DAW parameters.

The unit works with all major DAWs, including Logic, Ableton Live, Cubase, Pro Tools, Studio One, LUNA, Reaper, FL Studio, Nuendo, Bitwig Studio, Cakewalk and Samplitude, without need for mapping.

The control panel of the Compact can be toggled between two layers using dedicated buttons: one for EQ, and the other for dynamics/drive/filter. It also features a high-res display that shows the most important parameters and adjustments, while a set of Softube’s touch-sensitive Analog Feel potentiometers enable fast adjustment of EQ and dynamics settings using knob-per-function design; touching a potentiometer calls that parameter to the smart display, and double-tapping on a potentiometer instantly resets that parameter. An EQ Slot button accesses a second EQ for situations where a user has multiple EQs inserted on the same track.

Ten dedicated track selector buttons with color LEDs reflect the color scheme of the tracks and work in conjunction with page buttons to access adjacent banks of tracks. When switching between tracks, the smart display indicates the track name, number, metering and color. The right side of Compact provides access to essential DAW functions such as volume, solo, mute, pan and send level, while the left side provides buttons that access the EQ or dynamics/drive layer, input gain (with dedicated pot), favorites and load channel strip.

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Console 1 Compact is bus-powered and connects to a host computer via USB-C. It comes bundled with Softube’s Core Mixing Suite channel strip, which includes Tape/Preamp (tape drive model), 6, 12, 18, 24 and 48dB/octave filters; Shape Dynamic Shaper, Panner, Dual Dynamics; four EQs: Modern, Vintage, Dynamic 2-band and Dynamic 4-band; and three compressors: FET Mk II, Opto and Bus Compressor. Compact supports multiple classic console emulations, and allows users to create custom channel strips built from favorite plug-ins.

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The Softube Console 1 Compact is constructed from anodized aluminum and weighs 2.25 pounds. System requirements are as follows: macOS Sonoma 14, Sequoia 15, Tahoe 26;  Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows 11; iLok; AU, VST, VST3 and/or AAX compatible DAW host software. Street price is around $499.