DAW Controller
Solid State Logic’s UF8 – Accelerated Creativity, Intelligent Production
2025
UF8 Advanced DAW Controller
Designed for today’s DAW-based production workflows and ultrafast turn-around times, UF8 from Solid State Logic is an expandable 8-channel advanced DAW controller that connects engineers, producers, and artists directly to their creative process.
SSL UF8 is a scalable hardware control surface offering the essential DAW control you need, with room to add USB keyboard shortcut sequences to suit your own workflow. UF8 features 8 high-quality, motorized touch-sensitive faders accompanied by 8 endless rotary encoders and 8 high-quality color LCD TFTs for clear visual feedback at all times. A large multi-purpose master encoder allows navigation of DAW sessions, track scrolling, and mouse wheel emulation to give hands-on control of plug-ins. Signature SSL workflow and ergonomics developed from a 40+ year legacy in production innovation have never been more accessible.
Built from 40+ year legacy of mastering workflows and a true understanding of studio production, UF8 offers intuitive features, advanced workflow and a tactile professional finish that distills SSL quality.
100 mm Touch-Sensitive Faders
Quality feel, engineered response and a volume curve that keeps engineers in the sweet spot. Anyone who has driven an SSL console knows not all faders are equal.
Hi-Resolution Colour Displays
Constant, clear visual feedback that only a full colour, high resolution display can provide. Key track information including level, pan, routing and names can be found here, keeping you focused on what matters.
8 Endless Rotary Encoders
V-POT technology and workflow as found in SSL AWS and Duality consoles. Seamlessly jump between parameters whist maintaining absolute control.
Intelligent CHANNEL Encoder
Featuring mouse scroll emulation, control any plug-in parameter you hover the mouse over with precision.
Features
- High-quality 100 mm touch-sensitive faders
- High-resolution color displays
- All-metal enclosure finished with a brushed, anodized top plate
- 8 Endless Rotary Encoders
- Custom Workflows with 43 assignable keys per UF8; 5 banks of 8 User Keys + 3 Quick Keys
- Intelligent Multi-Purpose CHANNEL Encoder
- Mouse Scroll Emulation; control of any plug-in parameter you hover the mouse over with absolute precision
- Hi-Speed USB connectivity
- DAW communication via HUI for Pro Tools. SSL software provides further workflow enhancements with the addition of features such as Channel and Plug-in Modes.
- Connects to your computer via hi-speed USB – no need to deal with computer networks or ethernet cables.
- DAW communication via MCP/MCU for Logic, Cubase, Nuendo, Studio One and Ableton Live.
- Powered by the SSL 360° Software application.
Chain multiple UF8’s together to create your unique mixing system; build your perfect 16-24 channel music creation hub, or connect 4 UF8’s within a single system to create a 32-channel controller ideal for large post production or mixing sessions. (Image shows 3 units / 24 channel system)
Rear Connectivity
The rear panel of UF8 features a USB ‘C’ type port for easy connection to the host computer (‘C’ to ‘C’ and ‘C’ to ‘A’ cables included with UF8), two jack sockets offering standard foot-switch connections and a socket for UF8’s auto-ranging external PSU. The USB ‘A’ port on UF8 can be used to daisy-chain USB communication between UF8s, or, it can be used to plug in any USB dongles you have.
Open DAW Policy
UF8 integrates with all major DAWs and includes workflow ready templates for Ableton® Live™, Cubase™ / Nuendo™, Pro Tools®, Logic Pro X® and Studio One®. Many producers and engineers prefer to split their creative process across multiple DAWs. UF8 is uniquely flexible and promotes SSL’s Open DAW Policy – Control 3 different DAWs simultaneously and keep your production and mixdown process agile.
The following DAWs are officially supported by UF8 and have dedicated profiles in SSL 360°. We only officially test with the most recent versions of each DAW software. In most cases, previous versions will also work fine.
- Pro Tools®
- Logic Pro X®
- Cubase™ / Nuendo™
- Ableton® Live™
- Studio One®
Many other DAWs have HUI & MCU controller integration. At the time of writing, we provide dedicated UF8 profiles for the list of DAWs above. For more information on the kind of integration you can expect between UF8 and DAWs not listed above, please see this FAQ page via the button below.
Can I control plug-ins from UF8
Yes, any plug-in in the DAW can be controlled across the V-Pots (or faders with MCU DAWs). You can also control plug-ins that support mouse scroll, using the CHANNEL encoder in FOCUS mode.
How does UF8 compare to Nucleus 2?
Control only – UF8 is purely a control surface. No analogue mic amps, soundcard or monitoring.
Expandable – A UF8 system can scale from one UF8 (8 faders) to four UF8s (32 faders). Each UF8 added adds a further 43 assignable keys.
SSL V-MIDI vs ipMIDI– UF8 uses an SSL V-MIDI (Virtual MIDI) driver, which is installed as part of the SSL 360° software. UF8 hardware connects via a USB cable directly to the DAW computer (or via a USB hub). This means there’s no network configuration required, as there is with Nucleus 2. It’s a more straight-forward setup process for the user.
HUI & MCU – Both UF8 and Nucleus 2 use HUI and MCU protocols to integrate with the various DAWs. However, many areas of DAW control are improved with UF8, specifically CHANNEL and PLUGIN modes for Pro Tools, which offer functionality above and beyond Nucleus 2.
Mac Apple Silicon (M1 / Rosetta 2)
FL STUDIO 20.8.2 incudes Mac Apple Silicon (M1 / Rosetta 2) support & improved workflow. FL Studio continues its upward march with this update with new features and tweaks to further improve your workflow.
New in FL STUDIO 20.8.2
- Apple silicon – FL Studio runs on Apple Silicon (M1) CPUs with improved performance under Rosetta 2.
- Parametric EQ 2 – Added note snap values to the Frequency knob popups (matches Band Tokens).
- ZGE Visualizer – New ‘Use final (post master) audio‘ option so the Master Audio can be used with a video exported from a ZGE Visualizer loaded on any Mixer Track and FX slot.
- FPC – Pads can now be cloned by (Click-and-drag) from one Pad to another.
- 3x OSC – Added context aware type-in value support.
- Control Surface / Patcher – Added ‘Scrollbar color’ property for the Keyboard Control.
- FL Keys – Added context aware type-in value support.
- FL Studio Mobile – Updated to Version 3.5 including improved Sampler a new Gate plugin and more.
- Instrument Tuner – Response time has been changed from a switch to a continuous knob with more precision to better detect the tune of short samples, like 808-stye bass kicks.
- Channel Settings – Time stretching panel now shows what stretch mode is used (below the Mode menu) when Auto is in use.
- Playlist – Picker Panel > (Right-Click) Clip/s > Ungroup selected. Ungroups selected Patterns from the current Group filter in the Picker Panel.
- Channel Preview Keyboards – Added Note OFF velocity support based on vertical position when the mouse is released.
- General Settings > Language – FL Studio will show a warning message on exit if the user changed the language.
- File size warning – Improved the project size warning dialog to be clearer about file types and their sizes.
- MIDI scripting – Added: Next and Previous preset selection functions in plugin module. device.getLinkedValueString function. device.getLinkedParamName function, device.getLinkedValueString function. Some plugins can now show values for their parameters as text feedback to MIDI cntrollers with displays. Plugins include the Keyboard Controller, DX10, DrumSynth Live, Fruit Kick and Plucked!.
- Transport Controls – (Right-Click) the Pat/Song Switches to open the Channel Rack or the Playlist respectively.
Pricing and Availability
ART Pro X-DAW – Articulation Editor/Converter
Audio Grocery released their brand new ultimate articulation maps editor called X-DAW.
X-DAW offers advanced features which allow you to create articulation maps for a few seconds,
export the X-DAW project as a Logic Articulation Set or Cubase Expression Maps, convert Logic Articulation Sets to Cubase Maps, and vice versa.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- X-DAW Articulation Maps Software Editor.
- High Quality OCR (image to text) application.
- Factory Articulation Map Presets MEGA collection.
- 3rd Party Instrument Multi Presets.
- iPad Art Remote Workstations: LEMUR & TouchOSC.
- Cubase & Logic Orchestral Templates.
- MIDI FX plugins and Transform Presets (Logic X).
- Step by step VIDEO Tutors with online navigation.
WORKS WITH
- All Kontakt libraries.
- Vienna Instruments, VEPro & Synchron.
- EastWest Play libraries.
- All Instruments powered by Key Switches,
- Control or Program change switching.
- Instruments with momentary or latched KS.
- Instruments with multi Articulation Groups.
- Spitfire UACC.
Now you can copy articulation names from any Instrument catalog and paste them to X-DAW or to use our brand new OCR utility to screenshot the articulation names directly in the Instrument interface (Art Names), and paste or auto-paste the converted names to X-DAW.
CUBASE Pro
- Advanced Expression Maps Creation.
- Import/Export Expression Maps.
- Logic Articulation Sets Conversion.
- iPad Lemur Maps Teleporting.
- iPad Lemur <-> Cubase track Sync.
- Orchestral Templates.
LOGIC Pro X
- Advanced Articulation Sets Creation.
- Import/Export Articulation Sets.
- Cubase Expression Maps Conversion.
- Advanced Art System (AG Scripter).
- iPad Lemur Maps Teleporting.
- iPad Lemur <-> Logic track Sync.
- Orchestral AU2 & AU3 Templates.
X-DAW KEY FEATURES
- It is now possible to create a large Articulation preset in 15 seconds by copying all articulation names from any document and pasting the names to the X-DAW.
- The new OCR utility allows you to screenshot the Instrument articulations or a PDF (image-based) articulations list. The screenshot is converted into text and copied to the computer clipboard automatically. You can paste the articulation names directly to the X-DAW, or edit the text in the OCR text editor.
- It is now possible to click the left column label (in the “Articulations” sector) and switch the column view to:
Ch, KS1, KS2, CC1, CC2, Map# or Art ID#. You can enable/disable the column view definitions (Ch, KS1, KS2, CC1…) in X-DAW Preferences. - Now you can switch between large Articulation names view and Instrument/Art names view by toggling the “Art” button in Logic mode. In Cubase mode the same button switches between Slots/Arts view and large Articulation name view.
- Reorder Maps by Key Switch number. You can reset all Maps by KS# (if you own 3rd party Articulation Maps ordered by type, UACC standard etc), and order the Maps according to your taste or your own standard.
- It is now possible to assign Logic Articulation ID numbers regardless of the Articulations order (Logic mode only). The custom Art ID numbers are stored in the Logic Articulation Set or exported to AG Scripter. This feature allows you to order the Articulations by type and build your own unified system similar to UACC.
- Now the MIDI Channel assignment offers a neutral channel assignment “- – -“ setting, which is useful for Instruments which do not need MIDI Channel switching.
- Now the “Export Program/Articulation Names” feature no longer adds empty lines after the last Name.
- Now Logic “Art ID Instrument” mode (Logic factory Instruments) allows you to assign Art ID numbers higher than # 127. You can assign Art ID numbers up to number 255 for Logic stock Instruments.
Cubase & Logic Compatibility
- It is now possible to create articulation maps in X-DAW and save the project as a Cubase Expression Map or a Logic X Articulation Set.
- The default DAW mode (Logic or Cubase) can be assigned in the X-DAW Preferences.
- It is now possible to open existing Logic Articulation Sets or Cubase Expression Maps in X-DAW Editor via a Folder icon or via dragging the preset from the Mac Finder and dropping it to the X-DAW.
- It is now possible to convert existing Logic Articulation Sets to Cubase Expression Maps or Cubase Expression Maps to Logic Articulation Sets.
Pricing and Availability
Audio Grocery offers an intro (product & update) price for X-DAW until August, 20th 2020.
X-DAW Full €149 ……………………….. €119 Intro Price
X-DAW Update from v6 €59 …………. €47 Intro Price
X-DAW Update from v1-5 €69 ………. €55 Intro Price
iOS
Metagrid 1.5 adds Smooth UX/UI, Content sharing, Support for Ableton Live, and Dorico, OmniSpace
2025
METAGRID- Advanced Grid-based Controller For iPad
Metagrid 1.5 – an extensive update that brings many helpful features and enhancements that take the app to the next level of user experience and usability. The developer hopes that Metagrid will become even more useful in your creative workspace.
Metagrid 1.5 features a new streamlined view/button/action editors that hugely enhance creating custom workspaces. And thanks to over 1500 new beautiful icons including over 400 music notation icons based on the Bravura font, Metagrid will perfectly blend in any creative environment.
Metagrid 1.5 Features
• Deep integration with Dorico and Ableton Live
• Import and export buttons, views and view sets through your Dropbox account
• Entire database backup through your Dropbox account
• OmniSpace – the dedicated workspace that doesn’t respond to changing applications in focus on your computer
• Manual connection setup option through QR code scanning
About Metagrid
Metagrid is an elegant and intuitive solution for iPad that enables you to control any application on your Mac/PC through Wifi or USB connection. Each button can be assigned with powerful macros consisting of keyboard shortcuts and MIDI messages. Metagrid is deeply integrated with popular DAW applications like Cubase, Logic Pro X and Ableton Live giving you access to thousands of DAW-related commands right on your iPad.
Unlike many controller applications, Metagrid can be fully customised to meet the needs of any PC/Mac user. It has become the controller of choice for many composers, musicians and video editors, making their work more efficient, faster and more enjoyable. With Metagrid, selecting the solo violin track in your large orchestral project or adding a frequently used phrase to your email is just a finger tap away.
Availability
Metagrid 1.5 is a free update for the existing users, available in the iOS App Store.
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