Multitouch Interface for Audio Mixing (MSc thesis, 20011)

Audio mixing is both a technical and an artistic task. Nowadays, it is even a fundamental component in the performance of a number of artists. This task is usually achieved with the use of "panpots" and faders, which are the standard controls in mixing desks. But perhaps it is time to question a design that has remained practically untouched for around six decades, taking profit of current state of the art technologies and let interface design for audio mixing catch up with avant-garde spatial mixing technologies.

We propose a control interface that may be used to control a mixer, a DAW or a mixing engine (such as a Meyer's D-Mitri system) in order to simplify and improve the mixing process, taking into account the spatial features of technologies such as surround and 3D audio and exploiting the features of multitouch interfaces.

The interface features include an inactive zone where channels are initially located before being moved to the desired place, remaining muted and generating no control data. The stage is where channels become active after being moved. The listening point serves as a reference position for mixing, allowing easy creation of different submixes. Control zones provide general functions such as resetting the listening point, selecting between different stages, and displaying equalizer controls for selected channels.