Hi. A co ntrol surface allows you to take control of your soft synths, the sonar track view and other midi parameters etc. A mixer is simply a way to route your audio. I use a Novation Remote SL MK II, which is a keyboard with a control surface. There's a keyboardless version too but I can't remember its model number. Cheers Darren If you like electronic, ambient, new age or atmospheric music, become a fan of The Karmistry Project on Facebook... http://facebook.karmistryproject.com You can also follow Karmistry Media on Twitter... http://www.twitter.com/Karmistrymedia ----- Original Message ----- From: Len Viljoen To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 9:46 AM Subject: [ddots-l] question on control surfaces hi all. i want to buy a good control surface. what do people on this list use? i don't need something with many channels. 8 channels will be sufficient. And one other question. what is the difference between a mixer and a control surface? i am a little confused because it seems both performs the same function? i'm probably missing something haha that's why i ask. kind regards