Icon Pro Audio P1-Nano Compact DAW Control Surface Bundle with D5 Display

I took a shot on this unit as I needed something compact for drawing automations without taking up too much desk real estate. Taking it out of the box, my first impressions were good - the hardware is solid and doesn't feel very cheap. Upon plugging it in (to a properly rated port), the unit would short out and restart. I even powered it with an external adapter as advised by a warning card in the box. The last channel on the LCD panel was not working initially. If I pressed or wiggled the screen it would come on intermittently, which signifies to me some bad QC/workmanship.The documentation is horrible, but I was able to get it working in Ableton in just a few minutes using their software mapper. Ultimately the integration with Ableton was subpar for me. Of course I didn't expect it to be as seamless as a Push (of which I have), but the controls were unintuitive and clunky. The motorized fader was really the only decent feature, better than the Behringer X-Touch which was loud and didn't feel had a high enough resolution. All in all this unit didn't provide anything for me that I don't already have available on other controllers, and the shoddy hardware was a turn off. I don't return much equipment, but this was an instant return for me.I've always been intrigued by Icon's other controllers, but from my experience with this unit I will likely avoid them. If you are considering this unit, you are probably better off buying a Presonus Fader port, or even a Behringer X-Touch one.

The Icon P1 Nano with the D5 display is perfect for controlling my DAW and custom programming. It is easy to setup and program and provides endless control possibilities. I recommend the D5 display as it is extremely graphic and provides eight channel views of information so you don't need to look at your computer screen to see your changes.

Having used the SSL UF1 as well as the Avid S1 and Pro Tools Dock in the past, this device succeeds in where those didn't work out for me. I have to say, the Streamdeck style touch screen is wonderful and a standout feature for me. I particularly like how it makes triggering DAW commands accessible and easy to see while working. I found that the other devices didn't quite hit the nail on the head in this regard. This device looks and feels professional, and I have no gripes there. It feels like a blend of plastic and metal. I prefer it to the feeling of the previous devices I've used, and this is significantly more affordable so big win for Icon there. The reason I give 4 stars is because the fader flip function doesn't work well at the time of review. While it works, at this moment I've been unable to figure out how to control specific plugin parameters. It seems that it will pick a random parameter when flipping to the fader. Hopefully, Icon can release more information or do an update in the future that will address. When they do, I will give this 5 stars. At the moment I've had to come up with my own workarounds for this.Also, Icon please do better with your documentation and videos. There is a severe lack of information about how to utilize the functions on these new devices. I've worked in IT and have documented many processes; it is not that hard. Please do better, the initial process of figuring this device out was unnecessarily difficult because of the lack of deeper information. To prospective buyers, with a little patience you will be able to get this device working wonderfully in your setup. I've really enjoyed it and decided to keep it as ultimately it helps me stay in the zone when recording or mixing. Anything that can do that is worthy of having a place on my desk. Cheers!