Smithson Martin KS-1974: new multi-touch Kontrol Surface

Smithson Martin's KS-1974 controller: vintage meets cutting edge?
Smithson Martin's KS-1974 controller: vintage meets cutting edge?

Smithson Martin has been turning heads for a while now thanks to its transparent Emulator DVS controller, and now it's launched a multi-touch product with a more conventional form factor in the shape of the Kontrol Surface 1974 (KS-1974).

This desktop device looks simultaneously futuristic and vintage, thanks to its 22-inch object-based display and wooden end panels. It offers four simultaneous touch points, and has a chemically-strengthened glass surface.

You can use the supplied objects (buttons, sliders, knobs, jog wheels and your own custom graphics) to create your own controller layouts; response is said to be "highly accurate" and low-latency.

Smithson Martin is accepting KS-1974 orders now for delivery in January 2012. We're still trying to establish how much it'll cost.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.