DspCtrl is software for controlling Yamaha's DSP-Factory range of cards and interfaces. It runs under Microsoft Windows (XP and later - see below).

Yamaha DSP-Factory
The core-component of the DSP-Factory range is the DS2416. This card contains a full 24-track 8-bus digital mixer complete with EQ and dynamics on all channels and two effects units. In addition it provides for 8 audio inputs and 16 outputs from the PC (although you need additional interfaces to realise this fully). You can install up to two DS2416 cards in one PC. The other card in the range is the SW1000 which adds two multi-timbral MIDI (XG) sample-based synthesizers (32 channels in all), and allows addition of any one of a range of daughter cards.

DspCtrl
There are two versions of DspCtrl available (v2 & v3) both of which control up to two DS2416 cards. In addition, v3 adds support for an SW1000, control of external MIDI devices, and allows control of the application from incoming MIDI commands (+ a number of other enhancements). Both versions have full in-built automation facilities. Please note that the support for the SW1000 (v3) is not comprehensive.

DspCtrl is designed to free the user from the fixed layout of a traditional hardware mixer. In a software environment there is considerable scope for flexibility. For example there is no need for mixer channels which are not being used to be visible. DspCtrl allows the user to arrange any combinations of channels in any order. It also allows channels to be grouped as stereo pairs which can then be controlled as easily as ordinary mono channels. These and other facilities greatly simplify the control of a large and complex digital mixer via a computer monitor.

Demos of both versions of DspCtrl are available from the downloads section. These have a per-session time-limit but otherwise function exactly as the full versions.

Watch out for cheap imitations!
A number of people have pointed out that if you type 'DspCtrl' into a search engine you'll likely find links to supposed 'cracks' of DspCtrl. These apparently are all bogus, the sites being complete scams, or, worse bristling with viruses. Don't get caught! - search for information on the site itself - like this.

Microsoft Windows Vista and 7
Yamaha stopped driver development for their DSP-Factory range of cards some time ago, well before the advent of Vista. The XP drivers appear to work however in both Vista and Windows 7, although I haven't personally tested them thoroughly.

Something similar applies to DspCtrl. It was developed for XP but appears to work fine with Vista and 7. I cannot however undertake formerly to support its use with these operating systems (although I'll try to help if I can). Visit the forum (www.ds2416.org) to read/ask about others' experiences on these newer systems.

DS2416 forum
Visit our bulletin board for the DS2416, www.ds2416.org, to tap into a whole load of DSP-Factory experience and expertise.