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Rotary design

Summary

Mission

Midas create high end audio products known for their sound quality and low latency. Moving from analog mixing desks the company moved into digital desks with the pro-series in 2006, a suite of positively received digital desks with the famous Midas sound quality and convenience of digital audio.

When I joined Midas, I was part of a team developing a new cutting edge mixing desk which used a 21-inch touchscreen over traditional mouse inputs. During this case study I focus on the design of rotary control interactions on a new 21-inch touchscreen mixing desk ensuring users retain the precision and feel of physical rotary knobs in a digital environment.

Responsibilities

As senior UX designer I worked on the interaction design for the rotary controls across the digital mixing desk interface, including UX and interaction design strategy and user research and internal testing.

As part of my design process I undertook iterative prototyping and design refinement, coordinating closely with engineering teams, QA and sound engineers.

I led internal usability testing and design validation amongst peers and audio professionals.

My responsibilities spanned the full design lifecycle, from discovery and research, through to implementation, and launch.

Organisation

Music Tribe / Midas

Manchester, UK

Website / LinkedIn

Role

Senior UX Designer

UX Design,

Interaction Design,

UI Design,

Product Strategy,

Usability Testing.

Impact

Both initial iteration from PDF to web application produced great feedback from both customers and candidates.

$20m+

Preorder sale value

Award-winning

InfoComm – Best of Show 2022/2024

Leading

Sound relied on by thousands of artists

Control interface

Professional audio engineers are deeply familiar with analog mixing consoles where rotary knobs provide tactile feedback and high precision. Earlier digital interfaces on the Midas Pro-series used traditional X/Y touchscreen interactions that

Rotaries afford space where larger controls would be unmanageable in both the physical and digital world.

X-axis – Existing Midas Pro-series interaction

Animate

+ Familiarity to pro-series
+ Easy to use
+ No physical limit
– Invisible axis
– Small selection area

Y-axis

Animate

+ Similar to fader movement
+ Easy to use
+ No physical limit
– Invisible axis
– Small selection area

Technological improvements

Adding a 21-inch touchscreen to a mixing desk made significant changes to the surface layout, removing majority of rotary controls. Removing these physical controls was a concern for pro-audio specialists who were trained on or experienced with analog mixing desks. It was important to introduce a control which worked similarly to the physical control, was easily recognisable and provided clear feedback.

Initial user testing

Because the HD-96 mixing desk was under NDA, external user testing wasn’t possible. Instead, we conducted internal AB and hallway testing with engineers, sound specialists, and QA personnel to observe interaction behavior with the previous X/Y controls. These revealed:

Users struggled to gauge control values due to an invisible interaction axis
Dragging to limits constrained adjustments and required consistent mouse interaction
Lack of predictable control feedback reduced confidence in precision

These insights informed the need for a more intuitive and physically represented interaction model.

Proposed interaction

Rotational control

Animate

We introduced a rotational interaction mechanic that more closely replicated the behavior of a physical knob:

+ Acts similarly to physical rotary
+ Distance from rotation point increases precisions
+ Expandable fixed area of effect
– Working area limits
– Requires some learning

We introduced a rotational interaction mechanic that more closely replicated the behavior of a physical knob:

+ Acts similarly to physical rotary
+ Distance from rotation point increases precisions
+ Expandable fixed area of effect
– Working area limits
– Requires some learning

Ratio control

Animate

The rotary controllers ratio can be reduced to provide improved precision

At 2:1 it will take 2 rotations to reach the maximum value.

The rotary controllers ratio can be reduced to provide improved precision

At 2:1 it will take 2 rotations to reach the maximum value.

Precision

Animate

Rotational travel decreases as the contact point is moved further from the rotary centre, providing the user more precision

Touch screen constraints

With the changes made to the interaction for touch screen, it was important to also provide better feedback to the customer and account for issues with blocking from touch placement. As we are moving away from traditional screen rotaries, controlled by selecting and dragging along the x-axis or y-axis, we must also consider how the user will approach the new interaction.

Control appearance

As the HD96 was built to be an innovative new step in digital mixing desks, the visual aesthetic and feeling of the product was important. To support touch interactions on a large screen:

We redesigned rotary caps with larger touch targets and clearer value indicators
Replaced blocking indicator lines with central value + unit display
Introduced expanding controls during interaction to make selection state obvious
Added visual cues allowing users to “see and feel” when a control was active

These enhancements reduced cognitive load and made interactions more discoverable and predictable.

Wireframe development

Larger touch targets were required to inspire user confidence and avoid mistouches

Adding an exterior indicator ring increased the touch area and improved visibility of the rotary level

The outer exterior indicator improved clarity affording replacing the indicator line with a single point

The space gained by using the point indicator allowed for a value and unit reading in the centre of the rotary

Providing unit and value within the rotary saved space and provided important information to the user at all times.

Expanding control

The main pain point from the Hallway and AB testing was the lack of indication that the rotary was selected. The initial solution involved expanding the rotary size and presenting the intended path to the user.

By presenting the rotary in an expanded form it was clear that the user was interacting with it. Due to the increase in size the values and information provided could be larger and clearer to the customer.

Rotary expands to provide user clarity

Screen extents create interaction limitation

Screen extents

The usability of the rotary is reduced by position on the screen. Screen limits cause unexpected release of the rotary and confusion for the user.

As part of user testing it was noted that some rotaries were important and the user would wish to be able to control a variable at a moments notice, away from the screen they appear and preferably by physical rotary.

Adjustable pop-out rotary

A key innovation was a pop-out rotary that:

Could be pinned anywhere on the screen
Solved issues with screen edge limits
Enabled users to prioritise frequently used controls in convenient screen real-estate

This blended customizability with accessibility, aligning with how professional users set up physical mixing desks.

Final rotary wireframe with modal locking feature

Outcome and impact

The final rotary controls:

Successfully translated the tactile experience of analog knobs into a digital interface
Increased usability and precision for professional audio engineers
Supported both touchscreen and optional physical rotary pinning
Contributed to the product being showcased and awarded InfoComm Best of Show 2022 and 2024
Supported preorder sales exceeding $20M+
Reinforced Midas’ reputation for high-performing pro audio equipment

These outcomes reflect strong adoption and endorsement from both internal stakeholders and the professional audio community.