The Avid S4 is one of the most advanced and complete DAW control surfaces on the market, and one of the best options for smaller recording studios.
But, will it fit? How much space do you need for it?
In this article, we'll narrow down the size and give you some dimensions for the Avid S4, which will be helpful to those of you considering adding it to your studio. What makes this task tricky is that there are a few different ways the S4 can be configured.
- Channel variations
- Optional buckets (frame construction)
For the Avid S4, you have the following channel options:
- 8 channels
- 16 channels
- 24 channels
Then, you need to think about how many buckets are in each one and what size frame you'll have:
- Eight Channels: 3 buckets
- 16 channels: 4 buckets
- 24 channels: 5 buckets
If you buy the optional lcd displays for each buckets, they stand straight up and don't dramatically impact the dimensions of the unit.
Quick Reference
In this section we've listed the dimensions for all three variants of the Avid S4 as they come in-box. Also please note that we support our site through links to Sweetwater, which is an Avid reseller. If you're thinking about purchasing the S4, please consider doing so through our Sweetwater links as it helps keep our site going.
Also note that Sweetwater offers financing for purchases like this. They're great at helping you figure out what you need and walking you through the process.
S4 Variants | DIMENSIONS | Rating | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Avid S4 8-channel | n/a | |
 | Avid S4 16-channel | n/a | |
 | Avid S4 24-channel | n/a |
Here's a direct link to the dimensions listed on Avid's website. Read on for more details, the specifics about how we got these dimensions, and what you should be considering in regards to the Avid S4's size.
Avid S4 Dimensions for 3, 4, and 5 foot frame
Here's the 16 channel form of the unit, perhaps the most common or "average" that we can use as a working example.
The 16-channel unit from the Avid S4 series.
This particular version uses a four foot frame, but the S4 Frame is actually available in three width variants, which you might have noticed in the above table:
- 3 foot
- 4 foot
- 5 foot
8-channel version with measurements
16-channel version with measurements
24-channel version with measurements
This is to accommodate different module configurations.
This particular S4 frame comes with four buckets and runs about four feet wide. All the frames share a height of 2.3 inches in the front and 5.6 inches as it slants up to the back. They also share the same depth of 28.8 inches on all three frames.
Header | S4 3-ft frame | S4 4-ft frame | S4 5-ft frame |
|---|---|---|---|
Height (front to rear) | 2.3 inches, 5.6 inches | 2.3 inches, 5.6 inches | 2.3 inches, 5.6 inches |
Width | 37.7 inches | 49.6 inches | 61.1 inches |
Depth | 28.8 inches | 28.8 inches | 28.8 inches |
Download | |||
Here's the diagram from the S4 4-ft PDF:
Frame diagram from PDF on Avid's website. Image via Avid
We see that the only variable is width, which can easily be remembered by the approximately three, four, and five foot options. It's weirdly tricky to find on Avid's website, as I thought I was initially going to have to contact support directly. But that table and the PDFs lay things out pretty clearly.
Conclusion
Plan on three, four, or five feet of desk width - depending on which version of the Avid S4 you get - and about two and a half feet of depth from top to bottom. The S4 is a bit smaller than the S6, made for more compact, small recording studios, but it's still fairly big.
Questions
If you have question about the Avid S4 dimensions, feel free to drop them in the comments section below. We'll check in and help out as best we can and, if we can't, we'll at least point you in the right direction.
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Written by GC Editorial on Recording and Info
Written by GC Editorial on Recording and Info
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