Published 2025-03-07.
Last modified 2025-03-11.
Time to read: 5 minutes.
av_studio collection.
This article is a work in progress.
This article reviews V-Control Pro, introduced in Android and iOS Remote Control Surface Apps. I normally only work with Microsoft Windows, so Apple Mac was not considered.
V-Control Pro from Neyrinck is the only remote control program that I have found which offers a consistent remote control surface for Ableton Live, Pro Tools, and several other DAW programs.
According to the website, V-Control Pro’s major features are:
- Supports Pro Tools (v11 through v2024), Logic Pro X, Cubase, Nuendo, Studio One, Ableton Live, and Reaper. The manual also mentioned DaVinci Resolve.
- Record and control your DAW remotely while playing your instrument.
- Mix with multitouch control from a 16-fader V-Console app on iPad Pro.
- Work with Android smartphones and tablets.
- Set up multiple controllers.
- Manage surround panning from your tablet or phone.
- Use a laptop to get a large time counter display.
This product is provided in various configurations.
- V-Control Pro 2 or 3 free version?
- V-Control Pro 2 Plus $299 USD perpetual license
- V-Control Pro 3 Standard $224 USD perpetual license
- V-Control Pro 3 Standard $57.49 / year USD subscription
I found the compatibility chart confusing because it referenced many products that I had never heard of, without links for the reader to self-educate. There is too much detail without a higher-level overview for context.
After poking around neyrinck.com I discovered that many of these products were
actually Neyrinck products.
This is needlessly confusing.
The user guide is here.
Support information is here. I submitted a support request but after three working days I did not receive an answer. If I ever do get an answer I will update this article.
Human Limitations
It seems Neyrinck is a one-person company. I have founded several one-person companies, and I have nothing against sole proprietors; however, sometimes a founder is so close to their product and website that they lose the perspective of newcomers.
If prospects are confused, they go away. Paul Neyrinck is clearly a smart, hard-working person; however, he would probably sell more product if his website was restructured by someone else.
The website footer includes this statement: “Copyright 2011 - 2018 Neyrinck.” This made me wonder if the software had been updated in the last 7 years. Another pair of eyes should catch this type of issue.
Free Version and Trial License
The following paragraph from neyrinck.com omits important details.
It appears that there might be a way to operate V-Control Pro in perpetuity with reduced functionality without paying
(in other words, a free version).
www.ilok.com.
I have questions:
- What features are omitted in the free version?
- How long is the trial license for?
- Can trials be converted to live software? This web page appears to be where live software can be downloaded. Having two download pages is confusing unless trials cannot be converted to live software.
Protocols for Pro Tools
Unlike Ableton Live, Pro Tools does not support many options for controlling it. V-Control Pro uses the old and limited HUI protocol to communicate with Pro Tools. The only other options for controlling Pro Tools are MIDI, EuCon (via the EUCON Application SDK), and Ableton Link (see this Sound on Sound article).
The free Avid Control app uses EuCon, and is very capable. As I mention in my review, Avid Control is available for Android, iPad, and Fire tablets. I avoid Fire tablets; while inexpensive, they provide poor value.
Installation
The V-Control Standard and Pro trial licenses are locked to the iLok user ID that you provide when downloading the trial program.
I found this statement to be confusing: “Downloads are not available from a mobile device.” Where can the tablet software be downloaded from? How might it be updated? Where can I see the update history?
The user manual said the following about installing V-Control Pro on a DAW. I corrected spelling and grammar.
V-Control Pro is a desktop utility that must be installed on your computer that runs the software applications you want to control.
Install V-Control Pro
- Quit any DAW app currently running
- Download the V-Control Pro Installer
- Double-click the downloaded installer to unzip the installer package if not done so automatically.
- Double-click the “V-Control Pro.pkg” icon to launch the installer.
- Follow the installer’s on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
- Connect your computer to your chosen local network.
- Launch V-Control Pro
- Launch your DAW
- Follow the setup instructions for your DAW as shown in its corresponding section of this User’s Guide.
- Create the setup that you would like to use in V-Control Pro.
Use A Web Browser with V-Control Pro
With V-Control Pro, you can control your DAW from a web browser on another computer, through the V-Console app.
-
Open your web browser on your computer and go to
neyrinck.com/.v-control-pro - Go to V-Console in the Mobile Apps section.
- Go to "Install" and then name the device.
- In the settings section of V-Console for the "Connection," select the host computer that is running V-Control Pro and the DAW.
Use An iOS Device With V-Control Pro
With V-Control Pro, you can control your DAW from your iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad.
-
Open the Safari app on the iOS device and go to
neyrinck.com/.v-control-pro - Go to V-Console in the Mobile Apps section.
- Touch install and Add V-Console to the home screen when asked.
- Open V-Console from the home screen and name the device.
Use An Android Device With V-Control Pro
With V-Control Pro, you can control your DAW from most Android Devices.
-
Open the browsing app on the Android device and go to
neyrinck.com/.v-control-pro - Go to V-Console in the Mobile Apps section.
- Touch "Install" and add V-Console to the home screen.
- Open V-Console from the home screen and name the device.
When using the web app version of V-Console, if on a network with no internet connection, you will not see your computer listed, and you must enter the IP address directly by tapping the "Change" button in the V-Console Settings/Connection tab.
You can easily get your IP address by clicking on the V-Control Pro icon in the system tray and selecting "About V-Control Pro." The "About V-Control" Window will display the IP Address that your host computer is currently using.
Using Wi-Fi
V-Control Pro uses Wi-Fi capabilities to bridge your external devices with your DAW. Please make sure your DAW and the devices you wish to use with V-Control Pro are all on the same Local Area Network subnet.
Reviews
- Sound on Sound: Neyrinck V-Control Pro 3.0 announced was published 2023-03-10. It seems V-Control Pro v3 allows a PreSonus FaderPort, FaderPort 8, and Faderport 16 to control Pro Tools. The HUI protocol only supports controlling 8 tracks at a time, so I do not expect that the Faderport 16 would be suitable for use with V-Control Pro.
-
This review
by Bryan at
everythingrecording.com10 years ago. It states that the V-Control Pro perpetual license costs $49.99 USD. The price has obviously gone way up since the review was written. - V-Control Pro Review: Simpler, More Affordable DAW Control Through an iPad was published 12 years ago.
- The Sound on Sound review is 12 years old. It states, “At $49.99, V-Control Pro is one of the more costly iPad DAW-control options, although there is a free version with fewer features.”
- This forum has an interesting archive of posts on V-Control that are 13 years old and older.
