I've been using the Digidesign Command 8 MIDI based control surface for about two years. The Command 8 is somewhat similar to the control surface on the Digi 002, except that this lacks the mic preamps that the 002 has. Since it is made by Digidesign, it is made for use with Pro Tools systems, and I'm not sure if it will even work with any other type of sequencer. I would really only recommend use of this with either Pro Tools HD or LE systems because most of their controls are commands for Pro Tools. The Command 8 covers control over pretty much everything you can think of in Pro Tools, a lot of which I haven't even used because I find it is easier to control it within the box. However, having the real faders, knobs, and solo and mute buttons comes in really handy while I am mixing and I know a lot of engineers like to have the feel of real faders while they mix as well. Its transport buttons are laid out smartly and everything is easy to access. The control over monitoring, either with headphones or through studio monitors, is well designed as well. I would compare the Command 8 to other similar products like the Mackie HUI and Universal Control, the M-Audio Project I/O and other Digidesign products such as the Pro Control and the control surface on the Digi 002 and 003. All of these products perform a similar task, and I would recommend those interested to try them all and see what will work best for them. This being said, the Digidesign Command 8 is as good as any to perform the basic functions and can get pretty in depth as well. For those who have rack based interfaces for controlling Pro Tools, the Command 8 is a great addition.