Description

Guided by the idea of using every available tool for creativity, I thought — why not bring an FPV drone controller into a DAW?

These controllers have incredibly precise sticks and excellent ergonomics. If you already own one, it probably feels natural in your hands — which means control is already at your fingertips.

In my setup, I use a Radiolink T8S transmitter and a Matek F4 flight controller connected to the computer. Yes, I’m literally using a full FPV quadcopter for this — which is a bit unusual, but not required. From the computer’s perspective, it’s just a standard HID joystick, so the concept is quite universal.

There’s huge untapped potential in using the flight controller’s gyroscope for DAW control — but that’s a story for another time.

The initial idea is simple: map the sticks to DAW parameters using a plugin. For example:

Left stick (vertical): volume

Left stick (horizontal): pan

Right stick: assign anything you like

I’ve added a calibration process to detect axes automatically and store them in a config file, making the setup adaptable to different controllers. The script is fast and responsive.

There is, however, a small barrier to entry. You’ll need to:

run Python from the terminal

calibrate axes via command line

use a tool like loopMIDI

possibly tweak a config file

If that doesn’t scare you off — you’re very welcome to give it a try.