Motorized Faders Keep This Walnut Smart-Home Console in Sync
A walnut console designed by Alex Dufetel uses motorized faders borrowed from audio mixing desks to reflect actual smart-light levels. A knob switches between room banks, and the four faders glide to the current brightness for that group. The system also updates when lights are changed through a phone app, and four buttons handle presets for the active room.
The console was created by Alex Dufetel of Sacreblue Studio. Its four motorized sliders derive from studio mixing equipment, where such controls have long indicated stored positions. A rotary aluminum knob selects room or light-group banks, and a small screen identifies the active one. When bank changes, sliders move to match that group’s present brightness.
Changes made through a phone app also cause corresponding slider movement. Four adjacent buttons trigger presets tied to selected room. For development, Dufetel used sixteen diffused LEDs arranged as four rows of four to simulate fixtures. Walnut forms body; knob and fader caps are CNC-milled aluminum. Current faceplate is painted wood, with black anodized aluminum planned.
This kind of console may appeal to smart-home users frustrated by controls that fall out of sync with app or voice changes. It could make physical interfaces feel more trustworthy and accessible, especially for people who prefer tactile adjustment over phone menus. If such designs become affordable, they may influence broader home-automation hardware, though limited production and premium materials suggest initial impact will likely remain niche.