Compact non-motorized products versus established motorized control surfaces.
Private investor presentation · August 2026
Physical control
for digital creators.
TACTRA is building a modular family of precise, compact control surfaces for music producers, editors and creators—starting with motorized touch faders.
$299Launch target
60 mmCompact motor travel
55%+Target gross margin
18 moTo scaled launch
01 · The thesis
Creative software got smarter.
Its controls did not.
Millions of creators still mix, edit and perform through a mouse. Existing motorized surfaces are typically large, visually dated or priced above $400. Compact controllers around $250 usually remove the one feature that matters most: motorized recall.
TACTRA occupies the space between them: professional tactile feedback, a smaller footprint and consumer-grade industrial design. Flow mixers connect physically; standalone products share the same application and design language without unnecessary hardware connectors.
Producers and editors upgrading workflow before they need a professional studio.
Quiet motion, full-travel light feedback, deep profiles, diagnostics and firmware—not magnets alone.
02 · Product system
One visual language.
Multiple workflows.
Every product uses the same graphite shell, machined caps, restrained light language and configuration app. Only Flow mixers connect magnetically. Edit, Launch, Pads and Aura remain clean standalone desktop tools.
Validation product
TACTRA Flow 4
4 motorized 60 mm touch faders · full-travel RGB light guides · 3 channel controls
$249Prototype · Q4 2026Flagship
TACTRA Flow 8
8 motorized touch faders · Select / Solo / Mute · magnetic expansion · deep DAW profiles
$349Pilot · Q2 2027Editing & color console
TACTRA Edit
Precision jog wheel · 4 encoders · timeline display · assignable shortcut keys
$299Concept · Q3 2027Programmable desktop deck
TACTRA Launch
15 LCD keys · app launching · macros · per-application profiles
$169Fast-follow · Q3 2027Performance controller
TACTRA Pads 16
16 velocity-sensitive pads · diagonal multicolor RGB feedback · scale and clip modes
$179Concept · Q4 2027AI desk companion
TACTRA Aura
Upright display · ambient animation · time and status · buttons and encoder
$199Exploration · 2028Entry creator controller
TACTRA One
Haptic encoder · context OLED · 6 assignable keys · app-aware profiles
$119Fast-follow · Q4 2027Product detail studies
01Flagship mixing surfaceTACTRA
TACTRA
Flow 8 + Master
Eight bankable channels and a dedicated master combine quiet motorized recall with touch input. A full-length light guide stays visible above and below every cap, showing each channel state without a separate meter bridge.
- 8 channels + Master
- 60 mm motorized touch faders
- Magnetic Flow expansion
02Portable validation productTACTRA
TACTRA
Flow 4
The same travel, cap geometry and control spacing as Flow 8 in a narrower four-channel body. It validates feel, motor control and DAW integration before the flagship enters tooling.
- 4 identical channel strips
- Select · Solo · Mute
- Same-height modular chassis
03Editing and color consoleTACTRA
TACTRA
Edit
A focused surface for timeline navigation, grading and repeatable shortcuts. One precision jog wheel, four encoders and a contextual display replace a desk full of rarely used controls.
- Precision jog wheel
- 4 contextual encoders
- Timeline and color display
04Programmable LCD deckTACTRA
TACTRA
Launch
Fifteen visual keys change with the active application. Launch software, trigger macros, switch scenes or expose the commands that matter for the current workflow.
- 15 individual LCD keys
- Per-application layouts
- Macro and shortcut engine
05Performance controllerTACTRA
TACTRA
Pads 16
Sixteen velocity-sensitive pads support drums, clips and scale layouts. A restrained diagonal color system gives orientation and feedback without turning the studio into a light show.
- 4 × 4 velocity pads
- Pressure and aftertouch target
- Configurable RGB feedback
06AI desk companionTACTRA
TACTRA
Aura
An ambient vertical interface for time, status, lightweight assistant actions and custom animation. Physical controls keep frequent interactions immediate and private.
- Upright ambient display
- 4 keys + encoder
- Local and cloud integrations
07Accessible entry productTACTRA
TACTRA
One
A compact haptic dial, six keys and a contextual OLED for zoom, brush size, timeline nudging, volume and macros. One introduces the software ecosystem at the lowest price point.
- Haptic precision encoder
- 6 assignable keys
- Context OLED
03 · Business model
Premium enough to work.
Accessible enough to scale.
TACTRA launches direct-to-consumer to learn quickly, protect margin and own the customer relationship. Amazon becomes a demand-capture channel only after compatibility and return causes are understood.
Flow 8 · target unit economics$349 MSRP
Landed COGS$110
Channel + fulfillment$60–80
Marketing + warranty reserve$55–75
Contribution$84–124
Launch gate: landed COGS ≤ $110 and contribution margin ≥ 25% after realistic acquisition and support reserves.
Illustrative base case
Year 1$0.24M800 units
Year 2$1.18M4,500 units
Year 3$2.89M12,000 units
Planning case—not a promise. Volume expands across Flow, Edit, Launch, Pads and Aura with 55–61% blended gross margin before marketing.
Channel sequence
DTC first. Amazon after proof.
Months 0–6 prioritize TACTRA.com: deposits, a 50–100 unit pilot, direct support and clean learning about compatibility, defects and returns. Amazon is introduced after those causes are controlled, initially as a secondary discovery channel. The objective is not maximum reach on day one; it is profitable, repeatable demand.
Planning model
Economics by channel
Per Flow 8 unit
| Line item | TACTRA.com | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Selling price | $349 | $349 |
| Landed product cost | ($110) | ($110) |
| Payment, fulfillment & delivery | ($35) | ($75) |
| Customer acquisition | ($45) | ($35) |
| Warranty & support reserve | ($14) | ($14) |
| Contribution per unit | $145 | $115 |
Amazon figures use a conservative combined marketplace-and-fulfillment allowance, not a supplier quote. The channel launches only if actual fees, returns and advertising still preserve at least $100 contribution per unit.
Cash recovery
Launch payback scenarios
Blended $131 contribution
| Case | Sales pace | Contribution | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 250 / month | $32.8k / month | 18–20 months |
| Base case | 400 / month | $52.4k / month | 11–13 months |
| Upside | 650 / month | $85.2k / month | 7–9 months |
At a 70% DTC / 30% Amazon mix, approximately 4,580 cumulative Flow 8-equivalent sales recover the full $600k launch capital. Timing starts after commercial launch and excludes future fundraising.
04 · Execution plan
Evidence before inventory.
Each financing step follows a measurable technical or commercial gate. The first eight weeks answer the hardest question cheaply: can 60-mm faders feel precise, quiet and desirable?
010–8 weeks
Proof
4-channel working rig, fader benchmark, FL Studio integration
022–4 months
Demand
30 interviews, 10 studio tests, 100 refundable deposits
034–8 months
Engineering
EVT/DVT prototypes, FCC/CE pre-scan, supplier lock
048–12 months
Pilot
50–100 units, direct customers, defect and return learning
0512–18 months
Launch
500–1,000 units, creator campaign, Amazon after DTC proof
05 · Distribution advantage
An artist can be more than a face.
Artist founding-partner model
- Co-designMonthly product sessions and signature workflow presets.
- CredibilityTransparent prototype testing, studio content and launch narrative.
- Aligned upsideAdvisor equity or performance-based warrants—never a one-off endorsement.
- CommunityEarly access cohort drawn from real producers, not generic gadget traffic.
06 · Capital plan
Raise in two gates,
not one blind bet.
Pre-seed target after validation$600k18-month runway
The capital plan separates technical validation from scale. The first $75k proves fader feel, noise, integration and willingness to pay. Only then does the company deploy the $600k pre-seed budget into production engineering, tooling, inventory and a controlled direct launch.
Use of funds
18-month launch budget
$600k total
| Workstream | Budget | What it funds |
|---|---|---|
| Product engineering | $180k | Electronics, mechanics, firmware, desktop app and the first three DAW profiles. |
| Tooling, testing & certification | $115k | EVT/DVT/PVT builds, fixtures, reliability testing and FCC/CE preparation. |
| Initial production | $110k | Planning allowance for 1,000 Flow 8 units at $110 landed cost per unit. |
| Launch marketing | $75k | Creator seeding, product content, demos, reviews and measured paid acquisition tests. |
| Operations & customer care | $55k | Freight setup, insurance, legal, support tools, warranty process and replacement stock. |
| Working-capital reserve | $65k | Component changes, tooling revisions, returns and schedule contingency. |
| Total pre-seed plan | $600k | Validation-gated; capital is not committed to inventory before the technical and demand gates pass. |
Immediate validation round$75k
Working prototypes, supplier benchmark, industrial design, demand test and 100 refundable deposits. Release the larger round only after these gates are met.
Prove the product
Four-channel rig, quiet 60 mm fader benchmark, FL Studio profile, 30 interviews, 10 studio tests and 100 refundable deposits.
Prove repeatable sales
Engineering validation, certification, a 50–100 unit DTC pilot, then 1,000-unit production with measured customer acquisition and support.
Expand without losing margin
List only after DTC return causes are understood, reviews are supportable and the marketplace contribution remains above $100 per unit.
Planning assumptions: all figures are illustrative, pre-tax and rounded. They will be replaced by supplier quotations, logistics bids, paid-acquisition tests and pilot return data before inventory is authorized.
07 · Risks and controls
Motor noise & feel
Benchmark Bourns, Alps and OEM parts; tune control loop; isolate the top plate.
DAW compatibility
Start with FL Studio, then Ableton and Logic; public compatibility matrix and OTA firmware.
New-brand trust
Creator founding partner, hands-on beta cohort, two-year limited warranty and transparent testing.
Inventory pressure
Deposits before tooling; staged purchase orders; accessories with shorter cash cycles.
The next instrument is a system
Make software
feel physical again.
TACTRA is currently assembling its prototype, supplier shortlist and founding creator group.
Review the investment brief
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