Mackie Control or Euphonix MC Mix/Control?

[NoiseLab56309]

I'm upgrading my project studio but I still don't know what's the best choice for hands-on control?

So far:

Apple MacBook Pro
Apple Logic Studio
Apogee Ensemble
SSL Duende

So for controlling:
Mackie Control Universal Pro
Mackie Control C4

Or:
Euphonix MC Control Euphonix MC Control | Sweetwater.com
Euphonix MC Mix Euphonix MC Mix | Sweetwater.com

I prefer the Euphonix! But is it compatible with Logic Studio?

[Reptil]

the mackies still have that thing that the faders go haywire when there's "conflicting" data right? (conflicting as in mouse digital fader movement&faders by hand at the same time, slamming hard to the top etc. before dying)

I'd say wait for the euphonix early user feedback and go for it (and report back please!)
looks like a GOOD product. got a SAC 2.2 here, very nice quality. logic is fukked (have to do a reïnstall cause its more buggy by the day.. ) but the faders are still fine.

[needlz]

The mackie mcu is definitely not garbage especially when used with logic but it does have enough "quirks" to make me want a better controller. I can quickly and somewhat painlessly edit any parameter (besides the obvious stuffs you need the keyboard for) with the mcu but I gotta tell ya... the euphonix stuff looks incredible. I will definitely invest the extra money for rock solid/consistent performance and the ability to have control to monitoring functionality once it becomes available. The demo videos for it's big brother, the mc pro are mind blowing.

[giles117]

I had the mackie control. I have used the system MC. Eucon is MUCH better, plus you dont have the cheap P&G fader issues. Alps are quality faders.

(Quality P&G Faders run $75/unit and higher)

Looking at the MC Control very closely and it's basically a system mc with less buttons and no trackball

I already ordered My MC Control and 2 MC Mix(es)... I sold My Mackie Controls last year. They are good, but this is worlds better.

The biggest thing being that the MC can CONTROL ANY SOFTWARE APP.

[giles117]

Noting some deatails. Using Studio Monitor express (which I have used) and looking intently at the layout, in the upper right hand corner of the Control there is a Control Room Volume Encoder.

If you download the drivers you can get a feel for how the software works... Basically it allows the MC to control the output volumes of any assigned audio interfaces.

If I had 125K laying around I would have bought the full blown System 5-MC. It is the Bast Darn controller There is .. PERIOD!!!

Originally Posted by needlz

The mackie mcu is definitely not garbage especially when used with logic but it does have enough "quirks" to make me want a better controller. I can quickly and somewhat painlessly edit any parameter (besides the obvious stuffs you need the keyboard for) with the mcu but I gotta tell ya... the euphonix stuff looks incredible. I will definitely invest the extra money for rock solid/consistent performance and the ability to have control to monitoring functionality once it becomes available. The demo videos for it's big brother, the mc pro are mind blowing.

[Petacchi]

Yeah the P & G faders are crap on the mackies.. i still have mine and 3 of the faders are messed ( 1 on the contol and 2 on the xt) (no automation) but they still are working manually.. The c4 has never given me any problems so its purely a fader issue and the reason mine broke was simply an idiot Dj friend of mine was messing around on Abelton and thought the mackies were a dj mixer wacking in tracks and basically getting pretty rough..

If you really have enough $$ get the Euphonix otherwise i have rather spent my cash on outboard gear which at the end of the day is going to give you a great sound and thats what its all really about.. A controller has no effect on the end product and is there to make working in ur DAW quick & efficient. Mackies still give you the control of moving volumes with a fader .. i get the job done just fine on the mackie's


they are really not that bad for the price , But I am saving for the big boy Euphonix as thats a massive control surface

cheers

[giles117]

Originally Posted by Petacchi

A controller has no effect on the end product and is there to make working in ur DAW quick & efficient. Mackies still give you the control of moving volumes with a fader .. i get the job done just fine on the mackie's

I disagree on that statement. I have noticed my mixing without my MCU's is not as precise and involving as my mixing with the MCU. There is a LOT to be said about the feel of mixing with faders and the sound you get.... It's more emotional than with a mouse...

I just got sick of my MCU's. Ratchety faders, displays just going out, jog shuttle dial plastic stripping, etc.. I am certain the MCU Pro is sturdier, but you still have the low end PG faders.. I tried the Radikal. It was ok, but flakey. with DP and Logic it would drop in an dout on me.. But the faders (ALPS) were great....

[Petacchi]

fully Bru , hey we all have our preferences , me i get my fades just bang on..

[giles117]

Originally Posted by Petacchi

fully Bru , hey we all have our preferences , me i get my fades just bang on..

I feel yah... Just wanted to list an alternate viewpoint. LOL. Never know who's reading

[giles117]

Originally Posted by Drone

That's a good point. You can achieve very precise results if you draw in the automation, but imo this would take longer then say getting the idea down with the faders
& then going back & tweaking the automation for precision.
With the faders you just have more options !

For me, Faders = Feeling. Perhaps all this "drawn in automation curves" is why I think most music popular feels sterile to me these days.

[robd]

i think there's a lot of reasons pop music feels sterile these days, and autotune and beat detective are probably way higher up the list than automation curves, but I agree about the faders. For me it's all about the interface. In a lot of cases, the interface on gear is more important than even the sound off the gear, and much more important than features, in terms of what i can get out of it.


Am I to understand from your earlier comment that I could control the internal mixer on my audio interface via Eucon? That would be really cool.

[giles117]

Originally Posted by robd

i think there's a lot of reasons pop music feels sterile these days, and autotune and beat detective are probably way higher up the list than automation curves, but I agree about the faders. For me it's all about the interface. In a lot of cases, the interface on gear is more important than even the sound off the gear, and much more important than features, in terms of what i can get out of it.


Am I to understand from your earlier comment that I could control the internal mixer on my audio interface via Eucon? That would be really cool.

Please don't get me started on AUTO-TUNE. I hate recording outside projects now because EVERYBODY wants to AUTO TUNE EVERYTHING!!! YEEECH!!!!!!!

I Like Beat detective, just never in overuse. LOL.

SO far as interface, If this thing is even 50% of teh System MC it's Above 90% of the worlds Control Surfaces.

As far as the Studio Monitor Express Eucon Feature, download the manual from their Support site. It's pretty detailed...

[vixapphire]

Originally Posted by robd

Am I to understand from your earlier comment that I could control the internal mixer on my audio interface via Eucon? That would be really cool.

that seems to be the case. the collaboration/cooperation/conspiracy/constipation (ran out of "co-" words) of apple, apogee and euphonix could be pretty sweet if/as it continues, if these initial products are any indication.

[Nicholas Varley]

...not to mention the fact that Apple seem to have messed up something in Logic 8 that makes the MCU unusable for the moment...

[66d35]

Originally Posted by Nicholas Varley

...not to mention the fact that Apple seem to have messed up something in Logic 8 that makes the MCU unusable for the moment...

Uh? Mine is working perfectly, as far as I can tell, as is my C4 and EXT.

There was a problem with Apogee interfaces and the MCU for a while, but seems OK now.

Andy

[vixapphire]

Originally Posted by Nicholas Varley

...not to mention the fact that Apple seem to have messed up something in Logic 8 that makes the MCU unusable for the moment...

never had a problem.

[Shim]

Dude, let's face it... you'll have a macbook pro, you'll have an ensemble, you'll have the duende... you must have an appreciation for fine looking product design, so you know the Euphonix is going to look way sexier than a mackie control. A Mackie would just to ruin the slutty silver aesthetic.

[giles117]

I can agree to that. The MC series is definitely sexy!!! It fits my Aluminum Keyboard nicely.

[Drasko]

touch screen + knobs = excellent plugin control
ethernet > midi
better faders

in my opinion euphonix > mackie

[jbuehler]

Euphonix better be above Mackie because it costs twice as much!!!

I got my MCU for 350$$$$$

No complaints here......

[giles117]

Originally Posted by jbuehler

Euphonix better be above Mackie because it costs twice as much!!!

I got my MCU for 350$$$$$

No complaints here......

Used doesnt count. LOL. Or Guitar Center returns. LOL.. I purchased all My MCUS for 1200 total. I had a main and 4 EXT's then sold one off because it was too big for my desk. LOL.

The current MCU Pro main is 1199?? Euphonix is $1499. So For 300 more you get touch screen and control of ANY PROGRAM... No Comparison...

LOL...

[giles117]

Originally Posted by Drone

That & the fact that almost everything is edited to the point of perfection.

Over the years alot of good music came from mistakes, and I think the music today is missing that.

We ARE 100% On the same Page.... When I produce, if a mistake feels good I keep it.

FEELING, Passion...

[frankiedrz]

Originally Posted by Nicholas Varley

...not to mention the fact that Apple seem to have messed up something in Logic 8 that makes the MCU unusable for the moment...

true..got mine fired up today..the build is really good for this price range as far as the case and lighted soft buttons..most other controllers in this range feel plastic and cheap...

was on with tech support today and it seems they are still figuring this thing out...this is the price u pay for being an early adopter

there may or may not be an issue with the unit having to be plugged in to ethernet 1 mine wouldnt communicate on the ethernet 2 port but switched to ethernet 1 and it showed right up..drag and drop of your apps into the eucon set up window is seamless...the transport buttons feel good and are accessed by holding the shift button and using the solo and on selectors on faders 5-8 has options to flip channel from the rotory to the fader...and the automation has assign,auto and rec selectors

a nice touch u can assign faders and save for certain sections of your mix/work flow then when u open your project they come up on the first 8 chann.. u can for example assign the first 8 faders to your submixes and theyll pop up when u open the session

i got the application/workstation button to work and it brings up your open apps and lets u choose which one u want to control had pro tools,logic 8 express and reason all open and switching from app to app the mc mix was recognized but couldnt control anything

does not work with logic 8 as of tonite.. protools 7.4 sees it in peripherals but so far not able to control anything and loses communication with HUI..Reason sees it via mackie control but again no actual control

ill be on with tech support in the morning to try and hunt it down cause right now its a great looking prop ha!

im running a brand new mac pro configured last night running a fresh install of 10.4.11 pro tools 7.4 and the updated mc /eucon software 1.01..

great promise especially if u use different apps to work at the same time.. just gonna take a minute for them to get it up to speed

[jonnypowell]

Bought an MCU-Pro & Extender and I LOVE em!
Work flawlessly inside Logic 8 and built like tanks.
Being able to touch real faders has been a god-send..

[frankiedrz]

guess i got a bum one..intermitent power issues randomly wouldnt power on or if on wouldnt power off..

good news euphonix customer service is excellent they emailed me whitin an hour speaking with tech support and are sending me a new one..

found out it does not support logic express at this time only logic studio..though u can set it up to control logic express via hui or mackie control

pro tools 7.4 worked great when the unit fired up and the eq plug in controls were intuitive oled screens responsive

hope the info helps

[Thinktanx]

Wish Euphonix had named theirs something different as I get confused reading these threads with all their MC and MCU acronyms. LOL!

[Scott Cairns]

Im still tossing up between an Mackie MCU Pro or the Euphonix MC Mix. One thing I read on the SOS website is that if you want to hook 2 or 3 of the MC Mix's up, you need to plug them into a network router. Bit of a PITA, my router is already full.

Also, if you're using the MC Mix with Pro Tools LE, you *might* have an issue with it running on ethernet. Digi actually recommend you turn your ethernet port OFF for Pro Tools... gah.

[giles117]

You could always pop in a 5 port hub. I am sure you have ethernet running to your CPU, so there yah go... Use the hub and split from their to your CPU and the MC's

[Scott Cairns]

Sure, of course. But setting the network up and buying a hub is something to consider - im not sure everyone has realised this is neccassary should they decide to chain a few MCs together.

For me, its even worse. I have all my machines already networked as an orchestral template. Each machine is already streaming a ton of information for all the orchestral samples. I just hope the MC units would;

1. agree to work on the network range I already have setup
2. not interfere or add latency to the established rigs

[logic108]

Are the Jazz mutants that more expensive? Could see that they might be more useful as well.