Digi Icon

[Sobe]

Now that I have figured out a way to fiance the Digi Icon I am getting cold feet . It seems that it is not becoming the standard I thought it would be . I thought there would be many more people moving to this format but it is not happening .

[Ricey]

it's a lot of money to spend, imho, on something that doesn't actually lie in the signal path or improve the acoustics of the room.

[superburtm]

i would say a waste of money.

[Sobe]

I wish I could find out how many have been sold to see if it is catching on .

[Igotsoul4u]

I got one becasue I wanted to handle a larger volume of work than I could with an SSL. There is no recall. I can work on 5 songs in a span of 15 minutes. The workflow is much quicker and fairly hassle free. Did I take a hit in the sound department? Not to much as I have an API summing system. It's like a neve capricorn made out of protools. I love it.

[Ziggy!!]

for that much dosh, i'd be looking for something more than (excuse the phrasing but) an expensive mouse... after all, its just adding hands on control to software.

When I pay good money for studio time, its not an icon based studio...

just hey, thats just my opinion.

[Sobe]

thanks Igotsoul4u ... it is a dream to work on after using ProControl sfor 5 years .

[alphajerk]

if it increases your workflow, its more than just a mouse...

[Kenny Gioia]

Why is it so important that it catches on?

If it serves your purpose, than buy it.

Me, I would buy land. Real estate at least has a chance of going up.

[Sobe]

I go out of town a lot to work and when I am gone I rent my studio out ... the few people I let rent my place when I am gone do not know how to use the Icon and have told me they feel it could slow them down . It has been nice if I am gone to have the studio still bringing in $ and not just sitting .

[Extreme Mixing]

Yeah, I guess they really wouldn't really want to waste their time learning a new piece of gear. It's a cool controller, but like they said above, it really won't change the sound of your mixes. It comes down to if you want it, and if you can afford it.

Steve

[The MPCist]

Originally Posted by Sobe

I go out of town a lot to work and when I am gone I rent my studio out ... the few people I let rent my place when I am gone do not know how to use the Icon and have told me they feel it could slow them down . It has been nice if I am gone to have the studio still bringing in $ and not just sitting .

Follow your clients. If they want/need one, then getting one would be in order. I was thinking of getting this too.... mostly for the client 'wow' factor... ended up with an SSL AWS900 that gets them saying 'wow' to both the name, look, and the sound.... Just depends what your clients want....

[Slaytex]

The way I would look at it is this: If it does increase your workflow, how much faster is it making you? Basically how much work (from the increase in workflow) would you have to do to make back the ~$90,000 that it cost you? If you ask me by the time you break even it will be an oblsolete turd. I personally wouldn't invest a bunch of money towards a "single" software program such as Protools since things in the digital world are changing so fast. I understand everyone works differently, but if you need and want a large console feel that gives you total recall atleast look into the AWS900. Even if DAW's go down the tube and standards change you atleast have an analog board which will always be sought after.
But this is all my opinion, good luck!

[max cooper]

Originally Posted by Sobe

I wish I could find out how many have been sold to see if it is catching on .

???????

Even though the thing doesn't make that much sense to me, I'd bet that if guys like Mike Shipley have 'em, they're making the workflow better, and not by just a hair.

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally Posted by Sobe

I wish I could find out how many have been sold to see if it is catching on .

last thing I heard over 250 ........ D control setups that is. I doubt the others have sold that many after the first year it was introduced.

As for it catching on .... I would say those figures kinda prove yes it is. But then again .... who am I to say so.

Workflow enhancer .... no doubt .... no brainer ... go watch someone who knows how to operate one work on it. It can do stuff that the soft even can't ...

Is it a console ? Yes it is. And much more while at it. It is a recording / editing and mixing system that perfectly integrates in both the digital and analog domain.

Is it hard to learn ? Depends .... if you know Pro Tools well enough to call yourself a profesional user then it should be quite easy. If you've never looked at the Pro Tools concept before it might be a little harder. But I doubt it's any harder then learning which ever other mixing / recording or editing tool.

Is it expensive ? depends from which side you look at it realy ... compared to a mackie HUI ... uhm ... yea kinda .... compared to some of it's competitors .... dead cheap.

Is it supported ? ..... last time I looked by like 99,9 % of the studio's in the world ... it's core engine IS Pro Tools so yes, whatever you mix on an Icon system can be brought to whatever studio that has Pro Tools and even more so the other way ... no matter what Pro Tools version you used to start your project you can open it right up on an Icon system. limited to Pro Tools only ? .... nah ... I bet I can figure out a way to tranfer your Neundo session into it too ...


Has it had any issues since it's launch ? ... none that I know off but I will end by saying this : At some point I had a tiny little problem with the jog wheel ... sometimes it would 'stall' during fast 'jog wheeling'. I reported it to some guys in the UK and 48 hours later someone flew in from Ireland in the morning to fix it (which took like 30 minutes). I think they're pretty serious about their field support.

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally Posted by Slaytex

The way I would look at it is this: If it does increase your workflow, how much faster is it making you? ....... but if you need and want a large console feel that gives you total recall atleast look into the AWS900. !

hmmmmm .... I'm not sure how much faster , and it would make an interesting test .... but by the time you do that 'recall' on the aws .... I probably mixed another song.



oh .... and I'm a slow mixer really ........
























































































(ok ok .... just kidding just kidding ........ fuuck )

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Originally Posted by Ziggy!!

for that much dosh, i'd be looking for something more than (excuse the phrasing but) an expensive mouse...

No, let's not excuse it! It's not a mouse. It's silly to call it a mouse, it has a useful function, if it were $1000.00 it'd be the coolest, most useful tool that was ever made, at $60,000.00........ it's now "a mouse". It's not a mouse, it's just over priced(from your point of view), if somebody wanted to give me one I'd certainly find a use for it.

It depends on what kind of work you are doing. If you are doing music sessions only, working with bands etc, and time constraints are not as big a deal, then it probably won't make that much of a difference on your bottom line and if you are getting it for freelance engineers I wouldn't bother. But you are doing something like jingles where everyone is in a hurry and needs things done yesterday, the fact that you don't have to spend an hour between sessions recalling everything and the work flow during the session is vastly improved, a control like this could allow you to take on at least one more session per day. If that turns out to be the case and your business is that busy, it could pay for it self in a short period of time. I think if you really have to think hard about it, you probably don't need one.

[joaquin]

Originally Posted by Produceher

...Me, I would buy land. Real estate at least has a chance of going up.

Originally Posted by Mind-over-Midi

I think if you really have to think hard about it, you probably don't need one.

[The Spark]

Sorry if this is a foolish question, but does it really do that much more than a Control 24?

[StudioLogic]

I have sold 5 ICON D-Controls so far. Two into post rooms and one into a commercial studio and two into private studios.

Sit in front of one and do a mix. I think that will answer all your questions.

[synthetic]

To me, it seems to make more sense for post mixing. The frame-by-frame recall and automation is great for mixing a film, but music mixers seem to be more interested in spending that money on something that will increase their sound quality. Not to mention something that will still be useful in ten years.

As far as that 250 number, factor in that every Pro Tools TDM dealer in the US seems to have been forced to buy one for their store.

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally Posted by synthetic

As far as that 250 number, factor in that every Pro Tools TDM dealer in the US seems to have been forced to buy one for their store.

The dealer units are NOT included in that number.

[Sobe]

mixing on this if you use ProTools is a dream it is just a little hard to part with a 100K .

[jindrich]

have any of you guys compared the d-control to the d-command?

we're contemplating jumping in, but the icon its too costly for us (we'd rather go for an used ssl for 100k), only the d-command would fit the bill. anyway, the d.command it's 30k for a 24fader and that's still a lot for a "mouse", specially considering that you can find a real used desk for that same amount.

2nd question. how do you recall outboard with an icon? digital photos stored along with the project? to us plugins dont cut it, we're thinking about a hybrid approach (LOTSA nice outboard and a d-command instead of a used SSL)

[Ziggy!!]

Originally Posted by Mind-Over-Midi

No, let's not excuse it! It's not a mouse. It's silly to call it a mouse, it has a useful function, if it were $1000.00 it'd be the coolest, most useful tool that was ever made, at $60,000.00........ it's now "a mouse". It's not a mouse, it's just over priced(from your point of view), if somebody wanted to give me one I'd certainly find a use for it.

It depends on what kind of work you are doing. If you are doing music sessions only, working with bands etc, and time constraints are not as big a deal, then it probably won't make that much of a difference on your bottom line and if you are getting it for freelance engineers I wouldn't bother. But you are doing something like jingles where everyone is in a hurry and needs things done yesterday, the fact that you don't have to spend an hour between sessions recalling everything and the work flow during the session is vastly improved, a control like this could allow you to take on at least one more session per day. If that turns out to be the case and your business is that busy, it could pay for it self in a short period of time. I think if you really have to think hard about it, you probably don't need one.

Doesn't a mouse have a useful function too

It's certianly a cool device, but lets just say you won't find me spending my money buying one, or paying to use one...

[Sobe]

In the world of hip hop the bling factor of the Icon makes it 44 well spent . That seems cold but that is one of the ways to see it .

[title]

a mouse by it's very design can only do one thing at a time. if anything its a mice!!!!

but seriously, the board is awesome. I do consider it a console in every sense of the word. some folks want to be picky and say it's not because no audio flows through it.

would you say that a yamaha 01V or O2R are not consoles? how about Euphonix System 5/AMS NEVE DFC/HARRISON BOARDS/etc ?... all of these boards are essentially computers with analog and digital I/O and a surface to control it. if thats not the future i dont know what is. sure theres always a place for analog (especially in my studio), but it seems the need to control my software warents a surface more than summing audio which my 2bus does great.

its a console. deal.

[Mind-Over-Midi]

Originally Posted by Ziggy!!

Doesn't a mouse have a useful function too

By your standard my car is a mouse as well. For some people there is only one way to see things and thats all to it. What are you going to do? Life is too short.

[Ziggy!!]

Originally Posted by Mind-Over-Midi

By your standard my car is a mouse as well. For some people there is only one way to see things and thats all to it. What are you going to do? Life is too short.

Exactly... life is too short... Im going for the Neve

[doorknocker]

A strange phenomena: First we have folks bitching about too many amateurs fumbling around on PT: 'Now that everybody has it our industry is going down'.

And now we have folks complaining that an ICON is too expensive and that too few have been sold. 'I can't afford it and therefore it's probably just a mouse on steroids'.
All this being claimed without ANY first-hand battle experience, at least that's my impression...