Control Surface - "I gotta buy one..."

[supaheef]

...and I am fairly set on the Mackie Control (despite the Mackie part). I have been messing with the Yamaha 01x at work, but the short faders aren't my bag, and there is no timecode readout.

Basically I would love to hear from those people who have had experience with the Mackie Control in general, and those using it with Logic in particular. Does anyone know what happened to the C4 extender? It was announced, but doesn't show up anywhere any more.

Just throw any Control Surface related info this way, it will be muchos apreeciatos hombres!

sh.

[Jules]

Tascam has a new surface out there...

Looks real simple...

Plenty of mackie control dudes on here...

Good luck with the info quest!

[alphajerk]

i like mine. use it with DP but its not fully functional in OS9. seeing how it was designed for logic, i would expect it to be much better than my setup.... but i love mine. still want more but isnt that always the case?

its worth it for the faders and scribble strips alone.

scrwe that tascam.... no scribble strips.

[flexoffset]

I have a Logic Control and 1 Logic Control XT.
They are sooooooo handy to have around.
I use it with Logic Pro on Mac OS X.

I pipe midi back and forth to it via a MOTU micro lite USB midi hub and I have not had any problems.

The long throw faders, touch sensitivity, etc. are the things that I chose over the FW1884 and the O1X....that, and the 1884 and O1X hadn't been built yet.

Anyway, automated quick fader moves can be a little loud (IMHO) and all the little buttons make a sharp little snapping noise when you press them. I probably wouldn't have one in the same room I was tracking vocals in.

As well laid out as it is, you must spend time to get used to navigating around your DAW with it. Read the manual, and practice practice practice using the LC in order to get proficient with navigating.

Download the manual off the emagic site and just have a look through it.

Every once in a while there will be little hangs, etc. In some cases, you'll need to refresh defaults (no big deal).

My biggest gripe in whole with Logic is that the 'automation trim' functionality hasn't been implemented yet.....even though there's the little button on the LC, it's not gonna work.

You can also find out about the Logic Control and Logic combination over at Sonikmatter dot com. There's a thread completely dedicated to the Logic Control.
Bear in mind, you'll get all the info you need here at GearSlutz, so the Sonik site is just an additional resource to consider, albeit a very good one.
http://community.sonikmatter.com/ema...ubb=forum;f=14

[DanV]

Originally posted by flexoffset

My biggest gripe in whole with Logic is that the 'automation trim' functionality hasn't been implemented yet.....even though there's the little button on the LC, it's not gonna work.
[/url]

Hi Flex,
What do you mean by automation trim?

[flexoffset]

One example would be changing the values of automation while preserving the ratios.

You can do it with the mouse, but you can't do it with an LC............yet.

[keyboardman]

Preach on, Brother Flex...I want to, ahem, "get some trim" mydamnself.

It seems like it would be rather easy. I've mocked up some real crude "trim" stuff in the environment using input transformers and MIDI instruments. I dunno how all that will play with Logic's somewhat convoluted automation scheme.

I'd also like to see grouped fader behavior that can be transformer. Turn this part up while turning that one down using a single fader...that sort of stuff.

Agreed with you on the topic of control surfaces...its changed my life in magical ways.

[supaheef]

my hombres,

man you guys work quick! thanks for the awesome information. Shame about the automation trim feature, I have been using that heaps lately. Big time props to flexoffset for the detailed rundown.

I played with the Tascam a few nights ago (benefits of being a retailer) but I didn't like it's implementation. No channel readouts, or any screens at all. Not much use having a control surface if you still spend all your time staring at a screen. I want to use my eyes less and my ears more (as well as my fingers). The 01x has it's upsides (FW interface, great mixer, FX, etc) but I have one attached to Logic at work and it seems a little clumsy as a controller. I do practice though, every chance I get, which makes some improvement. If Mackie ever release the C4, as well as blank panels for mouse placement, they will have new customer in me!

If anoyone has any other user feedback, I would love to hear (read) it. muchos gracios compadres!

sh.

[STILL]

I can't add much except to say that it's been life changing to have it in the place of dealing with a mouse. Positively liberating.

It seems like a different program (Logic) with this, so much faster and easier that it sick how much time I used to spend before.

Plus - big plus - I can put long wires on it and go into another room to run my own vocals sessions by myself, priceless.

Get it, you'll be happy.

I have the Logic Control (mackie)


WB

[Mike Martin]

supaheef,
Just curious, what do you find clumsy about the 01X as a control surface? Have you used the Mackie (Logic Control) in comparison?

If you get the Mackie, won't you also have to get an audio interface? The 01x both an audio interface and a control surface, plus its a digital mixer with lots of DSP.

Thanks

[flexoffset]

I'm not supaheef, but the reason I didn't wait for the O1X to come out was exactly the reason you just mentioned .... I'd be stuck with an audio interface and a control surface in one unit and would have problems upgrading my audio chain later on.

That's exactly what didn't appeal to me ... that and the short-throw faders. .... they aren't touch-sensitive either are they?

This way, my control surface is pretty much evolved as much as I need it to be (minus one or two shortcomings). I can spend money on audio upgrades .. not audio AND control surface upgrades.

[supaheef]

yo mike,

all good points, and all points that I have been considering. The 01x is good digital mixer, a good sound card, and a good control surface at a good price. However, the main thing I am after right now is a GREAT control surface, at a good price. If you were to say that both the 01x and the MCU are control surfaces, then the 01x is much better value. However, when you examine the features of the 01x, I find it is less of the control surface that I am looking. Firstly, faders aren't touch sensitive and they are short. Those two points are my biggest reservations. The V-pots on the yamaha do not have a surrounding display to quickly show their relative position. On the Yamaha you have to either move the V-pot to check it's value, or press the pots. Sometimes pressing the v-pot resets a parameter to it's default value, usually zero. Plus, most things on the 01x are a two-button job, or a hold-shift-then-select job. The MCU has many more buttons to allow faster access to changing automation modes, etc. The MCU can be shifted via bank and single fader, the 01x can only be shifted by bank. Also the 01x has no time code readout.

These are just a few of the short comings that I have found using the 01x. I work for a retailer in Australia, and I have one attached to my work Mac at the moment.
I try to use the 01x everyday, because my Yamaha rep looks after me better than my Mackie rep. The Yamaha will be more cost effective, but I want more than 8 faders. Having spoken a well-established source, expansion packs for the 01x will not be made. The Yamaha is a great product, and I have no trouble convincing people looking for that sort of item of its positives, but for me, I need a control surface first, everything else second. The 01x is just slower to use that an MCU.

sh.