Icon versus C24 question

[SurveillanceP]

Hi guys.

I have a question about ease of eq on the c24's versus the icon. Also I should say I'm quite new to all of this.

In our place we have a few of each type of console, and I've been learning to mix and eq in the Icon rooms using the left side of the Icon for eq and the right bottom side faders for general mixing.

Soon I will need to be able to switch rooms/desks during the work day to better accomodate others, and I will need to be able to mix quickly in the c24 rooms.

My question is this.

Is there a peripheral (other than the nocturne) which will emulate some of those features of the left side of the icon console? I would like to stay away from the mouse as much as possible and keep mouse clicks/ button presses to an absolute minimum.

Trialing the nocturne we found its touch and latch responses to be a bit finicky, also its kind of annoying to setup, and doesn't in the end offer that same ease of workflow. (I think the core of the issue was only one "smart dial" and also gliding back to next breakpoint after releasing the dial.)

If there is nothing out there thats cool, but I thought I'd ask seeing as if anyone would know it would be the people here

[Brent_in_Sydney]

Idea: Just use the PT8 plugin mapping feature. Then you can pick out your 2 or 3 fave EQs spend 10 minutes mapping them all onto the c24 encoders the same way and load those as default maps on that system.
Each time you open the eq, any eq you have mapped, will then come up the same on the pots in the middle of the console.
Little bit of icon without spending a cent, just a bit of time.

http://akmedia.digidesign.com/suppor...D_80_56120.pdf
page 121 whats new guide.

Hope that helps.

[Big Andy]

The only difference in use between the Icon and a C24 is the layout of the eq.

The Icon has an Up and down eq on pots on a single channel strips that you can "flip" to the faders.

When you engage a C24s eq it will show all the same settings except left to right. You can then flip these to the faders as well if you don't like using the pots.

There are a lot of things that the Icon can do extremely well and the C24 can do almost everything that it can do, it just may take a button press or two. I bought a C24 almost a year ago now for my home studio and in truth the only thing I miss about an ICON is that the faders are smoother.

[SurveillanceP]

Thanks for the quick reply Brent. I've signed up to the user group on facebook and might even venture out for the first meeting

I have some new questions from your post. ( I've barely touched the c24).

-Do those pots recognise when they've been touched and released? (I'm at home at the moment).

-In our environment sometimes we change rooms pretty quickly. Would there be a way for me to say to pro tools with a few clicks- "x user is no longer here, revert to normal setup"?

I know avid has this and I've always wondered why I've not been able to find such a function in pro tools or quick keys.

Thanks again

[Brent_in_Sydney]

Pots on a c24 dont recognise touch, only movement. So wont register a touch until you shift them, unlike icon.
I think your second point is getting at user based preferences? PT doesnt yet have this. Big feature, lots of engineering involoved, high up the list of what ppl want but not there yet.

Andy - have you seen my blog? I dont mean to offend or anything but I would humbly say ICON has a lot lot more features than a C24 and is very different to drive.
Even basic functions that are taken for granted on the icon, like spilling your VCAs, you cant do that on a C24.
The massive custom fader group feature set, being able to get to your automation features on the surface, like autojoin, back and play, preview mode, snapshot menu, the list goes on and on. It's really a very different beast - BUT only if your work allows you the time to use those features.

ICON really comes into its own if you are either doing:
long form work - working on a single PT session for more than 3 days, so its worth the effort to use the custom fader features, to save you time overall
OR
do short term work, but have taken the time to set up templates using these features.

If you have many and varied short form work where session to session you dont work on it for more than 4 hours, and templates aren't applicable then definately you wouldnt see much benefit between c24 and icon.
IMHO anyway.

ex digi but still bleeding icon...sighs...

[SurveillanceP]

A quick reply of thanks Brent,


After reading the manual and feeling a little bewildered I just rolled with it and mapped the C24 to an eq we use in all of, maybe, one minute.

So easy and so effective, thank you very much!