Presonus Faderport

[uptoolate]

Anyone using this? I would love a Mackie control, but can't swing the price. Is this a good low cost alternative?

[RusRant]

I had one, but took it back. It worked great in Sony Vegas, no issues at all. I just have become used to the mouse and one fader wasn't an improvement for me personally. I'm gonna go for the Mackie controller and an expander when I can so I have more faders at once. Also check out the Frontier designs thing. One fader, 3 knobs, transport control, LCD screen and a shuttle feature. Nice looking from the features and pics, haven't tried it though.

[over-man]

I'm using it right now, have been for the past month or so. Overall, I give it a mixed review. Most of the time it works well in Logic, very easy setup, but sometimes Logic doesn't seem to recognize it and I have to uninstall and re-install within Logic (which only takes 30 secs, but its a hassle nonetheless). Its nice to be able to write automation and such, the fader is smooth, it works as advertised. But, like the poster above, it really makes me want 32 automated faders.....someday.

[ricknaqvi]

We'll be releasing a dedicated Logic driver soon along with DP. Right now it works with both of those using HUI emulation but the dedicated drivers will work tighter. We just released the dedicated Sonar driver about a month ago and it's working well.

Kind Regards,

[travista00]

what about a dedicated driver for pro tools?

[ricknaqvi]

Digidesign only allows HUI emulation for any 3rd party controllers.

[uptoolate]

Originally Posted by ricknaqvi

We'll be releasing a dedicated Logic driver soon along with DP. Right now it works with both of those using HUI emulation but the dedicated drivers will work tighter. We just released the dedicated Sonar driver about a month ago and it's working well.

Kind Regards,

I use Sonar 5 and will upgrade to 6 shortly. Do all functions work with 5 and 6?

Thanks.

[ricknaqvi]

Sonar 6 is totally different from 5 in the way that it handles third party controllers. Currently the Faderport only supports Sonar 6. We had it running in our booth this week at NAMM and it worked perfectly.

I also really liked the way Sonar 6 looks visually. It seems like it is a huge step up from 5.

Kind Regards,

[cfjis]

I got a faderport a little over a month ago, and have been digging it. I use it with PT 7.3. Love having a touch sensitive fader.... just wish that you could assign the fader or rotary knob to sends and plugin parameters, so you could automate settings on the fly. (any chance that'll happen with the faderport, Rick?)

All around, for the price, its a good little tool (pretty easy to set up, too).

Cheers,
Charles

[Hope209]

the Frontier Alphatrack should be coming out soon

[ricknaqvi]

just wish that you could assign the fader or rotary knob to sends and plugin parameters, so you could automate settings on the fly

The Faderport was designed for automation, and not so much for controlling plug ins. In order to do that you would need a lot more knobs, LCD, etc.. and we would have had to use a cheaper Chinese fader. Instead, we opted to use an ALPS touch sensitive fader which costs more. It's the same fader that Digi uses in the D Command.

[cfjis]

Thanks for the reply Rick,

I wasn't hoping for more knobs or faders on the Faderport... I was just hoping that one could assign the knob or fader it has to automate plugin parameters. It probably isn't an issue with the faderport itself as it is with the PT software.

All in all, I really do dig the Faderport.

Cheers,
Charles

[Benmrx]

To anyone that knows, I've got a simple question about using this with PTLE 7.1


How do you assign which channel the Faderport controls?

Is it which ever track is highlited....? If so, what happens when you have multiple tracks highlited? Would it control the channel furthest to the left???

If I've got 48 tracks to work with, and I've got the fader on track 1, would I have to bank all the way to track 48?



I downloaded the manual, and there wasn't much of anything regarding use with Pro Tools.

[DontLetMeDrown]

The Faderport is pretty sweet. I've been using it for a month now and I think my mixes have improved because I'm looking away from the screen more instead of getting hung up on numbers. The custom buttons are really handy too. I can insert a new track with the push of a button.

I just wish there was a way to automate plug-in parameters. Actually there is a way, but since the fader ALWAYS controls the track volume, when you try to adjust the plug-in parameter, it moves BOTH-- Doh! I contacted Presonus tech support to see if there is a work-around and they replied, "the Faderport isn't designed for that." Aaaaaaaaaw! Cmon. Maybe they can adjust that with a fireware update or something.

[nd33]

This is comment about the Alphatrack from another thread:

Originally Posted by eldaniel
I thought it could not go worst but I was in a mistake because then I felt the fader had an almost 400ms lag after being released, I asked in the frontier forum about this and the only answer I had was from another user suffering the same, although it was not critical for him.

I was ready to go ahead and order the Alphatrack. But as I've read a few user comments I'm having 2nd thoughts and thinking about getting the Faderport afterall.

The reasons are the quality of the fader and the amount of lag it operates with.
I need to do swift volume automation moves mixing dialogue for tv shows.

The Faderport fader appears to be of higher quality. If it's also got less lag than the Alphatrack then I'm gonna go with it.

Could be something to do with the Alphatrack dragging all it's power from USB, whereas the Faderport has it's own power supply.

Anyone had experience with both? Or with any Digidesign control surfaces compared to Faderport?
Any opinions on the speed of the faderport fader writing automation?

Cheers

Nate

[Tony Shepperd]

I have been using the Faderport for about two months.
90% of the I don't need it. I have become quite adept at track-balling a mix.
But when I want to finesse strings, it's invaluable!
I've also gotten used to roughing in levels on vocals and doing my final rides with the Faderport.

There are some quirky things about it that I would change, but IMO, for the price, you can't beat it!

[Koed]

Try the Frontier AlphaTrack instead.

[kelvinchan55]

i am having problem with the faderport, i am using PT 7.3.1le and i just bought a new faderport. all the buttons works fine with PT, but some of them won't light up even i press or engage them. i thought it is just a product problem. so i try the other faderport( i bought two of them). they are all having the same problem that some buttons won't light up. and the markers problems still occuring..
pls help

[ricknaqvi]

If I've got 48 tracks to work with, and I've got the fader on track 1, would I have to bank all the way to track 48?

If you are on a PC and you want to select a track that is outside of the 8 channel HUI group, you just right click with your mouse and the Faderport will jump to whatever track you select. So that will allow you to jump from track 1 to track 48.

The same is true on a MAC, except you 'control click' since there is no right click on a Mac.

You can also use the left/right arrow buttons while holding down BANK and it will move in eight channel increments. So instead of having to click 4 times, you hold down bank and only click the Right button six times.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

[Flagfoot]

So the faderport will not work at all with Sonar 5?

[lasaxman]

Flagfoot, I don't think the Faderport will work with Sonar 5. I think support starts at version 6.

I'm having a problem with Sonar 7.0.1. Everything works fine, but when I try to use the footswitch punch-in, it crashes Sonar. I get a "Unhandled Exception" error. I've tried toggling settings under Global|MIDI. I've also upgraded the Firmware to version 1.1.

[skymaster]

For any Logic users, Frontier has just posted a beta driver and plug-in update for the AlphaTrack to include full support of Logic 8. Cool! Now for the big question, its New Years eve, party or play?

[ITJ]

Originally Posted by ricknaqvi

The Faderport was designed for automation, and not so much for controlling plug ins. In order to do that you would need a lot more knobs, LCD, etc.. and we would have had to use a cheaper Chinese fader. Instead, we opted to use an ALPS touch sensitive fader which costs more. It's the same fader that Digi uses in the D Command.

I would really like to be able to write send fader/mute automation with the Faderport.

I've been using Faderport with PT for more than a year with no problems.

[skymaster]

Well, I've been using alphatrack with Logic 8 for about a month now with its new native mode plug-in and I have to say it ROCKS! I read through the earlier posts in this thread about Alps vrs non-Alps faders, lag times, and other negative comparisons to the faderport and I have to say that I experience NON of those issues. (that 400ms delay thing turned out to be some kind of firmware update on a few early units, old news!).

I also use it in HUI emulation with PT7 M-powered and can edit sends and plug-ins with it there too. Ya I know they are practically giving the faderport away now, but for my money it was clearly the best choice.

[Tantrum The Cat]

Originally Posted by skymaster

Well, I've been using alphatrack with Logic 8 for about a month now with its new native mode plug-in and I have to say it ROCKS!

Seconded - I just picked one up for Logic 8 myself.

It's funny, I'd always turned up my nose at control surfaces, but I played
with an Alphatrack for a few days & totally fell in love with it.