Preferred Control Surface

Tim Kowalski · Post by **Tim Kowalski** » 23 May 2018 8:50 am

I am curious about which control surface others are using with their DAW and if there are specific reasons for choosing it.
I am using the Behringer X-Touch Universal. I chose it for its many programmable buttons for commands and shortcuts, eight motorized faders and motorized master fader, and LCD scribble strips. I love it and use my mouse far less now.
I run Reaper for my DAW. The default button assignments and labeling were mostly unusable besides transport functions, but it turned out to be a good thing - I have assigned them to the commands that I use most often in the most logical locations.
I looked very closely at the Faderport 8, but the X-Touch offered more flexibility for the same price.
I've used a Faderport single fader for a couple of years and it has been great. It was a difficult decision to break away from Presonus, but I have no regrets.
What is everyone else using and why?

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 23 May 2018 2:00 pm

Faderport 8 is great. I thought about the Faderport 16, but 8 seems to be plenty. Also use you single Fa deport with it. So it's actually 9.

RC

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 23 May 2018 2:45 pm

I have a Behringer X-Touch. I use Mackie Mode in Cakewalk Sonar, Studio One 3 Pro and a lite version of Cubase LE.

I have a "home made" overlay for Sonar.

I also have an old Frontier Tranzport wireless controller that comes in handy when I'm tracking steel or bass.

Tim Kowalski · Post by **Tim Kowalski** » 24 May 2018 9:25 am

Jack,
I used a Dymo labeler to make my identifiers. It is also possible to assign 2 functions to each programmable button by using the shift key - you may have already known this. Unfortunately, there is very little room to label a second function. I use an X-Touch mini on a long cable for my "remote". Wireless would be awesome, though.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 24 May 2018 9:32 am

This is what I use for the overlay. Cut out the white sections. If you want it, e-mail me and I'll send it to you. Its a .jpg.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 24 May 2018 2:14 pm

I just have the â€œRegularâ€ Faderport, and love it... Itâ€™s really nice when I set up to play some distance from my computer... I just park the Faderport on a little table beside me and can do almost anything with the touch of a button that I could do with a Keyboard/Mouse.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 24 May 2018 8:19 pm

Dale Rottacker wrote:I just have the â€œRegularâ€ Faderport, and love it... Itâ€™s really nice when I set up to play some distance from my computer... I just park the Faderport on a little table beside me and can do almost anything with the touch of a button that I could do with a Keyboard/Mouse.

The Studio One remote control App is good for that too.

RC

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 25 May 2018 2:27 am

I don't use wi-fi connected devices when recording. I disable the NIC when doing anything in the DAW. I've experienced noise (clicks) and dropouts with the NIC enabled and DPC Latency Mon program shows problems. Thus smart phone/iPad type apps are out for me.

I've disabled the NIC ever since I started computer based recording in the old Vista days, Win 7, Win8/8.1 and now Win 10.

I do recording sessions for paying clients so I have to be certain there are no interruptions.

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 25 May 2018 4:44 am

+1 on the plain 'ol single channel Faderport. It does everything I need and I found a used one REALLY cheap.

Dale Rottacker · Post by **Dale Rottacker** » 25 May 2018 7:29 am

Rick Campbell wrote:
Dale Rottacker wrote:I just have the â€œRegularâ€ Faderport, and love it... Itâ€™s really nice when I set up to play some distance from my computer... I just park the Faderport on a little table beside me and can do almost anything with the touch of a button that I could do with a Keyboard/Mouse.
The Studio One remote control App is good for that too.

RC

Thanks Rick... Iâ€™m unaware of that app

Joseph Carlson · Post by **Joseph Carlson** » 25 May 2018 8:12 am

I recently got a really good deal on a B stock Faderport 8. So far I'm really finding it useful.

Rick Campbell · Post by **Rick Campbell** » 25 May 2018 6:35 pm

Dale Rottacker wrote:
Rick Campbell wrote:
Dale Rottacker wrote:I just have the â€œRegularâ€ Faderport, and love it... Itâ€™s really nice when I set up to play some distance from my computer... I just park the Faderport on a little table beside me and can do almost anything with the touch of a button that I could do with a Keyboard/Mouse.
The Studio One remote control App is good for that too.

RC
Thanks Rick... Iâ€™m unaware of that app

It's a free app and is available let in Apple or Android. You'll like it.

RC

Susan Alcorn · Post by **Susan Alcorn** » 29 Jun 2018 3:05 pm

For Pro Tools, I use Avid Artist Mix, a little pricey, but because it uses the ethernet port, it is faster than the others, at least for Pro Tools, though all I've used it for is mixing with multiple faders. For that, it works well.

Mark Wayne · Post by **Mark Wayne** » 2 Aug 2018 6:41 pm

I'm also with Pro Tools, but I use an Avid Artist Control, in combination with a Slate Raven 27" touch-screen. Takes about a good 60 to 70 percent of the 'mousing and keyboarding' away. The Control has 4 bankable faders that chase the faders on the screen. With the Slate Raven, you can bring your mix screen up and slide your faders on the touch screen.

IMO, anything with a jog wheel and shortcut keys will be your friend, once you get over the setup and learning curve.

Pro Tools is not very friendly with assignable keyboard shortcuts, and 3rd party shortcut programs get messy, which is why I went to the above mentioned. The good thing about Pro Tools is their line of control surfaces work very well with their brand.

werner althaus · Post by **werner althaus** » 3 Aug 2018 7:33 pm

Longtime Protools Artist Mix user here. Mine actually says "Euphonix MC Mix" on it. Euphonix, builder of high end large frame digital consoles and smaller controllers like the MCMix was bought by AVID soley on account of their EuCon technology. It is far more accurate and instantanious than MIDI. If you're writing complex automation passes then there's nothing that will come close in terms of reliably writing what your hands do via the faders and data encoders. While it's integration with proTools is good, it really shines with Logic, IMO.