I've got a Faderport, which along with the good work done by yhertogh, karbomusic and The _Nimaj of our very own forums, works incredibly well. Transport, fader, pan, mute, solo, read/write mode and custom actions.
I also just got a Novation Launch Control. 16 rotary knobs. This is for controlling plugin parameters in track controls.
Between them I've essentially got a channel strip and transport.
This is all set up to work on the selected track. If you want to control multiple tracks at once then you'll have to spend considerably more money.
I had a Faderport at one time... worked fine. Have been using Mackie Control Universal for many years... really haven't desired anything else since I started using it (~2008).
Maschine Mikro Mk1. It outputs 9 layers (via MIDI-Ox channel switching) of 32 MIDI CC buttons/pads and the encoder knob, based on which "modifier" button I hold. Every action I ever need while sketching a song fits right in my lap.
Also love my 10 year old Novation ReMOTE. All my favorite SoftSynths, EQ's, Amps as well as a fully mapped "selected-track channel strip" are hands-on controllable via the 4 layers x (8 encoders, 8 rotary knobs, 8 faders and 8 buttons). So
When I want to mix or edit in maximum comfort and laziness, I use my Steam Controller with mouse control and programmable keyboard shortcuts and put my feet up. Max
All of which have been customized all the way to oblivion and beyond....But now I'm about 97% mouse and keyboard free!! Über-geek !
Was considering Faderport, but now you got me looking carefully at Maschine Mikro MK2 for very reasonable $299. Other functions by either Axiom Pro61, or Komplete Kontrol S-49 ___ (2) Win10 Pro DAWs.
Location: Near Cambridge UK and Near Questembert, France
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(grin) I paid 23 UK pounds each, used, for my Korg NanoKontrolsand 25 UK pounds NEW for my Korg Nanokontrol.
Once I got them integrated with Reaper etc they have performed flawlessly.
Bang for the buck award!
Was considering Faderport, but now you got me looking carefully at Maschine Mikro MK2 for very reasonable $299. Other functions by either Axiom Pro61, or Komplete Kontrol S-49 ___ (2) Win10 Pro DAWs.
Should work right ??
The biggest advantage to a motorised fader is not having to deal with soft takeover. If you only want to make small adjustments to a track that already has automation, then non-motorised faders aren't really going to be able to do that.
I've got worlde easycontrol 9. Cheap but can configure it to do just about anything. Well build too, I expected some cheap cheap junk but it works well.
Was considering Faderport, but now you got me looking carefully at Maschine Mikro MK2 for very reasonable $299. Other functions by either Axiom Pro61, or Komplete Kontrol S-49 ___ (2) Win10 Pro DAWs.
Should work right ??
I'd go for the Nektar P6 instead of the Axiom Pro 61 FWIW and it supports Reaper.
__________________ Music is what feelings sound like.
The biggest advantage to a motorised fader is not having to deal with soft takeover. If you only want to make small adjustments to a track that already has automation, then non-motorised faders aren't really going to be able to do that.
I use an old 49 key Novation X-Station. Transport controls, 9 decent faders, great synth keybed with aftertouch, and a ton of knobs and buttons to assign to whatever. Fairly easy to edit each knob. Works with Reaper with the installed Cubase template out the box. Highly recommended.
How does that even work for audio editing? It's pretty cool, though.
The big pads are touch surfaces. Can be used for mouse or really anything. All buttons are keyboard shortcuts. It's like using a stripped down mouse and keyboard, but more relaxed.
The biggest advantage to a motorised fader is not having to deal with soft takeover. If you only want to make small adjustments to a track that already has automation, then non-motorised faders aren't really going to be able to do that.
Endless encoders like the one(s) on Maschine can do it to, but without motors. They just need to be set to Relative 3 when assigning shortcuts and thus modify the parameter + or - from whatever position it's at.
Endless encoders like the one(s) on Maschine can do it to, but without motors. They just need to be set to Relative 3 when assigning shortcuts and thus modify the parameter + or - from whatever position it's at.
Yeah, but prefer seeing where it is on the hardware. I also prefer fixed-point knobs with absolute mode.
Yeah, but prefer seeing where it is on the hardware........
Agreed. To me that would be the whole point of having hardware controls for DAW control. The software to hardware would have to be seamless. Motorised sliders would need to find their allotted (last recorded/previously set) positions within a project the moment you opened the project, so as not to mess up automation.
I imagine a lot of modest cost hardware controllers find their way onto eBay because they are not perfectly seamless with the user's chosen DAWs.
Guessing that some guys hankering after hardware controllers have never become fully comfortable using a mouse? ; I can sympathize as I am never fully comfortable with clunky laptop style touchpads but a mouse in the hand just feels almost like a natural extension of my hand (especially the small light weight ones like the M185 in my photo link).
Guessing that some guys hankering after hardware controllers have never become fully comfortable using a mouse? ; I can sympathize as I am never fully comfortable with clunky laptop style touchpads but a mouse in the hand just feels almost like a natural extension of my hand (especially the small light weight ones like the M185 in my photo link).
I am used to using a mouse, and it's still my main tool. I have never been successful with fader rides on a mouse though, and getting that organic movement into a mix is becoming more and more important to me (after years of surgically tweaking envelope lanes).
I am used to using a mouse, and it's still my main tool. I have never been successful with fader rides on a mouse though, and getting that organic movement into a mix is becoming more and more important to me (after years of surgically tweaking envelope lanes).
This is the one I use for Reaper. Projectmix I/O, four physical outputs so you can create quadrophonic soundtracks (more if you connect additional soundcards through optical cables, slaved to this), 8 motorized tracks, and compatible with Reaper.
It's a legacy unit, you can probably find a good used unit on eBay.
This unit you can buy brand new, it's only a controller, no soundcard, but very nice - brushed aluminium, expandable with 2 additional 8 fader units (everything motorized).
Icon Qcon Pro. About $599 retail.
Presets for Reaper, Logic, Sonar, Pro Tools, Cubase, etc.
This unit you can buy brand new, it's only a controller, no soundcard, but very nice - brushed aluminium, expandable with 2 additional 8 fader units (everything motorized).
Icon Qcon Pro. About $599 retail.
Presets for Reaper, Logic, Sonar, Pro Tools, Cubase, etc.
that's pretty nice. i wonder how it handles EQ etc … I'll search YouTube
I wouldn't mind a 4x4 programmable knob device. 1 for my left hand and other for my right hand. so i can EQ 2 tracks at the same time.
I'm really pleased with my KMI K-Mix which has replaced my mixer and audio interface as well as being my primary Reaper control surface.
It's a great solution if you're tight for space since it's only about the size of a paperback book. But you get all the advantages of motorised faders (9 of them) due to the LED feedback underneath the touch strips and then you still have four rotary discs which work well for pan and also as audio scrub, allowing you to precisely position along the audio timeline. With the free plugin from the stash you can also control channel mute, solo and record arm as well as the transport, and you can bring an FX plugin into focus and then adjust its parameters as well. As an audio interface it gives you 8 ins and 10 outs (because the headphone output is configurable as an independent set of outs) and the first two channels have phantom power. Preamps are very quiet and although bus powered I have had no issues with ground loops unlike some of the previous audio interfaces I've had. No MIDI but there's an expander available or you can of course just use one or more cheap USB to MIDI adaptors.
I feed the headphone out to a cheap 2 channel Alto mixer whose sole purpose is to be a master monitor fader - it has a nice large level knob for that purpose - although strictly that wouldn't be necessary it's handy because you can plug headphones in to it as well and then control headphone and monitor level independently.
A version of this with scribble strips would be absolutely awesome, hopefully KMI might look at this one day.
I'm really pleased with my KMI K-Mix which has replaced my mixer and audio interface as well as being my primary Reaper control surface.
It's a great solution if you're tight for space since it's only about the size of a paperback book. But you get all the advantages of motorised faders (9 of them) due to the LED feedback underneath the touch strips and then you still have four rotary discs which work well for pan and also as audio scrub, allowing you to precisely position along the audio timeline. With the free plugin from the stash you can also control channel mute, solo and record arm as well as the transport, and you can bring an FX plugin into focus and then adjust its parameters as well. As an audio interface it gives you 8 ins and 10 outs (because the headphone output is configurable as an independent set of outs) and the first two channels have phantom power. Preamps are very quiet and although bus powered I have had no issues with ground loops unlike some of the previous audio interfaces I've had. No MIDI but there's an expander available or you can of course just use one or more cheap USB to MIDI adaptors.
I feed the headphone out to a cheap 2 channel Alto mixer whose sole purpose is to be a master monitor fader - it has a nice large level knob for that purpose - although strictly that wouldn't be necessary it's handy because you can plug headphones in to it as well and then control headphone and monitor level independently.
A version of this with scribble strips would be absolutely awesome, hopefully KMI might look at this one day.
I owned a KMI Kboard and felt the mushy keys were extremely unresponsive. I wonder if these feel the same.
Favorite DAW controller?
Linear Mode
