Controller..

Hi all first post so I hope it's in the right area.. What are there best options for a controller with knobs for using with plugin EQs, compressors, and channel strips in Logic? I want to be able to use knobs and switches to adjust plugins like Waves, Fab Filter, Acustica, etc.. Instead of using my mouse. Budget not a problem as long as it is good..

 

Any ideas? Thanks.

I use the Avid Artist controller and a Mackie C4, both works flawlessly since many years...

What are there best options for a controller with knobs for using with plugin EQs, compressors, and channel strips in Logic?

The best? As in the bestestest? Any budget considerations?

 

If you truly want the best, it's probably the AVID S6, however the price tag starts at $141,000 (depending on the custom options you want):

 

 

If budget is a consideration but you are still willing to fork out a few grands, you can consider the AVID S3, or the SSL Nucleus² (both in the $5,000 range).

 

 

 

If you like touch displays there's Slate Raven MTZ or MTI 2.

 

 

 

Or get an iPad and the free Logic Remote which is truly a beast even though it's free (you pay only for the iPad).

 

If you're looking for more of a home studio budget solution then consider the one recommended by Atlas007, or the Mackie MCU, which was THE original Logic Control surface (initially commercialized by eMagic itself, the Logic Pro developers, under the name "Logic Control") ($1,300).

 

 

If you want more of a low budget solution there's also Presonus Faderport 8 or 16 (respectively $500 or $800):

 

I'm definitely in the under $5k category. Will I need to create my own .plist files to make these thing work with the various manufacturers plugins?

Will I need to create my own .plist files to make these thing work with the various manufacturers plugins?

Nooooo make sure you do your research once you've settled on a model, but nowadays most control surfaces are plug and play. Because it was originally designed for Logic Pro, I think the Mackie MCU is a solid choice.

SENSEL MORPH

 

https://sensel.com/pages/the-sensel-morph

I'm definitely in the under $5k category. Will I need to create my own .plist files to make these thing work with the various manufacturers plugins?

Hi Traveller, David's list is comprehensive, theres also the AVID S1.

 

I did have the Mackie MCU plus an extender for a week, I ended up forgetting to turn it on some days, easier and quicker with the track pad to be honest, was fun at first for a few days, having a tactile approach, then once that fun had worn off I realised I wasnt even using it, so I returned it, and I personally cant be bothered with drivers, firmware updates etc.. just extra problems I don't need.

 

However, if you are adamant I would consider the Avid S1!

I personally don't use a control surface in my home studio, I find that I get by just fine with a computer keyboard, a Track Pad, a MIDI Controller keyboard, and sometimes Logic Remote on my iPad.

 

That S1 looks nice.

Regarding the Faderports:

 

I owned the Faderport 8 for about a year, but eventually sold it. Initially it worked well for me as a controller for Logic. Though the Faderport is designed to shine with Studio One, I was quite happy with its performance with Logic.

 

But over the course of that year as both Logic and PreSonus released updates, my Faderport went from "hey, this works pretty good!" to completely non-functioning with Logic. It didn't appear to be a bad unit, as it continued to work flawlessly with Studio One when I tested it. But literally no fader moved or button pressed delivered its intended result in Logic.

 

I reached out to PreSonus several times about my issues. And they did the best they reasonably could. Which was suggesting to wait for future firmware updates. A few firmware updates came and went. But functionality got worse instead of better.

 

It's not at all my intent to disparage PreSonus. I own plenty of equipment from them that I love. And maybe it was just my unit? But all this to say for anyone considering the Faderport series, be sure to purchase through a company with a solid return policy.

Wow. Good to hear, well I mean thank you for the feedback, even if it's negative, that's useful.

Absolutely! It's a shame because the Faderport is pretty slick

 

On the flip side of the coin, PreSonus gear I own and very much love:

 

- Sceptre monitors

- Monitor Station v2

- Quantum

 

And I'm quite keen on their new Ampire amp modeler. Though it's a little buggy still in AU format

Update: my friend just fired up the Presonus FaderPort 16 with Logic and it’s working fine. He first installed the latest firmware and he’s not on MacOS Catalina so running Logic 10.4. I have MacOS 10.15.7 and Logic 10.6 so I’m going to try his FaderPort 16 next. We’ll see how it handles 64 bit OS.