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Suggestions for Control surfaces...


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Yeah i just need it for mixing and automation at this moment...isn't M-Audio Trigger Finger a drum machine? And from what i read it doesn't work with Logic..

 

The Mackie C4 does work with a variety of softwares (including the ones i use) and it looks quite convenient for what i need. But definitely if there are other controllers that are as good for less money i would be interested.

The reason i'm asking here is to get suggestions from people who actually use a certain unit & will therefore give an honest opinion as to what it's worth paying for. Haven't previously used any controllers myself so i'm quite clueless..

 

Thanx again for ur help!

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Trigger Finger is just a controller, not a drum machine. It has sixteen velocity sensitive touch-pads, eight rotary controls, and four faders. Each is assignable. The pads work great for percussive input. I've used one with LP8 and Live6 without problems. You could do worse, but there might be a better choice for you.

 

My impression is that this decision is premature. You're pretty sure you'd benefit from a controller, but haven't actually used one. If you could rent or borrow, that'd be the best option. Once you spend some time with one, you'll have a much better grasp of a controller's benefits and limitations, and the realities of using one. You may realize that you need a much more elaborate controller or that you barely need one, at all. If renting or borrowing is impractical, buying a cheap controller would minimize your cost if it turns out to be a bad idea. You might find a blem or a used one at a local store at a good price.

 

Unless the C4's individual control displays are its big attraction, there are better options. I've got a Keystation Pro 88 that has 96 controls, but there are other keyboard controllers that are smaller and cheaper with nearly as many controls. You can also get a Behringer BCR2000 for about $130. Of course, it's a Behringer, which is of lower quality than a Mackie in virtually every meaningful way. OTOH, it's also a fifth of a C4's price if you discover that you won't really get much benefit from a controller.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Steph,

 

I use a Logic Control, with extenders. Basically the original version of the Mackie Control. Yes, they work well with both Logic and Reason, as well as Ableton, Pro Tools and even Final Cut Pro. There's minimal setup and no controller assignments to make. The best way to learn what the various surfaces do is to read the Control Surface supplement PDF that came with Logic.

 

The biggest benefit of the LC/MCU is the excellent Penny & Giles faders that control your rides in 10 bit resolution. I'm not sure what other surfaces support that, if any.

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I just got two Bitstream 3x and I love them. If you are making electronic music, then you probably have less need for fader feedback, you can get two for about $800, my favorite unique feature which makes htem perfect for techno is that you can take snapshots of your knobs, there are 100 snapshots for each patch, and they can be sequenced using MIDI note messages.

 

it's really fun to do arrangments this way:

 

Tweeking, tweeking tweeking knobs + sliders...

Boom! snapshot #3 and the crowd goes wild!!!

 

Then:

 

Tweeking, tweeking, tweeking

and...

Boom! snapsot #16 and the crowd goes wild again...

 

(repeat as needed...)

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What about the Tascam US-2400? It isn't available new anymore, but I've seen them on craigslist and ebay for anywhere from $700-$1100. I have a friend who is a hip hop/rap producer, and he loves it. He sold his Mackie Control Pro to buy this one. Deffinately worth checking out.
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