New Mackie Universal Controller

[Drammy]

Just bought a new Mackie Universal Controller.

Something I wish I'd done many many moons ago! It is amazing the difference between normal Cubase workflow and workflow with one of these controllers!

http://www.polimusica.es/fichas/images/fotosFichas/mackie_cont_univ.jpg

[AlexHall74]

Is it worth $1,000?

I really want one too but Geez, that's a lot of cash!

[Drammy]

I agree - not sure it is worth that amount - but when you look at how much they go for 2nd hand, you ain't gonna lose much money.

[AlexHall74]

I agree - not sure it is worth that amount - but when you look at how much they go for 2nd hand, you ain't gonna lose much money.

That's a good point.

I've seen them on eBAY for not too much less than MSRP quite a few times.

I use Mackie's Tracktion 2 as my sequencer and it is programmed to instantaneously be fully compatible with the Mackie Universal Control, Extender, and C4 Controllers.

Third party control surfaces are a bit of a pain in the arse to setup in T2.

So, I'll probably just bite the bullet and save for the Mackie...

:lol:

[Timo]

Hi, I'm a bit slow, but I wondered how come there's only ever one knob per channel with these things? I guess it's multi-function, but how do you select what parameter that knob is tweaking at any one time?

Aren't there any dedicated knobs for controlling the EQ in Cubase (or similar), aux busses, pan pot, or for recording midi automation stuff, or whatever without having to somehow click on the screen or scrolling through parameters using buttons every time you want to re-assign the knob each time? (I'm guessing that's how you select a parameter you want the knob to be assigned to at any one time)? One knob per channel appears kinda, um, restrictive, and even defeatist if you want to tweak several things very quickly or on-the-fly without using a mouse or scrolling using buttons.

[Drammy]

Timo,

What happens is you can only control 8 channels at a time. But you can cycle through a bank of 8 channels.

I use CubaseS SX3 so I will explain with that as reference.

If I have 20 channels in Cubase, then the first bank of 8 is for channels 1-->8, then 9-->16 and finally 13-->20, so cycling through the banks gives me access to these channels. Alternatively you can cycle one channel at a time.

There are 3 modes (fader mode - where each fader is a channel in Cubase, selected channel mode - where each fader is some kind of parameter for a single channel in Cubase, or Global mode for making global alterations)

Whilst you can control all 8 faders at once, only one channel can be selected (just like in Cubase when you can only have the edit panel open for one channel at a time) at any one time.

Whilst a channel is selected if I press the EQ button then the assignment of each of the controller channels is changed to control the EQ parameters of the currently selected channel.

So If I am in bank 1-->8 and I select channel 4 and the press EQ, then each fader now controls channel 4's EQ settings (note this is the standard Cubase EQ) and will continue to do so until I put the controller into a different mode.

I may next select to alter the 1st insert effect's parameters on channel 4, so by pressing Insert, the faders now correspond to each of the parameters on the effect plugged into insert slot 1. So if the Effect is a reverb then fader 1 may become the room type, fader 2 the decay and so on.

The name of the parameter is digitally displayed at the top of the board, so you are never in any doubt as to which parameter or channel you are working on.

If you prefer to work with the V-pots you can flip the control over to them instead of the faders.

If you find that you are having to flip through banks all the time you can either alter the order they appear in Cubase and this immediately swaps them round in the MCU (Mackie Controller Universal) or you can use functionality in Cubase to assign multiple channels into groups of banks, particularly to be used in this scenario.

Of course the faders are motorised so you can record all your automation on the controller - no need for a MIDI controller to do filter sweeps etc...

(And you can watch them move on their own - magical).

PS I highly recommend you don't tell your girlfriend about this before she sees it - when she first sees those faders move on their own for the first time it will scare the shit out of her! Hilarious!


Drammy

[Timo]

Cheers Drammy, that's pretty funky.

Damn, I knew I shouldn't've asked, you've made me want one, argh! :lol:

[Tomer=Trance]

For a grand you can buy 3-4 of thos Behringer controlers and have alot more faders.
http://www.behringer.com/BCF2000/index.cfm?lang=ENG

Also tascam offer something simmiler at around 700$
http://www.tascam.com/Products/US-2400.html

can you tell im not much of a mackie fan? :mrgreen:

[jasedee]

We use the Mackie HUI's at work...TBH they arent all their cracked up to be. They constantly lose communication with PT HD. In fact, we have three of them, and none of them ever get used. It seems more of a novelty. I'd much rather spend a few grand on a big ol analogue board, with or without automation...

I wanna know more about the Tascam unit though...

[Tomer=Trance]

I'd much rather spend a few grand on a big ol analogue board,


If you accualy want to mix on that big ol thing you gone have to spend some big money on multiply DA convertors.
i would rather get the tascam and for the money left get some decent preamps.
maybe still spend some money on an 8ch convertor and get a summing box.


I wanna know more about the Tascam unit though...

That one is defently on my to buy list,

Its basicly built for one thing,Control your Daw mixer= Mix ITB using a dedicated controler and nothing more,its not meant to control plugins,cook you diner or play packman (it has a joystick for surround paning)

here is a nice "real world" image i found on google.
http://custom-consoles.com/images/studio_gallery/Custom%20Walnut%20Enclosure.jpeg

Mix online they did a little review.
http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_tascam_us_controller/

When released on 2004 it was originaly sold for 1999US,now you can find it for less then 800 new

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct05/articles/tascamus2400.htm
another review.

[Drammy]

I do understand - I have never liked Mackie anything, we used to have a cheapo mackie desk, which didn't last long.

At the end of the day it is down to the sequencer - if the HUI loses communication with PT - then that is a PT problem. Cubase SX is rock solid for me.

It is down to the developers of the sequencers to send the correct MIDI signals under the correct scenarios for the integration to be tight and perhaps Steinberg have put more effort into the MCU than Digidesign did with the HUI.


Drammy

[Hollowcell]

If you accualy want to mix on that big ol thing you gone have to spend some big money on multiply DA convertors.


Unless of course you have all your gear midi'd/mic'd up run dirrectly into the desk with nice outboard pres and outboard processing using the computer just as a harddisk recorder. Mmmm, I guess that's the analogue summing taken care of as well then hey....

I think you may have been looking at it from the "create with-in the machine, then break out to the analogue" view there Tommer. :D

[Khazul]

I use a Yamaha 01x from controlling Cubase - its a god send compared to just using mouse/keyboard or so crappy controller with no param feedback/values indicators.

If you have never tried controlling a daw with this kind of thing - the gove it a good if you get a chance - makes a hell of a difference.

[Tomer=Trance]

If you accualy want to mix on that big ol thing you gone have to spend some big money on multiply DA convertors.


Unless of course you have all your gear midi'd/mic'd up run dirrectly into the desk with nice outboard pres and outboard processing using the computer just as a harddisk recorder. Mmmm, I guess that's the analogue summing taken care of as well then hey....

I think you may have been looking at it from the "create with-in the machine, then break out to the analogue" view there Tommer. :D

dont forget about the use of analog Eqs.
IMO analog Summing devices are not 100% out of the box,maybe 80% :wink: