azslow3

tnipe
Anyone have any advice for a controller to control the ProChannel EQ specifically? Looking at Console1, but maybe there's something to do this for less $$? Thanks!

For ProChannel EQ (+Comp), you can check this: http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,301.0.html (see PDF in the second post, ProChannel mode) or http://www.azslow.com/index.php/topic,274.msg1246.html#msg1246 (note that controller has finite knobs, not convenient if you hop between channels a lot)
Finally, any controller can be adopted to work like this (if you already have some). So you cat "try before buy".

Thanks! I'm gonna see if I can pick any up locally... This also looks good:
https://store.djtechtools.com/midi-fighter-twister

tnipe
Thanks! I'm gonna see if I can pick any up locally... This also looks good:
https://store.djtechtools.com/midi-fighter-twister

Yes, looks nice and from the technical specification it should do the trick.
Since that is a bit more pricey then linked devices and is different from them, 2 notes:
* the only way to use it for ProChannel is AZ Controller (some people have problems with "free" one man written  software)
* special configuration is required (just for ProChannel that is relatively simple, but if you have never "programmed" before, probably we have to meet online for setup).

azslow3

tnipe
Thanks! I'm gonna see if I can pick any up locally... This also looks good:
https://store.djtechtools.com/midi-fighter-twister

Yes, looks nice and from the technical specification it should do the trick.
Since that is a bit more pricey then linked devices and is different from them, 2 notes:
* the only way to use it for ProChannel is AZ Controller (some people have problems with "free" one man written  software)
* special configuration is required (just for ProChannel that is relatively simple, but if you have never "programmed" before, probably we have to meet online for setup).

It was your software that got me to start thinking about having hardware controllers again 
 
I thought there would be more options for dedicated channel strip/EQ hardware controllers though.

@ Chuck and Walt. Your quite welcome, sometimes we all just need a reminder of things we already know, as well as stuff we aren't aware of.
 Mackie's MC protocol has become the world wide #1 industry standard for DAW controllers, HUI protocol due to certain slight limitations is #2 and both are strictly transmitted thru basic MIDI commands no matter what type interface is used to get MIDI I/O from the device to the computer. Neither require special drivers for Windows or Mac computer.
 Most users new to world of DAW controllers typically complain about and blame the hardware from problems they have using MC or HUI controllers with their favorite DAW of choice.
 Over the years, I've found the opposite to be true, it's actually how well the DAW is written and coded to support controller protocols.
 SONAR is very good, powerful and stable with MC, PBBBTZZzz with HUI in my experience.
 
 Logic Pro, obviously the very DAW used in creating the MC protocol, doesn't even need any overlay for the control section for the MCU or X T. It's the only DAW where everything is labeled correctly.
 Plug it in, play, and have a nice day.
 I always really, really liked Logic and was a solid user/fan up until the time EMagic sold out to Apple who immediately dropped support for Windows, and so I became to start to become a fan of Cakewalk Pro Audio.
 Certainly NOT because of the way it handled audio, because of the way it handled MIDI.
 I had then, and still do use Pro Tools on a Mac, but never as a first choice, out of necessity. Back then it was the ONLY way to get audio in and out of my computer with an 8 channel MOTU interface.
 Today, being the hands down defacto industry standard, it's the only way to say in business. People get really excited when they hear I have a Pro Tools based recording studio, and yawn when I try to talk about SONAR, LoL.
 But only for the first time, which upon their insistence, I record them in Pro Tools 8 with Digi O3 Pro mixer interface, they just seem to glow and beam, and many times it just ends there.
 But other times, the truly adventurous let me try mixing their Pro Tools projects in SPLAT thru Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 using the Focusrite Red 2 EQ, Red 3 Comp, Prochannel running thru N Type (obviously code for Neve) channel module and then the atypical glowing and beaming experience turns into a wide eyed jaw dropping epiphany of "Holy Mother of Rupert" Pro Tools sounds as flat and stale as yesterday's pancake during an A/B test... 
 BTW I do not simply transfer and open a Pro Tools project in SPLAT, which can be done, but will of course lose all EQ, FX, and automation settings and config's which will of course flatten out any mix.
 The project simply gets recorded and remixed in real-time to SPLAT from an 8 buss mix from the Digi 03, joined at the hip and (slaved) to the Focusrite system thru Word clock and ADAT.
 And THIS is where the all the real FUN and true APPREACATION of having a surface controller come into play as you can ride all of the faders and pan pots of the X Touch at the same time, and record it all in automation to capture utterly bone chilling dynamics you couldn't possibly conceive of or even dream or think of doing with a mouse. 
 All of a sudden your home studio virtually becomes a much larger and ultimately much more powerful studio with a virtual large format console at your finger tips. It's very easy to imagine your studio, even if it's in your bedroom has been transformed into "Oceanway", or perhaps "The Power Station", or even "Abby Roads" if you prefer.
 
  One thing is for sure, I've always found new and improved toys always bring on new and improved inspirations and once you get your hands on an X Touch, Mackie, or what ever suits your DAW best, you'll wonder how you ever lived without one.
 And the X- Touch line of DAW controllers comes in various price ranges starting at $50 for the Mini, $300 for the compact, and $450 for the flagship.
 And that exactly why I had to try the X Touch, being the Mackie always seemed to be just out of my reach financially.. 
 I'd get close, then a birthday would come around, the "engine light" in the car would start glowing, the dog is puking all over the place and needs to go to the vet, and on and on or whatever the reason is 1 or 3 students or clients are missing lessons and sessions, **** never seems to stop..... And of course if I really need to mix multiple tracks I can go from SPLAT into Pro Tools, and then of course back again, blah, blah, blah, just more time and steps is all
 
 Pro Tools doesn't even support MC and will only understand HUI. Running the X Touch in HUI mode for Pro Tools, only the channel strips 1-8 and transport controls work out of the box.
HUI doesn't recognize the difference between channels and busses so the 9th Master (or buss fader) on the X T doesn't work
 
 Presonus Studio ONE is OK with MC, but shines brightly with HUI and life is of course great with their HUI based Faderport line, and they are the first to come out with a decent priced 16 channel DAW controller.
 
 
 The important thing to know here is that the Mackie MCU and X-Touch are virtually identical in functionality and integration with just a slightly different layout with the X Touch winning out with connectivity options.
 That was my main objective in choosing the X T, not actually the difference price.
 Conventional wisdom often dictates that "You get what you pay for", but once again Behringer has shattered that glass ceiling.
 As they also did with digital mixers such as the Behringer X32, the XR18 XAIR Digital Mixer is a perfect companion and up grade for the X Touch and vise versa, whether in the studio where it can be used not only as a high quality digital mixer, but also as an 18 input audio interface with 16 Midas preamps with onboard near zero latency HQ pro grade FX plugins, and added remote control via WiFi from either Android or iPhones smartphones or tablets or Windows or Mac laptops.
 It also has a standard 5 pin MIDI interface so it can perfectly integrate "plug and Play" with a Mackie MCU or any control surface running Mackie's MC protocol.
 
For live sound reinforcement, 'tis the BOMB and earns a solid "Cup of Drool" award from me. It can be placed anywhere on the stage like a traditional snake and  hooked up to the X Touch via a standard CAT 5 Internet cable. Anyone who ever had to lug around a 100', 50-60 lbs 16 channel audio snake will LOVE that! 100' of Internet cable might not even weigh in at 1 pound, lol. You need NO snake, and NO external rack of FX, the XR18 XAIR Digital Mixer has 4 onboard FX engines and can run 4 stereo or 8 mono full blown instant parameter control from an X Touch or Mackie (or smartphone, ect) of high quality VST FX plugins per track!
 As far as I'm concerened, that going directly from "never enough" from the crappy and very limited control of digital FX on analog mixers, to way too much over the top FX. (Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.) I don't care how great and pristine sounding your FX plugins are, use too many at once, especially vintage analog, tube, and tape simulators, thing will get quite muddy..
 Other benefits are.
 
 1) It remembers channel setups and mix scenes same as a DAW. set it up and forget about it, you and or your band sounds the same EVERYTIME without ever having to do an extensive time consuming sound check again.
 
2) You aren't tethered to one spot sitting in front of the X Touch mixing FOH, which is typically in an undesirable spot for optimal hearing the band in small venues, like up against a wall or stuffed in a corner of the room out of the way of the dancers and crowd.
 You can instantly tweak your mix from anywhere in the room via smartphone, etc, away from the mothership control consul.
 
 3) The XR18 XAIR Digital Mixer has 8 external outputs, 2 for FOH and 6 extra Aux sends and not only support Ethernet, but also supports Ultranet creating a tri band WiFi network, which basically means that everybody in the band can hear what they want and have concise control over their personal monitor mix via their own smartphone or tablet without screwing anything or anybody else up, that is except themselves of course..
 
 4) You can hook it up to a laptop via USB and record your show directly into your DAW and mix to perfection later in the comfort of your home or studio.
 
 
You can get more detailed info and see a great video for the various flavors of the XAIR line here.
http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHXR18   

I have a Nektar Impact LX 88, but you are not interested in a keyboard, and to be honest, it's Sonar integration is a bit iffy. On the bargain side, I have a Frontier Alphatrack which with Azlow's software has great integration with Sonar. There are loads of these going cheap on ebay. I'm now using an even better bargain though which is the M-audio Projectmix I/O, and again there are loads of these going for a song on ebay. It works on Windows 10, but some of the Sonar integration is slightly out of date - mainly just EQ though. It's also a pretty good audio interface. I think it was designed by Digitech/Avid so the quality is good. It gives me 9 motorized 100mm faders/encoders/strips, illuminated scribble strips, transport, scrub, zoom, shortcuts etc. plus 8 Mic pres. It cost me less than £100 (approx. less than $130). It's certainly a good consideration for anyone wanting a bargain, low-cost option that has more features than many of the newer alternatives costing many times more.

dwardzala
I will second (third?) the X-Touch.  Love it.  Once I get my laser etched template for it, it will be the bomb (I have a paper template for it now.)

+1 +1 +1 
 
I love My MCU with Sonar Platinum.   Full Control !!
 
 

Well - I took the x touch plunge!  I am quite impressed with its build, and the faders are a little smoother than I recall the x32 as being.  AzSlow, I went to your website and downloaded the az controller, as Im finding that some of the regular protocol functions on the standard mackie are not anything I would use, and some things not even there - for example... arming a track for writing basic automation seems to be convoluted and/or missing without a mouse.... which seems to be the first thing you would want to actually do..?    Seems you should have an "arm" button on each track?  I would like to grow into it more than I believe the standard template will allow me to.  I'm really cloudy how a lot of this works however.   What the steps actually are  beyond what I'm seeing in this video   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baoo0-CysSI
 
Anyone here ever set up an x touch like this?  How do you have yours setup?  Thanks for making this software AzSlow btw - its light years away from anything I could ever accomplish.....

With big X-Touch please use original Mackie Control plug-in (or my mod of it).
 
 
AZ Controller has no good ready to use preset for it, at least not yet. Such preset is in plans, with colors on display and network connection. But everything takes time (especially for devices I have seen on pictures only). Existing "Mack..." preset mimics "Mackie Control" but it was never good testes. "Startup preset" works with any device, but it is too basic for X touch, even as a starting point.
 
 
 

thedukewestern
 arming a track for writing basic automation seems to be convoluted and/or missing without a mouse.... which seems to be the first thing you would want to actually do..?    Seems you should have an "arm" button on each track?  I would like to grow into it more than I believe the standard template will allow me to

You don't have a dedicated Arm automation button on the channel strips, but can you custom assign any Function button F1-F8 to do just about anything you can think of that suits your workflow in the Mackie Control window.
 I personally set up "F1" to arm automation for a "selected" track, but you can assign Arm to any F key that suits you.
 Just select any F key you want to set up, there's literally 100's of assignable choices, which are kind of listed in relatable groups of functions and processes (NOT in alphabetical order), so scroll down about 3/4 the way in to sift through the drop down menu and you will find "Arm automation".  You only need to program one button, same button turns Arm on/off. Also don't forget to hit the "Configure Layout", "Save Layout" in the Mackie dialog box before closing it, or it won't remember your modifications.
  I know that reads like a silly or obvious warning, but I wish I had a dollar for every time I forgot to do that.
 
 Once set up it's very quick and easy to use, hit the select button or touch fader on the track you want to arm, then hit assigned F key to arm, the tracks "Record" button lights up or disarm it, "Record" light goes out.
 
That being said, I've found using the mouse and keyboard much faster, simpler, and easier to use for certain things, like adding and naming Markers, on the X Touch or Mackie you have to use 2 button combo/keystrokes together. Such as hit the Modifier button "M1" and the "Marker" button at the same time to create a marker, and I find it annoying that a dialog box pops up at the same time to name the marker. And being you can only assign numbers as names for markers from a control surface then hit the "Dialog OK", or if you don't want to number your marker, which I NEVER choose to do, but I still have to hit the "Cancel Dialog" button to make it all go away.
I find it just so much easier to just hit the "m" button on my keyboard "on the fly", and go back and right click on the marker and then simply type in a name, something like a tad more identifiable and to the point like "verse 1" or "chorus 2", hit the enter key and be done with it later.
 
And setting up creating loop regions is just so much easier typing in the measures/beats for Start and Stop points, another rather tedious 2 button at once + scroll wheel process on the control surface.
 Things like that not only slow my work flow down, they can be a buzz kill distraction trying to remember what modifiers and combinations to use so I don't have to reach of to hit ONE key on a computer keyboard or just simply Click on something with a mouse.
 
 And yes of course it's nice to know what you can do with many, many things directly from the control surface, but that doesn't mean you "have to" or even "should". ;-p

Steev
 I personally set up "F1" to arm automation for a "selected" track, but you can assign Arm to any F key that suits you.
 Just select any F key you want to set up, there's literally 100's of assignable choices, which are kind of listed in relatable groups of functions and processes (NOT in alphabetical order), so scroll down about 3/4 the way in to sift through the drop down menu and you will find "Arm automation".

 
I was looking for that - but started to get dizzy... hahaha!!  I have noticed that other daws may have some automation options that sonar does not... like touch, write, trim... as is displayed on the surface.  I was always a little envious of touch automation in pt... or perhaps its there and I just am not looking in the right spot
 
 

Steev
That being said, I've found using the mouse and keyboard much faster, simpler, and easier to use for certain things, like adding and naming Markers, on the X Touch or Mackie you have to use 2 button combo/keystrokes together.........
 

 
Who in their right mind would ever thing this is a smoother workflow -- etc.... I saw someone run through all of that... and I said.... I just want the faders man... I dont want to get rid of my keyboard.....  I also saw someone on youtube run through this 5 minute long process on how to select and expand a single track......  shoot me