My Mackie MCU has motorized faders and yes they are not quite but here's the thing,
By the time I am ready to mix a song the fader noise is not going to bother me because I've already done all the paper work. My motorized faders are turned off.
I automate by hand using Automation lanes and nodes, exc. When I am doing automation, my faders are turned off. So I don't have to hear the chatter.
 
The only time I use the faders are during the recording process.
I find that during mixing a mouse and keyboard is much more precise than a fader is. but when I have an instrument in one hand... that's when the faders come in to play and become essential.

Thanks Wally. I have a X-touch, love it, eventually I'll probably come back around to using Sonar, so, it's good to know it behaves with it also.

@chuckebaby
I have done the same as you, and mostly automated by hand.
I also turned the faders off by hearing to the mix - and used the faders during recording.
But then I have asked myself, why do I mostly automate by hand? - And why do I have motorized faders when I always turn them off? My Roland VS700C was outdated and just to big - and so it was time to look for a a small flat controller which is absolute inaudible. I first bought the X-Touch, and then I bought the Avid. Now the Avid-faders are always on, because I don't hear them.
 
 

THAM,
I can respect that. I understand where you are coming form.
Maybe some of my work habits are a form of my hardware and environment.
 
It is entirely possible that if my faders were not as loud as they are I might leave them on at all times.
My first reason for turning them off was of a maintenance value. I have heard stories of others complaining of burned out motors on their faders. So I figured, hand automation is just as easy, but maybe it isn't.
 
This has lead me to possibly explore using the faders with automation.
I do like being precise with automation and a fader is a little difficult to be "dead nuts" without the entity of some slope/gradual fade.
 
But maybe there is another way, im going to dive in to it.
Good response.

@chuckebaby
At the moment I do both. First I do the rough mix with motorfaders and then I adjust smaller values and special fades from hand.
I've first seen automation with a 24-track-tape and a automation-mixer for a half million dollar in the 80's in the studio from Horst Jankowski (german jazz pianist). At home I had only a self-made mixer and a 4-track-tape (Teac 3440).
 
 

I have a X-Touch Compact that I bought new a few months ago. It has that "dot-matrix printer" noise on the faders. It is noticeable at quiet monitoring levels, but most of the time it doesn't bother me, and if it does, I just shut off the motorized faders after I'm done automating (or move the faders to the next bank with less automation). Mind you, most rapid automation I do tends to be done with clip gain and only final mix gentle rides are done with fader volume automation. Once the X-Touch Compact was up and running in Sonar, it has been running completely stable, even through a few Windows 10 updates.

I bought the X Touch and set it up on Platinum. Works great. Decided to add the X Touch Extender and cannot seem to get it to work work. Both units are set up in the preferences however Platinum does not seem to recognize the Extender both, only one or the other. Any ideas out there...I am at a loss, thanks!

Pandave
I bought the X Touch and set it up on Platinum. Works great. Decided to add the X Touch Extender and cannot seem to get it to work work. Both units are set up in the preferences however Platinum does not seem to recognize the Extender both, only one or the other. Any ideas out there...I am at a loss, thanks!

First, you need to add the Extender as a MackieControl XT within the Control Surfaces in preferences.
 
Then you need to select Mackie Control from the Utilities menu, and click "Configure Layout".
 
If your extender is to the left of your X Touch, rotate the first v-pot on your main X-Touch one click to the right and click the "Click here when finished" button.  This sets the extender to channels 1-8, and the main x-touch to 9 - 16.
 
If your extender is to the right of your X Touch, rotate the first v-pot on your Extender one click to the right and click the "Click here when finished" button. This sets the main x-touch to channels 1-8, and the extender to 9 - 16.
 
Then save your profile within the Mackie Control dialog.

ryecatchermark
I have a X-Touch Compact that I bought new a few months ago. It has that "dot-matrix printer" noise on the faders. It is noticeable at quiet monitoring levels, but most of the time it doesn't bother me, and if it does, I just shut off the motorized faders after I'm done automating (or move the faders to the next bank with less automation). Mind you, most rapid automation I do tends to be done with clip gain and only final mix gentle rides are done with fader volume automation. Once the X-Touch Compact was up and running in Sonar, it has been running completely stable, even through a few Windows 10 updates.

Is anyone else hearing a noise issue?