Of it sitting in a corner gathering dust because it's unusable for drums, I've finally found a use for it. 
 
The idea was to see if I could have a use for a dedicated MIDI controller plug-ins, using knobs and sliders. I really wasn't sure. When it's time to mix, I think I actually prefer to interact w/ the faders directly w/ the mouse in most cases. Seems preferable than to have to switch banks back and forth on a remote controller to access the specific track you need to tweak.

As for the rest, the current track is always linked to the fader on my master keyboard, so I always have a quick access to it when recording.

So I started setting it up to control some of my most used plug-ins, like Logic's compressor. And I admit that it is great to be able to close my eyes and just turn a knob or push a fader. 

I didn't set it up to work w/ the channel EQ, due to the limited number of knobs, but I'm thinking that I'd get even more use out of it for that - I'd need at least 3 controls for each band, so that's 24.

W/ that in mind, I'm starting to consider getting a dedicated control surface for that stuff, and maybe to tweak some synths.

The options I can think of so far are Behringer's BCR or, much cheaper and smaller, Korg's Nano thingie (which also adds the benefit of transport buttons, something I always considered useless but which I could indeed use when the plug-in is the active window and receives all key-commands.) 

 
Looks cheap-ish but it's small... and BLACK. :)
Any other controllers I may want to look at?

Urgh, upon closer inspection the Nanokontrol wouldn't work. 

I thought I'd spotted a "shift" button allowing you to assign a second control to one of the knobs of faders...

Rain, if you go with the Korg, please report back on your opinion of it.  I saw one listed as low as $40.  For that kind of money, this looks hard to resist (apart from nearly having my dozen or so USB ports all spoken for).
 
Edit:
 
>Urgh, upon closer inspection the Nanokontrol wouldn't work. 

Never mind then. 

I may still get it, unless I find something that does it all. I like the fact that it's very compact, I can't work in clutter and my desk isn't that big.

I almost grabbed one in Quebec during the holiday but put it back on the shelf at the last minute.

If I do I'll report. Though setting up MIDI devices in Logic is actually dead simple - a bit like ACT is or should be in theory. 

As for the built quality, I'm expecting it to be cheapish. But as long as it works...

I think it would be cool to have a nice controller that you can assign multiple configurations to and where you could make blanks to go over all the stuff to identify what each knob/slider/pad/etc. does...

I never really messed w/ ACT, but I think that Logic works similarly though it does involve an additional window - which is actually quite handy because it also acts as a reference of all your assignments...

I had deleted the mapping I had done for my Trigger Finger (because we're moving and I'm packing stuff and sending that thing back to Quebec), but here's a quick example of a very basic 4 knobs/functions set up. You can rename or label stuff however you wish. Otherwise, it only indicated "learned". So I renamed them Fader 3, Fader 2, etc...

Obviously, you can also assign a knob or button to shift through the various modes or toggle between them when you are working on a couple of different plug-ins.




But the rest works pretty much like ACT if I remember correctly - click learn, click the plug-in's knob or slider you wish to assign and move a knob or slider on your control surface and you're done.

The Nanokontrollers are pretty good actually. I messed around with it when helping this kid set up his gear and he wanted to use one of the fader ones. They have their own editor so you can customise it to death and switch between different setups for different tasks. It's not a do all/be all controller but if you set it up to your liking you'll have plenty of fun and easy access to what you want to tweak. And if it breaks, it's really cheap to replace it.

I use the Novation Nocturne next to my TriggerFinger (I just got a replacement unit too) and my MIDI keyboards. I pretty much just select with the mouse and tweak with real knobs. Very happy with it. It's also perfect for Ableton Live and Reason.

Give the Nanokontrols a go, if you don't like it, sell it;) Or you could up your budget a bit. Either way, once you start using hardware knobs and faders, you can't stop

Ooops messed up...

  The Korg thing looks interesting Rain. I have an  M-audio keyboard controller, one of the small 49 key  ones with knobs and it can be mapped to any control in Sonar, it sits on a shelf and collects dust. The only thing I can see concerning the Korg is the fader throw. Some guys like a longer more refined throw on their faders,but those cost more. The faders on that Korg look like bare minimum to me.

 My favorite controller of all time so far has been the old CME  I sold. It had a weighted keybed,88  keys, faders/transport. In addition it had an internal midi clock and a tempo knob, man I could kick myself for selling it. CME support or lack thereof is probably what killed the popularity of that particular controller. Try to find a controller now with all of that, especially the tempo control knob.

  A lot of people write about how happy they are with their Behringer controllers. I have seriously considered getting one of those.

craigb


I think it would be cool to have a nice controller that you can assign multiple configurations to and where you could make blanks to go over all the stuff to identify what each knob/slider/pad/etc. does...

That was (if I'm reading this right), the most fun in Arturia's Jupiter 8 software ... I have all 9 sliders and all 9 knobs assigned to handle the majority of the functions on the program ... and you can just play ... and the only hard part is adding the sequencer in and out, which I have not figured out how to do while playing ... sort of like start and stop in the middle and such.
 
In the Colin Townes album "Full Circle", is one of the prettiest examples I have ever heard of this ... it starts with straight piano, and by the end it is pure synthesizer and the change is like an inch at a time, and takes your ear nicely with it ... sort of like the piano gets slowly distorted and eventually is in another dimention!