Current Best Options for Hardware Controller

[Dave Labrecque]

Looks like the most recent discussion around here is a couple years old.

Can someone hip me to a current overview. What all can I expect out of a MIDI controller? Will it handle all of the non-signal-passing duties that analog or digital consoles of the past used to? Like how deep can I expect the fader-and-knob-and-buttons control to go? All the bits of the SAW channel strip? Only some? Main monitor control? Headphone mixes?

Another way to ask it: how much mouse-and-keyboard control will be replaced by a modern hardware controller?

Finally: which controllers are you liking as we enter the third decade of the 21st century?

My venerable Ramsa/Panasonic WR-DA7 has been in storage for eight years, and I'm betting it's going to be tough to find a reason to pull it back out.

Thanks for any current-day wisdom. I've been out of the loop for a while as far as this stuff goes.

[cgrafx]

Stuff that will work pretty much out of the box

Transport control
Forward
Rev
Play
Stop
Record

Channel Strip
Fader
Mute
Solo
Pan
Arm Rec (I believe this works)

Deeper stuff may or may not be supported.

But really most of the rest of the things you'd want to do are handled better on screen with the mouse or trackball anyway.

I've been use the Behringer x-touch extenders with SAC, which gives me faders, mute, solo, pan and scribble strips.

[jmh]

You can adopt RobertV's style of rolling your own:

http://www.sawstudiouser.com/forums/...using-Arduino)

You can switch it up to suit if you are a six fingered man too...

[Dave Labrecque]

Thanks, Phillip. I was hoping other knobs and sliders would be accessible. Are you saying such deeper control may/may not be supported by the hardware or by the DAW? And what about with SAW, specifically?

I guess I figured it'd be more or less universal since we're talking about the HUI and Mackie Control protocols.

Also, what are "Forward" and "Rev"? Is that jumping some increment in either direction? If so, is this increment definable?

Hey, are you using the X-touch extenders by themselves (no main X-touch)? Didn't know that was doable.

Thanks, again.

[Dave Labrecque]

You can adopt RobertV's style of rolling your own:

http://www.sawstudiouser.com/forums/...using-Arduino)

You can switch it up to suit if you are a six fingered man too...

Very cool what Robert did. Not sure I'm quite that ambitious, though.

[cgrafx]

Thanks, Phillip. I was hoping other knobs and sliders would be accessible. Are you saying such deeper control may/may not be supported by the hardware or by the DAW? And what about with SAW, specifically?

I guess I figured it'd be more or less universal since we're talking about the HUI and Mackie Control protocols.

Also, what are "Forward" and "Rev"? Is that jumping some increment in either direction? If so, is this increment definable?

Hey, are you using the X-touch extenders by themselves (no main X-touch)? Didn't know that was doable.

Thanks, again.

Forward, Rev, sorry got ahead of myself on transport controls (was thinking tape transport)

I'm sure there are more controls that also work (probably the jog wheel if it has one), I just don't have anything with the transport side to test, just the extenders.

Yes, you can use the extenders by themselves without the main x-touch, which makes them really nice for SAC, just simple blocks of 8 channel strips without all the other stuff that is useless for Live sound.

[RobertV]

Very cool what Robert did. Not sure I'm quite that ambitious, though.

Hi Cgrafx;

I've done most of the hard work for you!
In the meantime i found a lovely 16 key keypad PCB that can be used, I.E.;
the "Sweet 16 Macropad" from 1Up Keyboards

https://www.1upkeyboards.com/product...ts/macro-pads/

If you are interested going that way I have some more links and information I'm happy to provide.

So far the Controller has not missed a beat

Cheers...

[jmh]

Robert,

Are these telephone keypad geometry?

Are you using their microcontroller and if not, how many pins does it take to read it?

John

[RobertV]

Hi John;

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/3bn9zcfi9...hPsu5zK_a?dl=0

The spacing of the keys are standard keyboard i.e.: 3/4" or 19mm

The recommended PCB has provisions for a specific arduino shield,
However, because i am using the keypad matrix signals only and want to use added functionality I am using the Arduino shield separate from the Keypad PCB.
Current project has Polulu A-star32U4 Mini LV (my next project will be using the Teensy 4.0 or even better the 4.1)
in shortt, I am using (4 pin connectors) x 2 to connect the Keypad to the Arduino.

(sorry about my longhanded way of explaining)

Hope this answers your questions

Cheers

[Dave Labrecque]

Hi Cgrafx;

I've done most of the hard work for you!
In the meantime i found a lovely 16 key keypad PCB that can be used, I.E.;
the "Sweet 16 Macropad" from 1Up Keyboards

https://www.1upkeyboards.com/product...ts/macro-pads/

If you are interested going that way I have some more links and information I'm happy to provide.

So far the Controller has not missed a beat

Cheers...

I assume you're addressing me?

Very cool. Still too much of a learning curve for me, though, I'm afraid.