a few reflections on my new s1
 

hey there,

first time with a control surface here, and it's an s1 now, I mainly got one cause I like to use my gear like instruments, it needs to add something to the table, not stand in the way, here are some thoughts.

>to be able to do some nice live-mixing, abusing the ability to reset the faders to 0db, I had to use a bunch of kilohearts gain plugins to get all my faders to 0 to begin with, I really like the option+"tap on fader" feature. makes me wish there was a feature that lets me reset the fader to where it was when project was saved. that being said, I was able to pull off some nice chain-resets when performing some of my tracks. still, I think I should have used VCAs, seems like the smarter way to go, right?

> so, I had no idea the faders know when they are touched, so they have some touch resistor inside them, neat. I know this from an arturia beat step pro, but it's jiggly there, it works better on the s1, but one thing I noticed: for having more control over the fader, I like to pinch it with my thumb and my index, not putting one finger into the center of the know, but the side, this way unfortunately the s1's fader have trouble noticing that I touch the fader at all, even though I touch both edges with two fingers, this can lead to jerky moves, not sure if this is safe for the unit, if someone from avid could chime in, much appreciated.

> for two days I was so confused I could not change the automation modes with shift+ REC button, it would just not work, then I stumbled on a threat here that finally made me realize, this unit has TWO shift buttons ;) I used the wrong one.

> minor detail noticed yesterday: when resetting faders (option+touch) some would not stop at 0 and resetting all 8 would give the impression some are +-.5db off. maybe a firmware update can alleviate this? or maybe there is some way of calibrating the faders? I did not find anything on this in the manual so far.

>tried to do a big automation live mixing session (mix the whole thing in one go) and wanted to write it all, so I readied the write mode and started jamming, just to find out I had to enable automation parameters first, well, d'uh. is there a setting to automatically activate automation for parameters? or have them all enabled all the time, is this wise or silly?

so, these are my observations so far, any tips from the pros? I mainly got an s1 for hands-on experience, and so far it is far different of an experience compared to my ipad and mouse. especially when riding 4 or more faders at the same time musically, reminds me of my dj-ing days where I would control synthesizers live and rythmically altering sounds, essentially playing them like musical instruments, this thing allows for this. glad to find out the automation resolution os better than on an artist mix, on par with an s3 it seems. (saw a yt video showing an AM to have way lower resolution/precision than an S3)

also super glad to find out I can control parameters of plugin instruments, not just plugins with this, I figured this was possible with the ipad, but a rather famous foley artist friend of mine with his big studio told me "that's not possible". so controlling NI Reaktor with this? no problem.

so I guess this turned out to be some kind of review I guess. anyways, I am glad this is not just something for bread-and-butter pro tools dinosaurs, who probably don't like moving mice, but also for the upcoming usually "PT-shunning synthiekiddo crowd" like me, who like to use machines like musical instruments - it's very possible with an s1 and it facilitates it, it seems. I just think I need more input on what cool things I should try next with my s1, I guess I'll start assigning key commands for the user buttons.

so, as a newbie in controllers (apart from midi controllers) let me in on some of the secret workflows and magics revolving these things .)

Re: a few reflections on my new s1
 

Interesting observations:D As for the faders, they use "touch capacitance" to sense a finger touch(why the caps are silver as they are conductive). Try moving a fader with a fingernail or a pencil....:o. For this to work is best, it needs a couple of things; mostly it needs a good connection to your skin, which can be tough in a dry winter. In a worst-case scenario, wearing a wrist grounding strap can help.

Re: a few reflections on my new s1
 

well it's winter here too, and I resorted to licking my fingers before going to town :D

another thing I observed was that the user hotkeys seem to neither save with my unit, nor follow the application lock settings. I assigned the spacebar to user1 and it would activate spacebar for every application in focus, even though I have locked PT to my s1 for now.

Re: a few reflections on my new s1
 

There is a Pro Tools preference setting "Plugins Controls Default to Auto-Enabled" in the Mixing tab. This will make all plugin parameters of newly instantiated plugins automation enabled. I don't believe it will enable parameters for already instantiated plugins.

Re: a few reflections on my new s1
 

Assign your softkey to a Eucon transport command instead of the spacebar.

Re: a few reflections on my new s1
 

reading the comment on faders was the same problem as the artist mix glad i did not make the move to the S1 i have a D command es and the faders are great no wrist strap or pencil needed!

Re: a few reflections on my new s1
 

oh boy how have I survived in this business for 15 years without a control surface, thanks to the last 3 posters your tipps were all essential 👍

don't get me wrong, the issue is not that bad, I surely exaggerated little with the "licking my fingers" comment, and ultimately I now use three fingers to move a fader just to be sure it goes smooth, which is fine, cause for very fine adjustments you would intuitively use three anyways most of the times. this way two fingers grab the top and bottom, and the index sits in the fader-valley.

on a side-note, yes it helps to not let humidity go below 20% in your room. Overall I am pretty happy with my s1, but I have nothing to compare it to. I particularly like the level meters in the little displays, I barely need to watch the screen and since Lynn sorted my rookie mistake, I now can listen and edit a mix while I do other things, which I particularly like as sometimes one needs to distract the conscious mind to allow the subconscious to affect intuitive changes (to your mix).

the s1 feels sturdy and I hope it will last me at least 7 years without service. no idea if that's realistic, but given the build quality I feel it should be possible. yes I paid a premium for this, and here and there I ask myself "you paid how much for this??" but then, if this is a professional instrument, like my sturdy old mac pro which outlasted so many other windows machines, then the price is well worth it, I don't expect the mute or solo buttons to fail, or any buttons for that matter, they all seem sturdy and just well engineered.

btw I wrote this post while playing with a mix, it really helps having control over music while not having to look at much going on on-screen, but then again, I am new to the whole experience and concept of control surfaces, even though I knew for many years I probably need one.

so I guess while we are being locked in our houses, waiting for total global medical martial law being rolled out (forgive me my facetiousness) some of us surely can enjoy some nice wine and workflow :) (don't forget to get your daily walks and loads of fresh air, especially in times of corona)

keep the tipps coming :)

Re: a few reflections on my new s1
 

If you have guitars in the room, humidity should stay above 35-40%. Lower than that and you risk lots of problems, from fret sprout(protruding ends), warpage, top cracks(on acoustics) and even acoustic bridge pops(that will scare the tar out of you if it happens when you're right next to it):eek::eek::eek:

Re: a few reflections on my new s1
 

jep, learned this the hard way, one of my custom teles had fret sprout, I was able to fix it with a file, my winters can get super dry and there is little I can do about it it seems, unless there are room humidifiers which don't make any noise. usually I just soak towels and hang them into my room(s), but even this only gets me to around 26-31%.

no acoustics in this room thankfully, and if so only for short periods of time (recording).