control surface or mixing console?

[danny1983]

hi
i am planning on getting protools hd. I cant decide if i want to get a control surface such as control 24 or a mackie. the mackie seems to be less expensive, but the control 24 has focusright preamps,,
are these specific focusright preamps any good? What are the benefits of getting an analog board instead of a control surface?
thanks a lot.

[georgia]

From a non-bias consultant view:

we have clients that do both or 1 or the other.

It really depends on what you are doing. If you're recording live musicians a mixing desk with mic pres could come in handy for tracking, mics, cue sends, headphone mixes, laybacks. etc. Additionally, any given mixing desk will add "color" to a sound. Some more , some less. you can purchase an analog console with automation or a digital console with automation that gives you the ability to mix "in-the-box" or on the console or both with a given mix...

On the other hand, if you are shooting for complete integration of a physical desk and Protools or other DAW, then a control surface might be what you need. No actual difference in the sound quality, it won't change your mixes in the end.. just makes them easier to do... Multiple things can happen at once during automation passes etc... it makes your life very easy and fast to have all the controls visable and accesable at any given moment.

Then there are the in-between units , sort of a hybrid system like the Control|24 which offers a bit of both at the expense of loss of capability on both sides. You give up a little on either end of the spectrum to get a multi-purpopse system. So it all comes down to what your studio requirements are.

Now on a personal note:
Why the heck would anyone spend tens of thousands of dollars for a uber mouse that does nothing to the quality of the actual sound of a mix..... go figure...
ok, ok, I do actually understand the WHY someone would.. I just don't presonally buy into it. I'd rather send those kind of bucks on an audio console that does something positive to the sound itself ( with its own automation) vs an uber mouse that moves nobs that I can do with a keyboard and mouse anyway. Of course there is always the client magnet aspect!


Cheers
georgia

[danny1983]

hey thanks a lot man,, makes sense!

what mixing console would you recomend under or around $6,000? good preamps and automation are a big plus for me,,
thanks a lot for the help....