Adding a Dock

[blastula]

After a million years of recording and mixing with a trackball, i'm looking at buying an S3. A lot of people seem to think the Dock greatly enhances the S3's usefulness. Part of the reason I want the S3 is that I want to spend LESS time looking at a screen, and in all the Dock videos, it's largely about incorporating an iPad. Beyond that, it's more knobs and a fader. Aside from dedicated transport controls (and can't i still use my qwerty/numeric keyboard for that?)....what does the Dock add to the S3?
Thanks,
Rob

[albee1952]

If you have yet to buy either, you might start with the DOCK first. Its much cheaper and you may decide its all you need after working with it a while(old habits die hard for all of this). And yes, you still can use the keyboard for transport(in addition to transport on the DOCK)

Re the trackball, to each their own, but I hate them for Pro Tools and much prefer a fairly standard mouse(with right-click).

[blastula]

Gravitating toward the S3 because as I really want to minimize screen gazing, and it seems the dock is all about adding an iPad; another screen. The thing I am wondering is: what does the Dock add to the S3 that makes it so essential?

[rmprice]

I demo'd an S3 and dock last week. The EQ layout on the dock felt more intuitive than the spill on the S3. The dock also gives you soft keys that are easily assignable to any menu function. If I had to choose between just an S3 or a dock, I'd take the dock. Both together feels just as functional as an S6, minus some knobs.

[blastula]

Thanks rmprice.
Dock over S3. That's a curveball!
Curious to know: while you were checking out the Dock, did you find you were working much with the iPad? I ask because I really don't like the idea of having to make a lot of moves on a touchpad. Thanx!

[rmprice]

All of the soft keys on the ipad correlate to physical buttons on the dock below the iPad. The only thing I had to click on the ipad is the select button to switch between the Freq and Q on the Eq. IF you have an ipad the app is free so you can see what you have to click on otherwise (switching between inserts and views)

Not sure where you are, but if you can, I'd recommend asking a dealer for a demo of both and spend an hour with them, it changed my view. I'm not saying the dock or the S3 are perfect, but after mixing on an S6, which like it or not is the only option now, I was impressed with the price.

[reichman]

Once you get the hang of tweaking plug-ins and switching automation modes on the Dock, you'll wonder how you ever got any work done before you had it. I put mine in a Pelican case and take it everywhere. And yes, Dock before S3 in my opinion.