Fader Resolution Problem w/ Presonus Faderport - PT 2019

[Dan Karns]

Greetings Folks,

I just picked up a new single channel Presonus Faderport, for the sole purpose of writing fader automation. Upon install it seemed to work fine -- that is until I actually started to do some vocal rides on a mix.

Fader control from the Faderport is nice and smooth in 0.1 increments when the transport is stopped, but as soon as I start playing the mix, the fader resolution becomes erratic -- jumping anywhere from maybe 0.3db to 1.5db or more at a time, no matter how much finesse I try to use. When writing automation those same erratic values play back, so I know it's not just a display issue or problem with the channel volume indicator in the mix window. Fader control from the mouse or the mac book trackpad does not have this problem.

Anyone else encountered this kind of symptom with this or any other controller?

I'm running PT 2019.6 on a Mac Book Pro 2.7Ghz with Mojave. The Faderport is setup in PT as a HUI controller, it's connected to it's own dedicated Thunderbolt 3 port, and I updated the firmware on it to the latest when I first installed it. This particular mix is extremely minimal, few plugins, and the system is barely breaking a sweat.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Dan

[justinhill]

I just did some tests with my Command 8 to see what was the smallest 'wave' I could repeatably make, and got to +/- 0.2dB, with a really steady hand... I realise this is a very different piece of gear to the faderports (which incidentally I considered before deciding to get a used Command 8).

[Dan Karns]

I could live with +/- 0.2dB! As long as it was consistent. I'm guessing the fact that mine is using HUI is somehow at the root of this.

Justin, quick question -- did you happen to try it with the transport stopped as well as running? I get a consistent +/- 0.1 dB with the transport stopped. It only goes dodgy once the transport is running.

[justinhill]

I can't reliably get +/- 0.1 either way but in my case it appears to be more to do with the advanced age of the hardware. Individual faders work better or worse than each other or better in some places than others. I have a second, busted, Command 8 and I've been thinking about tearing the faders out and trying to refurbish them.