D-Command vs. C24 Audio Post Work

[Nathan W.]

Probably been convered in another post somewhere on the DUC, why does search suck on the Avid Forums? Comparable links appreciated on the topic.

Anyway, so aesthetically the D-Command looks way better than the C24 I think. For post production (I work on t.v. programming) what justifies spending about 3 times as much money for a D-Command console vs. a C24? I'm looking for reasons why it's functionally a better console. I had a buddy who said that for low-light situations it's the way to go, so that alone for theatre mixing is a no-brainer. But for t.v. post production, I almost always have overhead lights on so not being able to see what I'm doing isn't a problem. Really trying to get an unbiased editors point of view (no sales pitches) from peeps who have a clear and unbiased opinion Thanks for feedback.

[rhumphries]

I've looked into both, but haven't made the jump on either yet.

The D command has touch sensitive knobs, the C-24 doesn't. The D-command has the VCA spill function, and the C-24 doesn't. I Think the D-command comes with X-mon also, but I could be mistaken-- that might be extra.

I'm still waiting for something better to come along.

-Richard

[Pete Gates]

Yes you do get the X-mon with the D-Command.

I've got a 24 fader D-Command and often work on a C24 too. C24 is pretty good value for money and works fine but I'd have even an 8 fader D-Command over a C24 any day. Faders are quieter, custom faders, VCA spill, EQ/Dynamics section, user keys, plugin mapping, touch sensitive knobs...

Pete

[garnoil]

I had a C24 and for me at least, the ergonomics were very bad. I was never able to see the the board correctly because I fund that the "mushroom pots" were just too big and bulky. Why the design them that way, who knows. Also, if you put your normal keyboard in front of the C24 then, to see the board you have to stand up every time. If you slant the board upwards, then it gets on the way of my desktop screens. Well, that is my 2 cents I got rid of it after a month.

[jmattchan]

i've never tried the d-command but i find with the d-control, having access to custom groups, vca spill, advanced automation parameters on soft keys, and dedicated eq/dynamics sections means i can work for longer periods without ever going back to the keyboard or mouse. this being compared to the c24 and pro control.

this is definitely from a mixing perspective. i find i can spend more time in playback instead of stop-and-go. i think if i was spending more time editing than this probably wouldn't matter as much.

[Brent_Sydney]

No question, for long form work a DCommand will finish the job loads faster. For short form work a dcommand with an appropriate template, will also blaze.

Main differences as already touched on:
EQ and Dyn maps to the centre section when focusing
Custom faders - allowing you to make "content" driven groups that are seperate to whats going on in the PT software environment
Spilling VCA groups - allowing for an almost two tier/layer mixing experience
Touch sensitive pots for automation
User definable soft keys - particularly useful for automation functions like autojoin/preview/glide to all enabled etc Keep your main functions on the top of the surface for speed
Shallower than a C24 so you can put your Kb and mouse between you and the faders and still reach the meter bridge, for ideal ergonomics
Expandable to 40 faders - that's large!

I prefer the dcommand over the dcontrol myself. That's why I bought one. Also had a C24, which was good, but had to go to help the mortgage...

Nathan, loads of videos on my blog showing the more power features of the ICON that are not as easy to find - also be sure to watch the Avid videos, TG and Gil did one for DCommand only a little while ago. Lots of good workflow demos in them.

[Brandonx1]

One thing that I use all the time is preview mode. automating like this is so slow on a C24. I just mouse around when I'm on one of those things. Any icon, or a pro control is loads faster for mixing then a C24. The only controller I think I dislike more is a command 8.

Ever think about a artist controller package? Might be just what you are looking for

[ggegan]

You can get the job done with either console, but the D-Command is definitely more versatile and better made. The faders and knobs are better quality and much more responsive. Probably the main difference is that the C24 forces you to work more with the mouse and with menu or keyboard commands. The D-Command also has custom faders, which not only allow you to call up specific groups of faders instantly, but also allow you to custom map plugin controls to the console surface.

[Nathan W.]

Thanks for the posts guys, this is very helpful. Now if I can only convince my boss...

[tom_lowe]

I'd personally hold off on buying any Avid console, having used both, they feel really cheap and poorly made. They've recently bought Euphonix, hopefully not just to drive them in to the ground, but to actually make far better consoles.

If you look at the Euphonix stuff, it's much better made. Hopefully that level of build quality will make it in to the Avid branded products.

Even better would be if they licensed EuCon to companies such as SSL.