S6 demo by Avid's Jeff Komar

[loud neighbor]

Found these on YouTube and thought I'd share...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX0wOQrNWmE

I found them to be helpful. Thanks Jeff!

[Josh Voyles]

I'm really not a fan of the S6. (Not a fan of the newer control surfaces in general.)

They offer a lot of options, but if something isn't working right good lucking identifying what you did.

I think I'd still rather have one of the SSL's for general control and then do the rest with the mouse.

[tamasdragon]

I've worked with SSL for a few times, and for me, it was a true pain to control Pro Tools with AWS and with Duality. Always felt like home when I got back to almost any of the "original" Avid surfaces.

[Drew Mazurek]

I watched the videos. I've also seen the ones Gil Gowing has done.

That Expand mode, it's a shame it expands off to the left. Seems like it should expand centered around the channel that's attentioned. On a surface with lots of faders, it's that strange? Even with just 16 faders, it's odd that your EQ knobs are offset like that.

[digimidi]

Expand mode expands on the knob module in the section that the channel was targeted from. There will be an update soon that all of Avid's plug ins will have updated expand layouts for S6. There are also 3rd party companies that will be coming out with updated expand layouts soon as well.

[Josh Voyles]

Originally Posted by tamasdragon

I've worked with SSL for a few times, and for me, it was a true pain to control Pro Tools with AWS and with Duality. Always felt like home when I got back to almost any of the "original" Avid surfaces.

Thanks for that info. Is it just Pro Tools specific or all DAWs and can you comment on the Matrix on Nucleus?

Thanks

[Drew Mazurek]

Originally Posted by digimidi

Expand mode expands on the knob module in the section that the channel was targeted from. There will be an update soon that all of Avid's plug ins will have updated expand layouts for S6. There are also 3rd party companies that will be coming out with updated expand layouts soon as well.

Thanks Gil. I watched again and see that. Seems it would be really cool of the knobs "centered" themselves around the channel in question so it stayed "local" so to speak. Minor quibble for sure, but I do feel like it would make more sense.

[Brandonx1]

Originally Posted by Drew Mazurek

Thanks Gil. I watched again and see that. Seems it would be really cool of the knobs "centered" themselves around the channel in question so it stayed "local" so to speak. Minor quibble for sure, but I do feel like it would make more sense.

The reason the eq knobs are always in the same place, is avid wants you to develop muscle memory. The speed is in always reaching for the same knob for the same function. So, input gain is always on the same knob and doesn't move around on you.

[loud neighbor]

Originally Posted by Drew Mazurek

Thanks Gil. I watched again and see that. Seems it would be really cool of the knobs "centered" themselves around the channel in question so it stayed "local" so to speak. Minor quibble for sure, but I do feel like it would make more sense.

It might make sense for bigger S6 setups but for smaller configurations like my 16 fader M10 the way it currently expands seems perfect. I like the muscle memory aspect of it. The modular layout is a natural "page break" so it makes sense to me. Imagine working on the 15th fader and having to bank / scroll over to see the expanded EQ - would slow things down. Wouldn't hurt as a preference though!

I can relate to the polarized general sentiments about the S6 (honestly, it took me a while to warm up to the thing) but now I'm really starting to like it. It's true - the S6 is just a really nice mouse. But having gone from only using an actual mouse (one click at a time!) to now using a really nice mouse (with both hands!) I can't imagine mixing without it. The fact that it plays nicely with other apps like Logic is a huge bonus. 1.3 was a major improvement in stability so I'm looking forward to the future updates - especially for better plug-in mapping. That'll help with the squinting and trial and error fumbling...

I spent a few days working on an SSL Matrix last week. I don't remember if it was a Matrix2 or the original... either way, the feel / build quality of the S6 became more apparent to me. The displays, faders, knobs... quite a big difference in favor of the S6. There were some random communication errors that were pretty annoying too but in fairness that might not have been an SSL issue. And granted, the charm of the SSL is the fact that it's an actual SSL audio console - the controller aspect definitely seems secondary. At any rate, I gained new appreciation for the S6 after using a similar controller (similar in terms of footprint / cost).

Just my $.02 on the subject - realizing everyone has unique needs and tolerances.

On a side note... the S3 just might be the best product AVID has ever made considering cost / features. If I hadn't bought the M10 already (and grown attached to its functionality), the S3 would be sitting in its place.

[Drew Mazurek]

Originally Posted by Brandonx1

The reason the eq knobs are always in the same place, is avid wants you to develop muscle memory. The speed is in always reaching for the same knob for the same function. So, input gain is always on the same knob and doesn't move around on you.

But they're not always in the same place...... RELATIVE to the channel you've Expanded. With my method they would be.

Now, you've got to develop 8 different muscle memory scenarios based on which channel of the bucket you're on. If it were like I suggest, then that gain know will ALWAYS be in the exact same place regardless.