Tell us What you Don't Like About the Artist

[Barry Johns]

I have heard bits and pieces about some people's frustrations with using the Avid Artist series controllers with Protools specifically. I had an opportunity to do a trade, but that passed. I am now looking to build a 2nd setup at another location and am deciding to either buy more used Pro-Controls, like I have now, or buy the Artist series controllers. Really those two are the only thing I want to consider as I don't want to be limited to 24 faders, and price is another big driver. It will be used with a PTHD rig.

Used Pro Control units run for about 850 for the main unit, and fader packs for 700, so for 2250 I can have 24 faders. Control 24's can be had now for 2300 or so, but most are in pretty bad cosmetic shape. Cheapest for a C24 used is 4800. 20 faders of Artist used run about 2800.

So if you don't mind, please share with me what you don't like about the functionality with PTHD when using the Artists Series controllers.

[Herbieoz]

Artist hardware is fine (although a bit plastic, but for the price point quite good) - bottom line is that the functionality relies on software (Eucon) that simply fails to work for everyone I know personally (over 40 people). Some on this discussion board have no issues, a luck of the draw, but my experience has been about the worst possible purchase - it has never worked since purchase in 2010 and many known issues remain untouched by Avid. Don't touch the artist series if you need something reliable unless you are a gambler who can take a punt on it not working and not get upset or worry about being out of pocket. The older tech you mention above is not compatible with PT11 so you would be limited to PT10. It would be much much more reliable if you were sticking with PT10 though.

This is my opinion based on my personal experience. Results differ, and a few people recommend the artist series - but in my 40 years of professional history I have never found a piece of equipment or software that is more unstable, problematic, unsupported, inefficient, time-wasting or utterly unprofessional as the Artist/Eucon combination, purely because of the software that is meant to make it useful. While Eucon is as bad as it is, avoid anything, including the new S-series consoles, that uses Eucon for connectivity.

[vudoo]

While Eucon is as bad as it is, avoid anything, including the new S-series consoles, that uses Eucon for connectivity.

To my knowledge, the S-series is not even out yet...

I had two 24 channel Pro Control and edit pack that i recently replaced with the artist series and D-command ES. As much as i like the ProControl, it was getting long in the tooth and once i started working in Pt 11, there was no turning back. Originally, i bought the Artist as an interim solution until i could find a better controller but, to my surprise, i end up digging it quite a bit. As for the Eucon protocol, never had any issues (on my 2 iMacs and MBP) other than it going off-line once in a while after i turn off the computer. This problem can easily be fixed by resetting the controller in the Eucon app.

[Southsidemusic]

Hi Barry

Yeah we are one of the people who have a GREAT working setup in our Studio 2 with 4 artist units and run as said in sig, Macbook Pro Retina 2013 OSX 10.8.5

We have EuCon 3.1 and love it. The only time we have had the controllers go offline have been when PT11HD decided to crash but restart PT and they came alive within seconds, no hassle with the start-stop stuff or restart EuCon, they just work. One very important thing we done is setting them up with a WiFi modem and they are all 4 plugged into the modem and wireless to the MBPr.

Also we have disabled "auto start" so when Mac booted up we start the EuCon software manually. No hassle as it takes 1 mouse click more than auto starting EuCon and then when done manually EuCon have time to finish spinning and boot up before the units start to connect with it. We can even turn off all 4 artist series units when PT is running and start them again with just the power buttons and they fire up ASAP! No start stop im EuCon at all, just BAM! Works

The ONLY thing we do NOT like about them compared to our D-Control 32ES is that - > Banking does NOT follow Faders in Pro Tools so when banking on the Artist Control for instance PT doesn't follow the same fader banking and we end up looking for the channel we wanna use. It can take time and is VERY annoying. Basically the fader order on the amix window in PT doesn't match the fader order on the Artist series units and that is something requested for 2-3 yeaars according to some members here and still not applied to the EuCon upates ...

That is the only bad thing and of course there are functions we come by sometimes we wish was implemented like we have in the D-Control but that is nothing we were expecting when we paid 5294.67 USD for 1 Artist Control 2 Artist Mix 1 Artist Transport so all in all we are very happy with our setup in the production/songwriting room using these babies and they have lived up to our expectations. Do make sure you buy the new Black units and if buying them used, get the newest versions you can as faders and knobs have been updated on the Black Avid units since the older V2 units came out. Money well spent for the new ones.

Feel free to ask anything else and I will do my best to help you if you decide to get them.


RECAP:
these are the steps we have done to have a solid funtional setup :

1. One very important thing we done is setting them up with a WiFi modem and they are all 4 plugged into the modem and wireless to the MBPr on the same settings as the wireless internet access are. Nothing done other than what we did to setup the modem when we bought that wireless unit for updates and downloads of PT and Software for the computer needs.

1.2. Under settings goto Peripherals and make sure you enable Eucon support and if you don't use wireless modem/Hub/router there is an additional setting for this and as I am not in the studio right now I cant say what it is called but I will add that here later tonight. VERY important step otherwise your computer won't see the unit on the ethernet connection.


2. Also we have disabled "auto start" so when Mac booted up we start the EuCon software manually.

3. Be Brave and take it slow when setting them up. Do EXACLY what is described in the setup pages and manual on Avid website.

Well I guess I have taken up enough realestate here for now but hopefully you and others might find this useful. If you are one of the guys who have them and have issues still on 3.1 please try step 2 and maybe a version of step 1 and see if that makes any difference

Best Of Luck and Hope You and others here get your setups in order.
Christopher

PS. Vudoo - The S-6 are shipping now and we hope to get our brand new M40 5Knob 32 Fader unit before mid february if our Music Store dealer isn't talking outta their Beehind They order from a supplier in Scotland and usually we recieve our Avid gear the very next day or the latest the day after when we bought all of our Avid gear and S6 is no different.

[vudoo]

PS. Vudoo - The S-6 are shipping now and we hope to get our brand new M40 5Knob 32 Fader unit before mid february if our Music Store dealer isn't talking outta their Beehind They order from a supplier in Scotland and usually we recieve our Avid gear the very next day or the latest the day after when we bought all of our Avid gear and S6 is no different.

Great, please keep me posted as i want to replace my D-command ES soon.

[Barry Johns]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Hi Barry

Yeah we are one of the people who have a GREAT working setup in our Studio 2 with 4 artist units and run as said in sig, Macbook Pro Retina 2013 OSX 10.8.5

We have EuCon 3.1 and love it. The only time we have had the controllers go offline have been when PT11HD decided to crash but restart PT and they came alive within seconds, no hassle with the start-stop stuff or restart EuCon, they just work. One very important thing we done is setting them up with a WiFi modem and they are all 4 plugged into the modem and wireless to the MBPr.

Also we have disabled "auto start" so when Mac booted up we start the EuCon software manually. No hassle as it takes 1 mouse click more than auto starting EuCon and then when done manually EuCon have time to finish spinning and boot up before the units start to connect with it. We can even turn off all 4 artist series units when PT is running and start them again with just the power buttons and they fire up ASAP! No start stop im EuCon at all, just BAM! Works

The ONLY thing we do NOT like about them compared to our D-Control 32ES is that - > Banking does NOT follow Faders in Pro Tools so when banking on the Artist Control for instance PT doesn't follow the same fader banking and we end up looking for the channel we wanna use. It can take time and is VERY annoying. Basically the fader order on the amix window in PT doesn't match the fader order on the Artist series units and that is something requested for 2-3 yeaars according to some members here and still not applied to the EuCon upates ...

That is the only bad thing and of course there are functions we come by sometimes we wish was implemented like we have in the D-Control but that is nothing we were expecting when we paid 5294.67 USD for 1 Artist Control 2 Artist Mix 1 Artist Transport so all in all we are very happy with our setup in the production/songwriting room using these babies and they have lived up to our expectations. Do make sure you buy the new Black units and if buying them used, get the newest versions you can as faders and knobs have been updated on the Black Avid units since the older V2 units came out. Money well spent for the new ones.

Feel free to ask anything else and I will do my best to help you if you decide to get them.


RECAP:
these are the steps we have done to have a solid funtional setup :

1. One very important thing we done is setting them up with a WiFi modem and they are all 4 plugged into the modem and wireless to the MBPr on the same settings as the wireless internet access are. Nothing done other than what we did to setup the modem when we bought that wireless unit for updates and downloads of PT and Software for the computer needs.

1.2. Under settings goto Peripherals and make sure you enable Eucon support and if you don't use wireless modem/Hub/router there is an additional setting for this and as I am not in the studio right now I cant say what it is called but I will add that here later tonight. VERY important step otherwise your computer won't see the unit on the ethernet connection.


2. Also we have disabled "auto start" so when Mac booted up we start the EuCon software manually.

3. Be Brave and take it slow when setting them up. Do EXACLY what is described in the setup pages and manual on Avid website.

Well I guess I have taken up enough realestate here for now but hopefully you and others might find this useful. If you are one of the guys who have them and have issues still on 3.1 please try step 2 and maybe a version of step 1 and see if that makes any difference

Best Of Luck and Hope You and others here get your setups in order.
Christopher

PS. Vudoo - The S-6 are shipping now and we hope to get our brand new M40 5Knob 32 Fader unit before mid february if our Music Store dealer isn't talking outta their Beehind They order from a supplier in Scotland and usually we recieve our Avid gear the very next day or the latest the day after when we bought all of our Avid gear and S6 is no different.

Thank you s much for taking the time to give me such a detailed insight into my options, it is truly appreciated.

I realize that I originally indicated that a C24 was not in consideration, however I watched an in-depth video on its features today that has me re-thinking things.

Can you give me any insight as to the C24 vs. the Artist series!

[Emcha_audio]

Much more integration on the C|24 side than the artist series. Good thing about the artist series is if you have the Artist control you can map your own soft keys But that's about it. It's been a while since I've use a C|24 but from memories I think that I liked the C|24 faders more than the artist mix that I'm using at the moment. Plus, Big meter bridge, always a plus.You do have metering information on the AM and AC, but it's really small so I don't find it quite as useful. But then again, there's a bit of a price difference there. The AM and AC are not bad units at all, and I personally haven't have any problems with the eucon protocol, but I'm wondering if it's because I'm only using an AM and not the AC. Also, it's a lot faster to get things done on the C|24 since most functions are a simply one button push, while on the AM (in my case) you sometimes have to do a combination of button, knobs, knobs, button to get where you want to be.

All in all, if you have the $ I would suggest you go with the C|24 it's going to be a lot more easier to use even more so if you are on HD.

[Artist PM]

How about we shift the dialog to

"what do Pro Control and C|24 do that Artist doesn't?"

We've already announced DAW control for S3 is coming...

Let's work together to make it awesome.

JC

[Barry Johns]

Originally Posted by JC Haydon

How about we shift the dialog to

"what do Pro Control and C|24 do that Artist doesn't?"

We've already announced DAW control for S3 is coming...

Let's work together to make it awesome.

JC

I love the fact that you have chimed in here. There is a lot that can be read into that!

For me, before that discussion takes place, what price would the S3 control surface come in at? At the current 25+k the whole system is too much when you only need/want the control surface alone.

I personally am very intrigued by your question and by all means let's go there too!

[Emcha_audio]

Originally Posted by JC Haydon

"what do Pro Control and C|24 do that Artist doesn't?"
JC

Hope I haven't lost the intent in translation here JC my apologies if it's not what you meant.

Well for me is the ability to have buttons that do one job and ready to access without having to go through sub menus. Example, the automations unless you have the AC and you have it set with soft keys, you need to press the Assign / SEL y button a couple of time to go through the automation choices. Plugins instantiation is faster also because it requires less steps to do. Basically anything that is faster to do on the C|24 is a boon vs the artist (at least the AM). Which is why I was recommending the C|24 to Barry.