What ProControl should/could be:

[johnnyv]

Hello Digi,

I am a PC owner and user. You're on the right track with the product. However, if you want to win SSL mixing engineers (and others, for that matter) over to your "console", you should consider a few things.

First, improve the audio in the monitor chain. Even your employees have admitted that the audio path here is not as good as it could be. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!

Secondly, at least address the useless trackpad. It's pathetic as it is now, and when people see their $1K laptops having excellent trackpads, they get resentful for such a bad one to be included on your $12K product.

Thirdly, address the "Scrub Wheel/Edit" issues. Obviously, these matter to many users.

Also, make sure that the product is tested for durability. I own an SSL console, which is still cranking out hits after 15 years of near-daily use. It still looks incredible and operates impeccably. SSL charges good money for their products, but the products take a licking and keep on ticking. The complaints from users of paint peeling, knobs and/or buttons giving out is disconcerting.

Lastly, and most importantly, consider this. PC retails for $12K or so. For that money, a person could purchase a Mackie D8B, which passes actual audio (72 tracks?), has 24 Apogee UV22 convertors, 24 faders, includes MANY onboard eq, compressors AND fx, has a great graphic display and an overall nice user interface. Now, on the other hand, a person could opt for PC. In this light, given that the main system (aside from the monitoring section) doesn't even pass audio, has no convertors, has no onboard eq, compression and/or fx circuits, and contains only 8 faders, the $12K could instead be applied to overall interface (pretty good there already), fader feel (very good already), the monitor section (very sub-standard here), and other basic niceties such as the trackpad, scrub wheel, QWERTY keyboard, etc.

In other words, if you want to make PC your flagship product, you CAN do it. Now is the time to prompt users to actually mix in PT. But, you have to listen to your users and improve PC. Let's not have your reps claiming that "high quality audio" is not a necessity to run the system. Instead, look at it and find the best way to make the monitor section totally the BEST on the market. (After all, this is just a matter of swiches, pots, etc). Fix the trackpad...the scrubwheel, improve the fit and feel of the product.

Best wishes and still hoping that you realize the potential of PC. It could overthrow the entire market if it were improved in certain areas.

J