Keyboard Usage?

[Don Geppert]

I am very new to the D-Command and soon to the D-Control.

I am wondering from the seasoned control surface users out there ... "how much do you use the keyboard/mouse" in your workflow?

Maybe a better stated question is ... "what functions still require, or are faster to perform with the keyboard/mouse".

For instance ... do you instantiate plugs with the control surface or is it still easier (quicker) to use the keyboard/mouse?

Do you actually edit plug parameters with the control surface or is it still easier (quicker) to use the keyboard/mouse?

When you tweek plug parameters on a control surface are you looking at the information displayed by the surface or looking at the plug's graphics on screen.

I would imagine that waveform editing etc., is still a keyboard/mouse job?

I am just curious where the line is (and I'm sure it's different for different workflows) between control surface and keyboard/mouse.

I can't tell personally at the moment ... I just don't have enough cockpit time on a control surface.

For those ProControl Users who have migrated up to D-Command ... where are the big advantages (I know this is a loaded question). Do you miss the matrix?

As you may have read from another of my posts I am crashing a D-Command this weekend for a presentation to students on Monday .... but I am coming from experience on a ProControl so it's not entirely cold turkey. I will post more questions this weekend .... thanks for bearing with me.

Oh .... how do you enable/disable the ALL group?

[filmixer]

>I am wondering from the seasoned control surface users out there ... "how much do you use the keyboard/mouse" in your workflow?<

This depends a lot on which version of Pro Tools you're using with the system. Things like enabling all automation parameters on a plugin used to be easier in the Mix Window in PT 6.9, but in PT 7.1 can now be done on the surface with modifier keys and the touch of a knob for one plugin or a multiple selection of plugins on a row of inserts. What version of Pro Tools are you using?

[Chris Lambrechts]

I am wondering from the seasoned control surface users out there ... "how much do you use the keyboard/mouse" in your workflow?

as little as possible.

Maybe a better stated question is ... "what functions still require, or are faster to perform with the keyboard/mouse".

For mixing, little to nothing. For editing ... well, depending on how and what that's a different story. But the combination of stuff like track selection linked to edit window selection and the scrubwheel now following grid etc makes the combination of the keyboard and the controller more and more powerful. I think the controllers still can be improved when it comes down to editing and I'm hopeful that they will ....

For instance ... do you instantiate plugs with the control surface or is it still easier (quicker) to use the keyboard/mouse?

Eq and dynamics, sends, most of the routing gets done directly from the controller in my case. But I also use templates a lot. I have simple templates with tracks in them ready with EQ / dynamics and sends already assigned but offline. Especially now with PT having 10 sends it becomes very convenient to make full use of them. To save out on dsp you can set everything offline and then switch whatever you need online. Step away from the concept of using a send for anything. Think 'console' ... send A goes always to reverb 1 for example ... send B to reverb 2 ... send C to delay 1 etc etc ...

Do you actually edit plug parameters with the control surface or is it still easier (quicker) to use the keyboard/mouse?

EQ / dynamics ... can't remember I did any of those with a mouse. Even in my Pro Control days I would flip parameters to the faders to edit them.
If you use reverb plugins for example ... set up a CF mapping for them. They can be imported and exported. Same goes for synth plugins ... map stuff like attack / release / decay / cutoff etc ... to the faders , You'll quickly learn to appreciate the plugin mapping thing once you set up a bunch of them. And it will motivate you to set up others as well.

When you tweek plug parameters on a control surface are you looking at the information displayed by the surface or looking at the plug's graphics on screen.

Ah ... the screen. How many of us are lost without the screen. I know I am ... but less then I used to ...

Rich Holmes from digi UK came over to set up our D control and after the thing was set up, he sat down and did a demo / overview of it. To this day that is the most impressive demo I've seen. Why ? ... because Rich opened up Pro Tools, created an empty session and from there on turned the screen off and didn't switch it on once during the demo. And believe me ... he did an ENTIRE overview of it.

If you really want to 'master' the controller ... turn of the screen. Create workflows / setups / mixes without the screen. Start with simple things. Invite some friends, musicians over and record a song and mix it ... and take the 'old school' approach. As if you would use tape. I've done this a couple of times.
Then, try mixing the song with the screen off ... You'd be amazed how much we've grown attached to the screen and how difficult it is to let go. But you'd also be amazed what results you get if you persist and actually listen to the EQ and dynamics settings instead of trusting on how it looks.

For those ProControl Users who have migrated up to D-Command ... where are the big advantages (I know this is a loaded question). Do you miss the matrix?

What matrix ?


good luck on monday ......