3xS1+Dock vs S6/S4 (Atmos home audio post)

[Protone]

Hi,

I am renovating my mix room, and completely upgrading my system from a decent 5.1 to professionally designed Dolby Atmos system.

I haven't had any control surfaces this far, just my mouse and keyboard. Now as a part of this complete studio renovation I am considering moving to Avid S1+Dock, or even S4/S6.

The problem with S4/S6 is of course that it would totally blow up my budged, and I am not sure if can justify the price (or even stretch my budget that far even if I wanted to).

So finally to the point: Could you help a S-series-noob like me to understand some of the things I might be missing out in audio post/atmos workflow if I go the S1+dock route instead of S4/S6? Obviously some knobs per channel, and the option to joystick module... what else?

Thanks!

[creativecontrol]

Greetings,

Here’s a few things that I can mention very specific to Dolby Atmos workflows...

Dedicated Dual Joystick module
Master Touch Panner with Theater (3D View)
Display modules + MTM detailed Atmos views
Atmos Compatible PEC / Direct Post Module
Support for Object / Bus Switching
Elevation / Z / Height Indication
Custom Faders for Mapping Plug-Ins Faders
Monitor Layouts and Master Meters

I would recommend taking a look at the following document, page 129 to explore the S4/S6 specific functionality for Dolby Atmos:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zzo9cdo0ki..._20.5.pdf?dl=0

Let me know if you have any questions.

best,


Jeff



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[its2loud]

I think it’s important to know what type of control surface you are upgrading from. The S4 will definitely suit your needs but you also have to consider how you are going to control monitoring. MTRX or MTRX Studio.

I love my S1’s and Dock. I can certainly get around in them easily but they are no replacement for an S4 or S6 for seriously heavy lifting in a big session. Especially for Atmos. Having been working from home the last 5 months, I’m definitely missing a lot of features of the S6 back at the studio.

If budget is a serious concern and there is no way around it, your 3-S1’s & Dock will certainly get the job done. Just may take some time to get used to the workflow.

[Protone]

Thanks for the replies!

Jeff, great, I'll take a look at the document.


its2loud, I'm coming from no control surface at all. About monitoring, I will have MTRX, and if I decide to go without S4/S6, I'll probably get the DAD Monitor Operating Module too.
You seem to be using both S1/Dock and S6. Could you compare the responsiveness, reliability and lag of those systems? Is there any noticeable difference in that regard?

-Pete

[its2loud]

Since the S1’s and Dock are tablet based interfaces, the on screen responsiveness will depend heavily on the quality of your tablets. As far as surface knob and fader response, as long as your networking setup is solid, you shouldn’t find much difference in response time with regard to fader and knob touch. However, the built quality of the S6/S4 faders and knob is much higher. That’s not to say the S1 is bad, you can just tell the difference. Keep in mind, with the Avid Control app, you now have monitoring control with the app for MTRX and MTRX Studio. Of course, if this were me, I’d really factor in the amount of Atmos mixing I would really be doing.

If you went big with S4/S6 you wouldn’t have any regrets if you’re mixing a lot of Atmos or any other format.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of mixing Atmos on the S4/S6 then take into consideration that you wouldn’t necessarily be missing those features to begin with. You’d be starting new on a system you’ve never worked on before. Thus creating your own workflows that help you.

It really just comes down to budget. Just like everything else in life for most people. I suggest taking a look at the videos Jeff has made for S6 and S4. They might help you decide and they’re a very helpful tutorial of all the features.

[LDS]

On a similar topic, how much do Eucon settings crossover between S1/S3/Dock and the S4 and S6? If I set up a variety of session related soft keys, particularly for view functions and quick navigation on my Dock, will they translate automatically to an S4 or S6 come mix time?

[its2loud]

Originally Posted by LDS

On a similar topic, how much do Eucon settings crossover between S1/S3/Dock and the S4 and S6? If I set up a variety of session related soft keys, particularly for view functions and quick navigation on my Dock, will they translate automatically to an S4 or S6 come mix time?

Jeff would probably be able to answer this more accurately but I think the answer is no,

The soft key mapping is different on the S6/S4 and is loaded into the Master Touch Module, not Avid Control. Since you can use Avid Control in conjunction with an S6/S4 it is possible, I suspect, to have and use soft keys from both.

[creativecontrol]

There’s a lot of overlap with regard to the EUCON and SURFACE functions for EuControl and WSControl. Unfortunately, there is no simple -> import all my EuControl SoftKeys to WSControl or vice versa. They are both independent.

WSControl has the benefit of an optional 3rd party drag and drop editor which is pretty slick:

http://www.sonic-monk.com/euconlayouter/index.shtml


Jeff



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