Control Surface - Novation Remote 0 SL

I've been looking for a control surface to control the following programs:

FCP
Ableton Live
Pro Tools

I'm kind of bumbling my way through but this is where I'm at now.

I'm currently looking at the Novation Remote 0 SL with can be mapped onto Ableton and Pro Tools and Mackie HUI.
[www.novationmusic.com]
I've got a good price $450 AUS so it's looking good.

Has any one used this as a control surface? Any opinions?

Otherwise I've looked at somne other controllers but affordability is a big issue.

I've also looked at the Mackie Controller but the price is a too expensive for what I need, and I would like to avoid spending money on a Midi audio interface to help connect the controller to the computer. If I had more money I'd probably get this.

Tascam FW 1082 is an option also but still a bit pricey.

Next choice is the Behringer Fader BCF2000 which is the cheapest. I'm not sure if this can be mapped onto the above programs or have the range of functions that the Novation has..

hi, Daryl.

seems to me that's only faders on that?
oh.. i see the pots now, as well

do want to be able to drive FCP as well?
would you need transport controls?


nick

hi nick,

thanks for reply.

'scuse my ignorance but what are transport controls?

cheers
d

you know, play, reverse,
shuttle, jog.

that sort of thing.


i haven't used a control surface that had those things, but my sound designer friend Sam Petty uses ProControl for mixing on his prootols, and it seems pretty good
(actually i think he's moved up to something bigger and better, but same idea)


nick

Well it would be nice to have transport controls, especially a shuttle jog, but I'm looking at the lower cost end of the spectrum and I can live without them and continue to use the keyboard/wacom.

The ProControl is great but I saw it priced in U.S.Dollars: $ 11,995.00 Sheesh! I'm looking for things under $995. Hehe.

Other alternative seems to be a Mackie Control, second hand.

The Novation can be used to map onto various programs, I just haven't heard any opinions form the FCP end of what it's like to use in a post-production envrironment.

Any ideas? Projections of what you imagine it would be like would also be handy!

Many thanks,
Daryl

Daryl,

I got a reply of yours to an older thread and gave you a detailed response. Rather than pastebombing the reply here. You can read it here towards the bottom of the thread. In summary I would say that the ReMOTE 0 SL is more than enough for your needs. Ableton Live is where you are really going to use it. The Mackie is overkill and takes up serious desk space. You can use the extra coin to buy some apps from Native-Instruments like Absynth that you can use as plugins with Ableton Live that will help to get you really going in music creation.

EDIT:

After rereading both threads on this, I now have a better sense of where you are coming from but still don't have a clear image of your existing gear. Another thing to consider is another product from Novation: the XSTATION 25. It is a quite an incredible piece of machinery that can do a lot of things and I think it may be of use to you. It contains almost as many midi controller sliders and faders, it contains a really good, VERY GOOD, analogue synth, two inputs that can either be used at phantom powered inputs or straight, it has some basic effects but you would probably do that in software (nice to have anyway.

How this unit works, from your perspective is, many of knobs and sliders for the synth double up as MIDI controllers for your apps.

This unit is really incredible and does what the ReMOTE does (but without the LED displays over the knobs which is highly overrated IMO) and it has a built in 2 channel phantom powered mixer, a killer synth with an aftertouch keyboard that is to die for, the combo pitchbend/modulation joystick and the X/Y touchpad that are brilliantly programmed into sound sculpting with the built in synth.

I would go to your local music shop and set your mitts on the X-Station (it may be a larger version they have in the store). You will have a huge grin on your face within a few seconds.

The X-Station isn't that well known yet in the music scene but that is a good thing as the synth won't be considered tired and over used or at least until it gets discovered.

Since you are just getting into this stuff I would suggest to try and find a local music instrument store that you are comfortable with and ask some of the sales people to show you some stuff. A lot of these stores have people will share an unbelievable amount of information and knowledge. I would suggest you invest some time in that area, if you haven't. It will probably save you thousands of dollars in the near term.