I recently purchased a surface controller only to discover that neither RealBand nor Band-In-A-Box supports the use of a surface controller.
I'd like to request both programs add support for using a surface controller.
+1
I suspect when the very promising and reasonably priced Behringer X-Touch units are released, we will hear this request more frequently.
+1
Would make a lot of things easier.
It does. I should point out that I have used a Tascam FW-1884 unit for the last ten years that is both a sound card and a MIDI control surface. In other words, you can mix on it, including automated fader movements recorded within a DAW (in my case, SONAR). So, I know well how using one of these units can make music production so much easier.
Now, the Tascam's drivers for new versions of Windows, and the dropping of firewire support in Windows 8, well, that's another story. It is for this reason I have abandoned the Tascam and await the new Behringer units.
[In addition to working with a DAW when connected to a computer, control surfaces can also serve as standalone mixers, such as front-of-house work in a concert.]
+1
forget full size surfaces - my Korg NanoKontrol/NanoPad are really not feeling the love from BIAB/RB.
Larry
Pipeline talks about how using his ReaTrack and Chordtrack plugins you can use midi controllers either hardware like you guys are talking about or using a touchscreen like a Surface Pro or 2 in 1 laptop.
Just FYI, this has been wished for as long as I can remember using this forum.
Bob
Yes, if I could wave the magic wand, I would wish for my MIDI Control Surface (in my case, a Behringer X-Touch, but there are others) to work with the BIAB mixer. Saving an automation lane would be amazing, even if only in RealBand where it makes a bit more sense.
More than pleased to give this another +1
Bump.
More than pleased to give this another +1
Bump.
Bump. The capability for Band-in-a-Box & RealBand to react to surface control commands would be great. Mackie Control and HUI seem to be the two most common specifications at this time.
Oh my, I'm now on my third full-size MIDI control surface since this thread started: Tascam FW-1884, then Behringer X-Touch, and now Presonus Faderport 8.
It's even up to four if you count my old Frontier Design Tranzport. The irony is that BIAB still supports that Tranzport, the first of all of them. With the newer audio editing features now in BIAB, a control surface has so much more potential. Even having support for transport control and mixing fader automation would be terrific.
Now more than ever, a controller could be combined with BIAB/RB because the consumer hardware has developed and is better optimized for integration with DAW's and similar audio programs like BIAB.
Of particular note for integration compatibility with BIAB, would be the Tascam Model 12 digital Mixer, audio interface and multitrack recorder. It shares the same OS/engine with their DP-24/32 Multi Track Recorder models. All internal processing of the device is digital so there's no resulting audio degradation and it would allow easy connections with external gear like guitar pedals, keyboards, drum machines, reverb units, delays, pre-amps, and it has 8 of Tascam's premium pre-amps.
+1
How about support any surface controller
Would be nice if controller could also be used to write node automation envelope.
It would support any surface controller I've ever seen if it just supports the Mackie protocol.
Bump. The capability for Band-in-a-Box & RealBand to react to surface control commands would be great. Mackie Control and HUI seem to be the two most common specifications at this time.
I'd settle for either but prefer Mackie just because it seems some newer surface controllers do not support HUI.
Matt mentions the now discontinued
+++ Tranzport +++. I wonder what it would take for PG Music to modify that existing code to support a newer specification like Mackie Control or HUI?
John Ford and I suggested exactly that.
John Ford and I suggested exactly that.
So that's a +1 in support of the suggestion from you and John Ford?
No, it's at the very least a +2.
More seriously, what is not evident from this thread is that I started asking for this 20 years ago. But my comment here about John Ford refers to us revisiting this recently with the developers and receiving some encouragement.
As mentioned BiaB supports communication with the Frontier Design Tranzport so it is not like PG Music has not visited this idea before.
Matt, how does a program interface with the Tranzport, as a driver or through a plugin? I found the terminology used in Tranzport's Sonar guide confusing.
> It would support any surface controller I've ever seen if it just supports the Mackie protocol.
We are looking at this for next major version. People are mentioning various controllers in this thread, but do they all support Mackie protocol?
Every surface controller I know of either has a setting for Mackie Control or a self learn feature where you train the controller to use whatever is in focus.
All the midi keyboard controllers and surface controllers I am aware of accept Mackie Control.
+++ HERE +++ is an example of how different DAWs implement the messages.
An example of most surface controller self learn feature would be to focus on a track in the audio mixer then whatever fader you move would work with that track volume and whatever knobs you turn would work with the track tone, reverb and pan controls.