Best Mackie MCU alternative?

bullshark wrote on 5/11/2005, 5:04 PM
For use with Vegas evidently and hopefully in the same price bracket or below as the Mackie units.

I'm apprehensive of Behringer, beside there's no transport control on their units; As to Tascam, I've read about disastrous customer support from this company so it’s out of the question.

So I’m left with what? JL Cooper? How are they, any good? Any others?

Thanks.

Comments

newhope wrote on 5/11/2005, 6:24 PM
THe customer support from Mackie may be disastrous, I haven't had any experience with them. I do have a Mackie MCU though and I'm particularly impressed with it's integration with Vegas both audio and video.

This compared to ProTools Pro Controllers and D-Control on which I regularly work outside of my studio.

In Vegas 6.0 I can switch between using my second monitor as full screen video replay and normal computer monitor directly off the MCU.

The mixing is quite responsive and with audio scrubbing in Vegas 6 I can use the Jog/Scrub wheel. Plugins map as well as can be expected on a unit with only one pot per fader strip... that is they spread laterally over the rest of the pots.

As for service my MCU was bought from Sweetwater in the USA. I'm based in Sydney Australia and Sweetwater has been fantastic with service. I did have a fader go faulty and they sent a replacement free of charge. Would have repaired it themselves but the shipping cost from Oz to the US was out of the question for me.

Can't comment on the JL Cooper. Does anyone know if the Digidesign Command 8 will work? Nice feeling surface but I've only used it with ProTools.
bullshark wrote on 5/12/2005, 2:07 AM
The Digidesign Command 8 looks sweeter than candy, but they only talk about pro-Tool and Avid compatibility :( Maybe would work fine anyway? Anybody knows?


Oh, and I was talking about Tascam customer support; online forum are ful of horror stories about this company, I've never personnaly had any dealing with them but I will stay away nevertheless for the time behing.
And the Mackie MCU is what I would have liked, but after the Tracktion upgrade fiasco I can't bring myself to send any money their way.
PipelineAudio wrote on 5/12/2005, 6:32 AM
Sadly I have a Yamaha DM2k, approximately 25 tims the cost of the MCU, and SSL AWS900, approximately 95 times the cost of the MCU, and some MCU's.

Only the MCU works with vegas in a truly useable way, so sitting in each room in an autolocator rack is an MCU LOL! I too have issues with mackie, I was super pissed when they just abandoned the OTTOMIX VCA system back in the day, without even agreeing to release the code so someone else could update it, but that MCU works so well with Vegas its worth it to bury the past a little
drbam wrote on 5/12/2005, 6:48 AM
"And the Mackie MCU is what I would have liked, but after the Tracktion upgrade fiasco I can't bring myself to send any money their way."

Can you elaborate on this please? I'm curious about what you're referring to. So as not to hijack the thread, perhaps you could start another or contact me personally at drbam (at) cableone (dot) net.

Thanks,

drbam
cosmo wrote on 5/12/2005, 8:26 AM
I have a Tascam 1884 and haven't had any problems from it. Support does suck, but you get more support from forums then companies anyways. If Vegas is your primary app to be used with the surface, I'd consider sticking with Mackie MCU. All of the controllers have problems....all of them. You have to be a tremendous problem solver to make them work(this has nothing to do with the quality of the units, just the nature of using control surfaces). The MCU seems to work great with Vegas according to others...my 1884 also works good, but it runs on MCU 'emuation' so I'm sure an actual MCU would be better.
bullshark wrote on 5/12/2005, 2:43 PM
Not the answers I was hoping for, but I kind of guessed that the MCU was the best options out there.

Luckily, while I would have liked a controler, I don't NEED one as mixing with a mouse still works thankfully, so I can afford to wait.

Thank you for answering.

[edited]
*I too have issues with mackie, I was super pissed when they just abandoned the OTTOMIX VCA system back in the day, without even agreeing to release the code so someone else could update it,*

I'm not even surprised of this, it really sound like mackie's way of doing things.

*but that MCU works so well with Vegas its worth it to bury the past a little*

I'm not there yet.
jbaudrand wrote on 6/14/2005, 12:22 PM
yeah, i'm looking for a good alternative to the mackie too, because it needs a midi interface, I'm looking to the behringer bfc 2000 too, but i'm not sure... As anybody test something else?

Edit: In fact, the question is: Is there a usb mixing desk available?
dano5050 wrote on 7/9/2005, 12:41 PM
i don't know if this helps, but i have wondered whether this device might work well with vegas....

http://www.contourdesign.com/shuttlepro/spv2_combo_image.htm

i really don't need a whole MCU, but a nice weighted jog wheel might be nice... i have no feedback on this unit...

d.
farss wrote on 7/9/2005, 5:01 PM
I'd say 50% of the video guys use them and they work just fine.
Bob.