Fairlight control surface

In 16b4, would seem nothing has changed in the audio control surface functionality since v14. Am using MCU protocol here. Suggestions include:

Add more ports, currently only allows one IO, ie, 8 faders; MCU or HUI requires one port per 8 faders & so for 16 or more faders setup, this requires additional port(s) to be added (global prefs).

MCU surface still only functions in the Fairlight page (very odd); needs to be active in all relevant pages including Cut and Edit.

Control surface functions are still very limited, ie: play, stop, fwd & rwd. Needs other controls to be activated, including, zoom, scroll, rec, mute, solo and the rest.

Unrelated, but like a broken record: please add ASIO driver support.

[Peter Chamberlain]

ASIO has a license issue, and there are no plans to extend HUI and MCU more than 8 faders.

Please make it a priority to get the license issue sorted, because Windows users absolutely need Resolve to support ASIO. Steinberg offer a royalty-free license with their ASIO SDK, so it's difficult to imagine what the rub could be.

ASIO has a license issue, and there are no plans to extend HUI and MCU more than 8 faders.

fair enough on the fader count, you want folks who need more to look at a proper fairlight console...but transport controls working on all pages would be good, and more of the transport buttons / functions.

S

You aren't limited to only 8 faders. The HUI protocol allows for bankable groups of eight or a single channel. If your software allows multiple HUI devices, something like a used Tascam US2400 will give you 24 faders.
The HUI protocol has not been updated for many years and it is unlikely that Mackie will do so.

I don't know about Mackie MCU, but very little of the HUI protocol is implemented, and only then in the Fairlight page, such a shame.

Working:
Transport Controls
Faders
Pans
Fast Forward/Rewind
Scrub Wheel
Mutes
Solos

Not Working:
Return to Zero
Track Record Arming
Meters on HUI device
Timecode
Plus many more I am sure


Tested with my genuine 1997 Mackie HUI which works perfectly with Pro Tools.

DId any of the below change in the last couple of years Charles? Am considering adding a cheap and cheerful fader panel for simple mixing needs... was hoping basic things like mute & solo etc would be functional regardless of page... and obviously in Fairlight page itself the more support the merrier.

I don't know about Mackie MCU, but very little of the HUI protocol is implemented, and only then in the Fairlight page, such a shame.

Working:
Transport Controls
Faders
Pans
Fast Forward/Rewind
Scrub Wheel
Mutes
Solos

Not Working:
Return to Zero
Track Record Arming
Meters on HUI device
Timecode
Plus many more I am sure

On the HUI and MCU front, not that I know of. I did, however, buy a used mk1 Presonus Faderport so I can do fader and pan automation in Fairlight. More complex audio work I still do in Pro Tools. Like Avid with Eucon, BMD are supporting their own hardware so it is unlikely they will alter HUI and MCU support.

That's a shame. I love the look and feel of Blackmagic's new controller however using Fairlight is a non-starter for me because of all of its issues. I have had to move to Pro Tools and for the last month been working with the Avid Dock and S1. I sent them back .

Blackmagic does so many things well and at the same time does some many things badly.

Not having done any complex audio work in Fairlight I haven't had any problems. The one thing I dislike the most is the bus routing. Though I could say the same about Reaper.
I know I'm biased having used Pro Tools for so many years, but I just find it much more intuitive.
Importantly, my Mackie HUI works flawlessly with it.

On the HUI and MCU front, not that I know of ... BMD are supporting their own hardware so it is unlikely they will alter HUI and MCU support.

Thanks Charles, much appreciated. Not what I was hoping to hear, but forewarned is forearmed.
Cheers
Andy

Hello,

I have an old Alphatrack faderbox from Frontier Design. it's still perfect for me. I hardly need more than one fader. It runs in ProTools HUI mode. I think the support is really a shame. Very bad, cherky and unreliable. Also you can't control any BUS faders because theres no way to select a BUS track.
Sometimes it looses connection or acts weird, resulting in moving the fader down to zero etc.. Sometimes I can't select the track and it just stays on Audio1 for no apparent reason...

I know that Blackmagic is selling their own hardware, but honestly, especially for a one man show like me the Fairlight hardware is out of reach. And i would'nt need it anyway for the work I am doing. And I would have no space on my desk..

Why can't they just open up an API so that there is a way to implement controllers via scripting language like Reaper does? So people could fix it themselves.

That would be the best solution

Because of its age I think it unlikely you will get the Alphatrack to behave properly with Resolve. Don't forget that as well as the OS driver, there were separate software drivers for different DAWs that did not include Fairlight.
https://www.frontierdesign.com/Products/AlphaTrack/Downloads

I know it isn't the most inexpensive option, but I can warmly recommend Fairlight's own controllers. They are exceptionally built (metal, solid, precise), extremely well integrated with the software (and adding functionality regularly) and offer workflow enhancements that can hard to recognize until you sit down with them and start running sessions.

The workflow and layout is all designed to be as efficient and fast as possible, so the time savings are considerable. It's so much nicer, easier and faster to "play" a mix on faders and reach for a knob to tweak an EQ than mouse over to somewhere, bring up a GUI or pull down a menu, move something around on the screen (and only one fader at a time with a mouse), etc. Really breaks the flow of a session imho and doesn't lead to a creative or intuitive way of working.

There are still a few legacy Fairlight features that haven't yet made it over as I'm told by some of the guys who've been using Fairlight forever, but I haven't missed much personally and do most of my work in it.

I started testing it out around version 15, when 16 came out it was a major improvement, and v17 is pretty solid when it comes to audio production. If you're composing, Fairlight might not be the most suitable tool, but for mixing, post production, even mastering I would say it has what you need. Plus, it sounds great.

If you compare the Fairlight controllers to something similar like the Avid S3 or S6, or the Yamaha Nuage, it's actually a better deal - more functionality for lower overall price.

Ok, fanboi out

Cheers,
Thor

Hi Charles,

yes I am aware that Frontierdesign is not developing any drivers anymore as the company closed before Davinci Resolve was even available with Fairlight.
That said, the Alphatrack has 3 modes:

Native
HUI
MCU

I am using the HUI mode.
Usually I can control the faders of the Audio Tracks 1-10 (not more). I can't control busses, which is not so important.. Solo, Mute, Play, Stop works. Transport strip doesn't, but i have a Speed Editor so I don't care.

It is sometimes working and sometimes not. Also even the little functionality that it has is intermittend. Looses connection sometimes or just stops working. Needs restart of DR to fix.

As much as I know only a part of the HUI protocol has been implemented. So also people who use the Mackie Control or the Logic Control, which are great units btw. are having issues.

I would just propose that Blackmagic should release an API of sort where people could develop modules by scripting that can interface with the huge amount of control surfaces out there. It can't be so hard.
There's an API for plugins, there's scripting for Fusion.. So control surface API would be alogical step..

And tlegvold, you are right. Ido think that the Fairlight controllers are great. But I neither have the money nor the space for it. And I would be happy with a single fader that I can use on any track reliably.

Regards