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5 Best Control Surfaces For Logic Pro X [Updated ].Logic Pro X Control Surfaces Support. For OS X - PDF Free Download |
Logic pro x control surfaces settings free.5 Best Control Surfaces For Logic Pro X [Updated 2022]
Right out of the box, the sleek and compact design of the device is lovely to behold. The top panel comes in black matte while the rear has an orange hue.
The slim design makes it easy to move about with this surface control; it fits in a backpack easily and will be great for DJs that move around. On the top right of the device, there is a Send All button.
South of this is the Solo button. Below the Mute button are the Record-Arm buttons. As per Akai standard, this control surface is of solid build. It feels strong and reliable to touch. The knobs are small but not so small that they're hard to use.
The entire unit itself is small enough to fit comfortably on a desk. It's also light enough that you can drop it into your gig bag and carry it around. The included software editor is powerful and intuitive enough that you can also customize the integration as per your needs.
Although it does not have as many features as some other surface controllers on the list, it offers great value for the price. It lacks Device control, which I found to be a surprising decision from Akai.
The knobs might also feel a little small if you have large hands. Some users report issues with the lights not lighting up — even when the rest of the unit works fine. A small quibble has to do with the quality of Akai's gel buttons.
These gel buttons can be found on all of Akai's lower-tier devices, from MIDI controllers to control surfaces, and it's never a good experience using them. They feel sticky and not tactile enough. Akai, if you're reading this, please find better gel buttons on your devices! It is affordably priced and works great out of the box. Perhaps it's not the most full-featured controller around, but if you're looking for the best control surface for Logic Pro X on a budget, you'll love this unit.
With regards to their design, I found the Behringer X Touch to be a rather thick and clunky control surface. It is not as slim as many of the control surfaces I have tested. I'd even say that when placed on a desktop, you might have to raise your chair height an inch or two if you are sitting while operating it.
The height and thickness make it a tad uncomfortable reaching for the faders and make it hard to see the display properly while sitting. Despite the less than ideal thickness, this control device performs rather superbly, especially for serious producers. Aside from the physical dimensions, the device has connectivity options galore. While testing, I connected the device to Logic.
It offers a really stunning functionality level with all the faders, knobs and buttons. The device supports the MCU protocol quite extensively. The transport buttons here feel really firm and sturdy and are very functional. For example, they have lights to show their current status. The jog wheel also enjoys this design feature.
That said, it is not as firm as the transport buttons and feels rather cheap and tacky. The large, chunky size, however, makes up for this lapse.
One of my favorite features — something few control surfaces in this budget offer — is the small LCD scribble strips at the top of each channel fader. This instantly tells you which track or parameter you're controlling. The standout feature for me, however, has to be the motorized faders.
It's one of the rare control surfaces on the market with a whole array — nine — of motorized faders. As mentioned earlier, the interaction with Logic is one of the best features of this device.
It has full support with Logic as well as other DAWs. Despite the integration with Mac OS, the lack of a Mac editor is jarring. The build quality is a little disappointing considering the price. The motors on the faders is tacky and feels liable to break.
The lack of customization options in the editor is also a letdown. Recommended for: Gigging musicians that have a home studio will find the functionality of this device quite ideal. It's also great if you want to move from a small home setup to something that's more professional. For our money, this is the best control surface for Logic Pro X as far as performance is concerned. Even the design language follows that purpose. You won't find unnecessary screens and tabs and buttons.
Everything is limited. Some might see this as a problem, but I see this as a perfect example of a tight, single-purpose device. You won't have to spend hours studying the manual; everything is intuitive and easy to figure out on your own. Throw in the fact that it also has wireless connectivity though latency takes a hit and a small footprint, I rank it as the best control surface for Logic Pro X if portability is a top priority.
At the bottom of the front panel, there are the long-throw faders. The top of the panel features the Mute, Solo, Record, and select buttons. This is a departure from the Kontrol 2 which had the aforementioned buttons cradled between the faders. Aside from these buttons and the faders, the front panel has a single jog wheel and a scene button. I like the increased functionality this offers. It allows me to change through 5 controller assignment pages with ease whenever I use it in the MIDI mode.
The keyboard layout on this device is also intriguing. There are an additional 8 knobs and trigger pads as well as an axis touch controller. Given the focus on simplicity, all the buttons are clearly labeled Mute, Solo, Record, Select.
This really improves the user experience, at least for beginners. Additionally, the rear panel features a switch that toggles between the USB or Bluetooth mode. While testing, I found the connections easy to make and quite seamless. However, I encountered some connectivity problems when using the Bluetooth function on a low battery.
Latency is also questionable over Bluetooth mode, but if you're producing on Garageband, it's more than acceptable. The NanoKontrol Studio is compatible with a number of apps. When I connected the control surface to my MacBook, I discovered that there are plenty of modes available. The device functions just as a normal MIDI keyboard does when connected to the computer. Mapping had to be done manually as there is no Live remote script or Logic plug-in.
However, the keys afford a lot of functionality. They offer the user a built-in Arpeggiator among other functions. The touchpad has 3 different functions that are accessed by using the buttons just south of it.
You can use it as pitch bend and mod wheels, you can use it as a controller, and it can be used to play notes. It has functional issues on iOS devices — though I don't consider this a major issue since you'll be using it with Logic Pro i.
A major concern is build quality. The entire unit is housed in a lightweight plastic body. A couple of bad drops and this plastic can crack easily.
Given its portable credentials, I would have preferred a tougher body. Recommended for: If you want the best control surface for Logic Pro X with a wireless connection at a relatively cheap price, this is for you. It's extremely easy to use and has none of the frills and features that might confuse a beginner. This unit from Zoom is designed specifically to work with Zoom's F4 and F8 mixers.
However, since it's USB, it works equally well with other USB-capable mixers or when you plug it directly into the computer.
The entire unit is housed in a metal casing that makes it look really good. The tough body also ensures that it can stand the rigors of live gigs.
The buttons and faders on this control surface look strong, firm, and of high quality. The interface and button overlay of the device makes it one of the easiest to use.
If you already use a Zoom mixer, that's a massive win. The faders are tight and have the right amount of give. The LED display is bright and looks good even in sunlight. The quality of the rubber gel buttons is at par with Akai that is, not great, not bad. I would have preferred at least one motorized fader, however.
On the whole, if you're recording live or outdoors, this is one of the best control surfaces for Logic Pro X you can find on the market.
It has its limitations, especially given its limited compatibility, but the solid build quality and feature-rich performance make it a top choice.
After reading this on a few different forums I'm on the fence about buying a Keylab Looks great as long as it plays nice with my DAW and Logic is a huge platform, it's not like they are a small obscure startup. Unless this is resolved I may have to look elsewhere, which is a shame.
Com'mon Arturia, folks want your stuff but your tech folks need to make sure it interfaces smoothly with Logic Pro X! I've tried to get Arturia's attention on this one but they don't seem to care.
O well it's probably the 35 hour work week I'm allowed to say this 'cause i'm french too. Update from my side: I've given up and am preparing to get rid of my brand new Keylab 88 because it's way too much of a pain to try to use it for anything except for Arturia's handful of buggy plugins.
I've got my eyes on the new Native Instruments 88 key controller So bummed I bought this thing. I'm in shock! I see these posts about the lack of compatibility with Logic Pro X and I just sent an email to Arturia and got a reply telling me that the Keylab 88 is not compatible with Reason 8.
These are the two platforms I work in. I received no work around ideas and "No option B". The controller is lovely to look at but obviously if it doesn't work with two of the top 5 DAW's something is wrong here.
So, my option is to return my Keylab 88? Anyone have any ideas or info? Does the looming hush of silence tell me everything I need to know? Arturia: Please address this for not only myself but for the people on this thread.
I'm new to this forum. I'm a busy guy. I'm not making trouble.
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