Can I buy almost any digital mixer for Logic?

I might be wrong, but most digital mixers these days do have motorized faders (ref: I have a Behringer X32-Compact).

Also - not all digital mixers have a Direct-Out on each channel (expensive hardware). If it does, then you're in luck, and you can patch the board's DO's into your (hopefully multichannel) audio interface. It really sounds more like you are looking for a straight-ahead analog mixer.

Any time you are talking about controlling logic faders, you are by definition talking about a control surface (and many current digital mixers have a mode for this). Also, if you expect the board's fader to move at the same time as a Logic fader, inherently the faders need to be motorized to do that.

What you've described is a Control Surface, it's a total waste to get a digital mixer and not use the mixer's audio Interface in combination with the faders. Since it would replace your audio interface and you don't wish to do that... you've described a control surface.

Even my 2nd keyboard, a cheapo M-Audio Oxygen 61, can control 8/16 faders. Controllers use the same USB connection that USB based digital mixers use. Whether the signal goes in via USB. Firewire or Thunderbolt matters not.

kerochan wrote:

Thanks Pancenter,

I understand.

But is it actually possible to assign a digital mixer's faders to control the Logic faders? I mean a digital mixer that doesn't have motorised faders.

Just the same way your Oxygen 61 controls Logic's faders.

Yes, IF Logic recognizes the Digital Mixer as a Control Surface.

You have to get the idea out of your head that a digital mixer is going to somehow control Logic differently than a Control Surface. Your first description is exactly the function of a control surface. What you seem to want is a digital mixer that functions as a control surface.... so you're paying for a second audio interface and not using it?????

If you want to use all the cool functions a digital mixer might have (built in effects...etc) you have to use it as the Audio Interface. And here you have to be very careful... as Apple pushes development towards iOS and a single development platform, some hardware that works with Apple systems quickly becomes obsolete.

Kerochan

There's almost as many faders as you want in the Logic mixer which you can automate. Saves you a whole bunch of money too. Having read your other threads on digital mixers and what seems to be the progression of a project, I wonder if you really need a digital mixer or even a fader assignable controller at the stage you are at? What would either bring you that simple automation envelopes won't? It sounds like you already have some neat gear (the interface, the monitors) that you can use.

Graham

You can draw in envelopes that will cause parameters, such as volume, to follow them as the track progresses. So if what you want to do, just as an example, is increase the volume of a guitar track over a few bars you can do just that with an automation envelope. Or decrease the volume of the kick drum, or change the pan of two guitars. Of course you can automate just about anything, plugin parameters that present themselves to Logic, volume, pan, sends ...... you can edit them to your hearts content. Erase them, copy them, paste them. They could be of help to you.

Graham

This might help you. But look on YouTube for videos on using automation in Logic

Logic Pro X: Show automation curves

Graham

Okay - two inputs isn't going to help with a mixer, unless you only record 1/2 channels at a time. Better you should use the mixer's audio interface.

Is it just to set volume levels that you want to get a "mixer" for and presumably you envisage capturing that as automation as you proceed?

Graham