Killahurts wrote: ↑Tue Sep 12, 2023 9:32 pm
Wow, that's cool! I'm interested to know how it works with DP.. I know it probably works well enough in Pro Tools, which is my second DAW.
Yeah... I got a pretty good deal on it. These units were originally 5K and they were originally for live use for their VENUE system I believe? That's why there's a USB port on the back for a mouse and keyboard. That's for live mode when you've got it plugged into their system for that. It doesn't do anything when connected via Ethernet to a Mac. So Avid added Eucon support to these and added a studio mode to make it function as a Eucon control surface. It also has an AVB audio interface built in, so in theory I might be able to integrate that into my MOTU system as extra I/O. But because they were originally designed for live use and touring, they're built much tougher than S1 or the Artist Series. It has a metal chassis and higher quality encoders and faders, etc.
I got it for $2K and free shipping on eBay. Its in mint condition according to the seller. It looks pretty immaculate in the pics but I'll find out Thursday or Friday. One reason prices have dropped so much on the used ones is that Avid announced that the S3 is an End Of Life product and they will stop officially supporting them after 12/31/26. Some people say you're better off getting two S1s side by side, but I like this form factor and lower profile better. My plan is to use this along with my iPad on a stand just to the side running the Avid Control iOS app. That way I'll have all the touch screen functions, soft keys, all the things I had with my MC Control touchscreen, but bigger, brighter and easier to read. I know a popular combo is the S2 plus the Avid Dock, but sadly the way my studio desk is designed, there just isn't room for that, which is a bummer.
Another thing I've discovered is the S3 is supported with an app called Avid Control Desktop which runs on Mac or Windows. It's an on screen meter bridge app that can float above other apps and in theory, I could set my S3 directly in front of my 4K Samsung TV that I use for a monitor then position the floating Avid Control Desktop meter bridge at the bottom of my 4K screen and size it and align it so the meters on that app line up with the channel strips on the S3. I run 3 monitors, and I have enough screen real estate with the 4K as my main monitor, that I won't mind adjusting all my Window Sets so that I don't use the bottom 1/5-1/6 of the screen and just let that be for the onscreen Avid Control Desktop meters. (The S3 does have the small meters on the unit itself next to the faders, but having a configurable on screen meter bridge might be nice).
Another thing that S3 supports that my old MC/Artists do not is plugin mapping. You've always, AFAIK, been able to use the control surface to navigate to an insert, press an encoder and the plugin on that insert's GUI will open and you can then adjust the parameters using the encoders. You can page through the parameters 8 at a time (if you have one Mix unit for example) or 16 at a time if you have the S3. What plugin mapping allows you to do is rearrange the parameters that appear above the encoders so the most useful ones (to you) appear first and in the order you want. You save that map and from then on, any time an instance of that plugin is opened using the control surface, the parameters that you deem most useful will be right there were you want them. Very cool.
The only risk here is that it is unsupported and if it breaks it could be hard to get parts. But as the prices drop, the risk is less. Some on the Avid DUC have said I can have the seller transfer to me via Avid's site and then I could pay for a service contract or something like that where if it breaks they'll do repairs (which I might probably still have to pay for). That's one thing about Avid it seems: there's a charge for every little thing. Just look at how you have to pay up every year to keep support for "perpetual licenses." I have to pay $199 in October to extend my Pro Tools Studio support. If it lapses, it may be hard to get a perpetual license again and I'd have to go subscription. So I'm not so keen on sending more money to Avid. I may see if I can buy some spare fader assemblies. I've been told they still have them. Another reason Avid gives for discontinuing the S3 was difficulty getting parts. So one route is for me to keep my eyes out for a unit that might be non-functional or have some cosmetic issues and buy it so it could be cannibalized for parts to keep the main one going if need be. I know a great technician who could probably repair it if he had the parts.
So yeah... long as it doesn't break down and I get several years out of it, I'll be happy. Plus, it's not going to magically stop working after 2026 just because it's EOL. The Eucon protocol will likely live on and even my ancient Euphonix MC Mix and MC Control units (built before Avid bought Euphonix and simply put them in a black housing instead of silver with a different logo) are still working. So barring mechanical or other breakdown, S3 should work a good long time. I'm hoping that because it was designed for live use and over engineered a bit, that being babied in a studio setting will extend it's lifespan. One guy on Avid DUC said he had a facility that had three of them and they all had to have OLED displays replaced. That kind of scared me, but I think that's rare. Knock on wood.
Oh... there IS one catch to all of this which I just remembered... I'll explain in next post....