200$ DAW surface controller

Best surface controller below 200$

  • Behringer BCF2000

    Votes: 10 43.5%

  • Frontier Designs AlphaTrack

    Votes: 1 4.3%

  • Evolution UC33e

    Votes: 1 4.3%

  • Presonus Faderport

    Votes: 4 17.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 3 13.0%

  • Just use the f*cking mouse

    Votes: 4 17.4%
  • Total voters
    23
Vagodeoz

Vagodeoz

One-Man-Band
I think that is going to be my X-mass present instead of the snake I was planning to get. Or maybe I'll grab the DMP3...
Anyway, I'm buying sooner or later a surface controller for my Sonar/Nuendo.
These are the options within my budget I found.
The BCF2000 is the only one with 8 faders, but the other ones (especially the Frontier Designs) have more features.
Here are the links:

1) Behringer BCF2000
2) Frontier Designs AlphaTrack
3) Evolution UC33e
4) Presonus Faderport
5) Other
 
Last edited:
Vagodeoz said:
Both. It may have only one motorized fader, but a fader (at least one) is required
Click to expand...

Second on the frontier.

I have owned an evolution controller and they really are as low tech as it gets (only CC's and scenes), the time you would spend programming it to work with your software would be long and painful.

I know the BCF does not behave like a normal motofader (you cant edit it while its moving) so I would say pass on that thing also.

I dont know much about the presonus
 
warble2 said:
why not splurge for a better full control surface
Click to expand...

This is why:
$999.99
Click to expand...
I have used some mackie stuff and belive me, if I could afford it I would...

From the budget options, I am also leaning more towards the alpha track. It looks certainly better than the presonus. I was going to get the behringer until I heard it's not touch-sensitive, so I found this one channel ultra featured controllers.

Also there was a 32 fader mini controller, anyone remember the model? It's tiny as hell and it has a shitload of (very tiny) faders.
 
Yeah! that is the one! Too bad it's at 400$ :(
And the other one looks nice, but it doesn't have touch sensitive faders (which is the only reason why I am not buying the Behringer)
 
i had a jl cooper cs32,

for what it's worth i sold it straight away.

it was handy to have transport controls and mute/solo,,, but the faders weren't worth having IMO.

not only were they very small (20mm i think), but you had to wiggle them before they registered with the software,,,,meaning you couldn't just notch up a tiny bit...

not very useful for precise tweaking.

good luck :)
 
Vagodeoz said:
I think that is going to be my X-mass present instead of the snake I was planning to get. Or maybe I'll grab the DMP3...
Anyway, I'm buying sooner or later a surface controller for my Sonar/Nuendo.
These are the options within my budget I found.
The BCF2000 is the only one with 8 faders, but the other ones (especially the Frontier Designs) have more features.
Here are the links:

1) Behringer BCF2000
2) Frontier Designs AlphaTrack
3) Evolution UC33e
4) Presonus Faderport
5) Other
Click to expand...

I have had the bcf2000 for about 3 years now..I use it with my digi 003...works great...I also used it with my old digi 001 to!!!
 
I'm a huge fan of using the mouse!! I've regretted dropping money on pretty much all the midi gear I own, cause it could have gone to something so much cooler, like analog synths/effects (i'm on a kick right now).

So as far as a surface controller goes, I'd personally save the 200 bucks for something that you can't just as easily achieve with a mouse... even if it takes you multiple tries to get your 'live' mix right.
 
id go with the above......not that Ive tried any of them but Ive had two keyboards with faders and knobs and I just cant be arsed mapping them to controls...always end up with the mouse every time


the DMP3 sounds like a good buy :)
 
I'm a huge fan of using the mouse!! I've regretted dropping money on pretty much all the midi gear I own, cause it could have gone to something so much cooler, like analog synths/effects (i'm on a kick right now).

So as far as a surface controller goes, I'd personally save the 200 bucks for something that you can't just as easily achieve with a mouse... even if it takes you multiple tries to get your 'live' mix right.
Click to expand...
I was seriously thinking about getting one then I spent some time and money on my live gear.
When I came back to the studio, I pretty well had reached the same conclusion.
If I was just starting out though, I'd want something that does pretty much everything. Like the Zoom R16.
 
What a surprise for me when I just recently discovered that the Korg D3200 also acts as a surface controller. Been having a real hoot with it.
 
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