DTouch for Pro Tools Users

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setthetonestudios
Posts: 4
Joined: 04 Sep 2019 22:12

DTouch for Pro Tools Users

Post by setthetonestudios » 29 Oct 2019 02:45

How many people are using DTouch for Pro Tools or how many have used it but don't anymore and either went back to a hardware controller or mouse and keyboard?

~ufo~
Posts: 248
Joined: 19 Feb 2016 19:18

Re: DTouch for Pro Tools Users

Post by ~ufo~ » 30 Oct 2019 21:35

I use DTouch for PT and have no desire to go back to a hardware controller.

I might experiment with a single fader controller to be able to use Dcontrol, not for the tactile feedback, but becuase it could potentially speed up the workflow, tapping the parameter with one hand, tweaking with another.

Manipulating parameters on a glass surface is not perfect and I too prefer moving a fader to moving a virtual one on glass.
However, that's just a preference. For MY workflow, there's nothing that a physical fader or know brings to the table that I cannot do without.
On the other hand, using a touchscreen with DTouch brings several things to the table that I don't want to do without anymore.

Even the idea of a strip of faders that line up perfectly with DTouch is only mildly interesting to me personally.
Because it would offer limited extra functionality, at a substantial investment while requiring me to push the touchscreen farther away from me.
- The extra functionality is something I can do without, I don't actually use the faders in the DAW that much.
- The investment bit of a hardware controller I now always compare to 'what touch screen could I get for that money, and then I always figure I'd find the touch screen(s) more useful than a bunch of faders and knobs.
- Putting my touchscreen farther away from me... Now that's something I don't want to do.
It's the main reason why I haven't bought a second touch screen yet. I don't like a horizontal dual screens setup and prefer to put one above the other. With touch screens you could put the one closest to you at an angle more suited for faders, transport, typing, macros etc, while the second one is at 40-45º, which is best for editing, plugin control etc. With 27" 16:9 screens, adding the "fader" screen would push the "edit" screen a little too far away for ergonomics, in my opinion.
I'd be interested in adding an ultrawide (32:9) slab that is half a 16:9 27", but they aren't really available in a form factor and price I'd be willing to invest.

So the bottom line is:
I'm fine with DTouch for PT on a single 27".
I haven't been compelled enough to add a single fader or a second screen in four years.
DTouch isn't perfect, nor is touchscreen DAW control in general, but the sentence above is about as big a compliment a new DAW controller could get.

DTouch is much more useful than the ProControl it replaced.
There's nothing in Avid's S series that's compelling me to invest in them.
Not even the S1.
I'll use the ipad app for some eucon exclusive features, other than that, it doesn't seem to offer me anything that I want that I can't do with DTouch and PT.

As always, YMMV.
Yvo van Gemert
Pro Tools Ultimate 2021.12 on 16 Core Ryzen 3950X, Iiyama T27, 23" Apple Cinema display, iPad with PT | Control app, no lava lamp.

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