Behringer CMD Series

[MrPopinjay]

There is a printed mark on the knobs of the Studio 4A though. Only the encoders don't have them, which is what you want for encoders.

[LiamC]

Man, I hope this gets announced soon. Soo much hype last week over the pics.

[DJLUIST]

There is a printed mark on the knobs of the Studio 4A though. Only the encoders don't have them, which is what you want for encoders.

Wasn't something like this great??
CMD-STUDIO-4a.jpg

The same in the effects section... i wouldn't mind at all something like that!
I think there are many respectable design in all cmd line, but if Behringer wishes to really shake the market and if they spend all this time testing and making some changer to the product so the user's will not have nothing to complain i just wish they could come up with all the little detail features that many others forget. It's a good thing Craig is available at the foruns because the success in dj gear depends MUCH is LISTENING to what users most want and don't have other options in the market. In this case being the STUDIO 4A a product with almost every single manufacturer already with options, they need to make it right to the minimum detail.

I'm a big fan of this new Behringer aproach to the costumer and i just wish some "requests" could become something to consider...

[nem0nic]

So how do those LED rings on the encoders work?

The LED rings around the encoders are capable of a couple modes of operation. Either they will respond to MIDI feedback from the application, or they will be capable of driving their own feedback (in case the application doesn't support LED feedback).

All of the encoders are encoders. All knobs with LED rings are encoders.

Oh, is there going to be some editor software for these or will we be able to do it from the hardware itself?

All device programming and configuration will be able to be done via SYSEX, so alternative operating systems are no problem.

So in dark cenario's we aren't able to see where the eq. and effects knobs are? Have to watch the screen all the time?

I know of no instance where a commercially available device has a pot with an LED ring around it. There might be one or two out there, but it's certainly NOT a common use case.

The reason encoders have an LED ring around them is because their value is ALWAYS relative, and you can't tell by look or feel what the value of that control is WITHOUT the LED ring. With a pot, there is both visual and tactile feedback for it's actual value.

As for a silkscreen for pots - what would it indicate? To what values would the markings have? Even in Traktor, this isn't a defined set of values (since Traktor has 4 EQs available to the user - all with different values). What about other software? It makes more sense NOT to have a silkscreen, because it would be wrong most of the time at best, and at worst it would be unnecessary and meaningless visual clutter. We currently have markings on the silkscreen that indicate the MIN and MAX position, and the frequency band. This is just like other controllers on the market (like the NS6 and 7 for example).

EQ pots on mixers generally have indicator silkscreens because they convey an actual value that corresponds to a very real specification.

Wait, what mixers and controllers actually have illuminated knobs? A&H Xone DB4, Denon DNX1700, Akai APC40, Behringer BCR2000... Anything else?

The APC40 and the BCR2000 both use encoders - NOT pots. So it makes sense to utilize an LED ring. The A&H and Denon offerings both use a lighted ring, but purely as a position indicator for that knob - not a value indicator.

I think all the CMD line should have the same kind of iluminated knobs stipes, if now in the budget for all line products a more convencional aproach like the Nox Mixer line would be much more apreciated.

Unfortunately this won't happen. The CMD Studio 4a is $50 cheaper than it's nearest competitor, and it offers easily twice the functionality of that competitor as-is.

Another point is concerning the eq. kill buttons. They should be located near the volume faders and the transport seccion like the nox mixer's.

Only 1 NOX mixer has EQ kills near the crossfader, and anyone who uses the crossfader seriously will tell you having controls that close to it is a bad idea. So moving the kills down might please you, but then anger someone else.

[nem0nic]

...if they spend all this time testing and making some changer to the product so the user's will not have nothing to complain...

But here's the thing about product development. You will NEVER please everybody. There is no such thing as a perfect product. Everyone's opinion is different, and people place value on different things. The idea of moving the EQ kills would please you and piss off someone else. Then that pissed off person would be posting on this forum about how they wish the kills could be next to the EQs and that Behringer should listen. So when you put a product spec together, a lot of thought goes into understanding how make it so the biggest possible percentage of people will be able to easily understand what's going on without needing a guide. Good design is invisible. People should understand how to use your product intuitively. So ideas like associating groups of controls that all have a common purpose make your product much more accessible.

[Patch]

Only 1 NOX mixer has EQ kills near the crossfader, and anyone who uses the crossfader seriously will tell you having controls that close to it is a bad idea. So moving the kills down might please you, but then anger someone else.

As well as the 1 NOX that has kills near the x-fader, the DDM4K has it too. Those buttons annoy the hell out of ME!!!!

[oilythread]

So are we going to get those new pictures of the modular controllers any time soon?
You were talking about how they've undergone some changes. Are they even more awesome now?

[nem0nic]

They appeared on Unique Squared a while back...

http://www.uniquesquared.com/blog/pr...roller-preview

[oilythread]

They appeared on Unique Squared a while back...

http://www.uniquesquared.com/blog/pr...roller-preview

oh.... nobody ever posted them on here? or i missed it?


I dig. There are at least two colors in all buttons (except for probably cue/play) it looks like? That's rad. I always thought the amber made them ugly.

[nem0nic]

I posted the link to U2 earlier.