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Table Of Contents
16 Chapter 1 Basic Control Surface Setup
The number of devices that can be used simultaneously depends on the number of
free ports of the appropriate type (USB, FireWire, or other) available on your system. In
a standard setup, you can use a single control surface—or one accompanied by one or
more expansion devices. You can also create control surface groups, as discussed in
Creating Control Surface Groups on page 20.
Using multiple control surfaces allows you to control more tracks/channels, effects, and
other parameters simultaneously. As an example, the Mackie Control XT devices are
basically identical to the channel strip section (fader, V-Pot, and LCD) of the main
Mackie Control unit. The Mackie C4 features a number of V-Pots, but no faders. You can
add as many XT, C4, or other control surface devices as you wish to your system,
provided that enough free MIDI in and out (or USB or other suitable) ports are
available.
Connecting Control Surfaces
Logic Express supports a variety of control surfaces that connect to your computer
using FireWire, USB, and other connection protocols. Be sure to check the type of
connection that your device features, and that it is supported by your computer. Before
connecting the device, read the installation instructions included with it, and install the
latest version of any appropriate firmware or driver software, if needed. For more
information, refer to the documentation that came with the device.
Connecting FireWire and USB Control Surfaces
If your control surface has a FireWire or USB port, you can connect it directly to your
computer, using a cable with the appropriate connectors. FireWire and USB devices
transmit and receive data through a single cable, if the device supports bi-directional
communication. The following diagram illustrates a typical setup using a FireWire or
USB cable:
It is recommended that you connect FireWire and USB devices directly to your
computer, rather than through a hub. Daisy-chaining devices can result in errors and
other problems, due to the amount of data being transmitted in real time.
Computer
FireWire/USB
cable
Control surface