HUI protocol

Bump ... anything digi?

I guess neither of you have been around long enough to know how the Mackie Digi partnership fell apart on the Control surface HUI thing. At any rate the HUI was originally a co-op project that Mackie took to the Emagic (Logic Control) and then it's own MC then MCU. They tried to force Digi to support the MC Protocol and they wouldn't do it so Mackie added the HUI emulation to the MCU so it could work with PT. They tried to make it a Digi problem but it never was. Same as with what they are telling you. The original HUI had a dedicated section for controlling plug-in parameters so the faders only flipped for controlling sends. Unit that use the HUi Protocol (or Emulation) don't have all the dedicated knobs as the original HUI so the fader flip would be more functional to them. Digi gave the Command the flip because it allowed more control with less real estate. Since most major DAW's went to the MCU Protocol Mackie sees no reason to expand it since only PT would really benefit. Digi is running heavy in it's controller developement so the HUI Protocol is something you support not grow. Don't expect any change.

They don't force you to use anything, you are currently use a third party device that lacks a Digi feature. If you want that feature you know how to get it. It's not a driver it's actually just a profile to communicate with the HUI. It just tellsit that the HUI is there and it as welll as any device using HUI emulation just uses a standard set of commands. It's just telling it what button, knob or switch controls what HUI feature. They are not writing a driver that's actually telling it what to do only how to do it. Other than the SSL for ovious reasons, the HUI Protocol is unchanged when implemented. If it's to be added Mackie would be the one to do it since vendors are already paying them to use the HUI Protocol. Won't happen since Mackie's track record is pretty tarnished from past dealings (Digi, Logic, UAD as well as Greg Mackie himself have been screwed by them). Can't see why going from the MCU to the Command would cost so much. Commands are $950-999 new and you can get a ok amount for MCU's, even more for the Extenders.