"I came for the meal, but stayed for the whole buffet" Is what this piece of gear makes me feel like saying haha!
As a Sonarworks Sound ID User, I was sold on the idea that I could have a unit that can contain MULTIPLE corrective EQ curves, on different outputs, and at extremely low latency, without ever being a process on my PC.
Read moreAt the same time, I was also in the market for a monitor controller as my Drawmer CMC2 was out of commission.
When I got it, I set it up to do just that...what I didn't know was how amazing the preamps would be with the extremely low noise floor, as well as the Outputs and converters sounding insanely clean. Not to mention the amount of customization in their os.
I also chatted with a friend who knew more about the Merging Lineup and he got angry at me for not using it to its fullest potential haha!
At the moment I am still using it for its monitor mission, but when I move to my new studio space in a few months, I plan to make it the primary input for my vocals.
What gets me extremely excited is the future expandability with Dante, which is something I've been eager to get into as well, so this really just the beginning.
Lastly, I am more than happy to see Merging continue to support the device, as of this review they just announced the new "Commentary Unit Mission", though it isn't for me, I am happy to see them continue to develop the mission ecosystem, and leaves me excited for future missions.
Some Cons I have with it.
- The buttons on the top of the surface are kind of squishy (they are made of rubber), so if tactility or a *clicky* button is something you need, I'd say look elsewhere. But they are responsive and fast.
-The touch screen is good, the minor annoyance is the mild bit of latency when you interact with it. I am a Pianist so latency is something that I feel pretty well, but I wouldn't say that's a deal-breaker though. The OS on it is rock solid so you can feel confident it will activate whatever parameter you need to activate.
-If you are coming from a position like me, where you are looking for a great Sound ID tool first, It is an expensive investment, considering Sound ID is only a few hundred dollars, but if you are interested in all the other amazing features, I say the price is more than valid.
