Control/Dimming Martin M2 Series

[tyler.martin]

Has anybody had any hands on time with either of the M2 Series consoles? I've contacted my dealer to see if they can get a demo up here but it might take a while.

First Impressions?

Thanks.

 

[porkchop]

They're listed as coming soon on the website so I wouldn't expect to see them anywhere except trade shows right now. What I can say is that if they use the exact same encoders on the M2 series that they do one the M1 (which is what it looks like) I would call that a downside. The M1's round encoders are very fidley. They don't always change values at an even pace and are prone to being jumpy. Given the vertical nature of the way values are displayed on the screen the vertical sliding encoders from the Maxxyz line are much more intuitive than the round ones. Also I feel like in an effort to make a more minimalist look and feel for their consoles Martin hided all but what they think are the most important control values and you kind of have to know what you're looking for in order to find anything else. I think designers working with gear at this price level might have a good idea what they want something to look like, but might have to stumble through attributes to make it happen, and that's not exactly easy to do. The price point will probably make these attractive, especially since they'll have a very similar look and feel to the full size professional console (the M1 or whatever else Martin makes in the future), but having come from a Maxxyz that runs practically the same software I would have expected the change from Maxxyz to M1 to be a much smoother and easier process than it was.

 

[cbrandt]

(Warning, I'm a bit of a fan of Martin's consoles)

I just had the M2PC here in my warehouse for a trade show. I can't say if it uses the same encoder hardware, but the dial faces are different. I've never worked with the Maxxyz consoles, but have done some pretty extensive programming on the M1. The M2GO uses the same processor and ram as the M1, so there won't be any sort of a performance drop. The new touchscreen interface on the lower right of the board is only for selecting attributes to the encoders, not for setting values. I had hoped for a little more functionality there. Maybe we can press martin to give us our vertical encoders ala Maxxyz down there, or a color picker? Seems a shame to include an interface like that, and not do a lot more with it, but it does keep your options consistent as you move up the console line.

I plan on using them (when I can get my hands on one) for smaller shows, like conventions and expos. I can see a lot of value (with the new networking systems that are in the beta) in having one on larger touring shows as a backstage console to monitor the show. I'm really glad that Martin didn't try to restrict the software down on capabilities (except for a maximum of 8 universes).

Keep in mind when looking at this console that it has just as much interface as consoles like High End's Road Hog, in a much smaller package, and at a lower price point.

All in all, I think they are going to fill a valuable niche in the market, for physically small, full featured consoles, at a reasonable price.

 

[cbrandt]

The new touchscreen interface on the lower right of the board is only for selecting attributes to the encoders, not for setting values. I had hoped for a little more functionality there. Maybe we can press martin to give us our vertical encoders ala Maxxyz down there, or a color picker? Seems a shame to include an interface like that, and not do a lot more with it, but it does keep your options consistent as you move up the console line.

And I stand corrected. They have already added functionality to the interface to allow parameter value control directly on the small touchscreen. I still don't think you can use it as a slider value control, but the color picker is there. Basically moves the direct input window down to that touchscreen.

 

[mhinrichs]

Hi!

I am the product manager of the M2GO and part of the design team, specifically I worked on the front layout and all the hardware choices made. As I work for Martin this is not any endorsement or useless "buy it, best thing ever" plug for the desk but I wanted to clarify a few things.
I do follow CB frequently and value the feedback given on control systems (others and ours). I think its a wonderful tool to read feedback in such forums but I am mainly a passive reader.

In terms of delivery timing, the first batch of consoles is being assembled right now but it will take a bit to get to the US and CA, somewhat in mid June I suppose depending on how/when they ship.
Whenever you had a chance to play with the desk I am really curious to hear what you think about and what your honest opinion is.

The encoders are the same but the cap and mounting is different. We had a few M1s where the automated soldering process damaged encoders (mainly the left one), leading to the problem you describe. Its frustrating to read about your experience :-( All such desks are of course repaired under warranty with a new encoder PCB. We use high quality ALPS encoders for the desks though and the problem is purely a mechanical issue when the pcb was made. I appreciate the feedback for the original digital belts. I really like them too and find their movement very natural as well. The are not on the M1 and M2GO primarily for space reasons. I have early M1 designs that had those but they didn't make the cut because the desk would have been too big/heavy/expensive... Its always a big compromise to make it all fit and not have a cluttered surface.

The M2GO processor is a bit different (but also a dual core) and the RAM is 4GB. It uses a small SSD drive as well (all M1s start to ship with SSDs this month too). The performance is a bit less than the M1, that's why it has the limit of 8 Universes. The M2PC is 100% identical in the front, just misses the motherboard and 2 DMX ports.

The small touchscreen was always intended as a more compact way to access parameter groups and replace the LCD buttons of the M1. The screen is not practical as an actual full touchscreen to program the desk and it would be a rather painful experience. There is a small video I made with my prototype desk on the M1 facebook page that shows the features it currently has like the color picker and pan/tilt finder. I will see how people start to use the desk and we may add more functions, but I'd rather not clutter up the little 3.5 display with too much information.

It is correct that we do no restrict any software features on any of our desks, the only limitations are the Universe License. I think it makes for a very clear and fair way to understand what you get from any given desk in our range.

@ Brett, my hardware design intentions were actually not driven by looks but mostly by workflow and ergonomics when operating the desk, and by cost and space considerations. The software should give you most of what you need to know at any time but feel free to contact me with a PM as I would like to get more feedback from you if you don't mind. It is important for us to listen to feedback like yours.

Maybe some of you will have a chance to play with the desk one day and enjoy what we came up with. We are all pretty proud how it turned out. You may enjoy reading this, I certainly did PLSN | Martin M2GO Ultra Portable Lighting Control

If you have any more detailed questions about our consoles feel free to contact me directly as well, as I don't want to come across CB as peddling our products.