Finaly we are getting back to companies making units for Audio engineers vs controllers for keyboard players that use daws. The fader update for anything you click on is dope!!!!

nice...would love a 16 fader version though.

FINALLY!!!!! Excited for this product! Thanks so much for this quick, yet thorough review!

Consider my mind officially blown. Been waiting for something like this for a looooong time. :)

Man, I’ve been waiting for a dedicated controller for Logic and surprised one hasn’t happened sooner. I know you can use other controllers and map them in Logic, but none of those have ever been exemplary. This looks great, the automation features alone are huge. Thanks for the video Chris, glad to see continued success for your channel!

Yeah this is definitely a buy. Reasonably priced as well, I was expecting such a unit to sell for at least 800 bucks. Hats off to the manufacturer of this gem!

This looks like an incredible addition to the ecosystem. I can easily see working with this on the desk for mixing after using the keyboard controller during recording.

As ever, Chris, well done review. I have a CS12 on my desk, and I've not dived deeply into yet. The lack of demonstration videos for it has been something to contend with, so by far yours is the best I've seen so far by a mile. Maybe the Nektar folks can get you to do its video tutorials for the product? (Hint.) Anyway, it really is the controller Logic folks have been waiting for, especially with the stock and third-party mappings that Nektar's been known for (former P4 owner here). It compliments the mouse/trackpad and keyboard shortcuts, and other controllers, well for what it does. It's not perfect (ie,, Smart Controls and single-point automation can be glitchy), but the Nektar folks are on it. Also, a new firmware update just dropped last week and makes that (somewhat) redundant tempo knob more versatile with an additional selection of features. All told, I really do think that Nektar has nailed it. Hope you get to do more videos on the CS12, in the future. Thanks again, man!

Incredible. Better than anything I’ve seen before.

Thanks a lot for this video! I just ordered one!

I’ve had dreams about this. It’s here!

What goes around comes around. Still got my beloved Boss BR1180CD multitracker. Replaced with Garage Band then Logic Pro as the versatility and scope and ease of use of a DAW was so much faster, feature rich and intuitive. The BR1180 drove Boss's onboard recording software incl midi based/programmable drummer (I actually prefer that to LP).It handled tracking, mixing and mastering with a range of preset master templates if required. Good array of plugins and FX and allowed burn to CD plus optical output. A truly great piece of kit. This new piece of kit provides all the knobs & buttons of an old HW multitracker. Shame we can't upload pics to YT comments. All that said, it was really difficult to learn how to use the 1180 without prior understanding of engineering and production and it took me, frankly, years to establish any kind of rudimentary competence. Grasping the fundamentals was a lot easier with a DAW. I might revisit the 1180 and see how much easier it is to drive with the experience of using LP. This is not a complaint, just a rambling comment re how similar this new kit looks to the old multitracker (though decoupled from the DAW). Also worth noting that I paid about £750 for the 1180 in the very early 00s so equivalent cost in 2024 is roughly £1,300. This Nektar unit at £345 plus eg Logic Pro at $200/ [say]£160 comes in at around £500 so much more accessible.

With the new firmware just released, you can re-assign the shift+tempo knob to control playhead position, scrub, channel gain and other parameters. Makes it SO much easier.

Thank you Chris. This is a piece of gear that I need to help me get around my mixes a little quicker.

I’ve been waiting to buy something for my logic… it’s been so good to me now I can give it something in return.

Thanks Chris. Waiting for mine to arrive now.

This is so necessary for LPX!!! Cant wait until the link up with the rest of the DAW community!!!

Thank you. I’ve been on the fence about the CS12 vs an SSL UF1. If I liked the UF1, it would get expensive fast with a UC1 and UF8 to follow. I’m giving the CS12 a shot.

The single point automation is awesome. I hate messy automation lanes, I usually even clean up my modulation wheel data because I hate all the nodes when I write it. Amazing.

I'm not a logic user but, I really appreciate Nektar making such a great device.

Thanks Chris! Not only is this amazing... I'm hoping a series of these will spring from the CS12. Great video!

Wow! I think i've found my first control surface. Thanks for the video!

I didn’t know I needed this until I saw this video 😂👌

About time. I love my Nektar lx88+ keyboard.

$400. You're welcome.

wow this something that i didn’t know i wanted 👀

Perfect ! I hope they will soon launch and 8 fader sidecar modules

Is it OK not to love this? For the way I work in Logic, this would be a silly toy that would only get in my way. Plus, it would be one more thing on my desk between me and the monitor. But if you love it, by all means, enjoy!

Best review so far :) About the third party plugins, do we know which ones are already mapped? I think they say 'most of the major ones' or something but it sounds vague.

It's about time there was a dedicated controller for Logic. Now it would be interesting to build a medium or large format controller console like SSL XL Desk, Matrix, Allen and Heath GSR24M, etc.

Love your excitement, Chris! This is excellent for Logic, but I spend a lot of time use Komplete Kontrol, Arturia and NKS VSTs and UAD plugins. The new NI S Series controllers offer the best integration for those sound sources plus some Logic control surface features (but no motorized fader). So, what to do? Get a Nektar CS12 and switch back-and-forth? Will there ever be ‘one’ control surface that has midi 2.0 for EVERYTHING?

I am buying this!

I hope there will be a small version with just that fader section. I feel like using the mouse and keyboard/key commands to navigate, while having a tactile feel when adjusting parameters, would be a dream!

Once this has 8 faders, then I'm in. Looks great!

Thank you Chris

Awesome!!

More importantly, what brand of USB angle is that!? Nice and thin. Love it. 👍🏿

Wow. Look fantastic ❤

Cubase ECT. It's The successor of P1, which can also do everything immediately without Nektarine Software, but they gave an update to work with Nektarine as well. It will work with Every Major DAW like it was always. Nektar is the only equipment that have working encoders after extensive use over a decade.

Wow! 🔥🔥🔥

Fantastic!! Now if Nektar or any other company could design one with 8 or 16 faders it would be my DREAM!!

Great product, great review. Question … is the often used by me “capture record” function included??

omg stoked

Thanks!

That’s awesome

Dope!

Thank you ✨Coll device🎻🎸🎹

As always, clear and concise run through. As I was watching I recalled that you had a video in the past few months lamenting that nobody has leveraged the Logic Pro API. The understated power of Logic Pro never ceases to amaze me.

It's "technically" for Logic only. The developers already stated that it will be updated for all other DAWs.

Looks so nice!! 🤤🤤🤤

Nice piece and great video! Can the unit control non-Logic plugins?

Take my money! That's awesome!

Thanks! 🙂🇨🇦

Hi sir, would you recommend this over the Behringer X-Touch? Thanks

Well all of the buttons are easily replaced with keys on the keyboard and for knobs you'll have to look at the display what is mapped to what, so mouse will be faster. Although you can turn two knobs at the same time.

It’s interesting that Nektar chose to integrate directly with the Apple/Logic API instead of leveraging the promises of midi 2.0 😮

Great video! Will the CS-12 work the same way with Logic for iPad, do you know?

Great video. I’d love to see a video about using this controller with MainStage as well - does it work for that?

You've got to be kidding?! More money I have to squirrel away from my wife without her knowing about it to buy another piece of gear. This is what I've needed since I switched to logic 6 months ago. Wow.

I had the original P1 and it was great for plugins but it didn't have motorized faders. I dropped it one day cleaning and it shattered, I want the CS12 but its out of STOCK EVERYWHERE!!!

Got one, it’s boss!

Just a question that's a little off topic but I was wondering if theres a way for, when stopping playback, logic fades out globally instead of stopping abruptly? Would be nice for it to also fade in. Just a short fade in/out would make long sessions feel a lot better. Waves SSL compressor has a Fade In function but if logic could have it as an option it would be nice. Cheers.

Can't wait until they release the support for cubase

Can a key or button be assigned to quickly switch to any tool like Pointer / Scissor / Mute, etc?

Leaving out scribble strips for each rotary encoder was probably a huge oversight. Wonder what the research data revealed for demand of that feature.

Does it also work for vinrtual instrument plugins? And not only effect plugins?

Nice review. Thanks. Is the motorized fader noisy?

Does anyone know if it can use automation quick access mode? Where the fader becomes the controller for whatever the currently visible automation is? Even cc?

This thing is great. One thing I noticed, though, is that when I placed the plist file where it told me to, all of my custom presets disappeared? Also, when I load the logic compressor after I added the plist, the threshold option is not available to be adjusted on the CS12 with the knobs. Have you seen these issues?

Fantastic piece of gear! Too bad I can't meet the system requirements without replacing my late 2013 Macbook Pro.

Love everything about it... except price xD xD

Does the controller also features the Aux Fader Send Mode?

Would love to have someone speak to this units compatibility with other DAWs - clearly it was designed for Logic but would love to know

Can i use it with the new ipad Pro 12.9 7. Gen?

Hi! Long time lurker, is it posible to expand with more faders?

Where can I buy it? Not showing up on reseller websites.

This looks great but as a newby i have a question...Isnt Logic Remote a better option?

Does it work with 3rd party plugins or just Logic ones?

Would this work with Logic Pro on iPad? It doesn’t say so on their website.

how does it work with Logic Pro for iPad? does it even make sense to use it in this setup with the iPad being tactile on its own? even anyone got experiences with this I would love to hear it

Logic only or can be used also with other daws ?

I hope they bring out expansion this is kinda like the uf1 or x touch one. I hope they bring out 8 or more fader expansion like the uf8

Thx! So, all logic plug ins are mapped but any 3rd party plugs, Fab filter, etc., would need to be mapped ?

Very interesting. Do you know how this work together with the Softube Console1? My main concern is using things from 2 different brands, and they not communicate with each other!

can you only control effect plugins with it, or can you also control instruments?

how does this compare aginst presonus faderport

How does this device to respond to logic pro where the tracks are not in any numerical order??

I have the Panorama P1 and its VERY laggy, then a knob shaft broke and though I can solder in a new rotary encoder no problem, their customer service is non-existent, they just don't want to know, won't talk to me at all.

It’s going to have to be good to beat Logic Remote on iPad.

I wonder if this device can be daisey chained to other nektar controllers?

If this had like 8 faders, I’d buy it

how to engage touch / read?

can this work with reason?

How about expression control like with BBC orchestra ?

Looks like they saved a bit of money on the display, but this looks very promising!!!

can it map to CUBASE ?

WANT!

i was just looking at this....

No mention of how to use with piano roll editor?

This is so close to perfect but how could they sign off on this without a jog wheel? At the very least allow us to allocate a knob as a jog wheel. I know there is a work-around to jog but it requires 2 hands. This is literally keeping me from buying it or there would already be one on my work station. Brilliant... but short-sighted.