I'm kinda late to the party.
I've used hardware samplers and hardware recorders and mixers all my life (I'm now 55). I bought Cubase 9.5 Pro about a year ago. I used Cubase 3.1 for Atari back in the 1990s and the learning curve of Cubase 9.5 has been massive. I also bought my first proper sample library NI Komplete 11 and upgraded it to include NI's Symphonic Series. Armed with a 2013 PC and 92Gb RAM I felt I was equipped enough to give the orchestral mock-ups a shot.
I have been using an RME UFX but wanted hardware control so sold that and bought a 2nd-hand RME Hameerfall card to hook up to an aging Yamaha O2R. This gave me an audio solution but even with my Nektar Panorama P6 and the Cubase template, I found it nigh on impossible to control both the sample library and Cubase. It often required switching templated in the Nektar and inevitable 'hanging'.
I don't like using the mouse much and have tried touchscreens on occasions, but these are not accurate enough even for my small fingers so when Presonus released the Studiolive Series 3 mixers my interest perked up. I couldn't understand why the mixer was only 48kHz with an update being in the pipeline.....but after a demo Studiolive Series 3 24 channel became available at a good price, I jumped on it. That was three weeks ago. I wish it had been the 32 channel version as that comes complete with Studio One 4, the complete version. Mine has only come with the 'Artist' version so is missing certain functions (although I did try the 30 day full but before I had the desk).
What I hated about the learning curve of Cubase 9.5 Pro was the fact that I was constantly consulting the manual for the simplest of things....and then having to read loads to find the bit I needed. With the Presonus solution of the desk and the software, I've effectively learned about 50-60% of the system in a couple of weeks, enough that I could probably record a session with foldback mixes. I've already assemble a basic orchestral template and what is beautiful about the system is that with the release of DAW mode for the SL3 desk, I have 25 automated faders that do touch and latch and as many banks as the composition requires (I think). The 25 faders are in three sections, 16 then a master and 8 more. For most of the time these correspond to inputs 1-24 of the mixer, 1-24 of the mixer tracks in Studio One but can perform many more functions. In the orchestral template, this gives me 16 faders for:
FLUTES
OBOES
CLARINETS
BASSOON
VIOLIN 1
VIOLIN 2
VIOLA
CELLOS
BASSES
HORNS
TRUMPETS
TROMBONES
TUBA
TIMPANI
TUNED PERC 1
TUNED PERC 2
Then the MASTER fader, then:
ORCH PERC
ALICIA KEYS
60's ABBEY ROAD
MODERN DRUMMER
RETRO MK2
EVOLVE
This is my first attempt at a template in Studio One so no doubt I'll re-jig things.
The Nektar P6 can now be left on my NI template which gives 8 buttons to select articulations and 8 faders for expression etc. I have had more than a couple of 'hanging' moments so may have to load a midi utility to see if some control data is being generated and feeding back etc. It could also have something to do with the fact that the P6's USB cables (there are two, one for the flying fader and one for the midi data) do not like being fed into a D Link powered hub and then into the PC.....or maybe it's NI's incomplete programming.
What I'm finding refreshing about Studio One is the fact that it isn't armed to the teeth with the 'nth' degree of programming like Cubase. It feels quite simple to operate and keeps me in 'right-brain' mode. Cubase always requires an inordinate amount of sorting out just to get something accomplished.
As I've said, a lot of the more complex 'in-the-box' processes to achieve great sounding orchestral emulations are things which I'm only just starting to learn and discover, but the integration of some DAW control and a tactile surface to work with, means the next year looks like being much easier to navigate than the year just gone.
If anyone else is working in Studio One with either a Faderport or a Studiolive Series 3, I'd welcome your thoughts and ideas.