[sdiy] Gerts Galactic P3 is ungainly and difficult to use

[Colin f]

Hi Jay,

> try as i might, i simply Can Not Grok The Interface.  god, does 
> 'intuitive' just have no bearing with you diy types at all?

Let's not go there. I've had a shot of the Indigo...

> i can't even work out how to get it in a 
> basic pattern/play mode.

Turn it on at the mains - it'll be in play mode.
Then press 'RUN' to start it going.

> i gotta hold FUNC-REC and a #-Track to 
> record?  eh?  that takes TWO HANDS, dude!!!  nonsense!  REC does 
> nothing, neither does "REC+RUN" (isn't that the 'standard' way of 
> getting a sequencer to record something?), but i sure can hit FUNC a 
> lot and make my own segmented light show.  defeated!  mister maddox 
> made it look so easy!

I once had a piano, but had to get rid of it, cos the user interface
needed two hands :-P
You don't need FUNC to go into track record mode. You hold REC + the key
for the track you want to record on.
>From pattern edit mode, you just press REC and it enters record mode.
Once in record mode, you do need to press the softkey to switch from
'ready' to 'live' - otherwise you're just practicing.
FUNC+REC is for arpeggiator mode, but you can only use that in pattern
edit.
If everyone stuck the 'standard' way of doing things, we'd never get
anywhere.

> but if only someone can give me a simple walk-through for 
> setting it up to play in 'normal pattern sequencer' mode on channel 
> 1, part 1, a simple loop, i'd be very happy...

Turn it on. Press RUN. If the LED for track 1 is not green (active)
press the key so it turns on.
Now hold PLAY/EDIT and press key 1. You're in pattern edit mode.
Now press a few step keys, and notes should start playing on those
steps.
Use the bottom knobs to change the notes.
Use the top knobs to change the velocity.
If you want to set the gate length or step delay, press the upper mode
key so the LEDs cycle thru velo/leng/dlay/aux.
Video tutorials are going to appear some time...

Cheers,
Colin f