[sdiy] Synth UI [was: Modular - sound or song]

[Tom Wiltshire]

On 10 Apr 2009, at 11:08, Seb Francis wrote:
>
> This is the box I use to control my VST plugins:
> http://www.novationmusic.com/product_image/normal/18.jpg
> http://www.novationmusic.com/products/remote_zero_sl?option=1
> They do a keyboard version as well.

<snip>

> The real beauty of the UI is the LCD display row across the top of  
> the controller which shows the names of each parameter being  
> controlled by the active row of controls.

I've been thinking for some time that the next synth I build would  
have an interface like this; endless rotaries and LCDs indication  
parameter names. As long as you've got enough controls, you've got as  
much simultaneous control as you can manage, and you've got easy  
tweakability of everything and no problems with patch recall.
The Oberheim Xpander was the first time I saw such an interface, but  
I don't consider only 4 controls enough. I was quite bummed out when  
I saw John Bowen's Solaris and realised he'd beaten me to it! Still,  
it shows that it isn't a bad idea.

There are one or two useability issues remaining, or ripe for  
improvement. One is that reading parameter values off an LCD is not  
as instantaneous as simply grokking the position of a knob. For this  
reason, I think the Nord-style encoder with LED ring has value, even  
if you can't see the full parameter resolution on the ring (Often  
there are 31 LEDs, and Nord only use 15). For a real money-no-object  
interface, you could combine these of course. LCDs above with  
parameter names and values in detail, encoders below with LED rings  
for an at-a-glance sense of what the settings are without having to  
read the LCD. When my lottery cheque arrives...

T.