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

[Tom Wiltshire]

On 10 Apr 2009, at 11:50, Seb Francis wrote:

> Tom Wiltshire wrote:
>>
>>
>> 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.
>
> This is exactly what they've done with the mkII version of the  
> controller I was talking about:
> http://www.novationmusic.com/products/zero_sl_mk_ii?option=1

There you go! I knew that was a good idea too!!

Actually, that is pretty much my ideal. Obviously more LEDs would be  
nice. Maybe one day you'll be able to do multiple rings like the  
interface of the Massive soft synth that you showed us. I liked the  
way that shows you modulation ranges. Another way to do it might be  
to actually have the LED indicators move to reflect the modulation. I  
believe the Nord Synths do this, but I've never played with one. So  
for example, if you had an LED showin you the filter cutoff, and you  
apply a bit of LFO modulation, the cutoff LED begins to move. That  
way, you'd see the depth indirectly, and you'd have a clear idea of  
the effect on the parameter.

There's loads of stuff like this that I think we need to be thinking  
about. Paul M is right that a lot of it is about the interface not  
the technology, so we need to be working on some lovely synth  
interfaces (easy to use, beautiful, engaging, powerful, obvious) as  
well as designing great filters or whatever.

T.