-----Original Messages-----
> > For example, if there are 5
> interesting but arcane functions that are rarely used on a module
> that crowd the one often used function, making it hard to find within
> the grid of identical knobs, the module is compromised.
>But this implies that you have to get people to agree on which functions
are arcane and which aren't. It has been shown that it is difficult to form
a consensus of opinion even when all of the functions have equal importance,
e.g., the layout of the filter bank's knobs. I submit that it would be even
more difficult to get people to agree on which functions in a given module
are more important than others. ....
I would only jump in here to say that, you're right---a consensus on
"importance" is impossible. I may not even feel the same way one day to the
next; why should any two people agree? So there's a certain 'democracy' in
the strict uniformity we currently have. And democracy is good. We can agree
on that, no? It's pretty good.
As Churchill once said, and I think it applies to this particular topic on
this list, with a snicker, "The only thing worse than democracy is...
everything else." (At least I think it was Churchill.)
But if one WERE to go with two or more knob sizes, I think you could assign
a hierarchical value to how "fine" a control needs to be with some degree of
consensus, and leave the marginal decisions to available panel real estate
and precedence. What the larger or smaller radius of a knob gives you is
more or less angular control over the pot, as well as a visual hierarchy
displaying "critical-ness." Anything involving initial frequency settings
should probably use a large knob. Control of, say, modulation depth is
probably less finicky and could use a smaller knob. Although I could get in
trouble for even saying that, because someone may violently disagree, and be
someone who created a whole career on the fine control of modulation depth.
It could happen.
Did you ever see the mondo knob on an old Moog [/Bode] Frequency Shifter?
With that big fat calibration ring around it? Man, that knob just screams to
be turned, slowly, deliberately, like a safecracker would spin tumblers,
listening....
Not every knob in a system needs to be that way. But one or two spices
things up, visually. Is it worth opening that can of worms for that small
pleasure? Who knows; maybe not. I'm just floating around in my comments
here, not preaching in any way. Not today.
But some days you have your soldering iron in hand and you are in
"Engineering Mode." Black panels, white Helvetica-like lettering. Chrome
hexagonal jacks. Uniform knobs. Good. There is order in the universe.
Other days you may be in Zen artist mode. You go into your studio---mine has
jet black carpeting (impossible to keep clean with a cat, 2 kids, and lots
of crunchy snacks around, mind you) and dove gray walls and pearl ceiling, a
scheme that I chose because I can set up indirect colored lights to set a
mood. Often, it's a couple of blue floods behind some of the furniture. On
these evenings, I approach my synthesizer as if it were a Japanese rock
garden. I'm not in engineering mode; I'm not even trying to accomplish
anything. I just sit down in the near-darkness and look at the machine. What
is it saying to me? That beautiful beast. What should I do? What should I
touch first? Maybe I just sit a while and then leave. I still enjoyed my
modular.
On these evenings, all of the discussions of grids, order, even price are
meaningless. I just want this monolith to have personality, to nudge me
without moving. I want symmetry, and asymmetry; I want something organic.
Static tension, dynamic composition.
So how would rearranging the MOTM grid accomplish this? Who knows, maybe it
won't. I SAID I was being 'Zen,' today! All of the stuff we discussed about
the grids, labeling, dividers, colors, etc. are absolutely important...
_sometimes_. Other times it's not.
One thing's for sure: it would add another dimension to the ongoing layout
arguments! For those who enjoy that idea, it's a good thing; for others,
it's a concept to be avoided like the plague.
Now that you all think I'm nuts, please go out and buy a couple of blue
lights for your studio. You'll see, you'll see.