Analogue-sequencer

On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 14:05:37 -0000, "colinfraser_com"
<colin@colinfraser.com> wrote:

>You may remember I mentioned recently the next run of P3s were 
>likely to include custom made keycaps on Cherry keyswitches, since 
>they will look more pro than the Maplin keys, and Maplin have been a 
>royal PITA with availability.
>I've had a quote back from the custom keycap people, and it's 
>looking quite reasonable.
>There's a choice of colours too ;-)

Any of them flourescent?

>My preference is probably to go with parchment white caps with black 
>engraved/infilled lettering.
>Just wondering what anyone else thinks.
>If world + dog are thinking, 'I wish P3 had black keys with white 
>lettering', maybe I'll go the other way...

The version on your website looks awesome. I wondered if further panel
legending would work - labelling the note row. Then I realised  you'd
jhave to make it plain that was in pattern edit mode. And then
playlist edit would come into play and... still, there's room to put a
fair bit of text parallel with the knobs that may explain stuff?

>I'm also thinking of using blank keycaps for the step keys, with 
>text on the panel below the keys showing the step numbers, and text 
>above the keys with the track and part numbers - like on this one:
>http://www.colinfraser.com/p3/p3.gif
>It makes for a reasonable saving on the keycap engraving, and also 
>raises the possibility of using groups of coloured keycaps if 
>desired,instead of having them all white (or black).

I do quite like mine that are half white, half black. 

>This would mean only the keypad keys would be engraved with text 
>labels - which is pretty much essential since putting the labels on 
>the panel area around the keypad would probably be quite messy.
>Anyone got any strong feelings on that ?

Other than to agree, no. Howabout a company name and logo on the front
too?

BTW the P3 rocked in the States. I wondered if it would be possible to
record to multiple tracks simultaneously or is that too tough. I used
the track record a lot - sometimes just as a cunning thru - and being
able to set record on for several tracks would be good for layering.
Also, I'd love a means to clear all note data from an entire bank
leaving everything else intact - playlists, part xpose, FTS, all aux
stuff, accumulator definitions etc. I got very fast at jumping through
tracks blanking notes but I'm always looking for ways to be faster. 

Would it one day be possible to have a temporary track redirect
function for play mode? I'm thinking how cool it would be to redirect
the output of one track to the MIDI channel of another, selecting them
at will. Maybe by holding the Mode button and track and, before
releasing it, hitting another. Not the greatest UI thing but useable? 

Oh, and reset to start of Gbar during play. 

Similarly, a means of physicially transposing all tracks would be ace.
So say I've worked in a song in Em, and want it to be Dm, I'd like to
be able to shift the whole thing down using Part Xpos and then write
this into the data so that the FTS display can show D aeo. It's
confusing if I do the xpos and then return to it later cos it still
looks like Em until I hit start. 

I also reckon a means of setting CC number by a learn function would
be ace. Then recording with the sculpt function would be slicker than
ever. Oh, and tap tempo so I can join in with drummers. And then....
(cue silly Chinese voice and other bizarre Dude Where's My Car
moments). Forgive me, I'm still jetlagged. And yes, I know there's no
room. Call me a greedy git and kick me in the nads. I deserve it.

There's more and I'm sure it'll be P3.5/P4 but hey, I'm nearly ready
for my third P3 already. A P3 cubed scenario eh?

Paul

P.S. Hope to get some video uploaded of the P3 in action but it may
take me a few weeks to free disk space, find some cunning video
software and work out how to do it all. Now I have my little camera, I
do intend to work on a proper tutorial. Probably after my next gig
though (next month) - then I will take a break!
---
Paul Nagle / Soft Room Music
Email: paul@softroom.co.uk www.softroom.co.uk
                           www.BogusFocus.com