Analogue-sequencer

<< I've been having a look a the possibility of adding midi controller 
functionality to the P3 knobs in play mode. [snip]
So, if it was a straight choice between these two features, which would you 
prefer ? >>

hmm... haven't really used the banks much yet.... don't know what I'd be 
losing. 

but frankly, for all that I can see the usefulness of having RT midi 
controllers available on the p3, as soon as you can adjust one or two things per 
track, you'll want to do more.
 
buy a drehbank, for heaven's sake! 64 knobs! or several of the (cheap) pocket 
controllers.... or any of the other dozen or so fully-configurable midi 
control surfaces that can do all that boring stuff. you should anyway, if you are 
using any sort of midi module, because trying to edit parameters (especially on 
stage) without an external controller is like trying to paint your hallway 
through the letter box. 

there are (surely) more interesting things that the p3's hardware could be 
made to do /to the p3 itself/ instead of tying it up doing things to other midi 
boxes like this.
for instance, I would like to be able to use the knobs to transpose a track 
on-the-fly. or change the length of the current pattern. or alter it's global 
velocity (a la notron). or gate time (ditto). or scale the randomness of the 
auxes.... or shift a pattern sideways....

colin, don't be swayed by this bleating! :-)

a pocket controller only costs 80 euros & it has 16 assignable knobs. the p3 
shouldn't be forced to do such dull jobs as midi cc's that aren't 
pattern-dependent.
there. that's my 2c worth.

now, what I really want to be able to do is make edits to a pattern while 
it's running, & exit the edit mode without saving the changes. the pattern would 
only revert to it's original state on a part change or bank change, or if I go 
back into edit mode & undo whatever I've changed.... (notron again!) 
so, for example, I have a pattern in there that starts off as 16 steps & then 
gets shortened to 8 steps for a while, but in the meantime I want to edit 
something in another pattern. next time we start the same piece, it should be 
back at 16 steps. I'm sure there's a way to do this already but I haven't smoked 
enough to discover it. th'other half doesn't like me burning the 'erb trumpet.

d/r.m.i.