Analogue-sequencer

Hi Colin and others, here are my first P3 impressions. Note
that I'm still very new to the P3 and I'm probably very
wrong in some of my conclusions. Also note that I find the
Xbase09 interface hard to use, so maybe I'm just stupid.
But first impressions are always important, imo, so here we
go:

1. I love this machine for its features, and I'm still not
using every possible feature it has.

2. I love the fact that you can edit around without ever
stopping the machine, and without losing sync with the
other tracks. Very impressive programming.

3. I have a hard time with the interface. Maybe that's
newbie problems, but anyway:

3.a. I would like to *see* where I am. Top level mode? Play
list edit mode? Pattern edit mode? I now have try to
recognize the pages ("ah yes, that was a pattern edit mode
page, so I must be in pattern edit mode.").  Did I miss
anything? Any visible clue?

Suggestion: It would be nice if the LCD screen would give
 an indication, or that a new set of three LEDs would be
 added that simply indicate the current mode.

Suggestion: I wouldn't mind a bigger LCD to have this info
constantly shown, along with the current edit page number.
Can the sources be patched to support a bigger LCD screen?

3.b. I never know what I have to do , or *can* do when
editing a parameter.  Some parameters require the Data knob
to be tweaked, while others use buttons 1 and 2 to
increment/decrement a value, while yet another set requires
you to press one of the 16 step buttons (while pressing one
of the param buttons).

Suggestion: I would like to Data knob to work in (almost)
all situations. Afaik, it doesn't work when I'm expected to
use the Step buttons or Inc/Dec buttons. When the Data knob
is supported for all params, I have at least one way of
param tweaking that works *all of the time*.

Suggestion: I would like the LCD to give me a clue as  to
how the parameter should be edited. Some kind of icon on
the LCD that tells me what to do, next to the param. Or
maybe yet another set of LEDs (one for the Data knob and
one for the step buttons) that blink when available as edit
modifier.

3.c. Some parameters don't give their current value, I
think. ;) For instance, the last pattern step to be set
with the Edit Last parameter doesn't show the current
value? Correct? I'm not sure here.

4. The Data and Tempo knobs should be labeled on the case.
 I keep using the wrong buttons and wild tempo changes. ;)

5. The Data and Tempo knobs should be moved to some other
place on the panel. I still think my last suggestion would
work fine (i.e. placing 2 or 3 knobs between the keypad and
LCD).

6. Play list edit mode took me a loooong time to
 understand. I keep pressing the page button to set the
 repeat and transpose value. (I know, the step buttons
 represent each play list step, but anyway. ;) I keep
 pressing the step knobs to select the track, but in
 reality I'm updating the pattern number for the current
 playlist. Am I correct that I can't see which track I'm
 editing when entering playlist mode?

Suggestion: Indicate the current track being edited in
Playlist Edit mode.

Suggestion: Maybe explain a bit more in the manual about
this mode.

That's it for the moment. I really like to see any
 comments.

- Robert