Elektron Musical Instruments

Hi,

I was just playing the MM and MD together (so fine!!!!) but i 
discovered a not so nice thing.
On the Md you can unmute with one hand and do something else 
(playing the MM :-) ) with the other.
As you go live you def. want to unmute tracks on both machines at 
the same time at some point; Not possible at the moment :-(
With the MM you have to press function at the same time to unmute.

My suggestion is to switch the current way, so:
-Pressing the track buttons mutes and unmutes.
-To select a track press function + track button.
Makes more sense to me as most people use mutes a lot when 
performing.(on the RS7000 it's also like this and it works fine)

Ronald.

On Fri, Sep 26, 2003 at 08:08:16PM -0000, Roonan wrote:
>    Hi,
>    I was just playing the MM and MD together (so fine!!!!) but i
>    discovered a not so nice thing.
>    On the Md you can unmute with one hand and do something else
>    (playing the MM :-) ) with the other.
>    As you go live you def. want to unmute tracks on both machines at
>    the same time at some point; Not possible at the moment :-(
>    With the MM you have to press function at the same time to unmute.
>    My suggestion is to switch the current way, so:
>    -Pressing the track buttons mutes and unmutes.
>    -To select a track press function + track button.
>    Makes more sense to me as most people use mutes a lot when
>    performing.(on the RS7000 it's also like this and it works fine)

I agree totally.  I become quite a contortionist trying to play the MD
and the MM at once, due to this problem!  I submitted a feature request
but I think your idea might be simpler and more user-friendly than mine.

But in addition, I think they should change the muting to not be
immediate.  I think it would work better if the tracks didn't change
their mute status until you take your finger off the function+track
buttons (or just the track button, if your change is implemented).
This is how the MD works (with the function+track muting option) and
it's quite natural, I think.

Anyway, some sort of change to allow one-handed muting and smoothing
muting is necessary (in my opinion).  Not having them takes away from
the liveness of the instrument.  Which is bad; because to me, the MD and
MM are all about being used live.

Joe

On Fri, Sep 26, 2003 at 04:41:10PM -0400, Joe wrote:
>    Anyway, some sort of change to allow one-handed muting and smoothing
>    muting is necessary (in my opinion).

Wait, forget what I said!  I think that some changes ARE necessary (as I
state above); but I don't agree with Ronald's proposed change.  This is
because very often I'll be editing a parameter in the MD while I'm
setting up a parameter to be changed in the MM.  This "setting up"
sometimes requires that I switch the active track to the desired one.
And I can't do that with one hand if FUNCTION+TRACK pressing is required
to change tracks.

So the proposed change is really giving up one evil for another.  Maybe
some sort of stick FUNCTION key would work.  Or, like Damon proposed,
double-clicking the FUNCTION key to make it sticky.  Then you could
change your track mutes and have them take effect once you press
FUNCTION again.

Joe

--- In elektron-users@yahoogroups.com, Joe <jmelnyk@c...> wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 26, 2003 at 04:41:10PM -0400, Joe wrote:
> >    Anyway, some sort of change to allow one-handed muting and 
smoothing
> >    muting is necessary (in my opinion).
> 
> So the proposed change is really giving up one evil for another.  
Maybe
> some sort of stick FUNCTION key would work.  Or, like Damon 
proposed,
> double-clicking the FUNCTION key to make it sticky.  Then you could
> change your track mutes and have them take effect once you press
> FUNCTION again.


Daniel, can you give your vision on this one?
It's defenitly needed to make it possible to do one hand muting and 
for others one hand selecting a track.
There are a couple of options:
- Make a switch in the global screen to reverse operation; FUNC + 
Track is select and track only is mute/unmte.
- Make a dedicated mute mode like on the MD, so normally it 
functions as it is now but when you activate mute mode the track 
buttons behave as mutes.
- Sticky function button (nice idea btw!)
When you tap it twice a bold F appears somewhere in the screen and 
the MM behaves as if FUNC is pressed all the time. When you tap F 
once (or twice wichever is more natural) the function key releases 
again and de bold F dissapears. Somethin like a CAPS LOCK on the PC.
But this one can be tricky though!

Please look into this one because to our opinion this is a crucial 
feature for live performance.

Ronald.

--- In elektron-users@yahoogroups.com, Joe <jmelnyk@c...> wrote:
> On Fri, Sep 26, 2003 at 04:41:10PM -0400, Joe wrote:

> So the proposed change is really giving up one evil for another.  
Maybe
> some sort of stick FUNCTION key would work.  Or, like Damon 
proposed,
> double-clicking the FUNCTION key to make it sticky.  Then you could
> change your track mutes and have them take effect once you press
> FUNCTION again.

It seems like some kind of hand-hand solution for the muting will be 
needed, but I don't think well go with what's proposed so far.

A stick function key would be too distracting and I think it would 
be very frustrating at times. I don't like neither the sticky 
function or the double tap thing. And we'll never reverse the 
function. We'll think of something better (I hope!). Just wait a few 
revisions and I hope there will be something good...

Daniel