MOTM

http://www.orbelisk.com/labels.pdf
http://www.orbelisk.com/labels2.pdf (lower contrast labels)

- They're larger (1"x2.75" printed) now, and it looks more cluttered, but 
there are labels, and for some things labels are going to be what the 
doctor ordered. It's all vector graphics anyway, so it can be any size you 
want, the relative proportions are what's important.

- The arrow is just an experiment. I really want outline rendering as 
Scott suggested, but it'll have to wait a little.

- What do you folks think of the style? I chose full names for the knobs, 
and 3 letter abbreviations for everything else (unless it would fit).

- I've done some print testing, and the low contrast labels are quite 
legable on both color & bw printers (too me anyway).

Labeling the 120 drove this particular point home: even with everything 
described I still don't know what the 120 *does* based upon the graphic, 
which sort of illustrates that until one actually tries it, there are some 
aspects of a module one just won't "get" until one plays with it ;)

(And I think this is okay, at least in the scope of what I'm trying to do 
at the moment.)

Anyway, comments?

--mikes

This looks great. I like being able to zoom in so that each module is 
life size (and so I can read the labels). Regarding functionality of 
something like the 120, this is where a schematic type of layout 
comes in handy. I believe it was Richard Brewster that suggested 
this. Anybody else still have their copy of "The Source" from 
Polyphony mag? I could scan a page and post one as an example.

On Fri, 10 Jun 2005, Scott Juskiw wrote:

> This looks great. I like being able to zoom in so that each module is
> life size (and so I can read the labels). Regarding functionality of

I'm partial to the lighter gray labels. They're still legible if you care 
to peer closely, but they don't distract at a distance. Anyone else have 
an opinion one way or another?

> something like the 120, this is where a schematic type of layout
> comes in handy. I believe it was Richard Brewster that suggested

Comments from people on the list have been very encouraging, and I'm 
going to take a wack at a symbolic symbol set this weekend.

> this. Anybody else still have their copy of "The Source" from
> Polyphony mag? I could scan a page and post one as an example.

That would make my day. I've got electronotes, and basically nothing else.

--mikes

I've scanned some pages from my "Source Book of Patching and 
Programming" and posted them to my website. This book is from 1978 
and contains a bunch of patches from Polyphony magazine. The patches 
are specific to the Paia synths at the time, but the general 
techniques and patch notation are still relevant today (and similar 
to the Roland book that Kenneth E. posted a sample from).

Explanation of symbols:

http://www.tellun.com/source/symbol.pdf

Melodic patches:

http://www.tellun.com/source/melodic.pdf

Atonal patches:

http://www.tellun.com/source/atonal.pdf

Techniques:

http://www.tellun.com/source/technique.pdf

Imagine something like this for MOTM.

p.s. The PDFs are defaulting to a very small size, zoom in to 400% 
and they'll be readable.