Touch Screen...really?

engineerjoel · Post by **engineerjoel** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:49 pm

In Program Mode, the TouchScreen shows Filter and AMP EQ graphics, but you can't seem to use the Touch Screen to quickly-&-easily access-&-modify the Filter or Amp EQ's.

Bald Eagle · Post by **Bald Eagle** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 3:09 pm

You don't get touch screen support like you would find in an iPad app but it's a lot better than most synths. Ever try touching the screen on a Motif?

engineerjoel · Post by **engineerjoel** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 3:50 pm

It would be a better use of the TouchScreen if there were more user assignable paramters that could be quickly modified rather than looking a some pretty little graphics.

dimitra · Post by **dimitra** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 10:22 am

As the phrase goes - "throw them a friggin' bone here!"
M50 is a synth from 2008. Yes, maybe you would be justified in asking why it's not there on the Khronos (maybe it is).

Hopefully the next workstation Korg would have an integrated App store, a nd let you also play flappy bird on the touchscreen!

billbaker · Post by **billbaker** » Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:46 pm

It's a two step process, but touch what you want to adjust (on screen) and use the data slider (similar motion).

Short of programming an actual controller to do your most common adjustments, that is probably the quickest "on-the-fly" method.

Some of the things you may want to do most often are already pre-programed (rez, filter/cutoff, sustain, e.g.) and assigned controllers usually include an IFX balance for reverb (knob 4).

Korg - for whatever reason - has intentionally put most of the real-time performance controls on the knobs/slider/pedals because up until recently the "my-synth-must-act-more-like-an-analog" lobby has called (loudly) for knobs to twist. The (then) design team cannot be faulted for listening to the demands of the day.

Read up on Alternate Modulation Source (AMS) options in the manual.

That the new post-iPad paradigm has shifted toward a "real" touch screen or even tablet/software/hardware integration [check out the Line-6 AMPLIFi for example] just means that on the next generation we'll lose those knobs in favor of soft versions... and if that happens what will we do 10 years down the road for controllers? Will Korg implement legacy control software for next-gen holographic displays? Will a synth without an "ancient" iPad to control it be worth anything? We'll see.

BB

csteen · Post by **csteen** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 2:20 pm

I look forward to engineerJoel's upcoming synth with full touch capabilities.

Perhaps Yamaha will back him in the venture as they have no touch capabilities at all.

engineerjoel · Post by **engineerjoel** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 7:02 pm

I think most you guys are missing the point as to the comment I made about the TouchScreen.

If you recall, when the M50 was first started coming on the market and being advertised, the BIG feature that Korg and (Rich Formidoni) were pushing was the addition of the nice touch screen….as if any parameters on the Touchscreen could easily be accessed by the touching the screen. But, realistically, the Touchscreen's functions are only useable in about 2/3rd of the window. Since we’re only limited to 4 control knobs, it would be nice if the remaining 1/3rd of the window Not include the Filter and AMP EG graphics; but instead, have some user definable controls or touch-access to quickly access other parameters buried in other menus.

Otherwise, All good.

Later,

Ajbbklyn · Post by **Ajbbklyn** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 9:39 pm

If you recall, the M50 came to market as a budget workstation. To have a touchscreen - any touchscreen - at that price-point was previously unheard of.

That said, there is no technological barrier to the development of a workstation with expanded touch capability. The trick is to be able to position it at a fair price while still making a decent enough profit to warrant the development. The OS technology is there. The hardware is there. But, what would it cost to produce? A workstation needs to be more of a workhorse than, say a tablet device. Especially since the product needs to be robust enough and stable enough to withstand the rigors of gigging.

We'll see which company will be the first to move in that direction.

Bald Eagle · Post by **Bald Eagle** » Sat Apr 05, 2014 11:52 pm

Having touch screen controls is nice but it is just not the same as real controls. Creating a usable touch interface is going to take time and will add to the development cost of a workstation. It will get there but it's not going to happen quickly.