Performance mode

[dhjdhj]

I've come to the conclusion that the UI as implemented now is uhmm, not too terrific for live use. A couple of things come to mind immediately:

1) It's quite hard to push on the right place on the screen when you're rushing....I've found I have to use my nail to get more accuracy and even then, I don't get it the first time

2) The modality really gets in the way of quickly changing programs --- for example, I've found that I can't always switch from PROGRAM to COMBI mode by pushing the respective button on the console....if the GUI is in the wrong "state", those buttons don't work.....having to push EXIT a few times is silly

3) There's no easy way to transpose the entire instrument. I've gotten bitten a couple of times because the band will decide they want to play a song transposed up or down by a semitone or so. I gotta tell you, if you're doing Stevie Wonder riffs in Eb, you can't just play those riffs in D or C (at least I can't!)



There needs to be be some form of global "Performance" mode (yuk, there's that mode word) where, on a single screen, I can have a small number of big buttons (a special bank) that will let me quickly select from among some programs OR combis, regardless of which userbank the program or combi is from. As far as I'm concerned, in live usage, there is no difference between a combi and a program....they are both just ways of picking the sound I want.

The hack of course is to go through the pain of creating COMBIs many of which would consist of a single program.

That performance mode window should have a massive big button that I can push, immediately followed by a key, to instantly transpose the keyboard, and the keyboard should STAY transposed, even if I switch sounds.

No doubt there are lots of other things here, but the above come to mind immediately, based on my last band rehersal.

[dhjdhj]

Meant to include that that performance bank should of course respond to MIDI program changes.


Hope this isn't all wishful thinking though.

[tcornishmn]

I'm with you on some of your requests. To that list I'd also like to add a clock on the screen and have the mute buttons actually mute on the MIDI side, rather than the audio side to save polyphony where you have a lot of layers in a combi.

My other complaint is that when you are setting up splits/layers in a combi, you need to set the key range on one page, but to transpose the timbres so they are in the right octave is on a completely different screen two button presses away.

I think your points are valid, but I will say that the Oasys is the first board I've ever been able to use standalone - that is without a second board on top. The way that I can switch between organ drawbars and patch volumes is really great, and I often use the tap tempo button/tempo wheel with Karma as a click track for the band. This is just not possible on most of the other boards out there.

[drama1]

Not sure if the Oasys has the feature, but on the Triton there is a Hold-Ten feature using the numeric pad. I use this all the time. I just program the sounds I'm using live (about 12 or 15 total) and hit the button and there is my next program or combi. I've been complaing because the M3 does not have this feature and makes it very difficult for live performance. Hopefully the Oasys still retains this feature because it is very quick and easy for live performance.

[dhjdhj]

Well, I have a pedalboard that can send program changes...the problem is that if that if you're not at the right place (GUI wise), it won't work!

[danatkorg]

1) It's quite hard to push on the right place on the screen when you're rushing....I've found I have to use my nail to get more accuracy and even then, I don't get it the first time

I'm not sure what you're using the touch-screen for in a live situation. However, note that the screen needs to be calibrated, and that this includes the current viewing angle; if you're at a different angle, then the touch-targets may appear to be in a different place.

I think you'll find that calibration for the current angle is the key.

2) The modality really gets in the way of quickly changing programs --- for example, I've found that I can't always switch from PROGRAM to COMBI mode by pushing the respective button on the console....if the GUI is in the wrong "state", those buttons don't work.....

It would help if there were more details on what you were trying to do when this occured. There are a few modal dialogs, such as the Program Select dialog, which won't let you change to Combi mode until you close the dialog. I agree that it would be nice if this weren't the case, but there may be an underlying reason for this behavior, something that's stateful and needs to be reset properly; I'll find out.

3) There's no easy way to transpose the entire instrument.

Global Basic: Key Transpose.

There needs to be be some form of global "Performance" mode (yuk, there's that mode word) where, on a single screen, I can have a small number of big buttons (a special bank) that will let me quickly select from among some programs OR combis, regardless of which userbank the program or combi is from.

I agree, that would be nice.

If I may suggest, in the future, it would help us all in collaborative problem-solving if you started by describing what you'd like to do, and asking how it could be done. As someone who is new to the instrument, I'm sure that there will be many things that the people here will be able to help you with.

Best regards,

Dan

[Mike Conway]

As Dan mentioned, there is a Global TRANSPOSE function.

It also might help (for a live performance) if you saved Programs and Combis that you need, in one Combi bank. No need to switch between modes.

[dhjdhj]

Well, for things like getting to that Key Transpose field in GLOBAL Basic that you mentioned

I'm not sure what you're using the touch-screen for in a live situation.

OK - I knew about calibration but never actually did it (mea culpa). On the other hand, when I'm in a live situation, sometimes I'm standing, sometimes I'm sitting...therefore the current viewing angle will change...am I supposed to recalibrate every time I change my position? Surely not.

However, note that the screen needs to be calibrated, and that this includes the current viewing angle; if you're at a different angle, then the touch-targets may appear to be in a different place.

I think you'll find that calibration for the current angle is the key.

Well, I've found that in live mode, I do pull up the program select dialog and just jump from sound to sound. (By the way, all the full effects should work there....I've discovered that if I pick a sound and play it there, and then push OK, the sound changes due to effects (I assume))

As far as your stateful comment is concerned, it should not be a problem to have the code that responds to those buttons (program, combi, etc) to be able to send a message to the window manager emulating the "pressing" of the "Cancel" of a modal dialog if one is up.

It would help if there were more details on what you were trying to do when this occured. There are a few modal dialogs, such as the Program Select dialog, which won't let you change to Combi mode until you close the dialog. I agree that it would be nice if this weren't the case, but there may be an underlying reason for this behavior, something that's stateful and needs to be reset properly; I'll find out.

Definitely easier than my attempts to fiddle with the oscillators, but still much more complicated to actually do in live performance (first dismiss dialog if up, then go to global mode, touchscreen to get to Key Transpose field, adjust, then get back to that original dialog, or indeed wherever I was before). This is why such a feature should be part of a performance mode. I'd settle for being able to reprogram one of those SW switches so I can quickly press it and then a key, to transpose quickly!

Global Basic: Key Transpose.

You may indeed so suggest and I would tell you that I'm certain I'm not the first to recognize the value of this group....people have already answered my initial questions and I think I have already been able to start "giving back" and answer some other peoples' questions.

In terms of describing what I'd like to do, part of the reason you're getting suggestions for WHAT to implement rather than what I'd like, is because I'm finding the Oasys UI to be getting in my way more than I would have expected.

Here's the history....I've used Macintosh for many years (since the SE30) to run my music stuff. When I am in that mode, I forget that my primary occupation is that of software development and I become "just" a user. This works wonderfully until the software doesn't quite work as it should, at which point I'm "rudely" interrupted, put on my software hat and wonder why the heck it was done this way rather than that way....the answer to such questions is often "we knew how to implement it this way" as opposed to "this is harder but it makes more sense for the user"

I don't often get in that mode with my Macintosh (although don't talk to me about Native Instruments Kontakt!) but I'm finding that I'm getting into that mode far too often when I'm working with the Oasys, particularly as I've gotten into it more deeply.

So when I suggested that "Performance mode" feature, along with large buttons to do things like "Transpose", I had already gone past the "what's wrong" phase and was into "here's a way to fix it" phase.

But of course you're right in that I don't know what else your team has been thinking about so I agree it's probably more useful to get the "what I would like to do" stuff

If I may suggest, in the future, it would help us all in collaborative problem-solving if you started by describing what you'd like to do, and asking how it could be done. As someone who is new to the instrument, I'm sure that there will be many things that the people here will be able to help you with.

[danatkorg]

Well, for things like getting to that Key Transpose field in GLOBAL Basic that you mentioned

It sounds like you wouldn't have been using that prior to this conversation. As you mention later, it sounds like you're doing Program select from the touch-screen, and other edits...I was actually asking a real question there, trying to find out more about your specific scenario.

BTW - have you tried using search in the PDF manuals? This works very well in Mac OS X Preview, for instance. The PDFs are fully searchable and hyper-linked.

OK - I knew about calibration but never actually did it (mea culpa). On the other hand, when I'm in a live situation, sometimes I'm standing, sometimes I'm sitting...therefore the current viewing angle will change...am I supposed to recalibrate every time I change my position? Surely not.

Angle sensitivity is a fact of life with touch-screens, AFAIK. You may find that tilting the screen helps to adjust between standing up and sitting down. Calibration is necessary for optimal performance.

Well, I've found that in live mode, I do pull up the program select dialog and just jump from sound to sound. (By the way, all the full effects should work there....I've discovered that if I pick a sound and play it there, and then push OK, the sound changes due to effects (I assume))

The effects are all there when the dialog is open. You can also use controllers, KARMA, Tone Adjust, etc. What's happening is that when you press OK, the system re-selects the Program, initializing controllers, etc. This also clears and re-starts the effects. I don't love this behavior either...

I'd settle for being able to reprogram one of those SW switches so I can quickly press it and then a key, to transpose quickly!

I like that idea!

Re Macs: I've got you beat for longevity. In college, I used a brand-new Mac Plus as the center of my live rig.

I won't argue that the UI is perfect; it's not. (Hopefully the parts that my group has worked on in depth, such as the EXi, are a little better...) It probably won't surprise you to find that some of the stuff you're mentioning has been talked about previously, may be on internal wish-lists, etc. Suggestions for future improvements are helpful in the long term, but they won't help you in your gig next Saturday night! On the other hand, asking about specifics, such as the best ways people have found for changing sounds in live performance, just might yield something that makes your life easier...just my 2 cents.

Best regards,

Dan

[dhjdhj]

You called my bluff.....but knowing about this will now save me from having to configure a bunch of presets unnecessarily.

It sounds like you wouldn't have been using that prior to this conversation.

I know --- but it's hard to do that during a gig I suppose if I was a full time musician and consequently could spend significant amount of time learning it, it would be better but .....

BTW - have you tried using search in the PDF manuals? This works very well in Mac OS X Preview, for instance. The PDFs are fully searchable and hyper-linked.

1 down, 200 to go!

I'd settle for being able to reprogram one of those SW switches so I can quickly press it and then a key, to transpose quickly!

I like that idea!

That long ago, I was still using Texture under DOS!

Re Macs: I've got you beat for longevity. In college, I used a brand-new Mac Plus as the center of my live rig.

Don't get me wrong ... I love this beast and truly appreciate the feedback.

I won't argue that the UI is perfect; .....

[jg::]

Dan said:

The effects are all there when the dialog is open. You can also use controllers, KARMA, Tone Adjust, etc. What's happening is that when you press OK, the system re-selects the Program, initializing controllers, etc. This also clears and re-starts the effects. I don't love this behavior either...

Yep, let's get rid of that annoying behaviour!!!!

jg::

[Charlie]

Regarding live-performance: I don't like fiddling around with many buttons, switches, controllers etc. during a live-performance (that excludes pitchbend, ribbon and VJS ). I prefer thinking ahead of what I will need once I play live and configure my programs or combis in a way I just have to "step up" one program/combi to have the new set ready. Jordan Ruddess explains this idea quite nicely in one of his Oasys demo-videos.

But I agree, it's a matter of taste how to perform live - I want it as close to fool-proof as it could be ('cause I know I will be the fool to handle my setup in the end ).

[dhjdhj]

It's fine if your live performance is rigid but it can get tricky if there's divergence. I prefer what Yogi Berra once said

In theory, there's no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is!

I prefer thinking ahead of what I will need once I play live and configure my programs or combis in a way I just have to "step up" one program/combi to have the new set ready. Jordan Ruddess[sic] explains this idea quite nicely in one of his Oasys demo-videos.