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Shooshie wrote:I haven't been keeping up with this thread, but had I been here in November, I'd have asked "did I really just hear a rant about NOTE-OFF velocities?" Note-off velocities... now that's funny. By the way, the answer is to be found in the "View Filter" Just turn 'em off.
Shooshie

You seem to have missed the point of my criticism. I'm well aware that they can be view filtered. The point of the criticism is that, conceptually, it makes little sense to place information in ANY edit window that can not actually be manipulated and edited within said window.

2nd, with regard to the colors, 96 is not the same as unlimited (which is what I am explicitly asking for). Again, it makes little sense to limit the colors available to the user when the Mac OS specifically includes the mechanics to have any color the user wants.

It's important to note that one cannot actually get 96 discreet colors within DP6. Rather they can get shades within set colors, which really isn't the same thing, at all. Since DP6 has the ability to store multiple SETS of color spectrums, the entire problem of running out of colors could easily be addressed by simply allowing more than one stored color set at a time.

Speaking of DAW GUI, I installed PT8 LE a few days ago - WOW! I never thought I'd say this - it's beautiful (coming from a die hard DP guy). Sad to say, but if MOTU needs ideas for enhancing the GUI, this is DAW to check out. The mixer looks great, is super clear, and you can even 'saturate' the mixer to slightly or totally follow the color assigned to each track. OT, but even the included VIs sound nice (and are really useful - EPs, organs, sampler, drums, etc). Under the hood of course, DP is still way ahead with VI handling and MIDI, but this is a huge leap.

I still prefer DP's MIDI and Audio editing (esp the tracks window), but for 295 bucks for an interface (admittedly crappy sounding Mbox 2 mini) and PT8 LE, this is almost a better deal than Logic Studio.

Whoever designed the GUI did a great job on 8 - so easy on the eyes.

[quote=Whoever designed the GUI did a great job on 8 - so easy on the eyes.[/quote]

I'll give you the easy on the eyes part.... reluctantly! I was under the impression that the same person or at least the same 'concept' did both. When in DP6, there is information that won't "fit" in it's provided window, overlapped info, etc.... In PT8, there is also 'missing' info in the gui. Try using it on a portable, with one screen. If you enable the upper transport in PT8, something gets partially obscured, unless you're in 'rabbit-eye' resolution. Same with DP6, although it's not the same info. I'd rather have ease of use over VI's any day. But, that's because I have external sound modules and samplers that I don't mind using to get that 'vintage'(yeah right) sound. I really hope both programs correct the.... I'll call them 'oversights'...... soon!
Horray for the up grades.... Boo to the down-grades......... Maybe time for another SIT-IN?

P.S. jlaudon, I meant to compliment you on such a great looking set-up you have. That's one cool looking studio
Also, I have to apologize to MOTU. Seems that some of the graphic issues that I hated, were addressed in the 6.01 fix. I just noticed, that I haven't been cussing at it as much lately. Maybe I've just gotten used to it. I can live and work with it now. Keep 'em coming MOTU. Aww.... No sit-in

Thanks Sacknell. My pic is kind of old, I'll have to take a new one sometime soon (you can see the DP5 manual if you squint) Guess I should put the DP6 one there now.

jlaudon wrote:Thanks Sacknell. My pic is kind of old, I'll have to take a new one sometime soon (you can see the DP5 manual if you squint) Guess I should put the DP6 one there now.

Did you get a DP6 box?

sacknell wrote:

jlaudon wrote:Thanks Sacknell. My pic is kind of old, I'll have to take a new one sometime soon (you can see the DP5 manual if you squint) Guess I should put the DP6 one there now.

Did you get a DP6 box?

Does that mean that some people did NOT get a DP6 box? If so, very interesting. I sure did; I assumed it was standard issue....

I should probably post a quick update on my POV re the new interface ('cuz I *REALLY* didn't like it at first): It's growing on me. Honestly, the only real issues I have anymore are 2 little ones and 1 bigger one:

(small thing #1)...when two lines are used for label/data where one line used to do just fine (eg., the Audio Performance window)...

...and...

(small thing #2)...in the primary pane (I'm talking consolidated windows here) the limited space inside the little ovals above the sequence window for address/data values. If I have any more than 1 addressing method active for that view (eg., measures AND realtime, or frames AND samples), the indication of the exact value of the mouse cursor position is shoved too far right, and is lost "behind" the limits of the oval viewable space.

...finally...

(the bigger thing)...32-bit float does not appear to be stable. When I record in 32-float and then go to re-open the session later, it thinks it was recorded in 64-bit INTEGER, and won't open it. A corollary to that: when trying to export to 32-bit float, the whole DP session curls up its heels and goes away. I have other processing apps I use which are very happy with 32-bit float, and I'd really like to take advantage of that. Part of the "new feature" hype for DP6 was support for 32-bit float formats.

Other than those 2 little things and 1 bigger thing, "...I'm OK with that now...." In fact, I'm so comfortable with the new interface now that whenever I sub-contract engineer a session at the other studio in town (where they're still running DP 4.61), I now have to do a little "mind-rewind" to recall where to find some things. ;-D

kats_corner wrote:Does that mean that some people did NOT get a DP6 box? If so, very interesting. I sure did; I assumed it was standard issue....

Well, I received 6.0, mangled in the mail sans box, even though I'd specifically asked the boss of the wholesaler (having already paid for it) to allow me to grab the 6.01 update; I told him it'd be 2 weeks away or less. He thought I was dreamin', but agreed nevertheless. 8 days later, 6.01 was posted at MOTU, but I'd already received the mangled and old-fangled 6.0 boxless offering. Yippee. Not.

He seems like a nice guy, but it sure was difficult to resist giving him a piece of my mind after he doubted my intuitive decision's efficacy (it was based on many other factors too), and then broke his promise to allow me to wait for the update. The lack of a box only served to frustrate further, as I've relied on these things as convenient cubby holes for my manuals on a bookshelf. They're also handy for when I just want to grab, say, all the version 3 manuals or whatever for an exciting(!) read in the living room.

I'd still like one. I wonder if it's possible to get one on the cheap somehow...

I got a DP6 manual and CDs in shrink wrap...

Glad to see this topic being discussed here. I have a very hard time reading the tiny little numbers in the mixer especially. I finally figured out it's because they are GRAY now instead of black; if I could make them black it would solve that problem for me.
Secondly the choice of pale yellow to indicate whether or not an Aux send MUTE button is pressed is extremely difficult to see. These things are always sluggish when you program them into an automated mix anyway; now they're nigh upon impossible to see as well... low marks here...

My $0.02

Bill Gwynne
Group Effort Studios

LittleLeadMen wrote:

Shooshie wrote:I haven't been keeping up with this thread, but had I been here in November, I'd have asked "did I really just hear a rant about NOTE-OFF velocities?" Note-off velocities... now that's funny. By the way, the answer is to be found in the "View Filter" Just turn 'em off.
Shooshie

You seem to have missed the point of my criticism. I'm well aware that they can be view filtered. The point of the criticism is that, conceptually, it makes little sense to place information in ANY edit window that can not actually be manipulated and edited within said window.

2nd, with regard to the colors, 96 is not the same as unlimited (which is what I am explicitly asking for). Again, it makes little sense to limit the colors available to the user when the Mac OS specifically includes the mechanics to have any color the user wants.

It's important to note that one cannot actually get 96 discreet colors within DP6. Rather they can get shades within set colors, which really isn't the same thing, at all. Since DP6 has the ability to store multiple SETS of color spectrums, the entire problem of running out of colors could easily be addressed by simply allowing more than one stored color set at a time.

You can change Note-Off velocities in the MIDI Graphic Edit Window by clicking on its numerical value in the Event field at the top of the page. This actually makes sense, because any line drawn to edit the note-ON velocities would necessarily alter the OFF velocities, since they appear side by side. They probably could have come up with a more efficient plan if they had to, but it's not terribly difficult to edit them as things stand.

I don't know about you, but I have dozens of color sets, each of which can be called with a keystroke. Here are some of mine on a "cheat sheet" which I leave in a little stand beside my monitor:



I don't know what you're looking for in your color codes, but I've never seemed to run out of colors. I change sets for any reason that suits me. Sometimes it's for contrast so that I can see certain tracks more easily. Sometimes it's just because I want a different look for a while. With QuicKeys, I can never run out of keyboard commands, so I store as many as I want and use the card for my favorites.

Seems a shame to find such disappointment in such trivial matters; I mean, it's not like MOTU didn't provide us with the ability to use thousands of colors, and Note-Off velocities are the kinds of things that someone could manage not to encounter over a 30 year career. It's just really scraping the bottom of the barrel when you find fault with the way they implemented these things.

Shooshie

jlaudon wrote:I got a DP6 manual and CDs in shrink wrap...

Same here, John, and in an unpadded plastic bag at that.

monkey man wrote:

jlaudon wrote:I got a DP6 manual and CDs in shrink wrap...

Same here, John, and in an unpadded plastic bag at that.

Well, I guess I have no right to complain. At least mine did come in a plain white UPS(?) box. And when my lil sister brought it here all the way from NYC, I was quite upset. Even people with bootleg copies probably got a better box than I got!!!!! So, it means we were "penalized" for ordering early????
Sorry MotuNation, I didn't mean to start a new subject here. Still, it would be nice to have a box........... after all, we DID PAY for it. Just like we paid for a "better" GUI!!!!!!!

I didn't get a box. I've kept 1 box: Descent 1 for keepsake. I do admit the gui on the box is cool. I love the way it looks. I had a whole shrine ready.

I believe in astheticly pleasing visuals. I wanna feel like I'm opperating something on a brand new viper Mk6 or something from the future. PT8 got the idea and really did wonders with the concept. I don't think its the colors themselves but the artistic combo while keeping functionality. I'm no expert, but I can tell if something really works even if I can't tell you why it does. Like a good painting or someone listening to music that is not an audio engineer. They can tell the difference but won't be able to tell you why one sounds better over the other.

That being said I don't use protools. I'm a motu guy. It is just way too awesome with my workflow and stable (pending plugin choice.)

Steve
artist, philosopher, consultant's consultant's former roomate's best friend from high school.