DP 6 GUI - What do you think of it?

[LittleLeadMen]

Going back to a few of the comments/suggestions that I previously made:

I happened to be reading the DP6 book and came across some odd things in the process. This goes back to the comment re: allowing users to choose ANY number of colors they want on screen. In the instruction manual, under the section on MIDI control information, it specifically says that the users can change the colors of the MIDI CC info, and allows the user to choose from the MAC color picker to do so. In other words, when it comes to CC info, there are no limits on color choice. But when it comes to tracks..... well, that's a different story.

It's such an obvious thing, yet why can't we select a "near" unlimited number of color combinations for this programs data display?

Another funny thing, under the MIDI section, it discusses MIDI data display, and even describes the velocity display as "very small V's". Why specifically make them and even describe them as "very small"? Weird. Even weirder, under the same section, the manual says that it displays MIDI ON velocity and MIDI OFF velocity as small V's. But it then says that the MIDI OFF velocity is only displayed for information purposes, and that the user can not edit that information in the MIDI screen.

So....... why waste space displaying a piece of information like that in an EDIT window, if you won't allow the user to actually EDIT it? 2nd, I use sequencers all the time. I can't think of the last time I was concerned with even editing the off note velocity of a MIDI note. Why clutter the display? Why frustrate people by providing more info that they can not manipulate or edit in an edit screen? And finally, why place that info in an admittedly hard to read/see format?

[rainy-taxi]

I really love it! The workflow is so much better now as is the layout of the panels and the color scheme. I really like the new mixer looks and the new functionality makes DP6 a killer app! I like it much more then dp5.

[monkey man]

My data-display filer is always set to "all on except off velocities", FWIW. Easy solution.

Also, if you play a little monophonic synth lead, you'd no doubt have run into patches where not only the on velocities of hammer-ons affect the following notes, but off velocities do so too. I believe I've played polysynth-style patches too where the off velocity affects the release time.

[LittleLeadMen]

I'm not debating that sometimes synths require OFF note velocities. What I'm saying is that MOTU explicitly states that while it displays the OFF velocities, you can't actually do anything to edit them in the MIDI window, like you can all of the rest of the MIDI information that's displayed.

It's more than a little incongruous to provide a wealth of information and NOT allow you to edit one of the elements that is being presented.

To rainy-taxi: The point here is not that DP6 is better than DP5- I believe it is, as well. It's that there are inconsistencies with the ways in which it handles the representation and presentation of some information. Additionally, for being the most thorough sequencer program (in terms of capability) it has a lot to learn when it comes to GUI, especially when you compare it to the major commercial competition.

[kats_corner]

Well, just a note re the ability/inability to edit off velicities vs seeing the values.

Admittedly, I don't do a *lot* of MIDI velicity editing (short of an occasional note or two and overall scaling of larger selections); but I *do* recall having the ability to edit on *AND* off velocities in the event info window. So the ability to edit the off velicities *does* exist. Having that ability, I can understand potentially wanting to see that information in a global-view MIDI window.

That said, and also admittedly not having gone to the MIDI window yet to verify the lack of edit ability there, it would indeed seem logical to allow editing of *all* MIDI data displayed in a MIDI window, rather than selective exclusion of some.

[stubbsonic]

Sometimes with updates, there is a loss of a tactile feel ("ballistics"?) of selection, dragging, etc. Sometimes things get messed up in a way that affects work-flow.

In v4, lassoing (drag selecting) was always gridless (so you could grab any notes without losing early notes, or otherwise having your intentions "corrected" by DP)-- and you could drag events according to the grid on/off setting. v5 said that both lassoing and dragging had to follow the grid on/off setting. So I select with the grid off, and hold down command to drag (just one more thing to take my hand off of some other keys).

In v6, if you option-drag, you have to make sure you hold-down the option key a little longer after you release the mouse or it won't drag a copy.

The tops of the windows are confusing now. It's hard to tell where the window top is (i.e., the handle you use to drag the window).

Those are just some first impressions.

[mrbil]

I really like 6. It would be nice to have the option in the preference section , for look. Lite mode, Med Mod and Dark mode; all selectable.
Also have the faer module also have the color of the track. Not the fader itself, but the channel strip.

[ssfm]

The tops of the windows are confusing now. It's hard to tell where the window top is (i.e., the handle you use to drag the window).

To me that's the single biggest problem with DP6, it drives me nuts every time I use it.

[monkey man]

LOL Yeah, many times I've thought DP wasn't "in front" properly and have hit the app icon in the dock or command-tabbed to it in an effort to "activate" it because of its apparent unwillingness to allow me to drag a window somewhere.

[bayswater]

LOL Yeah, many times I've thought DP wasn't "in front" properly and have hit the app icon in the dock or command-tabbed to it in an effort to "activate" it because of its apparent unwillingness to allow me to drag a window somewhere.

In a similar vein, I'd like to see the scroll bars show up, in a shaded way, in inactive windows so you can see their position. I find it confusing to glance at a window and not be able to see where the scroll bars are set without activating the window

[monkey man]

+1 to that, Baysey. Good call.

You know, once all these "minor" anomalies and work-flow inspired tweaks have been sorted/implemented by MOTU, we'll surely have the most appening app in Appsville. IMHO.

[Shooshie]

Going back to a few of the comments/suggestions that I previously made:

I happened to be reading the DP6 book and came across some odd things in the process. This goes back to the comment re: allowing users to choose ANY number of colors they want on screen. In the instruction manual, under the section on MIDI control information, it specifically says that the users can change the colors of the MIDI CC info, and allows the user to choose from the MAC color picker to do so. In other words, when it comes to CC info, there are no limits on color choice. But when it comes to tracks..... well, that's a different story.

It's such an obvious thing, yet why can't we select a "near" unlimited number of color combinations for this programs data display?

Another funny thing, under the MIDI section, it discusses MIDI data display, and even describes the velocity display as "very small V's". Why specifically make them and even describe them as "very small"? Weird. Even weirder, under the same section, the manual says that it displays MIDI ON velocity and MIDI OFF velocity as small V's. But it then says that the MIDI OFF velocity is only displayed for information purposes, and that the user can not edit that information in the MIDI screen.

So....... why waste space displaying a piece of information like that in an EDIT window, if you won't allow the user to actually EDIT it? 2nd, I use sequencers all the time. I can't think of the last time I was concerned with even editing the off note velocity of a MIDI note. Why clutter the display? Why frustrate people by providing more info that they can not manipulate or edit in an edit screen? And finally, why place that info in an admittedly hard to read/see format?

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?" And... by the way, you most certainly can set your tracks to unlimited colors, but you have to settle for 96 (I think) at a time. But those 96 can be set to a lot of shades and hues. Note-off velocities... now that's funny. By the way, the answer is to be found in the "View Filter" Just turn 'em off. And the reason for the itty-bitty velocity tics is that a lot of musicians want to be able to see their notes' velocities even when they're playing a lot of notes in a short time -- 16ths, and trills, and that sort of thing. If you've ever looked at a screen of oversized velocity icons, overlapping when the playing starts moving, you'll appreciate the way MOTU did it. And it's so simple to edit a line or phrase of velocities with the various reshaping and editing tools. It just feels professional. Select the notes, and the velocities become vertical lines... edit a whole line of them in one stroke of the reshape tool, it just doesn't get any better.

Shooshie

[James Steele]

Although we have an abundance of DAW choices, and many say we have no business complaining--

Not sure what you mean here, but just in case-- I'd like to say that I have no problem with people making complaints/criticisms about DP on this board. What I have objected to was flogging the same issue over and over here or using the board for "therapy"-- for example, long-winded sarcastic essays satirizing a grievance, etc.

[Bill O'C]

Although we have an abundance of DAW choices, and many say we have no business complaining--

Not sure what you mean here, but just in case-- I'd like to say that I have no problem with people making complaints/criticisms about DP on this board. What I have objected to was flogging the same issue over and over here or using the board for "therapy"-- for example, long-winded sarcastic essays satirizing a grievance, etc.

James, I think I've got a handle on where you're coming from. And it so happens we are on the same page--or at least the same chapter.

Funny (not funny ha-ha), I don't really remember that post you quoted. (Perhaps because it was one of my worst.)

I *can* say I wasn't referring to you. I think I meant: when people in any DAW forum are complaining, there is inevitably someone who pops up and says--"The Beatles did Sgt. Pepper on a four-track. Stop complaining." My point *should* have been: just because we have a wide array of sophisticated software to use, that doesn't mean each one doesn't have its own set of real problems.

Or something like that.

Regards.
Bill

[mrbil]

I like it. Took a while to find everything with the little arrows. It has only frozen once ???? and I had to rebuild the data, but I had backups.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THE LOOK CHANGEABLE IN THE PREFERENCE MENU IN 6.3. WHERE YOU CAN HAVE IT DARKER, LIGHT DARK, ETC. THERE WAS SOME 3RD PARTY SOFTWARE I DOWNLOADED, BUT IT DIDN'T WORK.