Hey I’ve been using this machine for about a month now, and I think it’s amazing! Just wanted to share some usability improvements that I think would make it even better! (Or open to workarounds or something I’ve missed.)
- In Step mode I can use the main encoder to scroll the view up/down one note at a time. This is great because I can frame the phrase that I care about. But if pScale is enabled, I can only scroll one octave at a time. This makes it annoying to edit phrases that cross the octave boundary. I get it’s kinda neat that the bottom row is always the root note, but I’d much rather be able to scroll one note at a time.
- It would be sweet if you could hide all notes that don’t have any events on them (like Fold in Ableton).
- Is there a way to preview a step that’s already on the grid? On a Digitakt that would be holding the step and pressing Yes.
- Is there an easy way to rename a project? I’m doing a clunky thing of Save As then Delete the old one.
- In general it would be awesome to have a lot more project management options: folders, datestamps (most of my project names include a datestamp which feels like a waste), sort by name/date, Save As to overwrite an existing project (instead of typing it manually), etc …
- While I’m in Pattern mode, it would be great to be able to see the Step mode mini map for the currently selected pattern (instead of Song mode options). It’s hard to figure out which pattern is which, but the mini map would help me recognize it.
- The Stop button seems to trigger the next pattern (e.g. if Follow mode is set to Other). This is actually pretty infuriating, I’m stopping so I can make a change to the current pattern, but it sends me to some other random pattern instead. I feel like there must be something I’m missing because editing becomes unusable once I’ve set up my Follow actions.
- In Automation, when you’re zoomed in, I wish 2nd + Main Encoder scrolled the view left/right, just like Step Mode.
- In Automation, I wish I could zoom vertically. The value range that I care about is often quite small so the curve only lives across a few rows. I realize zooming vertically doesn’t exist in Step mode either, and I don’t have a suggestion for how to include it, just pointing out that Automation would benefit from it. Maybe a Fit command that zooms (vertically) to the min/max of your curve.
- Or another way to solve the last one is have Depth and Offset values for Automation (as if it were an LFO). This way I can edit my shape using the full 0-127 range, then use Depth/Offset to “place” it where I want. I know about holding multiple values and using Min/Max/Centroid. That doesn’t help because now I’m zoomed too far out from the values I care about.
- In Automation, I wish it were smarter about setting to a value in a row that I already have a value in. If I tap on the third row from the bottom, I get a value of 36. Then I hold that and correct it to the value I actually want, 25 (still shows up in the third row). Then I tap another value in the third row. It’s safe to assume I wanted 25 (the neighboring value), but it gives me 36. Because of this, I am always copying/pasting values around, the initial tap is never the value I actually want.
- Switching among sub-modes (Scale/Chord) feels very awkward. I’m used to switching modes (Live/Step) with my right hand, so I reach across with my left hand to twist the main encoder, but now I can’t see the screen! I would do this with 2nd. Hold 2nd and tap a mode to bring up the sub mode menu, keep tapping the mode to scroll the menu, release 2nd to select the sub mode.
Thanks for considering!
