Who else thinks the touch sensitive trend is the wrong direction to go?
I absolutely despise all touch sensitive controllers. I won’t use anything touch sensitive and I’ve tried them all. It seems like more and more manufacturers are going this route and I don’t get it. I for one am partial to physical knobs and faders and tactile response. Even rotary encoders bother me, I like true potentiometers and rotary pots with some solid feedback.
Anyone else share these sentiments? Anyone love touch sensitive controllers?
the stanton midi controllers dont really appeal to me (those are the only other touch controllers i know of)
i own a kp3 that has x/y pad touch screen and that works pretty well for me.
Yeah I forgot to mention, the ONLY touch sensitive controls I like or XY pads like the KP3 since there is no alternative and it is different than adjusting pitch or twisting a virtual knob on a flat surface with your finger.
you can never get enough of knobs and faders definitely. but i think touch sensitive platforms are an added plus as far as visual goes. so far the one on iphone/ipod apps aren’t that bad - though there’re 1 or 2 that do come with their own set of glitches. but of course, knobs are traditional at their best.
Knobs are just more fun, I think, but there’s a lot of potential in touch sensitive controls. I’ve gotten the chance to poke at the SCS things, and I have to say my biggest complaint is the lack of visual feedback. Sure, there’s feedback there, but it’s just not the same to me. That being said, I could see how it’d be nice for things like using the same control for two different things via a shift modifier. I’ve seen motorized faders to help with this, and it seems like a /really/ interesting idea, and I personally would love to see it applied to pots as well, which probably isn’t going to happen.
But I’d definately have to agree. Physical controls > Touch-sensitive controls 9/10 times.
I wouldn’t mind some sort of auxillary touch sensitive controller for fx, like the stanton or something, but you gotta have knobs for real mixing guys, c’mon.
i think there are definitely strengths to the touch sensitive technology. i’d love to get my hands on a Lemur… being able to flip back and forth through customizable pages of different controls is really cool!
but would i trade in my UC-33e for a Lemur?
no, absolutely not.
touch sensitive control will never replace rotary knobs and faders, but despite that i think it’s still a welcome addition to our arsenal.
i love knobs and sliders definitely but i own the scs3 system and the positive aspect about the touch sensitive route is that i can control several parameters in traktor with several of my fingers in just one hand. its just a matter of getting used to it. yes it wont replace knobs and sliders but its a good add on to knobs and sliders because of the touch capabilities. and visually for the scs3 system does tells me what is being tweak because of the leds. the conclusion is personally, i love both heeee. to me theres no wrong or right direction for touch sensitive controllers, actually as theres both pros and cons for it. its just a matter of personal preferences and getting used to it at first thats all and actually make it works for you.
The problem with “analog” controls when used with MIDI applications is that you have a good possibility that your control surface and the application will get out of sync (that is to say, what you see on your control surface will not represent what the actual software settings are). Of curse, the other issue is that because they lack any real modality, you’re forced to use a bigger control surface than is really necessary (or to carry around a shitload of gear to accomplish complete control).
There are ways to get around some of the smaller issues related to these 2 points, but they all end up limiting the user in significant ways. Touch sensitive controls have their place, especially when a specific control has a ton of modality, or when it gets modified by software regularly (like a pitch fader or gain control).
How do you figure that? Not only are “real” controls unable to provide anything but absolute messages (eliminating precise control), but they’re also unable to accommodate functionality that needs to be “armed” by touch (like scratch on/off messaging in Traktor, or touch writing automation in a DAW or NLE).
lol at the guy who wouldn’t trade a uc33e for a lemur. that’s like not wanting to trade a honda minivan for a new porsche
nem0nic, i agree with your points but you say [QUOTE]Not only are “real” controls unable to provide anything but absolute messages (eliminating precise control), but they’re also unable to accommodate functionality that needs to be “armed” by touch (like scratch on/off messaging in Traktor, or touch writing automation in a DAW or NLE).[/QUOTE]
it seems like this isn’t totally true, that there are examples of relative “real” controls; endless knobs, the messages sent from the jogwheels, and buttons with controllable LEDs.
maybe i’m just reading what your saying wrong.
my personal opinion, after experimenting with monotouchlive, and developing my own touch workspace in Usine, is that incorporating at least some touch screen tech is the right direction to go…
I’m calling “real” controls the kind of analog controls that the OP is referencing. Sorry I wasn’t more clear. In the OP, endless rotary encoders are vilified right next to touch controls.
Also, where is this supposed “trend” towards touch controls right now? The Jazzmutant controller was the lone player until our SCS.3 controllers came along. Maybe you’re lumping the Monotouch Live DIY solution into that as well, but it too has been around for years now. The only other thing I see that has touch control is the Wacom NextBeat (from a company that already makes touch technology and wants to cash in), and the EKS Otus (for it’s pitch slider, but it’s an otherwise tactile controller).Do 3 controllers, one of which has been out for years, indicate a trend? Do 4 controllers, one of which has been out for years, indicate a trend, especially when compared to the number of 2 platter / 1 mixer VCI-100 style controllers out there?
With the new Windows7 features and multitouch technology I’m expecting to see a lot more dual screen setups with something like Lemur or Multitouch live software on the 2nd screen. The possibilities are endless as it’s all virtual, if u want more buttons or knobs or anything in fact, all you have to do is add them to the screen layout and program the response as u want it - I can’t wait.
i see your point better now. I’d take functional endless rotaries like those on the bcr2000 or apc40 over “real” rotaries limited to 0-127 midi anyday. IMO save the real rotaries for the actual dj mixer, which i choose over midi mixing regardless of the knob but that’s off topic.
no one has really said it yet but the vci-100 uses touch sensitive platters, along several other controllers that use touch control in this basic way. its a good example that you don’t need to always have to think screen when you think touch control
check out the multitouch demo vid of Usine if you haven’t seen it.
how about the fact that touch controllers are better for some things than traditional knobs/ faders are just like how knobs/faders are better than touch sensitive surfaces for other things ?
Theres no one input that is going to do everything.
You cant for instace with a traditional knob do anything like that i am doing with my SCS 3d for my Traktor Pro FX section where i can do some wiked fun things with the beatmasher and other effects.
This whole argument is so moot in my opinion.
PS - Neomonic is the man, that dude knows what hes talking about
Brit humour couldn’t help meself!