I am glad you are happy with the touch screen, Lee...Korg seems to be the best at incorporating them.

But, they are most definitely not for me...I am much more comfortable with Yamaha's system.

The ergonomics of my S900 are nearly perfect for me...if I would change anything, it would be to have the DSP Variation button on the left side.

Everything else falls easily to hand, to coin an old phrase....and I love the feel of the buttons...nice and grippy.

Then again, being such a progressive company, maybe Yamaha will offer a touch screen with delineated areas and true tactile feedback...perhaps having the best of both worlds?

Ian

I'm not a big fan of touch screens. I have big fingers. But no deal breaker.
I REALLY miss dedicated buttons for the vocal and harmony settings on S900. Instead you have to go through three screens. Oh and to adjust the mic input, get up, walk around, get out your flashlight and turn a little knob.
E50 has some similar drawbacks, such as having to open a screen for the transposer, no dedicated fade-in/out without programming, no break/fills, little bitty touch screen for octave up and down, etc.
So far nothing is perfect.
Regarding the positioning of the style control buttons on Audya. For me they should be on the left. I asked AJ about this, and he said they wanted to put them on the left, but that would mean putting sliders in the middle. They would have to compromise the length of the sliders' throw to do that, or make the entire case bigger.
He explained it better but that's the gist of it. The Audya does incorporate many ways to change variations, use fills, breaks intros and ending without touching the buttons. You can do it with footswitchs, pedals, dynamic touch, etc.
Probably the layout thing I liked least about the Audya was the positioning of the BP and Mod wheels. I use them a LOT, and there is obviously a pretty good reach involved, as opposed to merely lifting your fingers an inch.
Nothing is perfect.
DonM

You know, I imagine many people would like to see those changes, Don...I never thought of them as I don't do vocals.

I'd also like to see the buttons surrounding the screen in a contrasting color...they are a bit difficult to see in some situations.

Regarding the Audya's wheels...I use wheels a lot myself...primarily the pitch bender, and having them up on a panel was never a paragon of design in my book, on any instrument.

Ian

I think your problem with PDA's and the like is what is giving you this attitude, kalimero. If they operated 100% reliably, this wouldn't be an issue for you. Rest assured, the G70 screen simply WORKS. If I touch it, I need NO confirmation. It just works...

Once you get past this, you may have less trepidation approaching a touch screen on an arranger. Having admitted that you haven't actually USED a keyboard with a touch screen, perhaps you really ought to try one out for a while before you get rigid in your opinion?

BTW, the G70 is NOT a VA76... Over 90% of regular arranger PLAYING operation is done with real buttons, sliders and footswitches, etc.. The touch screen is primarily a 'selection' tool, and editing and programming device. Most of which you don't really use much while playing. It's the best of BOTH worlds, IMO...

If you use a touch screen just make sure you keep a "bundle" of soft cleaning cloths near you at all times.

Especially if you have a propensity to eat greasy food while you tinker on the keyboard. Got that Fran?

All the best, Mike

PS: Why do we always seem to pick on Fran?

Nice guy, not a bad singer (except in chas's opinion I reckon.. ) >> You got me laughing out loud and uncontrollably with the quip about the keyboard shutting down chas... lol. You might want to think about going on tour as a stand up comedian. You got my vote. lol..

Seriously.. I mean.. lol.. I'm sorry Fran.. I got caught up in the moment. Blame it on chas. We love you; really we do. Somehow you just seem to make such a great little punching bag for some strange reason. Do you think any of the blame lies squarely on your overly muscular shoulders Fran?? Just kidding.. [img]http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/wink.gif[/img]

Back to business... Until they improve the technology of touch screens on keyboards and they come with non smear LCD's then.. maybe. But don't hold your breath.

Grease and sweat is easier to clean off a nice big touchscreen than from down the sides of a bunch of buttons. In fact, sweat and dirt getting into buttons' mechanisms is one of the primary contributors to button failure and unreliability.

And yes, I have a nice soft cloth in my keyboard case that I wipe down the screen every night, and cover the screen with during transit. Hardly an onerous task...

Hand sanitizer works great for getting and keeping sweat and grease off your hands.

I always carry a small bottle of "Purell" with me...it's also handy (pun intended) for keeping away germs and bacteria.

Buttons, keys, and yes, even touchscreens, stay clean.

Ian

That's fine up in the frozen North, Ian, but down here in the swampy South, hand sanitizer before you play won't stop you from sweating up a storm WHILE you play!

But yes, washing your hands before you play, especially after setup, will go a LONG way to keeping your axe clean and problem-free... Along with good cases, and plastic (NOT cloth) covers for your keyboards, it's the best way to ensure that, if you WANT to get ten years out of your favorite arranger, you can

Diki,

Let's just clarify, I am not against touch-screen, but just want to emphasize that for on-stage using buttons is far more reliable (and ergonomic) then using touch-screens.

It is true, of course, that touch screen equipped keyboards have advantage for both manufacturers (because of cutting cost compared to adding more buttons or sliders) and for users (for set-up purposes, i.e. when not using on stage, because all relevant controls can be on one place, and navigation is more natural). Also, touch-screen combined with properly organized GUI & work flow philosophy are more user friendly especially in terms of learning to use new equipment, because You don't have to search for the button You need to press, or use one button for different context.

But, buttons (and other mechanic controls) also have their own advantages as well.

Reliability is one of them ('the must' for on-stage use), I don't know about G-70 screen, but my experience involves both consumer products, and professional (heavy-duty) products as well, and I still haven't seen a single touch-screen reliable as good mechanical button.

Also mechanical sliders (although quite expensive and sensitive on dusty environment) are incomparable to on-screen sliders [on the stage of course :-)]

Buttons are not dependent on lightning condition and not as fragile as (touch) screens. They can 'suffer more abuse', and consequently, when you remember all the buttons pressing sequences needed for some action, You can do it faster then with touch-screen.

To summarize, it would be great to have keyboard with all the buttons and sliders for on-stage performance, and touch screen with good GUI & work-flow philosophy for easy set-up and programming.

P.S. I don't mind using touch-screens, but for certain things, buttons seems more appropriate. Maybe I am just 'tactile' kind of person :-), that might be the reason why I still use good old (13 years) IBM keyboard on my PC, I can hear it, I can feel it, and never miss a key (3270 terminal keyboards were not compatible, and a bit too more 'feed-back-y' for my taste).

;-)


[This message has been edited by kalimero (edited 01-30-2009).]

While it's true that I do sometimes kid Fran, I assure you that it's done with the utmost affection..........sort of.



chas