I can't help but wonder if a touch screen would be an advantage on a keyboard. I've never had the experience with one.

However my iPad is touch as well as my phone.

When using these devices I have the tendency, once in a while, to touch the wrong icon..that could be a problem in a live performance.

Also, I have to clean the touch screens daily as residue buildup can affect performance of the touchscreen.

Finally, I like the confidence, tactile feel if you will, of a button. I know for sure when the button clicks or depresses, I'm going to get the desired result.

Apparently though, there are a number of folks who think touchscreen is a better deal...I just can't quite understand why?

Not meaning to start some sort of flame war here but some folks keep touting touchscreen as a big deal.

Is it really better?

Call it crazy or weird, but, for me, I like all my screens on anything to be clean, bright, and clear. I dislike looking at smudges and finger prints. Think I’ll stick with buttons and sliders.

If you see something you want you go straight for it, the same applies to sound selection etc. in that you see what sound you want on screen and press it, whereas to move to the side etc. to press a button is just not natural for a human or any animal, (We haven’t evolved like that) of course it can be learnt just like any job but it is still not natural.

Bill

A touch screen makes sense depending on it's size, the Wersi screen size is about ideal. My early Korg was a little hit or miss again down to size.

When utililized in the right way, touch screens can add very much to an arranger.. But it needs to be done very clever...

Take tyros 5 for example.. when playing live, you mostly use the two rows of buttons closests to the keyboard.. I think it would be wise to0 keep all those buttons in hardware...

But all the other buttons can be thrown into the touchscreen interface, as you dont really need them that much in a live situation.. style and sound selection can be done easilly from a touchscreen, because in a live situation, you have all your performances prepared in front with all your favourite instruments.

when creating a touchscreen interface you need to be sure that all push elements are large enough, if you ever played on the Wersi Sonic with its large 13"touchscreen you understand what i mean, the elements are so big, you cant miss them..

Other things to notice, sliders work quite well on a touchscreen, knobs dont.. thats why you need physical knobs more then physical sliders, however, you would preferably have both asignable knobs and sliders..

The oldfashiones sound interface where all sounds are cattegorised in banks also has had its longest time.. putting a few 1000's of sounds in just 16 banks of 10 instruments each quickly becomes unefficient

Its way better to cattegorise all sounds based on sound charasteristics. Thats how most software packages do it nowerdays, and if you dont choose your sounds in real time (because those are allready in yoru favourites and OTS banks) but mostly when preparing a new performance at home then this way of sound selection using a touchscreen and possibly an inputwheel works miracles

but you can use a touchscreen for much much more, like an X/Y pad, or just like a new kind of seuencer like for example the yamaha mobile sequencer on ipad..

however, keep in mind, touchscreens work better if they grow in size.. 12" (yes thats even bigger then an ipad) seems a good size right now..

The Ketron SD 7 keyboard has a touchscreen and note that the icons are large, making it easy to touch the correct one.
In answer to the person who has a Ipad, they have protective
glass screens. I have one on my Ipad and never, ever have to wipe the screen of fingerprints.
I have had Wersi keyboards with touchscreen and they worked fine,even the earlier small ones. It's the future so get with the program. Lloyd

Touch screens ROCK !! Nuff said!

I still like depressing buttons. If a button fails, the keyboard still works, and there are alternate ways to get to a menu.

If the touchscreen fails, your keyboard is useless.

Recently my daughter got a phone with a touch screen that failed after a couple of days, and the phone was useless. She had it repaired under warranty, and was without a phone for 3 weeks.

My 2 cents.

Jerryghr

I've had two touch screen failures, both on a GPS, one in the van, one in the boat. Never owned a touch screen keyboard, and at this stage, I really don't need the feature. There are very few buttons that I touch during a performance, mainly just the variation/fill buttons and break/fill. That's pretty much it. I try to concentrate on my playing and singing instead of exploring the screen. Toward the end of a song, I tap the Music Finder Directory button, to get ready to select the next song, and the right hand instrument effects and vocal processor are selected by pedals.

Some folks must spend more time wandering around the menus during a song than I do, but whatever floats your boat.

All the best,

Gary

The larger touch screens, such as on Korg PA900 and Ketron SD7 are wonderful. Saves time and effort, particularly when using the large on-screen typewriter layout to enter names for registrations, styles, etc.
I don't know of anyone who has a larger touch screen on an arranger who would want to go back to all buttons.
The critics are nearly always people who have not tried them.
We aren't talking about phones here. Many of them are too small for my big old fingers, so I use voice recognition more and more.
My concern is that arranger users who are blind find it much easier to operate with the old-style buttons and sliders.