Mini LCD wish - bigger text or bold

People capable of actually using hold functions during live performance are like those comic book superheroes as far as I’m concerned. Never seen them in real life and consider that “don’t try this at home” stuff.
It’s cumbersome at best, but if you need the functionality and you don’t have the switch real estate, it’s a lifesaver.
 
People capable of actually using hold functions during live performance are like those comic book superheroes as far as I’m concerned. Never seen them in real life and consider that “don’t try this at home” stuff.
I use them all the time. I don’t need every single thing at the moment I press the switch.
 
Interesting. I just set mine up last night, and have no problems seeing what I've put on there under several lighting conditions (I tested a few.)

And I have the age (but not the hight) of most folks. I use reading glasses...not long distance.

It might be possible to do larger fonts here, but only FAS could answer that. Oh, while we're at it, can we add Harry Potter fonts? (Yes, I'm kidding!)

And I set up ALL my patches the same way, so I don't need to be able to read what's there to get to Rhythm, Lead, specialty, FX, whatever.
 
No way I’m going to (or even want to) remember the function of every switch in each of the 8 layouts...

I’ve been thinking on relying on color coding for that...

I haven’t actually seen any scribble strips I’d be happy to rely on during a gig. Except maybe during pauses between songs. Monochrome transflective LCDs also aren’t that great for contrast.

Colors around switches, on the other hand, are easy to see no matter what, I think. So it should be possible to develop a system where I don’t even need to look at that LCD text.

That, and using fewer than 8 layouts.
 
I use them all the time. I don’t need every single thing at the moment I press the switch.

Yeah, and you also have the patience to make video tutorials. So don’t pretend you’re a “normal” person like the rest of us mortals. ;)
 
I just ran a few tests here with my impaired vision. Just some in-sight ;), I'm near-sighted which means I can see my guitar great, but things start to get blurry a little further out. I'm over the century mark, and have ~20/50 vision. When I put glasses on I get the effects of presbyopia kicking in which means everything about 3+ ft out looks great, except I can't see my guitar anymore.

When I invert the text using the HOLD function, I find it to be harder to read than the default text. I think it's because there is still a bright border around it. Perhaps if it was fully blacked out it would be better, hard to say.

Looking at the unused text spacing on the FC-12 leads me to believe if that was filled up with bigger, bolder text it would be the perfect fit for me. Seems like there is definitely room there to grow the text for people like my self.
 
I'm over the century mark...
I never pictured you as that old. :)


When I invert the text using the HOLD function, I find it to be harder to read than the default text.
For me, it's the other way around by a small margin.


I think it's because there is still a bright border around it. Perhaps if it was fully blacked out it would be better, hard to say.
That's an addressable portion of the display and will always be illuminated.
 
I would love to have the option to trade a few characters for increased size too. My feeling is that our brain can do quick connection between a few letters and the real long word. Much faster than the time we need to read the thing specialy if it is small. So for me if I can glance at few big letters like "DLY 2" it is faster than reading the full smaller "delay 2".
 
I would love to have the option to trade a few characters for increased size too. My feeling is that our brain can do quick connection between a few letters and the real long word. Much faster than the time we need to read the thing specialy if it is small. So for me if I can glance at few big letters like "DLY 2" it is faster than reading the full smaller "delay 2".

And most things would fit in 7 characters unless your naming custom things

But DZL VH3. RECTO JCM800
TEEMAH, ICEVERB

You don’t really have to even abbrev that much with 7 or 8 spaces
 
curious... i wonder how much bigger the text needs to be for those saying they can't see it?


does anyone have magnetic labels on any previous controllers? are those words much bigger than the mini-displays on the FC? i think they're about the same size.

I've been contacted by a few folk that had my KickTags labels for their MFCs, who report the text is definitely smaller on the FC Mini-LCDs, and asking if I'm going to be doing 'something' for the FC's. I make the text as large as possible for KickTags, as I know my own (50 year old) eyes need the biggest text possible, and I'm only just over 5' 7"!

I have an idea for something that may help - but won't know until I've played with an FC myself and can't really show you until I've created a prototype and tested it out though, so it's down to when the FC's make it over to Europe for me to experiment. One part of the idea is definitely doable, the second part of my idea I'm no so sure, but will definitely give it a go!

Watch this space...

Sukh
www.ZenRigs.com
 
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I was thinking about some sort of clear plastic with built in magnification to go over the existing scribble windows . Not sure how doable something of that sort would be .

It would be great if a rep from FAS would acknowledge these concerns and confirm or deny any software/firmware option that could be implemented in the future or whether it is a hardware limitation . Will have to make a real difficult decision prior to the 15 day return policy if nothing comes to light . Been a long time Fractal user/fanboy . Either way love the company and the products .
 
I've been contacted by a few folk that had my KickTags labels for their MFCs, who report the text is definitely smaller on the FC Mini-LCDs, and asking if I'm going to be doing 'something' for the FC's. I make the text as large as possible for KickTags, as I know my own (50 year old) eyes need the biggest text possible, and I'm only just over 5' 7"!

I have an idea for something that may help - but won't know until I've played with an FC myself and can't really show you until I've created a prototype and tested it out though, so it's down to when the FC's make it over to Europe for me to experiment. One part of the idea is definitely doable, the second part of my idea I'm no so sure, but will definitely give it a go!

Watch this space...

Sukh
www.ZenRigs.com
Magnifying glass plate?
 
Will have to make a real difficult decision prior to the 15 day return policy if nothing comes to light

I don’t really see much of decision here. Nothing else works properly anyway with the III. Even if those LCDs are totally useless, there’s no better solution than an FCx.
 
I was thinking about some sort of clear plastic with built in magnification to go over the existing scribble windows . Not sure how doable something of that sort would be .

It would be great if a rep from FAS would acknowledge these concerns and confirm or deny any software/firmware option that could be implemented in the future or whether it is a hardware limitation . Will have to make a real difficult decision prior to the 15 day return policy if nothing comes to light . Been a long time Fractal user/fanboy . Either way love the company and the products .

Anything is doable, but may not be entirely practical, and I have an idea on that front. Not sure how effective it would be though at such a small distance from the board and if it would distort or even cause issues with glare. It’s an option, but I have 2 other ideas that are more likely doable and useful to some.
 
would anyone be able to write the same text on a piece of paper at the size and boldness they prefer? then put that paper on the FC and take a picture showing 2 switches side by side, one with the regular display word, then next to it the paper (covering that switch's display) showing how big you'd want it to be.?

That wouldn't really be a relevant comparison, because it would ignore the pixel boundaries which determine the thicknesses of the letters.
To make the letters any thicker, there would need to be fewer of them. It's monospaced, 1-pixel strokes. To make the letters thicker would probably cost 2 characters.
 
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