Wish Consistency between front panel and axe-edit UIs

[DLC86]

I received my Axe fx III yesterday and I'm amazed by the tones and the new intutive UI (full review soon).

But there's still one thing that makes editing on the front panel a bit of a PITA:
the different arrangement of parameters and pages, especially in the amp block.

For someone like me who's accustomed to using Axe edit for preset creation, it's pretty simple to remember the page and the position of a certain parameter there.
On the front panel instead, blocks' pages are arranged differently and most advanced parameters are all in the same "advanced" page where you have to scroll thru a list of 50ish parameters (all in small font size obviously).

So here's my wish: re-arrange the parameters so that they're in the same pages and in the same exact order as they are on axe-edit.

And possibly put all parameters in rows of 5 knobs/switches so that they always visually line-up to the physical A-E knobs under the display.

 

[notalemming]

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[chris]

wouldn't Axe-Edit have to be re-arranged to fit only 10 knobs/functions max per page/tab? that'd be many more tabs in Axe-Edit right?

 

[unix-guy]

Remember, the front panel is always there and the controls have to fit into a limited arrangement.

The editor is a tool for ease of use, and it's more "elastic" in how things can be displayed. Which is why it's easier to use

 

[Rex]

wouldn't Axe-Edit have to be re-arranged to fit only 10 knobs/functions max per page/tab? that'd be many more tabs in Axe-Edit right?

This is the heart of it. If you want to make Axe-Edit look the same as the front panel, you have to limit the Axe-Edit screens to have only what can fit on the front panel. That big screen on your computer would go to waste.

Axe-Edit was built to take advantage of that big screen. It puts as many parameters in front of you as it reasonably can. Way less paging and scrolling around. It makes editing easier. You just can't do that on the limited screen area available on the front panel.

 

[Rex]

To put it another way...

If you first learned to use the front panel, and then switched to Axe-Edit, you'd see right away why they made it different, and you'd be glad they did.

 

[DLC86]

wouldn't Axe-Edit have to be re-arranged to fit only 10 knobs/functions max per page/tab? that'd be many more tabs in Axe-Edit right?

Who said that pages on the front panel can only have 2 rows of 5 controls? They have two rows currently but I guess they could have as many rows as you want as long as they are scrollable with the up/down nav buttons. Problem solved.

This is the heart of it. If you want to make Axe-Edit look the same as the front panel, you have to limit the Axe-Edit screens to have only what can fit on the front panel. That big screen on your computer would go to waste.

Axe-Edit was built to take advantage of that big screen. It puts as many parameters in front of you as it reasonably can. Way less paging and scrolling around. It makes editing easier. You just can't do that on the limited screen area available on the front panel.

I don't want the screen to literally "look the same as" axe-edit, I know that'd be impossible to fit into the small display of the axe.
All I ask is to have the same pages with the same controls in the same order (in scrollable rows of 5).

Maybe I'm wrong but this seems to me like the next logical step to further improve the UI of the axe fx.

 

[DLC86]

To put it another way...

If you first learned to use the front panel, and then switched to Axe-Edit, you'd see right away why they made it different, and you'd be glad they did.

But you'd still have to remember the control placement of 2 UIs.
Furthermore in axe-edit they're arranged in a more logical way imho. For example all parameters relative to the preamp are under the preamp tab, on the axe screen some are in the preamp page and some are in the advanced page and if you don't remember where a certain parameter is located you have to look in both pages.

 

[Rex]

Who said that pages on the front panel can only have 2 rows of 5 controls? They have two rows currently but I guess they could have as many rows as you want as long as they are scrollable with the up/down nav buttons. Problem solved...

I don't want the screen to literally "look the same as" axe-edit, I know that'd be impossible to fit into the small display of the axe.
All I ask is to have the same pages with the same controls in the same order (in scrollable rows of 5).

When I'm editing on the front panel, I can already page over to get to what I need. On each page, every parameter on the page is visible to me. I don't want to have to stop at each page and scroll through parameters to see if the one I want is on that page. I'd have to do that on every page until I found the parameter I'm looking for, unless I memorize the location of every parameter. I don't want to have to do that.

Even if I remember where each parameter is, I still have to take my hand off of one button and start pressing another to get to most of them.

 

[DLC86]

When I'm editing on the front panel, I can already page over to get to what I need. On each page, every parameter on the page is visible to me. I don't want to have to stop at each page and scroll through parameters to see if the one I want is on that page. I'd have to do that on every page until I found the parameter I'm looking for, unless I memorize the location of every parameter. I don't want to have to do that.

Every parameter is visible but not on the advanced page (where almost half of the parameters reside).

And what if the first two rows on the pages remain as they currently are and they just move parameters from the advanced page to the appropriate page (in rows 3,4,5...)? It wouldn't change that much for you I guess.

PS:

I'd have to do that on every page until I found the parameter I'm looking for, unless I memorize the location of every parameter

This sentence seems a weak argument to me.
If, for example, you're searching for power tube bias, it's logical to think it will be in the power amp page, you don't need to remember.
For how they're arranged now instead, you don't know for sure if it's in the power amp page or in the advanced page, you have to check both and in the advanced page you need to do way more scrolling for sure

 

[Rex]

Every parameter is visible but not on the advanced page (where almost half of the parameters reside).

Yes, the Advanced page is the one exception to that. It's a compromise that keeps us from needing ten more pages.

And what if the first two rows on the pages remain as they currently are and they just move parameters from the advanced page to the appropriate page (in rows 3,4,5...)? It wouldn't change that much for you I guess.

The way its set up now works better for me. Most of what I need isn't on the Advanced page, so I almost never wind up there. I don't have to move my finger until I'm on the page I want. Then it's a quick tweak of an ABCDE knob to get to most of that. Maybe a press on a Nav button to get me to the next row.

For how they're arranged now instead, you don't know for sure if it's in the power amp page or in the advanced page, you have to check both and in the advanced page you need to do way more scrolling for sure

But I don't have to stop and scroll at the first page to find out.

 

[DLC86]

I don't have to stop and scroll at the first page to find out.

And you probably don't have to anyway since..

Most of what I need isn't on the Advanced page, so I almost never wind up there

That's why I said it wouldn't change that much for you
And even if you need to go advanced it's just..

a press on a Nav button to get me to the next row.

I get that everyone has different workflows and preferences, and we can find an almost infinite number of pros and cons for each idea, so I don't want to go on arguing with you cuz we'll probably never find a common ground, we just have different mindsets.

I just shared my wish so that Fractal team can evaluate if it may bring a better experience to the majority of users and then decide if it's worth to implement it or not.

 

[Rex]

AI get that everyone has different workflows and preferences, and we can find an almost infinite number of pros and cons for each idea, so I don't want to go on arguing with you cuz we'll probably never find a common ground, we just have different mindsets.

I just shared my wish so that Fractal team can evaluate if it may bring a better experience to the majority of users and then decide if it's worth to implement it or not.

And that's why there's a Wish List.

 

[Ratbun]

I like the basic idea. and worry that since all my creation and editing are done on ax edit I will have dificulty finding things if i need to on stage without my laptop. perhaps the little screen could be made so that things are in the same order as ax-edit even if it requires more screens. i just think the basic path to a given parameter should be the same on both.