WISH: Simplification

Feodor Saveliev

Feodor Saveliev

Member
Hey hey, great people of Fractal! Thank you for great job you've done with AXE FX series - best sound on earth to date as I think!
Recently Fractal starts to create more affordable products (AX & FX series) and considering quite high price tag on the range I assume product line have to be adapted for target customer group. Great sound out of the box is great idea and I really love it but trying to adjust the sound leading to option paralysis immediately as I open the editor and see myriads of sliders and knobs all influencing sound, God only knows how.
Guys, please adopt Apple's approach to software - leave on the surface of editor only knobs that 80% of customers would use. I'm talking basically about settings of specific blocks. It'll make life much easier for users, drastically shorten learning curve and improves enjoyment of the product usage. You may make two or more modes in settings of GUI, like "rookie", "pro", "nerd" etc. I hope it's not difficult - the interface is very reach and cut off some knobs is always easier than create new ones.
The pros who can spend years for an album creation may be capable to dedicate noticeable time for product learning and they have extended understanding of the matter but other guys who drive the sales - recreationists or full time jobbers with families struggle to find time for guitar playing - the thing they love to do - and any extra time for settings makes it even more frustrating. They have enough cash to support sales of your great products and asking for some support in return :)
Thanks, I hope you'll make my wish to come true! NY eve is close, may be Santa will bring something :)
 
Prevyet Feoder,

With all due respect to the OP, who is probably trying to use this in a non-native language, I am all in favor of having the options as visible as possible. Let the players see the possibilities.

Check out the wiki and this forum for help. There is a learning curve, but it's really worth it to discover what you can do.
 
addedc said:
Prevyet Feoder,

With all due respect to the OP, who is probably trying to use this in a non-native language, I am all in favor of having the options as visible as possible. Let the players see the possibilities.

Check out the wiki and this forum for help. There is a learning curve, but it's really worth it to discover what you can do.
Click to expand...

I'm asking to have the option to choose rich or simplified GUI, it should not damage experience of anyone, especially who already accustomed to the interface. It can be customizible too, if Fractal would go so far. Rules of perception and usability universal for all human being, the difference is that some of them have time some have limited.
 
kisslorand said:
Hmmmm, would you like a guitar with 2 strings and 12 frets?
Click to expand...
I do not think that sarcasm making you looking smarter. I'm sorry if you feel uneasy after passing long way to get product knowledge, and there is an upstart who'd like to make it faster. It's everyone's choice what road to take.
And no, I have 6 strings 24 frets :) Just want to be focused more on hand - string - sound activity, rather than knob turning. And no you misinterpreted me - I'm not easy rider who wish to get all for a money. I working hard and long hours.
God bless you!
 
Can you give example, how do you imagen iit what do you expect to happen.

just stay on the main page on the blocks if you use axe-edit. Try only use knobs like. Gain, mix, input. Level Etc.
Most of us only do that, too.
 
levipeto said:
Can you give example, how do you imagen iit what do you expect to happen.

just stay on the main page on the blocks if you use axe-edit. Try only use knobs like. Gain, mix, input. Level Etc.
Most of us only do that, too.
Click to expand...
I understand it like this:
Any digital processor is improved replication of physical signal chain with all benefits digital world is giving.
From this extent the Grid concept is just genius as it creates entire new dimension for routing. It is represented in very comprehensive and powerful way. Variability of modifiers great too and this is clear.
The block settings is the only pain. If you take a look in it from physical world view - it is like turn amps and pedals inside out and add buttons, sliders and adjusters among transformers, tubes and transistors - you need to be en engeneer to understand all interrelations. What I'm asking for is to give back or separate amp/pedal front panel with back, behind the cover elements.
You can see how Adobe progressed with this with Photoshop and others - than they get mad with options and interface become a clutter they start issuing LE versions allowing human being build knowledge base steadily, step by step. I just think it is good time for Fractal to adjust themselves to wider range of customers. It beneficial for Fractal too as they making business more sustainable by increasing customer satisfaction. In terms of sound IMHO Fractal is the best, in terms of app usability it far from it. You have to consider too that customers influenced by other, non related products and their expectations driven by overall user experience, not only interactions with Fractal app.
I won't promise to come with specific solution - there are UX/UI experts for it in software development industry. I'm not.
 
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I think that the availability of an "Easy skin" for the editors would benefit a considerable part of the user base.
I've been a longtime defender of such a feature.

BTW, I also think it would lead to many discussions about whether a certain parameter should be included or not in the Easy skin.
 
yek said:
BTW, I also think it would lead to many discussions about whether a certain parameter should be included or not in the Easy skin.
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Whatever it takes to make greater product and get more joy from guitar playing! I'm ready to contribute :)
I believe it is much more beneficial for everyone nowadays to be able to talk to gear creators and guitarists peers to discuss new features than in past there it was only one way of communication through ads and years of product creation cycle on the base of marketer's vision and sales results.
 
yek said:
BTW, I also think it would lead to many discussions about whether a certain parameter should be included or not in the Easy skin.
Click to expand...
An easy way to handle that might be allowing users to switch in or out advanced parameters - start with them all unchecked except the basics, and as users read about advanced ones they can switch them in and out at will?
 
Wolfenstein98k said:
An easy way to handle that might be allowing users to switch in or out advanced parameters - start with them all unchecked except the basics, and as users read about advanced ones they can switch them in and out at will?
Click to expand...

That would be more of a CUSTOM skin than an EASY skin, and difficult to implement (could lead to messed up or almost empty pages).
 
I like this idea. I'd just like you to describe what a simple mode would look like in the amp block for example?
 
yek said:
I think that the availability of an "Easy skin" for the editors would benefit a considerable part of the user base.
I've been a longtime defender of such a feature.

BTW, I also think it would lead to many discussions about whether a certain parameter should be included or not in the Easy skin.
Click to expand...

I'd be a fan of this as well - there are times when I do wish to tweak the fine crazy details of Axe Edit, but most of (99.9%) the time, I just wish to do the simplest changes.
 
I'd like to see this for the FX blocks primarily. Tweaking amps and cabs is fun and intuitive for me, but I get overwhelmed by the FX blocks. If the main tab for each effect were just the primary knobs you'd see on a real pedal, it'd make my life easier for sure.

I'm sure it would take some serious effort (especially if say each drive pedal had its own layout), but I think this would go a long way towards alleviating the common complaint that the Axe-FX is too complicated.
 
Personally I hate simplification. Not when you have a choice in the matter, like during installation where you can get the option for advanced or standard. But in the case of browsers I absolutely loath how everybody is trying to emulate Chrome and go for the almost no interface at all interface, and I have no say in it! Gone is my convenient menu bar and if lucky I have to look for it somewhere hidden in the options like with Firefox. And if really unlucky it's completely gone, like in the case of Opera. And I used to love Opera.

The beauty and appeal of the Axe is that I get as much control over anything that I want. If I wanted something simpler I would have stuck with Line6. You know that when you get the Axe you will get something that is infinitely tweakable and that will involve a major learning curve. Only Apple makes stuff that's easy to use, but it usually comes at the cost that you can't tweak anything. So did the Axe interface deter me, yeah it did to a degree. But so did the steep price. And compared to the price the interface was the least of my worries.
 
AlGrenadine said:
I like this idea. I'd just like you to describe what a simple mode would look like in the amp block for example?
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I like the idea too. In response to Al's question I think that the simple mode would show only the knobs and switches that the owner of the physical amp or pedal would see.
 
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