Dimension 'where is that EG or Waveform now'

Dimension show where the sound is in the modulator GUI area of its interface so the user can see where to modify the sound,

Interesting proposal, Strom. I'm not trying to shoot down your idea, but I'll add some impressions that I got when I thought this through. Take them in the spirit of lively discussion.

*** The envelope generators and LFOs often work at milliseconds or fractions of that in a timeline. I'm not sure how useful the visual feedback at this rate would be.

*** The EGs and LFOs are per-note. You'd have to pick first note in and hold, or latest note entered (continuously updated) as the current visual indicator. Unless you're only inputting a single note slowly (like you would at some point in preset programming), that could get confusing.

*** There's 4 EGs and 4 LFOs X five Modulator types X four Elements in Dimension. Add two more Modulator types, all the Stepgens, and a Global section in Rapture. Each of these visual indicators would have to be 'tracking in the background at all times. If your switch to another section, it'd have to instantly be updated correctly. I'm no code jockey, but this screams massive overhead to me.

*** You'd have to consider the EG segments as well. Effectively, the shape of them slows down or speeds up time/level between nodes. There's also velocity or keyboard management over each segment individually, and globally. That 'pushes and pulls' the nodes apart in time. More variables come from the MIDI Matrix, or direct control from MIDI Learn.

I'm not saying that this visual feedback couldn't be done, but I'm wondering at what cost? It'll be interesting to see what other people think here.

Yea, I'm oscillating (pun intended) between more visual control and info and the right control for simplicities sake. There are arguements for each side. I love modular control - seeing (and hearing) everything. But when it comes to playing, the mini-moog is the model. Every control you NEED at your fingertips for performance.

On a virtual synth, it is the same thing - how to make it easy to program. It isn't that it is too easy to lose the sound in the weeds I love that. But how to make the access to control easy. I think René has done a great job on the programmablity aspect of his 2 latest synths. Same engine, many of the same features (and many shortcuts are used by both), etc. I would like to see less need of shortcuts (such as the time-scale on envelopes panel use of arrows), but that probably bumps up against B-rocks perfromance hit. The performance aspect is catered to, also. One nice thing would be if the synth knob assignments from SONAR could be used for more than a single control, ie. all filter envelopes to one knob and the abiltiy to make the control proportional.

One idea that has not been used in virtual synth design is the old synthi pin panel design - basically a grid. A list of controllers along one side and controlees (is that a word - maybe destinations s better) along the top/bottom. Once you designate the proper grid spot they are contected, and then in the virutal world you could define the "pin"itself to a hard ware controller, max and mininum range, etc. Kinda like the Z3ta modulation drop down interface. Just an idea for future consideration.

It is possible to analize any synths output through SoundForge/Adobe Audition and get way to much information. It's not a real time operation but can be executed fairly quickly.

When in a sound design mode you do have different needs. But raw info is tricky. Without a solid base where you understand it and what it means this raw information does little to help in understanding whats going on. In a step by step build up where you can see the data and hear the result, over time you can effectively intuit the process.