X2 Win8 + multitouch - wow!

One of the things that flashed by in the video was Windows 8 support,
Touch screen support with basic multitouch.
 
That is incredible!
 
To control everything by multitouch on a tablet, we would have basically a near-perfect console emulation, all control surfaces would become pretty much redundant.
 
Granted, current tablets are small. But presumably it will be possible to flick around on the surface like an iPhone.
 
I have just become more excited!

Would you not hold back the release of X2 until after Windows 8 is released?

Regarding touch screens... yeah, that would be cool, but how would we get that on our current hardware that does not support touch screen technology?

Would it be possible to connect a stand alone touch screen device that you could plug into our current system and then use that operate our "consoles?" That would be cool... having one touch screen control surface that you could use to operate sliders and even turn knobs and stuff. Imagine being able to open your soft synth interface on your USB touch screen control surface. Kind of software almost going back to being hardware, in a virtual sort of way...

Noel, you or roland need to come up w/ a touchscreen w/ a motorized fader and a couple of knobs along the right side. A touchscreen VS 100. Touch the screen and SONAR automatically assigns that channel and controlees to the fader and knobs. Left hand for touching, right for controlling. Touchscreens aren't tactile enough for a lot of congrol movement. Whomever makes one of those first will sell a lot. I'd like to see Cake do it.

 
Absolutely AT!!! Make it a little larger than an i-pad, perhaps a 15" screen with a flip out stand on the back to just lift it to a mild angle, plenty of rubber around the back to hold it still. Whoever does it, I hope they pull out all the stops and make it right. The imagination flies....
 
J

I'm with, AT. I don't think current touchscreen tech is gonna work very well for the finite adjustments needed in audio production. It'll be cool for more simple stuff like the matrix and general controls though so I think it could be really useful for live dj's. Maybe they could have a ZOOM IN feature that allows you to make knobs and faders large enough on the touch screen to have more control over them. hmm...

I don't think it's an "either/or" scenario, jazzsinger. It's just the support will be there. If you have the hardware you can make use of it. If not just work how you always have been. If it REQUIRES a touchscreen... well that ain't gonna fly. I dislike that new fangled wackiness. Keyboard and trackball for me, thanks. ;-p

I've got a Kensington Scroll Mouse but it stopped working for some reason. I think it's a driver issue. Gotta sort that out because I love that thing. :-)

 
Absolutely AT!!! Make it a little larger than an i-pad, perhaps a 15" screen with a flip out stand on the back to just lift it to a mild angle, plenty of rubber around the back to hold it still. Whoever does it, I hope they pull out all the stops and make it right. The imagination flies....
 
J

Or buy the Microsoft Surface Pro tablet when it arrives in January. http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2012/06/why-microsofts-surface-pro-will-be-the-first-real-business-tablet.php

none of the above suggestions include a motorized fader - I don't think touchscreen faders work very well and certainly miss something tactilily.

Plus there is the automatic assignment I'm hoping for - use your left hand to select a a channel and the fader is automatically assigned.  No muss, no fuss.

@

I don't see why it couldn't work well for fine adjustments. Picture it: you touch a knob and slide your finger up or down. The speed at which you slide it determines the rate of adjustment. 

Beepster,

not that I know of.  However, there was a keyboard/computer w/ a little (4 inches or so) touchscreen imbedded to the right on it).  I can't remember the details.

@

I bought a 23" touchscreen monitor about a year ago to try to use with sonar and plugins to alleviate my wrist issues caused by leaning on the mouse all day. 

Have you tried any tennis elbow exercises? They usually involve wrist flexion. The elbow, wrist and associated tendons are all connected and usually problems with one coincide with problems with the other. Of course I don't know what the specifics of your wrist problems are, but I do know that regular wrist flexion and strengthening exercises can help people who have conditions caused by excessive mouse usage.  

One that I do every day is this: hold the arms out in front of you at shoulder height, fists clenched lightly, palms facing down. Bend the wrists downwards as far as you can stretch, and hold for a couple of seconds. Then bend the wrists up to full extension and hold again. Repeat this 10 times. Next, twist your arms so that the palms are facing each other. Perform exactly the same stretches, but rotated 90 degrees.  

This does wonders for the wrists, forearms and tendons. In fact it works as a cure for tennis elbow for a lot of people. There is also something you can buy called the Flexbar, by Theraband. You perform a very specific twisting and untwisting exercise with it (there is a video somewhere on YouTube) which virtually guarantees a cure for tennis elbow (and associated conditions) in just a few weeks. Very good for the wrists.  


I know what it can be like to suffer wrist and tendon pain, especially with mouse use. I once saw someone using a mouse that was held vertically, i.e. with the hand in the beer can holding position, which is apparently a far healthier and more natural position to use a tool. Never found out where to get them though.  

That's the one!