When I'm making music I prefer not to be typing on a keyboard. If I want to type on a keyboard I'll open up word and write a nice letter to my mother. Otherwise I don't want to be bothered with tippy tap typing on a device that has zero to do with the music making process at that particular time.

 
Interesting statement...  I've never considered a mouse to be any more musical than a keyboard - they're both just computer interface devices.  
 

stevec

When I'm making music I prefer not to be typing on a keyboard. If I want to type on a keyboard I'll open up word and write a nice letter to my mother. Otherwise I don't want to be bothered with tippy tap typing on a device that has zero to do with the music making process at that particular time.

 
Interesting statement...  I've never considered a mouse to be any more musical than a keyboard - they're both just computer interface devices.  
 

A keyboard requires looking away from the screen.  A mouse requires looking at the screen.

vintagevibe : "A keyboard requires looking away from the screen."

That's the real problem with using the pc keyboard.
Sure you can use it without looking, but you first have to zero in on the dimpled F and/or J keys (or the corner of the keyboard) and go from there.

That's what makes something like FFCfirstclass's thing so interesting. The buttons are positioned in a way that makes recognition easy without looking.

I've been wanting something like that so I can rest my left hand on it while my right hand is on the mouse.

Paul P


vintagevibe : "A keyboard requires looking away from the screen."

That's the real problem with using the pc keyboard.
Sure you can use it without looking, but you first have to zero in on the dimpled F and/or J keys (or the corner of the keyboard) and go from there.

That's what makes something like FFCfirstclass's thing so interesting. The buttons are positioned in a way that makes recognition easy without looking.

I've been wanting something like that so I can rest my left hand on it while my right hand is on the mouse.

That's why it's really annoying that Sonar now makes you constantly look at the keyboard.  

That's why it's really annoying that Sonar now makes you constantly look at the keyboard.

 
I think it's amazing how differently people work.   Looking at the keyboard, when I need to, doesn't bother me at all and doesn't seem to take anything away from what I'm doing.  I actually prefer it over constantly mousing to icons.
 
Which is why a custom toolbar would be ideal.  
 

While I'm a big advocate of judicial use of screen real estate... I find that sometimes a circumstance makes a particular method more accessible... So tho I mostly use shortcuts there are often times when a button helps...

...and as to wasting screen real estate? The X generation has already done more than it's share of this while at least leaving otherwise "useless space" which I kindly use for my buttons... ;-)

In the skylight frame itself, the right hand portion is mostly blank.... My buttons sit comfortably out of the way in plain sight there without covering anything...

<sheesh>... Wasting screen real estate? That's the job of Lanes! ;-)

Keni

stevec

That's why it's really annoying that Sonar now makes you constantly look at the keyboard.

 
I think it's amazing how differently people work.   Looking at the keyboard, when I need to, doesn't bother me at all and doesn't seem to take anything away from what I'm doing.  I actually prefer it over constantly mousing to icons.
 
Which is why a custom toolbar would be ideal.  
 

Strongly agree.

In the touch system you hold your finger on something for a second until a circle appears. Pulling off quickly brings up the menu of a right click, a little slower will bring up the left click menu. Then point to where you want to paste (if that was your intention) pull off the circle and hit paste. And I'm still using the keyboard and mouse too. Which one I use is dependant on where I happen to be at the time. So all in all, it has added another way without taking the older away. Honestly, until I started reading these threads, I hadn't even noticed the icons were gone.

This was discussed when X1 came out and was well treated on this forum.  Sonar Plus an add on from Benstat was for adding buttons to X1 as a result. That is no longer available. I was a strong promoter of it but now I don't miss it. I have adjusted to the way X1/X2 works.

As for a custom module for adding user buttons, I'm not too sure that is such a great idea. I would not oppose it but I do believe its unnecessary.    

What I do think though is that those that are just now acquainting themselves with X1/X2 need to put aside any preconceptions and learn how to use it as it is. 

You may find that it actually works better and faster as many have already found.

I would advise you to stop finding reasons to not like X2 and find reasons to like it.       

John


What I do think though is that those that are just now acquainting themselves with X1/X2 need to put aside any preconceptions and learn how to use it as it is. 

You may find that it actually works better and faster as many have already found. 
      

I'm one of those that is finding it better, faster and easier.
The DAW, Cakewalk VSTs, and the touch interface.
Loving it.  :)