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SoundTower Help Desk introduction to Voyager Forum

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 11:46 am
by SoundTower_Help_Desk
Hi all

Just a quick note to say HI from SoundTower's new Help Desk. It is meant for easier access to help specific to SoundTower's Voyager PC/MAC Editor-Librarian software. (If you use any other of our software and have questions related to them...please ask.)

I would also like to offer an open invitation to all users of our software to send us your wishlist on function/features that you would like to see included in near and longer term updates for Voyager PC/MAC Editor.


Cheers

Derek

soundtower_helpdesk@yahoo.com

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:01 pm
by till
Derek,

it would be drag and drop patches in the patch list of the main window.

Also a new to be added multiple bank view to shuffle around patches from one bank to another would be great for all users of memory expanded Voyagers. But I am not sure if this is possible at all via midi sysex. I haven't found a way to switch banks via Midi. or is it just not yet mentioned in the new Sysex document?

How make the view of the Voyager selectable from the AE to the normal Voyager (but what is normal on a Moog anyway?)

Monospaced font in all sound name views! The Voyager use a font like this. I use "Monaco" as font on my VoyageRename app for the Mac OS X. When you like to see where each letter actually is displayed on the Voyager LCD (either last letter in the top row or first letter in the lower row?), one needs to see where the line break occures. All newer Moog factory sounds got the name in the upper line (aliment to the left) and the name tag in the lower line with aligment to the right.

The "Moog" logo of the main display (lower left) would look more engraved, if you would give the white version an offset of 1 pixel to the right and downwards. Right now it is 2 pixels down, 1 right. And a tiny pixel of the metalic is between the lower horizontal ends of the black parts and the white engraving groove line.
I use the very same letters or pictures in my programs and make a white version to go behind the actual version. And use 1 pixel offset for the white version. Give it a try.

Selecting catagories in the main window changes the font to bold. This will make change the height of the space between the neigbor lines. This is not typical for Mac applications.

The adress of Rudi Linhard in the "About..." windows needs to be changed to the new one in the next release (This is the easiest thing to add/change, isn't it?)

a gray non metalic background of the Midi Setup page is not according to Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. The blue text of some windows is also not recommended. Part of the Mac's magic for users is, that one knows what to expect and see in all programs available. See this not as a bug or mistake, but as something unique on Macs. And most longtime Mac users I know like it the pure Mac way. But this is a matter of long discussions maybe.

Preset Genetics Window:
Please use a different colour for the background of the "Exclude Preset Parameters" list box! Ths brown you use reminds me of being sick ;)
Actually the black background used on other list boxes is not looking friendly or Mac like at all.

The main menu of the Mac version is not labled according to Mac specs. The "File" and "Edit" items are one of the basics of the Mac look and feel experience for more then 20 years. Please change that on the Mac. And I think the Win guidelines for userinterfaces also need certain common menue lables.

I based all my comments on the Mac OS X version 1.07 I am using here.

Don't get me wrong, the programm is working fine!
But some little things would improove the Mac look and feel. Maybe you are a Win user mainly. But a Mac user will notice these little things right from the start. And for people noticing this, the program will always look and feel wrong. Although all is working and logic. People get used to standards. Or why do we still use more or less the same keyboard actions as on all classic acoustic keyboards?

(sorry for my spelling, I am not a native english speaker/writer)

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:54 pm
by SoundTower_Help_Desk
Hi Till

Thanks for the response! You spent more time on your note than I on mine.

Don't feel you have to apologize for the details on look. These are all valid points and well taken. The first issue with any software is to get it up and running and then fine tune.

First though I should tell you that the latest OS Voyager update will be fully implemented including all additional preset banks.

Second I'll agree normal is a tough call, indeed. Currently it isn't possible to select between AE and Signature looks. There is only the AE look. Sorry.

I've forwarded the rest of the comments to Mark to work on. He particularly liked the 'sick' comment. LOL.

Anyway, again thanks for the thoughtful response. I hope this helps some.

By the way, there is nothing wrong with your English that I can see.

cheers

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 3:43 pm
by sir_dss
Thanks for taking a interest in the people who already bought the Voyager Library software. And taking request.

Yes something a bit easier to create banks and librarys would be great. Even after reading the instructions and working with the sortware it is still difficult and confusing to create some sort of preset order going to the Voyager. Something simple like a Grab and Drag beteween the Voyager's current bank and the software library woulf be nive and in any order you want. That way if you want to change the order in the Voyager in real time and reload the bank it could be done.

Thanks

I'm from the USA so my english is bad

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 3:45 pm
by till
...
Currently it isn't possible to select between AE and Signature looks.
...
Mmmh I thought of the normal Performers and the already implemented AE.
But now we have three options :idea:
No, just the AE and one of the non black Voyagers wold be OK.

And you have to add the alternative look, because of the non AE-owners that will have wet eyes each time they see the beautiful AE version of the Voyager :cry:

This is lowest priority of all my ideas/remarks/wishes.

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:09 pm
by SoundTower_Help_Desk
sir_dss wrote:Thanks for taking a interest in the people who already bought the Voyager Library software. And taking request.
Thanks for responding positively. I hope it helps out.
Yes something a bit easier to create banks and librarys would be great. Even after reading the instructions and working with the sortware it is still difficult and confusing to create some sort of preset order going to the Voyager. Something simple like a Grab and Drag beteween the Voyager's current bank and the software library woulf be nive and in any order you want. That way if you want to change the order in the Voyager in real time and reload the bank it could be done.
This is doable. It is what is to happen in the upgrade but the full details/limits are not available right now.
I'm from the USA so my english is bad
Hey, I'm from Kanada, so my engish might be a little hard to take to, eh?

Hope this helps.

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:10 pm
by SoundTower_Help_Desk
... because of the non AE-owners that will have wet eyes each time they see the beautiful AE version of the Voyager :cry: ...
LOL.

We will keep it in mind for the future.

cheers.

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:10 pm
by monads
till wrote:it would be drag and drop patches in the patch list of the main window.
1. Another vote for the above as as well.

2. More Library categories.

3. Possibly having the Edit window look like the Voyager front panel? It would just seem more like 'familiar territory' not so foreign or more in line with a Voyager softsynth if you know what I mean. For this reason I don't even use the edit window, and I know that sounds stupid but I just can't get used to the sliders/non look of the window. As if I'm not even tweaking my Voyager.

4. The ability to have the Edit window as a seperate popout window. This would make editing faster because as you scroll through patches in the Main Window or Library the settings/routings are displayed in an Edit window. No need to click the Edit button everytime.

That's all I can think of. Thanks for taking the time to here from us users. Much appreciated.

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:41 pm
by till
The Performer look would looks like this:
http://qwave.de/montage.jpg

I know about the errors.
And it is not finished at all.
But one would need all original grafics and maybe the second layer that makes up the knobs to do it right.
And some more time and patient.

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:54 pm
by SoundTower_Help_Desk
monads wrote:
2. More Library categories.

3. Possibly having the Edit window look like the Voyager front panel? ...

4. The ability to have the Edit window as a seperate popout window. ...
Thanks, noted and sent on.
That's all I can think of. Thanks for taking the time to here from us users. Much appreciated.
Thanks for playing; besides, I'm having fun.

cheers.

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:30 pm
by tunedLow
Yes -- having the panel look just like the Voyager panel would make is sooo much easier for me. I don't even use that aspect of the software because I have to search for the knobs I want, while I just know where they are on the Voyager.

Thanks

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 7:35 pm
by JvS
It would be nice to have the option to drag and drop multiple presets in the library in the Windows version, like in the Apple version with [shift - apple key]

Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 8:43 pm
by gd
As a fellow Canucklehead, is the new editor an free upgrade to the existing one and any idea when it will become available.

Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 11:09 am
by SoundTower_Help_Desk
tunedLow wrote:... having the panel look just like the Voyager panel would make is sooo much easier for me. ...
Good question. This is one that the programmer would love to do as it is easier, from a programming point of view, to accomplish than what you have now.

The issue stems from the shape of the voyager relative to the shape of your monitor. The long rectable that is the Voyager you physically work on, if copied directly for your GUI, would be so small and nearly unusable at the screen resolution needed to see the image all at once.

It is a compromise that has been agonized over from early on. You are not the only person to note the problem.

Hope that helps. Suggestions? I'll leave it open for all that actually use the equipment on a daily basis to offer a way out.

thanks
Derek

Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2005 11:10 am
by SoundTower_Help_Desk
JvS wrote:It would be nice to have the option to drag and drop multiple presets in the library in the Windows version...
This has been addressed in the upgrade.

Derek