MusicDevelopments

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:15 pm

More new user experience:

Now, when i start from the freshly opened program, or from a 'New Composition' and click on one of the chords shown in the Master Track to bring up the Quick Suggestions I get the message "Phrase Editor is empty, nothing to preview" and the chosen chord does not sound.

This did not used to happen, now it does. I used to be able to hear (preview) the chord immediately as I clicked on it. Something has changed, and I don't know what or why (though I suspect it has to do with the Phrase Editor!).

Can you tell me how a Phrase Generator gets assigned to Quick Suggestions, and where I can look to see the current assignment?

RC Phrase Editor is Empty.jpg

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:17 pm

musicdevelopments wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:09 pm Those are not notes in the track, but the background is shaded under scale and chord notes.
You can redefine the colors or remove the shading entirely

Thank you, perfect!

So my commentary on this subject reduces to the suggestion that the 'new user experience' begin by default with 'Show Chord Tones' unchecked and 'Hide Chord Tones' checked.

IOW, since the track -is- empty, have it -look- empty. I believe this will be the most clear visual for new users. At a later point in the learning process bringing them to the options available will be fine.

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:21 pm

musicdevelopments wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:09 pm You can redefine the keyboard shortcut for Panic under Settings / Keyboard shortcuts.

You know, I looked, but I missed it! My bad!

Indeed it is there in the Keyboard shortcuts, as 'Panic, All Sounds Off', in the Workspace section.

Thanks kindly!

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:26 pm

Mistake, to be deleted. Where is the delete function?

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 3:43 pm

In case my question above got lost in the shuffle ...

Can you tell me how a Phrase Generator gets assigned to Quick Suggestions, and where I can look to see the current assignment?

BluGenes · Post by **BluGenes** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:16 pm

sj1 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2019 3:43 pm In case my question above got lost in the shuffle ...

Can you tell me how a Phrase Generator gets assigned to Quick Suggestions, and where I can look to see the current assignment?

this should help.. viewtopic.php?f=285&t=518104&p=7280718#p7280718

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:27 pm

It's always good to know that videos exist (and the Internet reveals that quite straightforwardly), however FWIW, at this point I am hoping for a specific answer.

As a new user, my feedback is that the Chord Preview should "just work".

If it does not, I think it is fair to ask specifically "Why not? How can I get -quickly- over this specific obstacle?".

Anybody?

musicdevelopments · Post by **musicdevelopments** » Tue Aug 20, 2019 8:10 am

To fix the chord preview open the Chord Selector (press F10) then either on Chord List, Scale Degrees or Palette, look for the Options menu. Make sure "Preview: Chord+Bass" and "Preview Using Chord Preview Instrument" is checked:

This is where you can set all chord preview options. For some reason on your setup "Preview Phrase In Phrase Editor" is checked.

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:27 pm

Just so! Thank you, and much appreciated Attila!

FWIW, perhaps the message for this situation could read:

"Phrase Editor is empty, nothing to preview.
Visit Chord Selector (F10), Options (button)
for Preview alternatives."

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:35 pm

As further "new user" feedback -

It is obvious what the Chord Selector is wrt. selecting chords. It is functional, visually beautiful, and very flexible wrt. keys, scales, colors, layout, etc. I love it!

RC Chord Selector 01.jpg

What is not immediately clear to me are the various contexts in which the Chord Selector is operational, and how the tab choices (and sub-choices of each) and the Options button choices interact.

I note that the Chord Selector is not covered at all in the embedded Quick Start Tutorial.

I'm sure it all becomes quite clear at some point after a user becomes deeply familiar with the program. It is the process of getting the user most quickly to that familiarity that only a "newbie" can comment on. Hence I am commenting -now-, in the hope that it is helpful, before I reach the point where it becomes second nature and I forget how I stumbled at the beginning.

I would suggest that the Chord Selector have a help button/icon under which this is all explained. The explanation could be embedded in the program (like the Quick Start Tutorial), or it could be a link out to a web page (which might be more easily maintained over the course of time/changes).

BTW, are there other paths to reach the Chord Selector besides F10?

musicdevelopments · Post by **musicdevelopments** » Tue Aug 20, 2019 1:05 pm

Hi sj1,

Many thanks for the additional feedback, it was very useful.
Other than pressing F10 (which is re-assignable) the Chord Selector opens for a click on the palette icon when you click on a chord:

The logical layout of the Chord Selector:

Thanks,
Attila

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:11 pm

More new user experience/observation - (as of RC 3.9b4, Windows version)

Of the 5 ways to enter chords, 4 of them create pop-ups that are dismissable using the Esc key. One of them (the Chord Selector) creates a pop-up that must be dismissed differently (i.e. via "w" key or clicking the red X).

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:16 pm

More new user experience/observation - (as of RC 3.9b4, Windows version)

The Preview On/Off button above the Master Track

RC Preview On-Off Button.jpg

applies to Phrase and Note preview

RC Phrase and Notes Only.jpg

but not to Chord preview (or Bass, Scale, or Rhythm preview),

These have their settings under Settings -> Preview, where on/off or enable/disable is not offered.

RC Chord Bass Scale Rhythm Preview Settings.jpg

Chords (like Phrases) are viewable and clickable items on the Composition page. Managing the on/off choice for their previews in completely different ways doesn't simplify the learning curve.

Also, while I get that you can call out an absent Device or Instrument on the Settings -> Preview page in order to effect disablement, I would favor an explicit enable/disable or On/Off toggle for each preview there w/o having to mess with the Device or Instrument. What I'm suggesting is that explicit on/off in one location (for Phrase and Note Previews) and *no* explicit on/off in another location (for Chord, Bass, Scale, Rhythm) is inconsistent, and burdens the learning curve.

musicdevelopments · Post by **musicdevelopments** » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:19 pm

Right, the Chord Selector is always in its own window which is closed differently. The menus (layers) can be closed with Esc, this was requested recently. Please note the Esc was the Panic button in the past.

sj1 · Post by **sj1** » Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:30 pm

musicdevelopments wrote: ↑Thu Jan 02, 2020 4:19 pm Right, the Chord Selector is always in its own window which is closed differently. The menus (layers) can be closed with Esc, this was requested recently. Please note the Esc was the Panic button in the past.

Hi, and thanks for your comment.

So, for reference, since you mention it here, what is the Panic button now? (or is it configurable, and where?)

As a matter of technical interest, is it not possible to tie Esc to closing separate windows because of the cross-platform development environment?

MusicDevelopments

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