Touch screen. Normal or not?

[Screeching Donna]

Hello . I'm just starting to get stuck into my new (keyboard version) V-synth. (OS 2.00)

I've not used a touch-screen before - on a v-synth or anything else - so I don't really know what to expect.

(I HAVE done the calibration, by the way!)

I find that whenever I try to change a value by dragging my finger across the screen I notice two things which concern me.

Firstly - whichever way I move nothing happens for the first inch or so (2.5 centimetres roughly for the metric persons hereabouts). After that I can move to any area of the screen with the expected result.

That is - if I move up or to the right the value goes up, down or to the left and it goes down. No problem. I move my finger and the value changes. It's just that first inch or so.

It doesn't relate to any particular area of the screen. It doesn't matter where on the screen the control I'm trying to adjust may be. That first inch never does anything!


Second thing: - I can't seem to ever move in increments lower that about 4 or 5. I can never add 1 or 2 to the value. Perhaps it's just a technique thing. maybe it isn't really what it's designed for, hence the presence of the "inc" and "dec" buttons. What do you think?

I take it that there is no way of adjusting the pressure response of the screen??

Thanks very much - all comments and observations gratefully received.

[nsheldon]

Hi there.

Yes, this behavior is typical of the V-Synth touch screen dragging. I don't use dragging to change values. Hold down SHIFT and use the INC, DEC, or use the VALUE dial to increase rapidly. For precise value adjustments, use the INC or DEC buttons or VALUE dial. Dragging won't give you the precision you need for those small adjustments.

Regards,

Nathan Sheldon
http://www.nathansheldon.com/

[Artemiy]

I use SHIFT + VALUE DIAL for drastic parameter changes (each dial tick gives a +/- 10 change).

[Screeching Donna]

It's good to get a bit of re-assurance when you've just shelled out all that dosh.

Much appreciated.

'bye.

[Screeching Donna]

.......is the delayed response (i.e. the non-responsive first inch) also normal, as well as the difficulty in making small adjustments?
Thanks again.

'bye.

[Artemiy]

Go to MENU -> CALIBRATE -> Touchscreen, then touch the four crosses on the screen and it will be calibrated. It should solve most problems you may be experiencing while working with the touchscreen.

[Screeching Donna]

Hello Artemio - thanks for replying. I've done the calibration thing but so far as I can tell it only affects the x and y co-ordinates of the screen. For example, if pressing the OSC 1 button half way across brought up OSC 2 then it could be calibrated so that the touch screen matched the on-screen buttons.


Calibration doesn't, so far as I can tell, have an effect on the pressure required to change values or call up parameters.

Does that seem right?

It's always that first inch or so of movement where nothing happens. No-one else experienced this?

Thanks again.

[ArghBlarg_]

Yes, I see this too. I think they wanted to put in a bit of 'dead' space to ensure it wasn't too easy to change parameters accidentally by just touching the screen over an envelope etc.

As others have said, it's a quick way to make gross changes in a sound but for more fine adjustments I usually end up using the +/- keys or the wheel.

Error 144 - Reboot? Y/N

[Screeching Donna]

I'd come to much the same conclusion - either that or there was a problem with my v-synth! A proposition too horrendous to consider seriously.

It's like whichever parameter you touch, wherever the point is that you hear the "ding" - that point is at the centre of an invisible circle (radius approximately one inch) and until you get outside that circle nothing happens. Once you[ve crossed outside the circle once then everything is normal.

It seems too neat to be a fault so I think you're dead on there.

Cheers then - what lovely instruments they are, aren't they.


'bye.

[nsheldon]

Yes, I'd agree. My V-Synth touch screen (keyboard version) also exhibits a "dead space" from initial touch point before registering movement. I'm quite sure this is intentional. There are so many factors to consider with a touch screen. For instance, when you put your finger on the screen, the surface of your finger fills more than just one point on the grid. It fills multiple sensor points on the touch screen, so the system has to determine the center of where you're finger is touching. The size of the area your finger occupies depends a great deal on how large your finger is and how hard your pressing too. In order to prevent accidental data manipulation just from pressing a little harder or having a large finger, I'm sure Roland defined a wide "null zone" around the center of the area your finger touches.

Regards,

Nathan Sheldon
http://www.nathansheldon.com/

[sb1]

Donna,
I was similarly briefly concerned about the response on my Vsynth XT rapdily came to the conclusion that this is normal. A small amount of practice (familiarisation really) seems to have really helped. For really fine work use a blunt soft stylus.
Just not perfect but agood enough after a little use.
Enjoy.

[Screeching Donna]

Thanks for all the helpful input - I agree that it's a decent facility and I can quite see that a bit of practice will improve things no end. Actually I do find it very usable already - and I've only had it since Saturday. I just wanted to make sure that things were as they should be before I let the deal "go cold", as it were.

You've cheered me up no end.

What a fantastic beast this thing is. And I know it's petty and wholly un-necessary but...it does look the business, frankly, doesn't it.

'bye.

[ArghBlarg_]

Yep, sure does -- I love how the V-Synth looks so foreboding with its orange glowing buttons in my studio at night.. like the bridge controls of a star destroyer or something .

Error 144 - Reboot? Y/N

[Old Dude]

I've found that by using finger NAIL rather than TIP, touch screen operation is MUCH smoother......... Suggestion! Why don't we start producing NEW Patches, load them onto Compact Flash Cards for Sale or Exchange (I'm sure that we've all got the Card Adapters for replay!)
I've been buying synths for nearly 40 years and have owned dozens, but I think my XT is probably the finest!
Peace and Love