Making MuLab More Obvious & Easy

[mutools]

I have the impression that some users don't find everything obvious and easy in MuLab 4.

Are there any conceptional difficulties?

Are there any practical difficulties?

Please list your tips how i can increase the joy to use within the existing feature set. Please no new feature requests here, only tips to make the current MuLab more obvious and easy to use.

Looking forward to your tips!

[sl23]

Mu-Lab's great, what little I've tried, still not had time to get to grips fully yet! But due to the right click way of working sometimes things aren't easy to find. Once you get used to it it's probably going to be just as good or better than traditional menus. But, it's getting used to it that can defer would be punters.

The whole menu system needs an overhaul. As in clicking to open a submenu, isn't that a bit archaic way of doing it.

Certain abbreviations are a bit cryptic. eg, AIPS never heard of this one and though I found it by accident in the docs, I did a search for it as I'd forgotten the meaning and couldn't find it. If I remember right it's actually a term for something more familiar?

As I said I've only had a few minor goes at Mu-Lab so it could be down to me needing some familiarity with the program. Great work though and I look forward to M5 and getting more into M4.

Thanks

[voidpipe]

Thank you for this open mind, MuTools! For people that have followed the evolution of MuLab most is of course quite obvious but from newcomers from other DAW:s like me, I think there are some things in the interface that could be improved to make the learning curve less steep.

I will take some time to write down my own personal reflections of the experience of getting to know MuLab as a newcomer at first level at version 4. Unfortunately I will not have the time to do this until the beginning of next week and I hope that will be OK. I consider myself as a rather experienced user as I have worked both in analogue studious for a long time but also used DAW:s all the way back since the first PC in the late 80:s. I have also worked professionally with man - machine interface designs in the software industry so I have a clue about how important the first impression can be. I truly love some aspects in MuLab and that is why I have stayed even though I own a full licence of Ableton Live and Sony Acid and others because the effort for simplicity is really a bit unique. But I find a few concepts and interface ideas a bit confusing for newcomers so hopefully I will be able to sum those up for your evaluation.

Anyhow I think you deserve a lot of respect for keeping an open mind about your "baby", starting this thread and not being defensive or anything like that. I just hope the rest of the community will be like that as well….. remember this is an effort to make the step from other DAW:s easier and we all want MuLab to succeed and be the best tool for many more people making music.

[DHR53]

I still don't see the practical purposes of the session/composition structure. I'd like it to be useful somehow to create multiple compositions or "takes", in a session... then be able to view and switch between these with some interface button or tab arrangement. Or tile the multiple compositions to be able to preview the structure of the composition while working on one or the other. If one could then merge these mini comps into a larger comp for the full arrangement that would seem to be useful to me anyway. So like a drag and drop chunks of composition between the various comps. Maybe a playlist type thing? Hmmm...

[RalphRoisterDoister]

First of all let me say that Mulab is already the the best DAW for getting up and running on a project with a minimum of steps, so in that respect it is way ahead of the ease of use game. Now having said that, I would like to be able to assign a plug-in or module in a rack to a midi channel directly from the rack via right click rather than having to access the Session>Edit Midi Channel Tagets menu. (Right Click Plugin/Module>Select Midi Input>Select Midi Channel).

[mutools]

But due to the right click way of working sometimes things aren't easy to find. Once you get used to it it's probably going to be just as good or better than traditional menus. But, it's getting used to it that can defer would be punters.

Yes, that's true. I guess it's like "What You Don't See Is Not There", which is not true of course, but it's a very human way of thinking.

When i chose for the right-click menu system i thought that right-clicking was very standard + natural already, but it seems that that's not yet the case for everyone. It's so natural for me that i didn't realize it might be a bit difficult for newbies..? I've taken note, though i'm not yet sure what's the conclusion/solution. Needs some thought.

The whole menu system needs an overhaul.

That sounds a bit drastic to me, to be honnest. But i do agree that the object-oriented menu system might need a more visual gateway.

As in clicking to open a submenu, isn't that a bit archaic way of doing it.

I remember you requested that a couple of times already and it's on the WL. For my curiosity: Is waiting a little bit for a sub-menu to open (that's how it's done standard) so much easier for you than a click?

Certain abbreviations are a bit cryptic. eg, AIPS never heard of this one and though I found it by accident in the docs, I did a search for it as I'd forgotten the meaning and couldn't find it. If I remember right it's actually a term for something more familiar?

If someone knows a more familiar term please let me know!

What other abbreviations are a bit cryptic?

[mutools]

but from newcomers from other DAW:s like me, I think there are some things in the interface that could be improved to make the learning curve less steep. I will take some time to write down my own personal reflections of the experience of getting to know MuLab as a newcomer at first level at version 4. Unfortunately I will not have the time to do this until the beginning of next week and I hope that will be OK.

Yes that's ok, looking forward to it!

[Trancit]

Just some personal thoughts here:

For me, it wasn't hard to get MuLab up and running, but it's true, that some very important goodies are too hidden...

- bigger menu, like other hosts have, with the standard ones like
File, Edit, View, Insert, Item, Track, Options, Help...
This would be more obvious than "browsing" a rightclick menu
Same for the key editor and sample editor...

- a toolbar, from which often used functions are immidiately visible and usuable could help a lot...

- drag n drop system is already very good, but could be easier by having a docked browser (which need to have a shortcut for toogling visible or not), which could stay permanentely open

- corresponding to the comment from RalphRoisterDoister: The most other Hosts other people might know, have dropdown selectors and buttons for most functions in the track header for functions like Midi Input, Output, Record, Automation...
I guess, it's again more obvious and looks more powerful than hiding these in a rightclick menu... I think, there's a good reason, why 99% of all sequencers follow these rules

For me, this would me the most important "differences" to major Sequencers in terms of visibility and having access to functions...

One other point corresponding to the comment of DHR53: I have to admit, that there is no pratical use for me neither for these composition thingie...
I just ignore this, but perhaps this might cause some trouble for people in terms of getting their heads around this as being forced to make use of this...

Implemented like it is now with having always the hint in the title bar ("MuLab : MuLab Session : Unnamed composition" even if you have saved the session with a certain name), it looks like being a major part of the MuLab story, what is simply not true... looks more complicated as it is

[sl23]

Hi Jo thanks for the reply,

I apologise for the repeated comment on the menu, perhaps I was a bit drastic, but the click needn't be there. Take a look at windows classic start menu and it doesn't require a click or a waiting time it just opens. You do have to set it that way though I believe the default is around 400ms? can't remember now I've been using win 7 for a while.

But using a click to open and close menus causes extra scrolling or clicking. eg, while editing the mux and searching for a specific module, on occasion I need to look in different categories. Hence need to click each to open, this makes the whole menu longer unless I click again to close each either that or it causes me to need to scroll down the menu.

Insert license key needs to be removed when registered.

AIPS appears to be PWM? is it the same or something different? According to the docs search : AIPS means AddInvertedPhaseShift. Simply put: with a Saw, this causes Block PWM. But it can be used with any waveform! And it can be modulated, e.g. by an ...

This doesn't mean much to a novice like me

In the Sampler what is the difference between Octave, Pitch and Transpose? don't they achieve the same thing? When I used hardware, Octave adjusted the keyboard range, Transpose adjusted keyboard per note and Pitch was in the Patch settings for adjusting a Tone as part of a Patch, Roland terminology.

[mutools]

Thanks to all for your interesting feedback so far!

Practical note: This topic is meant towards the next MuLab 5/6/...
So don't be confused when the current MuLab 4.x updates don't include any changes in this matter yet. This topic first needs some more attention.

[mutools]

I apologise for the repeated comment on the menu, perhaps I was a bit drastic, but the click needn't be there. Take a look at windows classic start menu and it doesn't require a click or a waiting time it just opens. You do have to set it that way though I believe the default is around 400ms? can't remember now I've been using win 7 for a while.

On windows you do have to wait a little bit before a standard sub-menu opens. I just checked it on WinXP and Win7. On OSX that wait time is shorter, so sub-menus appear more snappy.

Anyway, i understand the bottomline of your comment. I can imagine this indeed is one of the things that gives an uncompliant feel about it. I'll give this some extra thought.

But using a click to open and close menus causes extra scrolling or clicking. eg, while editing the mux and searching for a specific module, on occasion I need to look in different categories. Hence need to click each to open, this makes the whole menu longer unless I click again to close each either that or it causes me to need to scroll down the menu.

Indeed, you're absolutely right. Thanks for explaining me this ergonomic prob. Sometimes i'm too used to things so i don't see/feel it anymore. Taken note.

AIPS appears to be PWM? is it the same or something different?

PWM is Pulse Width Modulation.
If you take another waveform than a saw, then the result will not literally be PWM. That's why i named it otherwise. I don't know what's best: Giving it a more known but incorrect name, or giving it a correct but unknown name.

According to the docs search : AIPS means AddInvertedPhaseShift. Simply put: with a Saw, this causes Block PWM. But it can be used with any waveform! And it can be modulated, e.g. by an ...
This doesn't mean much to a novice like me

Ok, but i can't explain every aspect of sound & synth programming in the docs. If you don't know what PWM is please google for that.

In the Sampler what is the difference between Octave, Pitch and Transpose? don't they achieve the same thing? When I used hardware, Octave adjusted the keyboard range, Transpose adjusted keyboard per note and Pitch was in the Patch settings for adjusting a Tone as part of a Patch, Roland terminology.

Yep that's it. Turn the knobs and you'll hear their effect. I don't see any prob there. (besides the fact that the osc UI may be better by grouping things a bit more)

[sl23]

Ok thanks Jo. I realise this won't appear til a future version.

Regarding the menu delay, if you do change it, can you add setting for time before opening please. Some prefer a timed delay, some like me prefer instant appearance.

I just wondered why they appeared in the sampler all together? Aren't the Otave and Transpose more a Global setting than item specific?

@Trancit:
Like the Toolbar idea

[mutools]

- drag n drop system is already very good, but could be easier by having a docked browser (which need to have a shortcut for toogling visible or not), which could stay permanentely open

That's on the M5 wishlist

corresponding to the comment from RalphRoisterDoister: The most other Hosts other people might know, have dropdown selectors and buttons for most functions in the track header for functions like Midi Input, Output, Record, Automation... I guess, it's again more obvious and looks more powerful than hiding these in a rightclick menu... I think, there's a good reason, why 99% of all sequencers follow these rules

I'm afraid it's true. So bye bye the clean unbloatedness?

Atoh: In FL Studio, one of the world's most popular music apps, in the pattern editor you can only open the piano roll via the right-click menu, right? So where are we then in our reasoning? Is hiding essential funx in a right-click menu bad or not?

One other point corresponding to the comment of DHR53: I have to admit, that there is no pratical use for me neither for these composition thingie...
I just ignore this, but perhaps this might cause some trouble for people in terms of getting their heads around this as being forced to make use of this...

Implemented like it is now with having always the hint in the title bar ("MuLab : MuLab Session : Unnamed composition" even if you have saved the session with a certain name), it looks like being a major part of the MuLab story, what is simply not true... looks more complicated as it is

I see your point. Taken note.

[jazzdoktorn]

One thing that could be clearer in automation is to Name the parameters after its Midi CC number instead of "Bank select" and "breath controller".
The idea is good but i think it would be more clear to have the CC too.
I use a lot of hardware and i really like the concept of automation

Regards
R

[DHR53]

A lot of the feature requests do appear to be making MuLab more like the "other" DAWs which no doubt would help new users initially, but anyone who has used MuLab for a short time pretty much is used to the functionality of the interface and it does what the others do albeit with a different approach at times. I think the real potential lies in doing things that are different, that no other DAW does... Innovative features with a small footprint would put MuLab in a very good position to be the cross-platform DAW with something different. I think the multiple compositions as a song construction tool along with the modularity make the program unique if these features are realized and continue to grow. I want to see the program continue to develop, broaden the user base etc. but with innovative ideas and a different approach, not copying the way things are already done. My .02 anyway.