Available soon: Tone2 ElectraX

[Echoes in the Attic]

Ok, beta tester and sound designer, are you getting a good deal on Electrax?

Freemasons I don't care about, but advertising by stealth, having beta testers and sound designers 'running' threads (in the absence of the op), boosting the hype, I sort of do.
I can see through this type of spin, and I think it a little odious.

What a bunch of paranoid nonsense. Just because some dudes are excited about a synth coming out and enjoy talking about it, you have to go and try to make them feel shitty about it?

If a bunch of people talking about an upcoming product in a positive way bothers you, then you should probably piss off and let people enjoy their conversation without you.

[Brittlestem]

Ok, beta tester and sound designer, are you getting a good deal on Electrax?

Freemasons I don't care about, but advertising by stealth, having beta testers and sound designers 'running' threads (in the absence of the op), boosting the hype, I sort of do.
I can see through this type of spin, and I think it a little odious.

What a bunch of paranoid nonsense. Just because some dudes are excited about a synth coming out and enjoy talking about it, you have to go and try to make them feel shitty about it?

If a bunch of people talking about an upcoming product in a positive way bothers you, then you should probably piss off and let people enjoy their conversation without you.

TBH I'm surprised someone hasn't invoked Godwin's law yet, though bringing the freemasons is getting pretty close.

[abstractcats]

I've ways liked the look of Tone2's synths, now I read about "Fractal Synthasis"?? I'll have to read up on that. As I love fractal art and do a good deal of it my self, Now I'm REALLY interested in Tone2's new synth

Hay! Tone2, are you kids still looking for sound designers? Please feel free to PM me

[Echoes in the Attic]

Yeah, I'm interested in the fractal synthesis too. It would be cool if they would release the manual for it before the synth is released (like with alchemy). It's a good way to satisfy curiosity before a synth gets released.

[OutCider]

What a bunch of paranoid nonsense. Just because some dudes are excited about a synth coming out and enjoy talking about it, you have to go and try to make them feel shitty about it?

If a bunch of people talking about an upcoming product in a positive way bothers you, then you should probably piss off and let people enjoy their conversation without you.

Wow! You're getting pretty aggressive about nothing much, aint you? Swearing, insults and misdirection. Classy, but not unexpected.

The second part of your post, as it's just a wee 'net rant', I'm going to skim over, but the first, even though just as trite and condecending, needs some focus.
It has nothing to do with "some dudes are exited about a synth", infact, if you re-read my posts It was directed to one person in particular, with, as had been pointed out, a vested interest in the product.
I've not written, and nor would I, that anyone be disallowed to post. What I do feel however, is that they should refrain from pushing and hyping a product that is as yet undemoable, or at least state up front, for integrity's sake, that they are not impartial to a point of conflict of interest.
As to whether steering the thread into a more company friendly direction, which again was previously noted about the gui, is or isn't cheerleading, I'll take his word on it... But using his own apples analogy, it sure read to me like 'yes, we have fruit, but don't mention the apples, they stink. Let's talk about the bananas instead'.

I may have done a disservice to the thread, and if so, apologise for asking for some clarity to a perceieved conflict of interest.
Now that it's out in the open, there's nothing stopping anyone from continuing to enjoy and contribute to the thread.

[brok landers]

you know kvr really is something else.
the beta testers/sound developers could have kept their mouth shut and not give any information and let us all wait till the thing is released.....
unbelieavable.
rsp

indeed, perfectly spoken... well, that shows only that most of the kvr users nowadays have too much time and no respect due to the sheer mass of availlibility of products... it's like with music in general - the pure omnipresence of an oversupply causes ignorance and disrespect from the teenfolks ... the will to derail each and every attempt of creating an enthusiastic thread with annoying and cheap tactics shows that clearly... for the mods i really would wish for a less democratic way to handle this, if it clearly turns out like on this thread, that democratic principles are abused per se by those guys...
a paid forum... that would be it... would rule out all the dorks very quick...

in case of electrax:
like the gui or not, it is absluteley straight to be handelled and you can get used to it very soon, so all that matters is the qusetion if electrax can do what you want from it. it has a lot to offer, has a very unique sound (as all tone2 products) and some really uniquie features.

[zerocrossing]

We have learned that each time a new synth is released some people like the GUI others don't; but I don't think it's very productive to talk about this ).

It is only unproductive because the developer has his head up his ass and does not value the opinion of his customers. I don't know if it means anything but I'm a professional UI designer, not just some random troll. Not that other people's opinions don't matter, but this is not about an aesthetic choice, his UI breaks a ton of simple design rules and that's why it's bad.

[dhalfen]

It is only unproductive because the developer has his head up his ass and does not value the opinion of his customers. I don't know if it means anything but I'm a professional UI designer, not just some random troll. Not that other people's opinions don't matter, but this is not about an aesthetic choice, his UI breaks a ton of simple design rules and that's why it's bad.

I have to respectfully disagree with this opinion. As a potential user, I think the GUI is quite nice -- I am not in the least bit inclined to call it "bad."

Whatever "rules" are coming into play here don't mesh with my personal (and absolutely "non-professional") opinion.

And, of course, your opinion matters just about as much as mine on the issue, anyway.

You can have your skin, and I can have mine.

[pdxindy]

On the subject of the GUI there is an alternative...............




I'd change the red at the top if possible but this is the skin I would use if I owned the synth.

This one is better... The line through the lcd screens is still annoying... look at the arpeggiator for example... all the 8's and a line runs right through the middle of them and the lighter upper part is a bit hard to read. Then again in the arpeggiator, next to the 'up' there is that weird curvy lighter thing... the lcd's have weird artifacts like that... another example, the filter lcd's on the very right are some circular lighter blobs sitting there. I haven't a clue what those odd artifacts are supposed to be. Just a straight flat colored lcd background that was slightly darker would be much easier to read at a glance.

The white knobs could use to be a bit better differentiated from the background, and the mark showing the orientation of the knob is kinda faint. I can see it, but not so well at a quick glance.

Also, the font is hard to read. For example, in the osc section, 'INTER' and 'FINE' are both hard to read and in the filter the word 'RING' took me a few seconds to think about what parameter that could be cause I could not read the word.

Maybe Tone2 could consider making another skin that is clean, simple, legible for those who just want maximum usability.

[pdxindy]

in case of electrax:
like the gui or not, it is absluteley straight to be handelled and you can get used to it very soon, so all that matters is the qusetion if electrax can do what you want from it. it has a lot to offer, has a very unique sound (as all tone2 products) and some really uniquie features.

How would you describe that unique sound. Similar in character to Gladiator? Or something yet again different?

[pdxindy]

Oh, thanks... I missed that on the last page... cool that you can do that... although in the future it would be slicker to not have to switch presets and just have a layer import function

Well in any case you have to browse for the patch you want to import the layer from, so after all (from inside ElectraX browser or from another open dialog) it's the same thing

Thanks... I cannot really visualize it so well, but just that you can do it is enough...

[aMUSEd]

On the subject of the GUI there is an alternative...............




I'd change the red at the top if possible but this is the skin I would use if I owned the synth.

I thought I was looking at Nexus for a mo'.

I don't see the point of the markings around the knobs if they are then covered up by fake perspective - it's really unnecessary. Not keen on fake perspective anyway - especially when it's so badly done.

[Shabdahbriah]

Then again in the arpeggiator, next to the 'up' there is that weird curvy lighter thing... the lcd's have weird artifacts like that... another example, the filter lcd's on the very right are some circular lighter blobs sitting there. I haven't a clue what those odd artifacts are supposed to be.

The "weird curvy lighter thing" is the reflection from the rack-handle(s), and the pointless/annoying "blobs" are the reflection(s) off-of the knobs.

[2c] What any dev would do well to consider regarding the perceived "realism" of this virtual reflective style is that in the non-virtual world the user can and will make adjustments to rid themselves of this very thing, either by moving, shutting-off, or blocking the annoying light source, and/or adjusting the device which is reflecting it.

Though there are instances where our eyes can adapt to some 'glare' which falls short of too much, and sort-of focus past the 'surface' in a "see-through-it" fashion, we can not do that with a virtual reflection.

[marvotron]

But please, stop the "I like/dislike" GUI comments, it's a total waste of time and you know why (in other words: that is the GUI, like it or not! We have learned that each time a new synth is released some people like the GUI others don't; but I don't think it's very productive to talk about this ).

surely it should be though, the purpose of the UI is to allow you to be productive and if enough potential customers make the comment that they are interested in the feature set but think the UI would be a barrier then that's useful information to have.

personally I think the black UI is worse than polyanna, I can barely read a thing on it. All my brain sees is blur and glow. The white one is better because all the glowing is gone but still suffers as others have detailed before (bad fonts, unnecessary reflections, the 'web 2.0' gradient stuck across everything etc..)

i'm interested in trying it because of what i've read but looking at it doesnt make me think it'll be enjoyable to use.

[pdxindy]

Then again in the arpeggiator, next to the 'up' there is that weird curvy lighter thing... the lcd's have weird artifacts like that... another example, the filter lcd's on the very right are some circular lighter blobs sitting there. I haven't a clue what those odd artifacts are supposed to be.

The "weird curvy lighter thing" is the reflection from the rack-handle(s), and the pointless/annoying "blobs" are the reflection(s) off-of the knobs.

You can see the handle reflection just to the left of the arpeggiator lcd... the lcd surface must have some bizarre bump map set at like 400% to distort the surface enough to create the out of place reflections. And of course the underside of a handle would not be a very bright reflection.

The blobs don't even look vaguely like knob reflections and are the wrong size and location...