tracker for iPod Touch (lame platform, but I have a reason, see below)
category: general [glöplog]
farfar: nah, i'm not ashamed of any of my hardware. Well, except maybe the atari st. It's just that the ds is about the most unmanly piece of hardware possible (I mean with my combination of colours and stickers :) (and no, I didn't choose those colours, it was a 'spare' one from my wife's cousin).
I think you're on the right track with that kind of interface btw. Except that the landscape view is better for editing - there's no keyboard on the phone, but you can do a decent on-screen piano keyboard in landscape. Maybe show the 4 channels like you did, but tap on a track to zoom in to it + show the piano? Portrait mode plus the spinning picker thing for effect editing.
I don't think load/save is that much of an issue - each app has it's own documents folder where you can load/save whatever you want. It's easy to email out files now, or upload to a server. And it'd be pretty easy to build in a web browser view so you can point it at a web server running on your computer (or elsewhere) to download sample packs, tracks etc.
Like I said before, a straight port of a tracker would be fucking horrible to use, but with a well thought out UI it could be good.
I think you're on the right track with that kind of interface btw. Except that the landscape view is better for editing - there's no keyboard on the phone, but you can do a decent on-screen piano keyboard in landscape. Maybe show the 4 channels like you did, but tap on a track to zoom in to it + show the piano? Portrait mode plus the spinning picker thing for effect editing.
I don't think load/save is that much of an issue - each app has it's own documents folder where you can load/save whatever you want. It's easy to email out files now, or upload to a server. And it'd be pretty easy to build in a web browser view so you can point it at a web server running on your computer (or elsewhere) to download sample packs, tracks etc.
Like I said before, a straight port of a tracker would be fucking horrible to use, but with a well thought out UI it could be good.
oh yeah? well you're a jerk! ;)
psonice: that last comment was at petermobil, not you :)
- in response to your post, yeah, I also think it could actually be pretty close to a "desktop" tracking experience if the interface was thought through.
that said, I'd probably mostly use it as a gimmick, similar to "Colours" on the NDS.
- in response to your post, yeah, I also think it could actually be pretty close to a "desktop" tracking experience if the interface was thought through.
that said, I'd probably mostly use it as a gimmick, similar to "Colours" on the NDS.
the bad thing about iPhone is the lack of a tactile response, it feels certainly weird pressing a "virtual" button on a planar surface. if only one can "shake" / tremble the device on button press it might add a little bit of tactile feeling to the overall recipe.
farfar, you smell!!!
pete's got aggression issues because he's unable to grow a proper beard and has developed a bald pate. Just avoid mentioning hair and he's fine.
Pate? Are you hungry psonice?
**re: pan**
Will want to see that synth project /grin
**re: linde**
I will investigate Sunvox. Thank you! (but am still interested in farfar's ideas...)
**re: gloom**
Eh, the reason to have a tracker on a mobile device is the same reason to have a notebook in your pocket to write down notes . . . so when you get an idea you capture something of it before it abandons you. I get ideas that way....
**re: farfar**
I like your suggestions so far. Landscape mode would be much better....I know I only read PDFs that way. It would also be nice to use the accelerometer somehow as Decipher suggests and I also think some way to zoom in on each individual track would be good; harder to write when you can only see one at a time, but also hard to do this with one's fingers, sigh.
And yeah, I should get around to jailbreaking the machine, I've been hesitant because I want to make sure what else I will break when I do it first, if anything. I only realized how chained down I was when I tried to cd into the dratted thing and discovered its issues and I had to punch the couch pillows a lot. But then, I got it free, so I have no room to bitch. /grin
**re: Decipher**
Well, it *does* have an accelerometer, the program could respond to that. I'm not sure for what function, but it would be cool. Shake-and-track! Hee hee hee. Hmm, that could be a name. I can't decide if I'm seeing vodka, chicken, diet shakes, or those stupid flashlights. /silly face . . . . Heh, a diet shake would be a great icon, *snerk* or pot noodle . . . the tracker that keeps you going when you can't get a real machine.
**re: psonice**
Yeah, all about the UI. And it being fingersized. Yeah, it would be good to do a couple of patches (I think this is the right word) based on various sound chips....SID for example, and others of course. I should go find some IIGS music, if anyone made any.
Will want to see that synth project /grin
**re: linde**
I will investigate Sunvox. Thank you! (but am still interested in farfar's ideas...)
**re: gloom**
Eh, the reason to have a tracker on a mobile device is the same reason to have a notebook in your pocket to write down notes . . . so when you get an idea you capture something of it before it abandons you. I get ideas that way....
**re: farfar**
I like your suggestions so far. Landscape mode would be much better....I know I only read PDFs that way. It would also be nice to use the accelerometer somehow as Decipher suggests and I also think some way to zoom in on each individual track would be good; harder to write when you can only see one at a time, but also hard to do this with one's fingers, sigh.
And yeah, I should get around to jailbreaking the machine, I've been hesitant because I want to make sure what else I will break when I do it first, if anything. I only realized how chained down I was when I tried to cd into the dratted thing and discovered its issues and I had to punch the couch pillows a lot. But then, I got it free, so I have no room to bitch. /grin
**re: Decipher**
Well, it *does* have an accelerometer, the program could respond to that. I'm not sure for what function, but it would be cool. Shake-and-track! Hee hee hee. Hmm, that could be a name. I can't decide if I'm seeing vodka, chicken, diet shakes, or those stupid flashlights. /silly face . . . . Heh, a diet shake would be a great icon, *snerk* or pot noodle . . . the tracker that keeps you going when you can't get a real machine.
**re: psonice**
Yeah, all about the UI. And it being fingersized. Yeah, it would be good to do a couple of patches (I think this is the right word) based on various sound chips....SID for example, and others of course. I should go find some IIGS music, if anyone made any.
petemobil: mmm.. pate! maybe some pickles and nice bread with that.
decipher: absolutely.. the lack of tactile feedback is what's making it inferior (imho) to the PSP / NDS in terms of gaming. Apparently they've patented a new technology that can give the surface a different texture if there's a button there - making it a little rough, I guess.
metoikos: I'm not sure I agree about the landscape being better - I mean, I'm with you that it's better for e.g. reading PDF's, but that's mainly (imo) because it gives you a bigger, more legible font. I can see what you're saying about not being able to see more than one track at a time, but is that a problem? Usually when I track I put down e.g. bassline first, then move on to other stuff
- would it maybe be a good idea to rethink the tracker paradigm a bit? maybe each track could only have one instrument, but you plot notes differently? 16 bars shown horisontally, one octave shown vertically, flick up/down to go lower / higher, flick left/right to go to the next 16 bars?
decipher: absolutely.. the lack of tactile feedback is what's making it inferior (imho) to the PSP / NDS in terms of gaming. Apparently they've patented a new technology that can give the surface a different texture if there's a button there - making it a little rough, I guess.
metoikos: I'm not sure I agree about the landscape being better - I mean, I'm with you that it's better for e.g. reading PDF's, but that's mainly (imo) because it gives you a bigger, more legible font. I can see what you're saying about not being able to see more than one track at a time, but is that a problem? Usually when I track I put down e.g. bassline first, then move on to other stuff
- would it maybe be a good idea to rethink the tracker paradigm a bit? maybe each track could only have one instrument, but you plot notes differently? 16 bars shown horisontally, one octave shown vertically, flick up/down to go lower / higher, flick left/right to go to the next 16 bars?
Quote:
the bad thing about iPhone is the lack of a tactile response, it feels certainly weird pressing a "virtual" button on a planar surface. if only one can "shake" / tremble the device on button press it might add a little bit of tactile feeling to the overall recipe.
I agree with decipher. I've tried a few piano-keyboard-toy programs for the iPod Touch and they were very difficult to play (and a little bit funny).
The accelerometer hardly could be of any help for this. I think that he (decipher) was referring to vibrations of the device itself (like a phone in silent mode, but a little bit small).
Still I think that tracking in a small device like that is a pain in the ass.
***re farfar***
/me is interested!
***re: ham***
I know. But isn't the demoscene all about working within constraints? /grin
Seriously though, I'm just thinking portable sketchpad here. Do the real tracking on a real machine, but take notes on the iPod since one has it with one.
Quote:
- would it maybe be a good idea to rethink the tracker paradigm a bit? maybe each track could only have one instrument, but you plot notes differently? 16 bars shown horisontally, one octave shown vertically, flick up/down to go lower / higher, flick left/right to go to the next 16 bars?
/me is interested!
***re: ham***
I know. But isn't the demoscene all about working within constraints? /grin
Seriously though, I'm just thinking portable sketchpad here. Do the real tracking on a real machine, but take notes on the iPod since one has it with one.
something like this, maybe?
Check this one out:
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/07/10/isequence-iphone-music-workstation/
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/07/10/isequence-iphone-music-workstation/
pate (pt) n.
1. The human head, especially the top of the head: a bald pate.
2. The mind or brain.
/me fries an egg on pete's head, and serves it with toast and pâté.
Then again, I quite like the concept of a bald mind :)
1. The human head, especially the top of the head: a bald pate.
2. The mind or brain.
/me fries an egg on pete's head, and serves it with toast and pâté.
Then again, I quite like the concept of a bald mind :)
wad: thanks =) no point talking more about it then i guess ^_____________^
re farfar:
what do you mean no point? I like the looks of what you suggested! ( :
I dunno, I'll try out the other one, but I'm not in love with it....
what do you mean no point? I like the looks of what you suggested! ( :
I dunno, I'll try out the other one, but I'm not in love with it....
I have another good reason for NOT tracking on the iphone... battery lasts way less than any other platform on earth.
Bring a charger and a very long extension cord.
Quote:
**re: gloom**
Eh, the reason to have a tracker on a mobile device is the same reason to have a notebook in your pocket to write down notes . . . so when you get an idea you capture something of it before it abandons you. I get ideas that way....
If you want to make a note of your musical ideas while on the road: start Voice Recorder. A tracker on a touch screen is perhaps the least intuitive way to store things like that. :) Also, if you're never going to take the ideas further than that on the actual device, a tracker isn't only unintitive, it's serious overkill.
gloom, do you sing melodies into your voice recorder on the bus then?
petemobil: No, but I'm not demented, so I manage to remember them until I get off the bus, usually a few minutes later. :)
You're welcome.
gloom: good point.
but sometimes you want to play with them part one, and part two, well, singing to it would be embarrassing. That said I have woken up with a song in my head, asked Dr Claw to remember it, crawled to the computer, and started up Audacity to record the damn thing with voice, but the rhythm section went flooie (disappeared from my head) when I was getting the harmony onto the machine.
I suppose a tracker is a less than ideal method, but unless someone comes up with a "rhythms only" recording program...
I admit I'm new at this (haven't written songish things for years and years, and back then I hadn't had a tracker to play with) so also having something to play around with on the go is nice too, and do the real work on the laptop.
Plus that, if you're bored and don't have something to read or a web connection and don't feel like playing boring Tetris or what, you can play with the tracker! ( :
but sometimes you want to play with them part one, and part two, well, singing to it would be embarrassing. That said I have woken up with a song in my head, asked Dr Claw to remember it, crawled to the computer, and started up Audacity to record the damn thing with voice, but the rhythm section went flooie (disappeared from my head) when I was getting the harmony onto the machine.
I suppose a tracker is a less than ideal method, but unless someone comes up with a "rhythms only" recording program...
I admit I'm new at this (haven't written songish things for years and years, and back then I hadn't had a tracker to play with) so also having something to play around with on the go is nice too, and do the real work on the laptop.
Plus that, if you're bored and don't have something to read or a web connection and don't feel like playing boring Tetris or what, you can play with the tracker! ( :
and you're a prat :)