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Post subject: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 9:12 am
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Hi Fender,
For Mustang v3 you should look into using a touch screen in place of the LCD display and data wheel. This would make the amp much more intuitive to use and also would make it easier and faster for the user to make adjustments. While the data wheel works well in its current implementation, it's not intuitive, has limitations, and I suspect many customers struggle with using it. An example of such a limitation is that the user must push the data wheel to cycle through the virtual knobs but this action is limited to moving one knob at a time and movement is only in one direction (left to right) so if you overshoot a knob you have to cycle back through all of the knobs again to get to your intended destination. A touch screen would allow the user to interact with the virtual knobs in a way that is almost identical to how they interact with physical knobs. That is, they see the knob they want to adjust and simply reach out and touch it to adjust it. One possible downside of course could be cost since a touch screen may cost more than the LCD and data wheel. However keep in mind that a touch screen should be less likely to break than the data wheel during the warranty period (and after) so take repairs and durability into consideration when looking at cost.
Thanks for listening and let me know when you want to hire me for more great ideas. :D


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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 9:39 am
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I agree the data wheel is a cumbersome way to work through all the parameters / settings. I have a different suggestion to solve it.

Rather than virtual knobs on the LCD screen, have the names of all the parameters and their values in a row, as at present. Then underneath the LCD screen have a row of real knobs - one knob per parameter on the screen. Then, one can quickly turn the relevant real knob to change a parameter.

There can still be multiple screens of parameters, accessed the same way as now; eg pressing the AMP button once to get to the first screen, press AMP again for the second screen, then again to cycle back to the first screen, and so on.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:02 pm
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Its not a terrible idea, but you have to admit once you have had this type of amp and actually USED it you get the hang of all the parameters, knobs, screens, etc.

It does take effort to actually learn it, but I've only had it for a month and the entire thing is a piece of cake right now. I can design a patch from scratch right on the amp.

Now I bet that a couple years down the line they will have touch screens for all these types of amps, with all the best ideas built into all the interfaces, with the costs to go along with it.

Modeling amps like this have not really been out for too long have they? You think these interfaces were bad? Try a high end keyboard workstation from 1995 or so. At least these days we have the ability to use interface software (FUSE) with a computer to help "program" the amps.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:08 pm
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A downside to the physical knob approach is that the physical knobs don't reflect the actual settings of the current preset so they can be misleading and therefore adjusting them can be tricky. For example if the preset's treble value is 8 the physical knob could be pointing to any value...lets say 4 for this example. Now if you wanted to turn the treble up a little, you would expect that you would need to twist the knob just slightly to the right...but actually because the knob doesn't reflect the correct value for the preset twisting slightly right would actually result in turning down the treble a lot...like from 8 to 5. I've seen some amps that use LEDs around the physical knob to the show the current value but I'm not a fan of that futuristic look. They could also use a motor to rotate the knob to the correct current value but that would increase cost and the motors probably would not be reliable long term. I actually tend to use the virtual knobs now even if a physical knob is available because of the problem stated in my example.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:35 pm
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mcarrollmust wrote:
A downside to the physical knob approach is that the physical knobs don't reflect the actual settings of the current preset so they can be misleading and therefore adjusting them can be tricky. For example if the preset's treble value is 8 the physical knob could be pointing to any value...lets say 4 for this example. Now if you wanted to turn the treble up a little, you would expect that you would need to twist the knob just slightly to the right...but actually because the knob doesn't reflect the correct value for the preset twisting slightly right would actually result in turning down the treble a lot...like from 8 to 5. I've seen some amps that use LEDs around the physical knob to the show the current value but I'm not a fan of that futuristic look. They could also use a motor to rotate the knob to the correct current value but that would increase cost and the motors probably would not be reliable long term. I actually tend to use the virtual knobs now even if a physical knob is available because of the problem stated in my example.


That is true about the knob position, but that is only an issue on the amp knobs itself, and once you see it you know to expect it. I'll tell you though I would be hard pressed to buy an amp with no physical knobs, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it at some point.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 1:23 pm
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I literally never use the knobs and I'm perfectly happy with the data wheel and LCD and buttons aside from the action of the data wheel itself. Maybe it's just mine but it when i try and push it to access the pages it will often turn and go to a different amp or effect, whichever i'm at. then i have to hit the footswitch to get the patch back and start again. It's so touchy that at times i have had that happen as many as 5 times in a row which had me about this close to taking a freakin sledge hammer to it. REALLLLLLLLLLY irritating and thats a huge understatement. Then the way it recats when turning it is not real efficient.

Fix the data wheel in those 2 respects and i'm 100% happy with the amp's controls even without knobs. The only knob i ever use is the global master, period. I think fender put them there more to keep people from feeling weird about an amp with no knobs more than for actual convenience. Like one poster said, they don't correspond to the settings in the patch so turning them is odd and inefficient for lack of a better word.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 2:10 pm
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oczad wrote:
I literally never use the knobs and I'm perfectly happy with the data wheel and LCD and buttons aside from the action of the data wheel itself.


Same here. I never use the knobs other than the master volume and I also am not a fan of the action on the data wheel. Other than that I love my Mustang.


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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:41 pm
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mtsalmela80 wrote:
I'll tell you though I would be hard pressed to buy an amp with no physical knobs, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it at some point.


A few years ago I bet a lot of people said the same thing about phones :-) (btw...this reply was typed on my phone that has no physical buttons or keyboard)


Last edited by mcarrollmust on Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:48 pm
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scott-uk wrote:
Rather than virtual knobs on the LCD screen, have the names of all the parameters and their values in a row, as at present. Then underneath the LCD screen have a row of real knobs - one knob per parameter on the screen. Then, one can quickly turn the relevant real knob to change a parameter.


This would be excellent! This is how the Zoom-G units operate... I believe the HD-500s are the same.
Very Handy!

mcarrollmust wrote:
A downside to the physical knob approach is that the physical knobs don't reflect the actual settings of the current preset so they can be misleading and therefore adjusting them can be tricky. For example if the preset's treble value is 8 the physical knob could be pointing to any value...lets say 4 for this example. Now if you wanted to turn the treble up a little, you would expect that you would need to twist the knob just slightly to the right...but actually because the knob doesn't reflect the correct value for the preset twisting slightly right would actually result in turning down the treble a lot...like from 8 to 5.


This is the trickiest part of this kind of form factor... But the best idea (I know of anyway) is to not put ANY markings on the physical knob at all. And have it programmed so that it only reference the current setting of the "soft knob" like the Zooms. It requires a bit of menu surfing, but it is workable!


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Post subject: Re: Mustang v3 Idea
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 1:43 pm
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Actually i just had a idea for what I'd like to see. Lose all the knobs and in thier place put a 20 band graphi EQ which you can set then save to any preset. Even a global one would be great tho. One of my issues with the mustang is the cab sims. The ones that sound good are either very bright or too muddy and the inbetween ones aren't that good or are scooped. The ability to use 2 simultaneously and have a blend knob between them would be great because i cannot seem to find a middle ground as far as brightness. But thats not going to happen, but i can see a EQ being a possibility.

I think maybe fender didn't do anything like that even tho it could make it much more infinitely tweakable because they don't want people to lose sight of the fact they intended it to sound like various amps. With control as i describe you could tweak a model to you total satisfaction but it might no longer resemble the real amp it's modeled after. Thats the way i look at it tho. I never pick a given model because i want to have the sound of a particular amp. I pick whichever one gives me the best overall tone and feel. Whichever once cleans up to the best chime yet also sound great full out and hitting it with a outboard clean boost doesn't send it into cutoff/blocking distortion. Whichever does that best is what i use, but the one i found that with sounds fantastic at low volumes but when at stage volume i have to use a darker cab. At levels in between there or low stage levels it's too dark with the darker can or too bright with the one that sounds good low. Anyone else find the same thing where you feel you need a bit more equalization of some sort than the tone controls and other settings offer? I feel this amp could be even better, quite a bit actually if it had that.


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