Designing my own effects unit.

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m0jo

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So .. I'm fed up.
Every effects unit on the market has some stupid shortcoming, and every **** thing has just plain stupid interaction design.
Yes the Axe-FX has no shortcomings .. but it falls in the stupid interaction design catagory. (the interface might be pretty good considering the competition .. but still it is absolute crap compared to properly designed applications, websites, apps, or anything classleading in the digital world)

So .. I've decided I'm going to design my own multieffects unit for guitarists.

Main points:
- Intuitive use, it should be a dream to use, as much of a tactile experience as analog pedals.
- Good dedicated support for the 4 cable method
- Flexible, it should support crazy idea's fully without sacrificing the usability.
- Open architecture, the unit should give the user control over the effects, allowing creating / deletion of effects and maybe even adjustment of the system. (this also allows for a community to form around it, giving it a much higher value than any developer can give, like the modding community here).

First visions:
- Touch screen, this can be used to display the effects chain and allows for a very flexible and intuitive interface.
- Encoder knobs instead of menu's (select an effect, the encoder knobs control the effect's parameters .. not rocketscience), very good for the "quickness" and "feel".
- Effects loops for pedals/other units (I'm thinking 2 stereo loops that can be used as 4 mono if desired)

For now, these are only idea's.
I am sketching, creating mockups and working out how this unit should work from the user's point of view (probably a first in the effects world).
After that I will find out how the hardware and software should be developed, this is a big hurdle but it can be done.

Any input or help is appreciated, but really I just wanted to let you know.
I'll post sketches / info as I go along. Maybe I will set up a blog in the future.
 
the main problem is not the units. It's the interfaces. If you use their computer/usb interface they're pretty simple to work with, IMO. I use a POD HD. I have it hooked up via USB to my computer and use the POD Edit program. Fractal has a similar one. They all do. I've never liked those tiny screens that are on the units. They are hard to read. Most of the time the designers also use microfonts on the units to label crap. They're doing that on everything these days. Us boomers hate micro-fonts and hope there is a special place in hell for people who design units like that.

My other huge beef with everything out there, except the POD is that what I see is a low contrast between the knob labels on the units. Like they use gray on dark grey, and use microfonts to boot. See that design looks cool and sexy and totally impractical.

RE touch screens. I hate them.

Avid almost got it right with the 11 Rack, but they made it essentially a dongle for Pro Tools LE, or Pro Tools 9 because you need that to use the editor on you computer to make your presets.

But for $3000 for the AXE FX and $1400 for the 11R (prices include the needed footswitches), I'll stick with the Line 6 for $500 which has pretty much everything I use and I think it's decent quality.
 
Problem is, I don't have a computer everywhere, and they're not reliable enough to take on the road or even in the rehearsal space (where I often need to get stuff done quick before the moment passes).

Touch screens, why do you hate them?

I think it's not the touchscreen itself that is the problem but the way it's used. If you've worked with good interfaces on them, it's a dream.
The most common problem with phones (where I guess your experience comes from) is that they try to cram way too much onto one screen. Plus they often use only a touchscreen, also for things that should clearly not be done with those.

The idea for this unit is that the touchscreen is only to display your effects chain, allowing you to choose effects quickly (no scrolling to one, just tap the one you want to edit) and easily move them by dragging them to another position.

It would be stupid to use that interface for setting the effect's parameters.
This is why I said "encoders", I would use those as means to control your effect params so you have a "real" interface to your effect.

BTW
Avid seemed to get it right yes. But still you have a half-fixed effects chain..
Line 6 has done that much better with their Pod HD stuff now.
 
hunter said:
Line6 M13?
No proper 4CM support, and not nearly flexible enough.
- only 4 simultanious effects
- no running effects parallel
- not a rack unit

They do have a good input method though, with the instant-edit and knobs that correspond to params shown on the screen.
 
Julia said:
But for $3000 for the AXE FX and $1400 for the 11R (prices include the needed footswitches), I'll stick with the Line 6 for $500 which has pretty much everything I use and I think it's decent quality.

I'm curious what footswitch you're pairing with the 11R.

m0jo, I'm curious what hardware and programming language you're gonna use (as a PC nerd). Can I request HQ impulse support (like Axe-FX quality) and stereo outputs for 3CM (no fx return cable) recording?
 
disk11 said:
m0jo, I'm curious what hardware and programming language you're gonna use (as a PC nerd). Can I request HQ impulse support (like Axe-FX quality) and stereo outputs for 3CM (no fx return cable) recording?
I'm looking into it but it's not really relevant yet. ;) Really I'm working by the waterfall method, first one stage, then the next.
So when the functional design is fully done I will look at hardware.

It will probably be DSP based. I've checked out some Freescale stuff that looks promising for a semi-DIY build like this. (since it's unlikely that I'll have access to an actual production facility).
But really this is not my area of expertise so either I'll do the research when the time is there or get some people involved that know their stuff.

3CM is basically just using the preamp in a loop correct?
Yes on the feature (wish)list is a USB audio stream, hopefully both ways, so you could use it as a reamp tool utilising that loop send.
Really this is how I use it too, preamp in the loop of the effects unit (GSP1101) and output to either USB for recording or a poweramp for playing.

IR's, yes definitly.
Quality I can't really comment on yet ;) but it should be the best available.
 
disk11 said:
Julia said:
But for $3000 for the AXE FX and $1400 for the 11R (prices include the needed footswitches), I'll stick with the Line 6 for $500 which has pretty much everything I use and I think it's decent quality.

I'm curious what footswitch you're pairing with the 11R.

m0jo, I'm curious what hardware and programming language you're gonna use (as a PC nerd). Can I request HQ impulse support (like Axe-FX quality) and stereo outputs for 3CM (no fx return cable) recording?

Ground Control. That one has been stated as fully compatible.
 
Julia said:
disk11 said:
Julia said:
But for $3000 for the AXE FX and $1400 for the 11R (prices include the needed footswitches), I'll stick with the Line 6 for $500 which has pretty much everything I use and I think it's decent quality.

I'm curious what footswitch you're pairing with the 11R.

m0jo, I'm curious what hardware and programming language you're gonna use (as a PC nerd). Can I request HQ impulse support (like Axe-FX quality) and stereo outputs for 3CM (no fx return cable) recording?

Ground Control. That one has been stated as fully compatible.
The GCP is only $400 at musiciansfriend, so I think your calculation is a bit off ;)
 
I guess. 11R is $899. $400 for the GCP + tax = about $1400 :p

The AXE II Ultra includes $400 for the monitor and GCP.

You might also check out the Kemper Profiling amp if you're really picky.
 
The Kemper amp is a "development', a good one, but no more than that IMO.
This tech, combined and merged with other stuff will eventually create the ultimate modeler.
But I'm not looking for a modeler, just an effects unit ;)


Anyway:
I wanted to come in here and let you guys know this project is on a low fire atm until I get some other things out of the way.

Something I'm working on now is a box that will convert a guitar signal via an envelope follower to an output that can be connected to an expression pedal input of ..anything. Combined with my midi controller, that would give me envelope control of any midi parameter in my rig.

Technically I could even switch channels by playing harder or softer haha :lol:

I'm getting Anthony in on this, so maybe it will be a Salvation Mods thing, maybe a m0jo thing, we'll see. ;)
 
m0jo said:
The Kemper amp is a "development', a good one, but no more than that IMO.
This tech, combined and merged with other stuff will eventually create the ultimate modeler.
But I'm not looking for a modeler, just an effects unit ;)


Anyway:
I wanted to come in here and let you guys know this project is on a low fire atm until I get some other things out of the way.

Something I'm working on now is a box that will convert a guitar signal via an envelope follower to an output that can be connected to an expression pedal input of ..anything. Combined with my midi controller, that would give me envelope control of any midi parameter in my rig.

Technically I could even switch channels by playing harder or softer haha :lol:

I'm getting Anthony in on this, so maybe it will be a Salvation Mods thing, maybe a m0jo thing, we'll see. ;)

Sounds interesting....We have some motivated peeps on the forums! I love that!
 
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