Count To Five

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elefontpress
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Re: Count To Five

Post by elefontpress »

Guy who made the pedal says it’s easy. ;)

For me easy would be I can look at the pedal and know what it’s going to do. Playing notes and listening isn’t a great way to figure out your settings (imagine I told you a fuzz pedal didn’t need an LED to tell you it was on, you just listen and step on the switch until it sounds right). Likewise cycling the switch until it double blinks is cumbersome. Worst case scenario you were on the right setting and have to go all the way round. Not horrible, but kinda lame.

Don’t get me wrong Scott, the Ct5 is magic in a bottle. You made something sublime that people love, which is rare. And the thing about usability issues in an interface, is if the product is amazing, your users will push through unnecessary friction in the interface to access that incredible thing. Which they do. But the ideal is that you have both: a magic product and a frictionless interface that allows your users to just experience the thing without thinking about “which knob?” and “where am I right now?”

But again, these are small optimizations on a ground breaking thing. I honestly could give a shit if it’s a mini knob or whatever, but the point is that that switch is not the ideal interface control for the reasons above. Maybe every other option is worse, and “listen to the pedal” is as good as it gets. But I would find that very surprising.
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Re: Count To Five

Post by multi_s »

My point was that what the Q switch actually changes is very easy to hear by turning DIR knob. It may not be the interface you want but that is the interface it has .(:

If you prefer we can bank it into a shifted parameter in most modes, you can hold the Q switch up or down then turn a knob etc. this is the original method on rev h/i.

my comment is the actual hardware is unlikely to see any change in the next few batches because we are already building them.

also if the Q switch is just replaced by a knob you will lose the "shift key" sort of functionality it has to access secondary parameters.

s
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Re: Count To Five

Post by elefontpress »

I totally get it's not changing this year, no worries and honestly I'll buy one of anything you produce this year anyhow. :)

And agreed with the compound issues of changing a single interface element (i.e. if you change one knob now something else doesn't work as well). The real optimal solution is likely to be multiple interface changes, and it will always be a balance of pros and cons of each choice (e.g. one of many good choices you made is not having a stupid big pedal that takes up half my board :) ).

I just wanted to get my user needs out there in a tangible way, which – solutions aside are:

* I want to know what the effects of flipping a switch/turning knob will be before I do it
* I want to know what the settings are by looking at them
* I want intentional changes to the settings to persist after a reboot (turning the power strip off and on)

These aren't deal breakers at all for a Ct5 (in comparison those Meris pedals and their hidden alt functions that need to be reset one by one without a global reset command ... wow total deal breaker). Just one fella's thoughts. Keep making those genius pedals, bud. Can't wait to see what the Purpll can do!
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Re: Count To Five

Post by codetocontra »

[quote="elefontpress"]
imagine I told you a fuzz pedal didn’t need an LED to tell you it was on, you just listen and step on the switch until it sounds right[/quote]

You do know this is how many old fuzz pedals operated. Or even 80s Rats. Or amp footswitches. Etc...

You are right. I'm just gonna email Leo Fender and tell him I need an LED installed in my 74 Twin's footswitch because I cant expect to simply listen to the tremolo or reverb.

Actually this is exactly what I have done to some footswitches. I hate not having LEDs. But the CT5 Q mode doesnt really bother me. I guess I leave it alone after finding my setting on every powerup.
Last edited by codetocontra on Mon May 13, 2019 11:26 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Count To Five

Post by multi_s »

Ya i don't mind for you to say whatever you think or to post suggestions here (:

* I want to know what the settings are by looking at them

You will only ever achieve this to a degree with the ct5...

Because you have in some modes secondary parameters which cannot be seen since 1 knob adjusts many parameters, depending (in this case) on the position of Q.

With larger pedals OR much simpler pedals the list you made is realistic but i don't think you will achieve this on ct5 even with one added mini knob etc.
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Re: Count To Five

Post by elefontpress »

You are right. I'm just gonna email Leo Fender and tell him I need an LED installed in my 74 Twin's footswitch because I cant expect to simply listen to the tremolo or reverb.
Leo Fender's dead, buddy. ;)
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Re: Count To Five

Post by elefontpress »

Thanks for taking the time to respond, Scott!
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Re: Count To Five

Post by MrNovember »

You need one of these, Elefontpress. Not sure if they're actually available anywhere though
viewtopic.php?f=149&t=61610
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Re: Count To Five

Post by elefontpress »

Fuck. Yeah. Thanks, Mr November!
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Re: Count To Five

Post by hotfat »

OK, one more time Scott ...
Any update on release of the long rumored CT5 alternate firmware?
There were mentions of "power down recall" of pedal settings.
Any truth in that?
Is it dead in the water?
Again, Thanks ...
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Re: Count To Five

Post by multi_s »

hi

we will have an updated firmware around the next batch later this year.

s
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Re: Count To Five

Post by codetocontra »

elefontpress wrote:
You are right. I'm just gonna email Leo Fender and tell him I need an LED installed in my 74 Twin's footswitch because I cant expect to simply listen to the tremolo or reverb.
Leo Fender's dead, buddy. ;)
Oh, that explains why I haven't heard back. I thought my email wasn't working on my iPhone so I sent Steve Jobs a nasty message about it. Better draft an apology now.
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Re: Count To Five

Post by elefontpress »

Wait, now you’re drafting an apology to the deceased Steve Jobs? Buddy, we gotta talk about this whole dead thing works.
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Re: Count To Five

Post by Psyre »

My only fuzz has no LED. Listening has actually turned out to be the perfect way to discern toggle state.
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Re: Count To Five

Post by elefontpress »

I apologize to this forum for turning the Count to Five discussion into a debate about whether or not LEDs are helpful for telling if your pedal is on. I blame only myself.

Please resume Count to Five discussions at your leisure.
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