Once again, after having a passenger screw up my fader, I have to point out that the balance and fader controls are in the wrong place. They should be hidden in a preferences menu, not somewhere easily accidentally selected when trying to do something as basic as change the volume. After all, setting the balance and fader is pretty much a one-time setup operation, not something that needs to adjusted on a regular basis.

I'm sure that it's too late to move it for 2.0, but please consider moving it after that.

I know that your earlier stated reason for putting it there is that customers were used to those controls being in that location, but, honestly, customers are also not used to having thousands of songs instantly available and not used to having a menuing UI, so I don't think that that's a legitimate reason. Many people claim that the empeg will change the way you listen to music. Why should the advanced empeg UI emulate (in this specific case and one other, tuner presets) an obsolete paradigm?

Heh. If you were on the Alpha team, you'd have seen the mailing list discussion where the exact opposite opinion was expressed.

Just goes to show that there are as many "perfect" user interfaces as there are users. All UI's are an exercise in compromise.

Why could you possibly want it there? It is insane.

How often do you use the fader controls?

Have you ever accidentally changed them?

Maybe you'd like to put the EQ controls there, too?

Why could you possibly want it there?

Because a) it's easy to use, and b) that's how many other car stereos do bass/treble/balance/fader and people expect it that way. For instance, the factory stereo on my wife's Honda works that way.

Now, if we could actually get bass and treble into that mixture, a real bass and treble commanding the DSP (not stealing any EQ bands to do the job), I'd be a really happy boy.

How often do you use the fader controls?

Frequently. I rarely use the balance, but I frequently use the fader. At the moment, the fader controls my subwoofer level. Before that, when it really did fade front/rear speakers, I would adjust it when passengers were in the back seat so the speakers didn't blast right behind their heads.

And if there was a bass and treble in there, I'd mess with it even more often, adjusting the amount of general bass to compensate for changing amounts of road noise.

Have you ever accidentally changed them?

Yes, a couple of times. Very rare thing. Easy to see when I've done it, easy to correct.

that's how many other car stereos do bass/treble/balance/fader and people expect it that way

Again, this is a stupid argument. People have a remarkably difficult time understanding mp3s at all. You think this is the thing that's going to throw them?

Have you ever accidentally changed them?

Yes, a couple of times. Very rare thing. Easy to see when I've done it, easy to correct.

Your control must be stiffer than mine. For quite a while, I consciously had to make sure not to press the button when changing the volume. Anyone else who tries to change the volume in my car invariably goes into one of the non-volume modes.

In addition, I don't remember where I set the fader and balance. Every time, I have to pull over to the side of the road and readjust the music around my head.

I think it's also likely that you're one of the few people that changes this stuff on a regular basis.

I

Love
Like
Am indifferent about
Dislike
Hate

having fader and/or balance controls on the volume knob.

As long as the empeg doesn't have a sub out, the majority of people with a sub are going to use the rear channel. Whenever MC Hammer or Vanilla Ice comes on, I feel the urge to "bump it" and fade it back.

All in all, your amp gains and equalizer should be set so that centered is normal, and anything special is adjusted on the fader/balance. (Though I suppose R/L isn't adjustable otherwise, but F/R shoudl be). I agree, we need bass/treble controlls in that menu, and who in their right mind felt that button beeping came between the fader and the balance?

Matthew

I dislike having the controls there. In the car it's not an issue for me - I still have my empeg feeding though another HU so I have the volume/fader/balance disabled for car use. But it still gets me sometimes in AC mode.

What would be great for this is if they appear in a menu item, and then the knob control was configurable, on a feature by feature basis.

and who in their right mind felt that button beeping came between the fader and the balance?

Ummmm..... <ducks and sneaks out of room>

Just use hi-jack to take it out and adjust it however you feel fit.

Frequently. I rarely use the balance, but I frequently use the fader.

...and I frequently use the balence and rarely use the fader. I rarely (actually never) use the fader as I have a Miata and there are only two speakers. I often use the balence, because when I am in the car by myself I shift the balence to be centred on the driver's position, but when my wife is in the car with me I shift it back to the centre.

Heh. If you were on the Alpha team

I'm still trying to figure out where to send the bribe.

I don't mind the fader and balance controls on knob press, but the beep volume has to go. And i would move loudness to the end of the list.

I don't mind the fader and balance controls on knob press, but the beep volume has to go. And i would move loudness to the end of the list.

I'll seccond that. How did beep level sneak in there? My only idea is that the fader doesn't exist in AC mode, so it's tacked on at the end when the player is in DC mode? Is there any other reason, Tony? (if you havn't already left the room)

Matthew

Love [snip] Hate

Hmm, I can feel a config.ini option coming on (or in fact two, one for home and one for car).

Peter

Hi

I use quite a lot the fader control, since mornings I go working driving alone, but evenings I take 3 more people with me. I have a subwoofer attached to the front channels so I have to adjust levels not to burn their ears...
What I would add is a 'center stop' in both balance and fader. It's quite difficult to set them to the center without looking at the screen. My old Pioneer stopped at center position for two or three button pushes, beeping a different sound, and if you insist it continued moving the control.
Of course, it would be nice to have a bass and treble control there, and moving loudness to the end of the list.

Cheers:

Miguel.

Hmm, I can feel a config.ini option coming on (or in fact two, one for home and one for car).

Cooooooooool. A "Knob Press Favorites" list would be the ultimate.

I'm sure it goes without saying that we'd all hope it doesn't induce a similar bug as the addition of the "Visual Favorites" list did...

Tony, so does this mean that Bass and Treble isn't in the new Beta?

Tony, so does this mean that Bass and Treble isn't in the new Beta?

I wish it were. So far, the new beta pretty much only has bug fixes to B13, not new features.

Dang. Oh well, B13 is still great feature wise. Hell, I'm still finding some features I havn't learned to use yet! Guess I'll have to wait longer for crossfade, trebel and bass.

To keep on topic, I like having all of the audio features together on the volume knob. The only time I accidentally click on something is when trying to invoke HiJack.