Some suggestions

Hello there, I'm new to using Psycle, a long-time user of Modplug Tracker but it seems like I'm about to switch to Psycle permanently. Anyway on to the suggestions.

I was mainly seeing some stuff lacking in the overall program settings. For example, I can't find where to set the highlighted colours in the pattern editor (for example, if I want to make every 3rd row highlight instead of every 4th, I can't). Adding the option to select how many rows a row should be highlighted would be mighty useful.

I can't drag a command I entered to another channel if I wanted to, and I often do this. Instead I have to copy and paste that command, or just re-enter it, which is kind of annoying. Add selection dragging?

Related to block dragging, block deletion. I can't select a block and then use del to delete the entire block - instead I have to right-click to delete the block. Adding the del shortcut to do this would be useful.

I can't seem to do a lot with the MIDI output plugin. No instrument choice or settings, and I'm unable to save the song as a MIDI. Needs improvement or clarification where the MIDI instrument editor/picker is.

Being able to set up how much the page up/page down keys will scroll up/down. I'm used to 4 rows.

That's all for now, keep up the great work.

Welcome.

* row highlighting.
Row highlighting in Psycle is tied to the lines per beat. (in toolbar, next to the bpm selection)
When you change the lines per beat, the hightlighting changes acordingly.

*dragging.
Indeed, that's not available in current version, but it will (You made me realize i didn't port that from the 1.9 alpha )

*delete.
I know, i find it unnice sometimes. I'll take a look and add it.

* MIDI Out.
The MIDI - Out plugin is in prototype stage. It isn't usable yet. In the new version it contains a parameter to set the program for each midi channel, allows to set the midi channel for each track, but using it in a pattern doesn't give yet the best results (problems with timing that don't happen playing live).
Initially, there aren't plans to save to .mid, but it is not completely discarded.

*pageup/down.
This setting could have an improvement, but i would preffer to set it to jump one bar or one beat instead of a fixed value. I guess i could add both things.

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Thanks for checking it out. In the meantime I have found some more suggestions.

- Escape to stop playback. This is an oh so useful hotkey. Related to this, a function key that will play the entire song (why not go for th MPT style keysetting when it comes to this: F6 plays song, F7 plays pattern, ctrl+F7 plays pattern from current row on pattern?).

- The [ and ] keys for defining how many steps you want to skip to the next row are kinda in the way. I keep pressing them when I need some higher notes.

- Being able to use the numpad number keys to quickly change the octave of a note, or binding a hotkey to this action.

- Placing an off tone with the = key, and being able to remove a command with the space key, perhaps.

Some of these suggestions show that I've become too used to MPT, but MPT had some intelligent keybindings and you already took some over anyway (ctrl+up and xtrl+down FTW), so why not add some more in the same style?


EDIT: MORE

- Pattern length setting? I can't seem to find the option, is it not implemented yet? If it is, adding the setting to an easier to spot location on the interface would be nice. Perhaps, once again like MPT, setting the pattern length by clicking "Line" would be a solution.
(Edit: found it, it's quite hidden there in the pattern properties.)

- Small description of the effect in the taskbar when being positioned over one.

Oh btw, you might want to get rid of all the HORRIBLY compressed JPGs in the help file. PNG is perfect for interface pics like those.

Last edited by DaVince on 23.07.2007, 13:22 o'clock.

hmm... a MPT user!

I tried MPT long long time ago, when I was searching for a "fancy-easy-and-stable" music program. But I was really in love with the Psycle interface, so I keep with it.

There's something I really love about MPT, and that's a simple thing: to be able to put track names in the pattern editor (IE: kick, snare, clap, bass...) The lack of this feature in Psycle is something that slows down my process, since I must write it to notepad or even in real paper (which lead me to a nice practice: to padronize my instrument tracks)

Another thing I'd like very much would be to keep the BPM when changing lines per beat. It's weird to change LPB to 8 and "slows down" the tempo to 60 (on a 120bpm song)

I think it'll be easy enough to get these features, but I really don't know anything about the programming process...

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For the first 4 questions:

Psycle hotkeys are really configurable (ok, you can't tell it to make your breakfast...). You won't be able to use the ESC key, since you cannot enter it in the configuration. The key to stop is F8, or alternatively the edit key (spacebar, by default), if you enable "Right Clic: play, edit key : stop".

For other keys, you can reconfigure them, and yes, there's a way to start from the beginning (by default Ctrl+F5), play song (F5), play pattern ( F6) and play from here (F7). (ok, play from here doesn't loop the pattern, but you can press F7 then F6 for that).

you can set up notes up to G#, so you can use [ ] for notes, and set the keys assigned to that to somewhere else.

About setting the octave, using / and * in the numpad increases/decreases it. There's no way to directly set an octave.

Note off can also be configured, so configure it to = if that's better for you.


About pattern lines per pattern... Modplug's way necesarily requires for a first time user a) one that clicks everywhere on the UI, b) one that reads the manual.

I find it having the option in the menu to be *a bit* more intuitive. You have the CTRL+Return hotkey to open it, if using the menu isn't exactly "fast".


And finally, about the description, that's a nice feature of modplug, which can't be copied as-is to psycle, because there is just a subset of commands known by the tracker. Others are machine-specific.

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<[JAZ]> Pa pi pa pa pa pi pa.... ;·D

Ah, so I see. I think I'll rummage through the program a bit more before suggesting anything more. Thanks.

EDIT: well, I can't customize key bindings. I try to, but it just resets as soon as I try to change another action.

Last edited by DaVince on 23.07.2007, 16:54 o'clock.