[LAD] Presenting volume control sliders

[Fons Adriaensen]

On Thu, May 21, 2009 at 06:08:32PM -0400, Paul Davis wrote:

> this is not really a function of the fader directly, but of an
> arbitrary decision to have a static range of -inf to +6dB of applied
> gain. any such decision will be arbitrary - however, it being software
> it would be nice to be able to pick the range.

Almost all mixers go up to +10dB, some +15, some +20.
 
> > But what is really confusing is that the fader and
> > meter scales are different, while they are side by
> > side - it's quite easy to think that the meter's
> > scale ticks apply to the fader as well.
> 
> i don't see any solution to this. AFAIK the specs for various standard
> meters and for various standard faders do not use the same scale. any
> time you put them side-by-side, there seems to be potential for
> confusion. ardour isn't use standards for either, but the same issue
> applies. if you have ideas i'm all ears (but no minutes to code it at
> present).

We are talking about per-strip meters here. In the
HW days most mixers wouldn't even have those - maybe
just an 'overload' led if you were lucky.

In Ardour they are also used as recording level meters,
but apart from that they are mostly useful as 'signal
presence indicators' or to provide a quick visual hint
of from where (from which strip) some part of a mix
originates. There is no need for a 'standard' meter
in these functions. 

Meters with a 'standard' scale that enables you to learn
unconsciously a relation between a visual indication
and what you hear (that is to only real reason for having
a meter scale standard), are required for mixing, mastering
and in broadcasting, but not for individual tracks in a DAW.
So in a DAW strip you can just ignore standards and make the
fader and meter scales the same if they are side by side. 

What Ardour is lacking is sort of 'monitoring' window,
a place where you can select in a convenient way what
you hear, and how. Anything you do here should never
affect the 'program output' whatever that is, normally
the Master strip out.

*This* is the place to have a 'standard' meter, the
one you use for mixing, mastering, etc.
Such a monitoring module should switch automatically
between 

- A signal selected by the user, normally this will
  be the Master strip output, but it could also be an
  external signal such as the output of a mastering
  processor.
- Auditioning when active.
- Solo (not-in-place) when active.

It should also provide switching between different
monitor outputs (each with its own volume control).
It's also the place to integrate things such as
talkback (which requires dimming the monitors).

Ciao,

-- 
FA

Io lo dico sempre: l'Italia è troppo stretta e lunga.