More usability input

Qu Qu Feature Suggestions
1

This feedback stemmed from an incident where I recorded a session using the ST1 inputs for a direct stereo track, and found that all the other channels were recorded to that pair as well:

  1. On the setup screen and elsewhere, this is the first time that I have realized that the two rows of tabs are hierarchical. The way they are drawn is going to indicate to most users that they are NOT nested, not hierarchical.

  2. “Qu-drive stereo” is not a very clear name for this group. Stereo in? Out?

  3. Even after changing the Qdrive stereo setting, going back to the Qu-drive screen still displays the same setting as before, ST1L and R. Those are the same indicators that made me believe that the ST1 channel was already patched to that input before.

  4. I find the UI confusing when it comes to this kind of thing. It seems to be split up logically from a technical perspective, but I would rather see it split up by task, or at least allowing for more redundancy in situations like this. For example, on the Qu-drive screen, let me tap on the input and choose what gets routed to that input from there, rather than making me select a different hardware button, navigate a group of tabs, and find the only place in a deep and narrow menu structure where I can change this setting. Make it task-oriented to accommodate the workflow, rather than grouping controls by the logic of the programming.

Yes, I’m a usability specialist/cognitive psychologist by profession.

2

George,
I’ll pass your feedback to our Software team.

Re: point 3, be aware that the meters in the Qu-Drive page show playback meters (therefore always fixed to CH1-16 and ST1 on Qu-16) unless you actually arm a recording, that’s when they switch to Recording meters (and follow your USB output patch).

3

Thanks for the explanation. I don’t remember seeing any kind of label on the meters signifying “Qu-drive outputs” or something like that, let alone a change in that label as I armed it. If my recollection is accurate, I’ll add that to the usability feedback.

Just as an FYI, we find in user research that changing the primary function on a display like this is difficult to do right, and usually disorienting. We use animations or other cues like color change to help when we have to do so. Something like that could be done while the “Arming…” Message is displaying, for example.