Notes on the demo

[Abel]

1. a great concept
2. the mp3s on the web site are excellent, the soundset
available in the demo is not very impressive though.
It is the first 5 presets that sell or don't sell a new synth.
3. I'd like to see a "preset name" displayed in the main window.
4. I really miss "prev/next preset" buttons.
Using the browser with its nested folders and double click loading is too much if you just want to quickly try different presets.
5. for the same reason a "flat mode" for the browser would be very handy, displaying just a list of presets without the folder structure.
6. in a 48kHz project (Nuendo4 Mac) samples play at a wrong pitch
7. Detune knobs: they should go at least a 100 cents in BOTH directions.
I understand that using the "detune" + "transpose" covers the whole tuning range, it just is much more convenient (and a well established standard) to have "detune" work up to 1 semi-tone in both directions. A bidirectional "Osc2 detune" would also be more convenient.
8. The UI of buttons is very inconsistent. Some are black, some silver, grey or yellow...
"Revers" and "Phase" miss the state indicator -- we should know if the original sample has been reversed/inversed or not.
"Browse" -- looks like its "on/off" colors are reversed, you have to turn it off to turn on the browser  -- very confusing
"Load" and "Save" look like they're "on/off" buttons which they aren't. They are simple triggers, no need for a "flashing orange" look.
9. After an hour or so, the demo shows that it expired... you have to reload. Both 30-days AND a 1 hour limit??  Is it intentional?

[dj!]

Hi Abel,

Thanks a lot for your detailed and critical feedback!  I highly appreciate your time in bringing this to my attention.  Being a small company I unfortunately don't have the time to constantly work with and evaluate my plugins, so the best way to improve Morgana is by getting feedback from users 'in the wild'.

2. the soundset available in the demo is not very impressive though.

Though there is no accounting for taste, you may have a point there.  I'll do a critical re-evaluation of the presets.  To be honest I have neither the resources nor the experience to create new "killer" presets, so if I deem it necessary I'll see whether I can perhaps contract some good preset designers for this.

3. I'd like to see a "preset name" displayed in the main window.
4. I really miss "prev/next preset" buttons.
5. for the same reason a "flat mode" for the browser would be very handy, displaying just a list of presets without the folder structure.

Very good points, I will add these in the/a next update.

6. in a 48kHz project (Nuendo4 Mac) samples play at a wrong pitch

I will check up on that, it is well possible that support for non-44.1 samplerates broke somewhere along the line.

7. Detune knobs: they should go at least a 100 cents in BOTH directions.

Again, point taken.  I will either change the knobs in the way you describe or something equivalent--I have a different solution to the same issue in mind that I like a tiny bit better.  But one way or another I'll improve upon the current behavior, I understand that it brings along some inconveniences.

8. The UI of buttons is very inconsistent.

This one I have to disagree with.  Essentially there are two colors used: black and grey/silver.     Black controls are layer global--that is, they apply to the entire current layer--, whereas the grey ones change only the current zone's behavior.  (Just to be clear, in Morgana terminology a 'zone' is a sample assigned to a range on the keyboard.)  Besides IMHO the colors serve to visually group the GUI into different sections--with everything black it's harder to find the right controls.  Finally, the orange buttons.  The only reason to do this is to draw attention to them, and to the Browse button in particular--seeing that it serves quite an important function that is easy to overlook.

9. Both 30-days AND a 1 hour limit??

Yes, this is intentional--but perhaps I need to rethink this--thanks for bringing this up.  Right now I would be inclined to get rid of the 1-hour limit.

Take care,

-- dj!