Very funny concept. Especially liked the catapult[1].
Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
71–80 of 92 posts
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well logarithmic doesn't make sense, because it never gets to zero. However something like p^0.42 (sound pressure with an exponent<1) works well because it is similar to the perceived sound level. An interesting connection is that the power function "becomes" a logarithm as the exponent goes to zero.
I don't know if it's a bug with Windows or my headset, but my headset actually does make sound at 0 on windows. I get an extra button press on my headset volume controls or my keyboard volume controls to actually mute it.
I get the same thing. I'm not near my headset right now to check, but what is your model?
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#73These are hilarious. I use audio software a lot, and it is amazing how something which seems quite simple in concept, such as a circular volume button, can be so differently implemented via UX. Every time I see a knob style button on any of my audio plugins UI, I have to think: * Will the point at which I touch/click on the knob set the knob value to that position, or will it simply be the starting anchor at which I…
Volume is a percentage, and a very analog control. The idea that you would have to have a round knob to twist on a computer screen is ridiculous, almost like some imaginary need for a specific shutter button to press to take a photo on a phone (just touch the screen!). It's a one-dimensional value, make it a one-dimensional control. Slider. Done.
On many (most?) phones, the volume buttons act as a physical shutter button. I don't recall the last phone I saw which doesn't have this feature. iPhone, various android phones...
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#74That third "make a noise as loud as you want the volume to be" one would actually be a good idea, if it was a continuous feedback loop: I'd love if there was something I could enable that would make my headphone volume "track" the loudness of the room, the way that phone display backlights "track" the brightness of the room. Instead of setting a target carrier wattage (regular volume) or a target SPL (SoundCheck volu…
Personally I think changing the volume dynamically like that would destroy the music.
And there's a simpler solution to your problem: intra-ear monitors (IEMs).
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#75These are hilarious. I use audio software a lot, and it is amazing how something which seems quite simple in concept, such as a circular volume button, can be so differently implemented via UX. Every time I see a knob style button on any of my audio plugins UI, I have to think: * Will the point at which I touch/click on the knob set the knob value to that position, or will it simply be the starting anchor at which I…
Skeuomorphic interfaces should just be banned forever. What is so wrong about simple numerical input? Not cool enough? Want a darn analog VU meter to go with it?
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#76Earlier quoted context omitted.
Volume is a percentage, and a very analog control. The idea that you would have to have a round knob to twist on a computer screen is ridiculous, almost like some imaginary need for a specific shutter button to press to take a photo on a phone (just touch the screen!). It's a one-dimensional value, make it a one-dimensional control. Slider. Done.
Certainly a better way, but my gripe above is not just with volume buttons but with other things such as EQ, panning, time delays and a million other things that audio software can control. I am guessing that screen UX designers wrestle with the same constraints that physical audio hardware manufacturers to - that of space restriction, and cramming as much as they can into a given space. Hence I guess why things like…
Albeit a true 2D control surface works much better. (A control rectangle which is a cross product of two sliders.) Pan cannot give you 2D positioning, even when combined with loudness or approximation thereof.
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#77These are hilarious. I use audio software a lot, and it is amazing how something which seems quite simple in concept, such as a circular volume button, can be so differently implemented via UX. Every time I see a knob style button on any of my audio plugins UI, I have to think: * Will the point at which I touch/click on the knob set the knob value to that position, or will it simply be the starting anchor at which I…
Skeuomorphic interfaces should just be banned forever. What is so wrong about simple numerical input? Not cool enough? Want a darn analog VU meter to go with it?
If you are working with audio a lot, then most of the time, the numbers are meaningless, and you are going by 'feel' and using your ears as the sensory feedback mechanism.
Can you tell me how many dB's you need to set your volume at in your office environment in order to be able to hear above the background hubbub? At home? In the car? That sort of thing changes from day to day and situation to situation.
Very often when I plug in my guitar into my amp, I will twiddle the knobs without even looking at the respective numbers. I just know that I have to adjust the bass, middle or treble EQ to suit the room, and will do so without looking. Often if I get a setting that sounds really sweet, I will look at, and write down the settings for future reference, but it is all done after the fact.
The same goes for if I am using a software amp modelling sim on my PC or iPad etc. Twiddle while listening, then save the snapshot later if I am happy with it. I don't want a finicky interface to get in the way of my experimenting and twiddling.
And yes, VU meters are also extremely useful when recording etc. in order to get a real time view of peaks and spikes in an audio track. Ask anybody who uses a DAW regularly.
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#78Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's a good point. It should reply with the inverse of the volume that it hears!
Unless you're right next too it, but the baby is sleeping. Was sleeping.
Are you arguing about installing a camera or other ranging sensor to that already sensor packed spying machine?
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#79If you like this, search for "worst phone number input", there's more in that genre :)
For the lazy: https://imgur.com/a/4f3XB
Speaking of bad inputs, the one dimensional slider with space confirmation somehow reminded me of Dasher...
Re: Redditors design worst volume sliders possible
#80After a while these start boiling down to "a difficult minigame where your score is also the volume setting".
I was kind of expecting a flappy bird volume control to be there. If you want to buck the mini-game trend. Just have a simple up/down button that bumps the volume up or down a percent, but requires a reboot first.
You mean Windows 95 volume control? ;)
Have Clippy ask you repeatedly if now is too loud or too quiet.