A few usability tweaks...

[Wayne R.]

Three things I'd like, and another that would be way cool but probably wayyy too much work to implement:

1. Customizable main window XY preset values. Sometimes I like to zoom way in to look at something, other times I need to be zoomed out. And when I zoom in, I never am sure I'm looking at the waveform with the 'usual' settings/proportions. A few XY preset buttons would keep me consistent - and speed me up.

2. I'd like to change track numbers when I'm editing track properties; this is specific to recordings of the second side of LPs. I'd also like that info to save in a session, too. Transferable to an external encoder (Lame) too, please. Add the year too?

3. I'd like to key in a go-to time value. Mostly for live recordings whose LP listing has cut duration values. If WC's auto-track-cut mechanism has found nothing to work on, I'd like to be able to get right to the likely spot. Maybe there's another way to do this that I haven't found yet?

Lastly, and most fantastic: I have a Wacom Graphire3 graphics tablet I use with Photoshop; instead of a mouse, it has a 'pen' with it. One end 'writes', the other erases - just like a pencil, and just as precise. It would be remarkable to be able to draw-in new waveform sections with it. Not likely, but...

[Derek]

Thanks for the suggestions.

In case anyone is wondering, I should have a beta available for download in a week or two. Sorry for the delay but I've been busy with other things.

I'll see what I can do with your suggestions however, please see comments below:

1.Customizable main window XY preset values. Sometimes I like to zoom way in to look at something, other times I need to be zoomed out. And when I zoom in, I never am sure I'm looking at the waveform with the 'usual' settings/proportions. A few XY preset buttons would keep me consistent - and speed me up.

I think this might clutter the interface too much. User interface design is always a compromise between number of features versus simplicity. A lot of new users want a very simple interface and I'm coming to the conclusion that a choice of 'novice' and 'advanced' features might be the best way to proceed.

2. I'd like to change track numbers when I'm editing track properties; this is specific to recordings of the second side of LPs. I'd also like that info to save in a session, too. Transferable to an external encoder (Lame) too, please. Add the year too?

Yes, it should be possible to duplicate the Track Numbering Start #' option (from the save dialogue).

3. I'd like to key in a go-to time value. Mostly for live recordings whose LP listing has cut duration values. If WC's auto-track-cut mechanism has found nothing to work on, I'd like to be able to get right to the likely spot. Maybe there's another way to do this that I haven't found yet?

Yes, although it might be as good to always show the time of the mouse pointer position in the status bar (when the mouse is in the overview window). This would allow you to quickly jump to a point without having to type in a time value. At present the time is only shown when 'all tracks' are being displayed.

4.Lastly, and most fantastic: I have a Wacom Graphire3 graphics tablet I use with Photoshop; instead of a mouse, it has a 'pen' with it. One end 'writes', the other erases - just like a pencil, and just as precise. It would be remarkable to be able to draw-in new waveform sections with it. Not likely, but...

Yes, other users have asked to be able to manually redraw the waveform. This would be very difficult to achieve, given the way Wave Corrector stores 'corrections'. Sorry.

[Wayne R.]

Re point #1: I agree, the novice and advanced approach would be very good.

You've done a great job balancing the two so far. Perhaps splitting the two approaches would let you make it even more inviting for the newbies. And for the more experienced alike.

An implementation that I like are floating/tearoff toolbars. That lets more complicated stuff stay invisible to the unaware, but can be easily whipped out by those who can put them to use.

Re #3: I like that idea of the time display. That'd be useful too.

Thinking further out of the box: Would the track detector be able to use the track properties as a targeting source? I mean, if, prior to scanning, I filled out the track properties box, with the quantities & duration of tracks, could the track device zero in with better results? Again, this wouldn't usually be needed except for the noisy live recordings.

Anyway, thanks for a surprisingly useful program. FYI: I wasn't expecting much at first, thinking WC was just a de-clicker doodad. I was very happy to see that it really handles the whole conversion process very well.

[Glenn]

Hi Wayne;
The toolbar already floats, tho it would be nice to be able to break it up. Manually redrawing a waveform would be a step back with wavcor. Using the keyboard is a faster and more accurate way to remove a glitch. That's the real beauty of wavcor.
Glenn

[Wayne R.]

I didn't realize the toolbar floats; thanks. The reason I mentioned floating/tearoffs was regarding additional functions that would fall into an 'advanced' mode. This approach could provide the breaks you mention, too.

I understand that adding a drawing function would be way too much work for the results, but my desire for it isn't to replace the current corrections tools. Rather, sometimes there's a deformation that doesn't respond to the algorithms in a way that seems appropriate to the overall waveform. Drawing in a replacement section could be an easy fix - from a user's perspective, anyway.

Despite the hint of dissatisfaction that comes from making 'wish list' suggestions, the results that WC provides me (even in my, so far, limited experience) are wonderful. Big thumbs up from me.

[Glenn]

Hi Wayne;
What you're describing sounds to me like the over-corrections wavcor does to ensure results. A lot of people have mentioned this to Derek, including myself, and I'm hoping he can address this at some point in the future. On the plus side, the program makes fine tuning them easy with the keyboard. If you're looking at a correction close enough to be able to redraw the waveform, hit the page down key to narrow it. On small glitches, this provides a near perfect removal of them in an instant. Large ones take more work, but they can still be effectively removed quickly without audible artefacts using the same approach. The only drawnback to this is when you have 20,000 of them to fix.
Glenn