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Old 03-18-2014, 10:12 PM   #1
user7776543
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Default Windows 8 touchscreen functionality

Hi,

A sort of general question here, not just aimed at Reaper specifically. But I've been all over the web and I can't find an answer for this anywhere.

I'd like to know specifically how the Windows 8 touchcreen input functions with older non-touchscreen-designed programs. I'm thinking specifically about Native Instruments apps here -Guitar Rig, Kontakt, and their various soft synths, like FM8, Absynth, and Massive- this is mosty what I use.

To be very specific, I'm considering getting an Asus Transformer T300LA-L (or X). The reason being, it's a multi-touch tablet-like environment, but it runs true Intel CPU, so Native Instrument's software will run on it.

Also, I'm a guitartist, so I'll be USB'ing in, but that's not the main point I'm asking about, it's just an FYI.

I REALLY want to know if I'll be able to adjust knobs and faders in real time, mouse-pointer-less, with the Win 8 multitouch funtionality! Any confirmation of this would be huge info for me, thanks a ton!
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Old 03-19-2014, 02:09 AM   #2
Klinke
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AFAIK Reaper itself doesn't support multitouch beside some gestures, so you e.g. can't adjust the volume of to channels in the mixer at the same time. Multitouch support for plugins depends on the plugin itself, some allow to move simultaneous (i think, those with are built upon newer versions of the JUCE library http://www.juce.com/about-juce), e.g. The Mangle. But they are the exception, I think with NI products you are out of luck.

When I bougth a Transformer T100 some month ago, I planned to use Usine, which is one of the few hosts on Win, that have multitouch support (I think Sonar is the only alternative). But after some testing I decided, that usability is more important than multitouch and moved back to Reaper.

I really hope that the situation will improve in the future.
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Old 03-19-2014, 08:04 PM   #3
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I would like to see this discussed as well. I'm not sure if for instance in the case of moving multiple faders at once a touch screen would really be the solution. It seems to me that getting an accurate touch on all faders would be difficult as your fingers and hands necessarily cover up rather large sections of screen when touching even just one. I can definitely see how some multitouch gestures could be very useful for speeding up waveform editing.

typed on my t100
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Old 03-20-2014, 04:59 PM   #4
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I bought an older windows pen based tablet and it works great with Reaper. I think it would be difficult to be precise using fingers on the screen, but with the pen it is very easy to be precise. It is also quicker than mousing around the screen.
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Old 03-24-2014, 10:03 AM   #5
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I tested out Win 8 on some tablet/notebook hybrids at the local BB, and yes it was tough to manage the tiny levers. (I used the graphic EQ built in to Windows Media player to experiment - not the ideal piece of software, though).

But screen sizes, wow. Windows Surface 2 is 10.1" - that's damn tiny! Asus transformer is 13.3, and that's not much bigger, TBH.

I looked at some all-in-one PC's, with big twenty-something inch screens. That would do nicely! Just have to lug a twenty-something inch all-in-one computer to the gig, and...

Maybe there's something built in to Win 8, like the "magnifying glass" visual aid that has been in all versions of Windows for a long time? I didn't think to look for anything like that.

Any Windows 8 users, please feel free to chime in!
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Old 03-24-2014, 12:51 PM   #6
yep
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Quote:
Originally Posted by user7776543 View Post
Hi,

A sort of general question here, not just aimed at Reaper specifically. But I've been all over the web and I can't find an answer for this anywhere.

I'd like to know specifically how the Windows 8 touchcreen input functions with older non-touchscreen-designed programs. I'm thinking specifically about Native Instruments apps here -Guitar Rig, Kontakt, and their various soft synths, like FM8, Absynth, and Massive- this is mosty what I use.

To be very specific, I'm considering getting an Asus Transformer T300LA-L (or X). The reason being, it's a multi-touch tablet-like environment, but it runs true Intel CPU, so Native Instrument's software will run on it.

Also, I'm a guitartist, so I'll be USB'ing in, but that's not the main point I'm asking about, it's just an FYI.

I REALLY want to know if I'll be able to adjust knobs and faders in real time, mouse-pointer-less, with the Win 8 multitouch funtionality! Any confirmation of this would be huge info for me, thanks a ton!
I have been using a Windows 8 notebook with touchscreen since about September of last year.

The touch controls basically work just like the touchpad on a laptop, except instead of clicking, you touch the screen directly. Tap to click, double-tap to double-click, press and hold to drag, etc. You can control knobs, faders, etc the same as if you were using a tablet, touchpad, mouse, or whatever. You can pinch-zoom anything that you could, for example, use CTRL+Mousewheel to zoom.

that stuff is all windows, not application-dependent. Apps themselves can offer additional touch-gestures or functionality.

I can't honestly recommend it for much, though. So far the best use I have found for the touchscreen is that the metro interface looks cool when you swipe it back and forth, and pinch-zoom all those live icons in and out. If I had a tablet form-factor, I'm sure I'd use it a lot more, but on a notebook I just haven't come across anything very useful.

Hope that helps.
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Old 03-28-2014, 07:24 AM   #7
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@Yep,

Thanks for the details on the basic functionality of Win 8, believe it or not that kind of basic answer is just what I was looking for :^).

Just one question, you say that "If you had a tablet form factor, you'd use it a lot more". Why is that? Do you mean because the tablet has easier immediate access to the touchscreen, whereas a notebook's screen is more angled and distant?

I ask that specifically because the Asus Transformer is a tablet/notebook hybrid, with a detachable keyboard that makes the screen into a full-featured tablet, complete with the USB port, etc.

Do you think you'd use the touchscreen features if you had just a tablet interface available to you, and didn't have to constantly reach over a keyboard and press against a screen that maybe moves away from you, or tips over the laptop, etc.?

And one more thing - you mention pinch-to-zoom. Can you zoom older, non-Win 8 apps, like for example Guitar Rig? That might be handy. But if they're zoomed, can you still move sliders and such? Or does it just slide the zoomed view around?!
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