I meant mine actually.

I like most of the suggestions here. You all missed one though - "Get off my lazy b*tt and turn the knob down" - Thanks for being polite. I have an MX500 which has a button I programed to turn down the volume. I also have the main amps in standby mode when starting up, they are also connected through a Panamax Max 5300 which turns everything on asynchronously and that should take care of any spiking.

Let me ask the same question another way.

What is the advantage of not being able to adjust the volume during mute?

I just wanted to make sure this gets addressed for the much anticipated Outlaw 990 Pre/Pro. Well, OK, I came up with the name, but I thought the new power amp is the 790 so, the new Pre/Pro must be a 990, right?
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MeanGene's Home


[This message has been edited by MeanGene (edited June 17, 2004).]

I've been thinking about some other interface behavior lately (while helping a co-worker set up a Rotel 1068), and one reason for the behavior of the mute/volume control on both the 1050 and the 950 comes to mind: intuitiveness. Most users will expect that when you hit the volume up or down buttons, the mute will cut off. Maintaining that behavior may be less desirable once in a while, but it also always retains an expected behavior all the time. If there was going to be a change to the way volume is controlled on future products, it would probably be a user-defined default volume at power up. On the other hand, if they do implement a default power-up volume setting, I'd like to see them go all the way with it and include an option to disable it and mimic the 950's behavior.



Or perhaps the 970, since the 1050's successor is going to be the 1070.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

I wonder if the remotes can come programmed so that when you turn the volume up from mute it will turn mute off, but when you turn it down mute will stay active until you press the mute button again. I think the issue we've been discussing is most likely the largest use for turning the volume down while muted, so just program it that way.

[This message has been edited by JT Clark (edited June 18, 2004).]

When it comes to programming, I'm reminded of a structural engineer's standard answer to "can we do..." questions: "We can do anything, if you are willing to pay for it." In the case of the volume and mute interaction (volume up turns off mute, volume down leaves mute on), the literal cost would probably be pretty insignificant. The cost in users (or, more likely, users' loved ones) asking why the volume control is broken because it doesn't unmute when they turn it down would be more of an issue. That's one design debate that I'd hate to have to be in on. If they do implement a change, probably the one least likely to look like a bug or cause is the default start-up volume level.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

I'd like to see a power button that turns the new 970,990 or whatever they decide to call it "ON" as well as "OFF" Just my .02

Lasher

- They went to discrete on and off comands with the 950 because of complaints about the lack of discrete codes on the 1050 (which had a single power on/off button). I don't know if they'll change back or not.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

What's the complaint on a single on/off button? It takes up less space and there's one less button to memorize where it's at.

Discrete on and off codes are desirable for macros. They make it easier and less likely to cause confusion when creating power on and power off macros. (A single power command can make it possible to for someone to run a "power on" macro when one device is already on and end up with a mess.) As an example, I have two macros that make my wife much happier about the system. One macro turns on everything she needs to watch TV: it turns on the TV, the cable box, sets the 950 to Video3 (which also turns the 950 on), and sets the remote to control the cable box. Another macro turns everything off: sets the TV to DVI (another discrete code, which makes sure the TV is on the right input when it gets turned back on later -- I initially tried including it in the "power on" macro, but the TV takes a few seconds after turning on before it will accept remote inputs), turns the TV off, turns the cable box off, and turns the 950 off. It is possible to do macros like this without discrete on and off codes, but the discrete codes make it a bit more foolproof.

Actually, I think Outlaw was pretty slick to make every input command act as a discrete "on" command. On the down side, the "POWER" button's role as "off" only can throw some people at first, but on the up side you're going to need to hit an input command button anyway.

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gonk -- 950 Review | LFM-1 Review | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | Saloon Links

When I have the mute button on, I don't hear any sound, I know that I just pushed the mute button, and there is a blinking amber idiot light telling me it is muted. The intuitiveness theory that would suggest that I am not sure whether it is muted or not does not work for me nor do I think that is a valid reason for the current setup. It is clear to me that regardless of the current state of mind of manufactures that think that it is correct to implement the mute button in this way, are simply wrong. They need to change it. It does not make since to have it in the current configuration. There may be a very small minority of users that feel if they press the mute button, that another button will wake up the sound. Normal people would think that they would have to press the same button to activate the sound again. A majority of people would like to be able to adjust the sound during mute for multiple reasons, many of which they probably could not come up with right away, but would certainly demand once pressed into need. Therefore, I would suggest that the mute button - mute, and the volume button - adjust volume, let there be no confusion. They should be used as they are labeled to be used. Period.

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