AlphaTrack Mk II ...... sugestions to make it perfect !

Hi FD

Been using my AlphaTrack for the last week or so and huge congratulations to FD for designing and making such a brilliant and user friendly unit - its astounding how easy it is to use.

It is  soooooo  close  to being the perfect DAW / Plugin  single-track controller.

With this spirit in mind, I would like to suggest the following to make it even better.

I imagine you are already well down the road for the design and release of an AlphaTrack  Mk II.

However, in case its not too late, I would like to submit some suggestions for the "next generation unit"  whilst hoping to maintain the integrity of the overall design concept.

In short

- silent-click  "soft-ish" rubberized buttons

- clear/ white-opaque colored buttons that light up when pressed

- two rows of  4 programmable buttons - 8 actual physical buttons to program - ie:  F1 - F8  and still maintaining the "Shift" key option so in total you have 16 user programmes but so that 8 can be accessed without having to hit the "shift" key

- re-name the PAN button to TRACK

- in TRACK mode, add a  Midi Velocity option - you have the "trim" for audio tracks but no "velocity" for midi tracks

- there are a lot of Sonar ACT assignable options missing from the Alphatrack list of F-key assignable options  [ maybe this could be fixed soon-ish ?  ]

- at least one more endless rotary encoder - but  *ideally*  8  rotary encoders

- doubling the height and read-out capability of the LCD to accommodate the extra functions

- move the "shift" button onto the main area close to the " F "  buttons so it is ergonomically much better to use - its too far away now

- with the "shift" moved, add 4 dedicated buttons for  " input monitoring " / " auto-read " / " auto-write "   and a   " plugin-open-close " button that when pressed automatically opens the rotary button "plugin" settings.

- the addition of a  "settings speed dial "  ie:  an endless rotary pot or knob that works in conjunction with the mouse cursor  like this - you move the mouse cursor over any DAW or plugin settings you want to change or control, and by turning the " settings speed dial" you move the setting up or down  and then click once on the mouse to lock the setting in

Hope the above is of some help.

I do realise the above could increase the cost of the unit although at the same time, the cost of electronics etc... has gone through the floor since the A/T was first released.

As it currently is, I think the A/T is  about  "  %90 " the perfect / classic  single-track and plugin controller.

I would reckon changes like those above - and no doubt what is already in the pipeline - would make the A/T a virtual must have for anyone using a DAW and doing most of their work in-the-box.

All the best,
Ben