Do You Miss Knobs and Dials and Switches?

[mhardy6647]

I'll join you outside.

Bonus points for your valediction!

 

[MattHooper]

The only good thing about living in the future is the big televisions and even that comes with the irony that there's no new shows worth watching.

I'll join you outside.

And the now unwieldy even horrendous navigation of menus.

“honey… was NBC on channel 1,741… or where is it?”

 

[Mikig]

using only watches with hands, I can only use devices with knobs and buttons. Actually, the less I have, the better. I hate doing setup and I am not interested in having hundreds of settings available. I had the same feeling with the "sport" button on the car. Why would anyone prefer a button that makes you go slower???!!!

 

[Mikig]

by the way…my new, not really, Dac…only has two buttons, on the back…

 

[EJ3]

Folks,

In this modern digital day and age, when so many of us have moved to digital playback, very often using some form of computer control via a touchpad, smart phone, keyboard or whatever to control the system…

…. Does anybody miss the look and tactile experience of using volume knobs/dials/switches, etc.?

Or do you still have those in your system?

For a while when I first switched to a digital server system, when I ripped all my CDs, and later added streaming, calling everything up and operating it via my smart phone was kind of a cool novelty. “ A new world!”

Over time for me the novelty wore off, and it started to feel like one more damn screen I had to interact with, after interacting with the phone all day long.

And don’t get me started on using a laptop or a keyboard to interact with an audio system.
There is no interface I despise more. It feels so kludgy (and perhaps reminds me too much of work).

Anyway, that’s one reason why I had a remote control custom-made for me with a big volume knob, and which could do some other switching in my system. It’s really nice to use in a tactile and aesthetic way, and it’s part of my break from the digital world:

View attachment 432277

Aside from that, of course, my pre-amplifiers have their own buttons or volume knobs. But they are in a different room which is why I need to use a remote.

How about you folks? Still doing the tactile physical knobs and dials at all?
Or miss it?

(And yes, I resisted calling this thread “ Show us your knobs!”)

I do not use a remote unless that is the only possible way to make something work (in which case I send that something back to where it came from or get it to someone that wants it [I detest trashing computer/electronic/electrical/mechanical things unless they are beyond a reasonable price to repair AND I cannot finds another use for them] {and or their components}).
Touch screens in cars are also mostly detestable to me. If the touch screen goes out, how many functions do you loose? And, if it does last 10 or more years, what is your chance of getting a NEW replacement touch screen. So now you have a perfectly good but unusable car to dispose of.
Yep, that helps the landfill & disposal business, so it's all good, right?
Just some food for thought.

 

[EJ3]

Yeah I miss buttons and mechanical switchgear, particularly direct preset buttons. I don't usually like using a touchscreen and holding a cell phone to control the audio. I like the feel and operation of a mechanical button or switch that one can operate without really looking at what they're doing or holding anything.

I got a new Yamaha receiver and like all newer ones there's no direct preset buttons on the front panel or the remote. The closest thing to direct presets it has is through the cell phone app. It's not the same thing, and it's not really set up ideally. It's like you have to go through a menu of swiping to get to the presets, then each time you select a preset it kicks you back to a previous menu or page. I like to surf channels and go through my presets quickly, which you can't with the cell phone app.

There are preset up and down buttons on the front panel and remote which would make direct presets not really necessary, but they're super tiny and for some reason only instantly change presets on FM and not with streaming presets. If there was a way to get SiriusXM and streaming presets up/down buttons to work like it does with FM, I'd love my new Yamaha receiver to death lol .

If I have to use a cell phone to do anything to get my music fix, then I'll live without music.
Of course, I mostly live without using the cellphone, anyway.
If it was not for my 91 year old mother & my wife, (who is overseas at least 1/3 of the time), I would not own a cellphone.
Most days it is not on my person but is within earshot about 70% of the time.
The other 30% of the time: it may be in one of the cars or somewhere in the house where it won't be heard.
Today (Saturday, a day to sleep in until at least 10 AM [I am a night person, I was born at night, have mostly had 2nd or 3rd shift jobs, and many times I watch the sunrise & then go to bed]) was my birthday and their must be some idiotic contest to see who can call the earliest. At 6:15 AM came the first call, waking me up, to wish me Happy Birthday. & within every 15 minutes after that, until 11:00 AM someone called or texted. And what I really want for my birthday every year is to not be bothered until after 10:00 AM.

So, no cell phone, no touch screen needed at all. Woo-Hoo!

(I did sort of like them when they had buttons to dial with & flip Phones & ones that flipped out like Fonzie's comb.
But that was also days when I did not receive all sort of crud from Dr.s that don't let you know the # that they are going to call from (so they get blocked) & I have to call them back.
It's all become a pain in the A$$ as far as I am concerned.

 

[Mikig]

is to not be bothered until after 10:00 AM.

how nice to hear that!!! I never get up before 10:30 every day of the year! only if I have to take a plane I make the exception! I hate the morning, I love going to bed late!

 

[Mikig]

If I have to use a cell phone to do anything to get my music fix, then I'll live without music.
Of course, I mostly live without using the cellphone, anyway.
If it was not for my 91 year old mother & my wife, (who is overseas at least 1/3 of the time), I would not own a cellphone.
Most days it is not on my person but is within earshot about 70% of the time.
The other 30% of the time: it may be in one of the cars or somewhere in the house where it won't be heard.
Today (Saturday, a day to sleep in until at least 10 AM [I am a night person, I was born at night, have mostly had 2nd or 3rd shift jobs, and many times I watch the sunrise & then go to bed]) was my birthday and their must be some idiotic contest to see who can call the earliest. At 6:15 AM came the first call, waking me up, to wish me Happy Birthday. & within every 15 minutes after that, until 11:00 AM someone called or texted. And what I really want for my birthday every year is to not be bothered until after 10:00 AM.

So, no cell phone, no touch screen needed at all. Woo-Hoo!

(I did sort of like them when they had buttons to dial with & flip Phones & ones that flipped out like Fonzie's comb.
But that was also days when I did not receive all sort of crud from Dr.s that don't let you know the # that they are going to call from (so they get blocked) & I have to call them back.
It's all become a pain in the A$$ as far as I am concerned.

PS happy birthday

 

[EJ3]

how nice to hear that!!! I never get up before 10:30 every day of the year! only if I have to take a plane I make the exception! I hate the morning, I love going to bed late!

My wife & I are both (PRAISE...) NIGHT PEOPLE. There has been many a time we watch the sunup & then go to sleep. Many do not realize that because of this schedule, one can also see the sunset, if one wishes too. Sort of the original BOGO (for those who are do not keep up with all the English [I live in the USA & don't, so...] slang: Buy One Get One {free}).

 

[Anton S]

I was a night creature in my younger days, but my last job had me up at zero-dark-thirty every weekday to be at the office on time.

Now, that I've finally retired, I'm back to rising after sunrise, which was always my preference, but I am also once again able to enjoy staying up late.

 

[thewas]

At 6:15 AM came the first call, waking me up, to wish me Happy Birthday. & within every 15 minutes after that, until 11:00 AM someone called or texted. And what I really want for my birthday every year is to not be bothered until after 10:00 AM.

Just a tip from another night owl, the beauty of a modern cell phone is that you can put it to silent mode and there create exceptions for important (people/event) calls.

 

[EJ3]

Just a tip from another night owl, the beauty of a modern cell phone is that you can put it to silent mode and there create exceptions for important (people/event) calls.

I would do that but I have a 91 year old mother that lives 12 miles from me. There is almost never an issue that I am needed for. But from mid Dec. to the 3rd week of Jan., I had to get her to the hospital 5 times, once for an overnight stay.
My mother & my wife are actually the only reason that I ever keep a phone near me (and with my mother, it's imperative that I do so).
At the moment, my wife is 9,000 miles away, so a call for action from her is not something that can be done immediately.
So, while that is a wonderful option (making the phone something for my convenience & not someone else's convenience,
It's not a good idea for me at the moment.
And even with my wife being away, if she calls & does not get an answer (or a call back from me shortly), that can be interpreted by her in a negative way.
She has never even implied any kind of issue but I don't want there to be a reason for that to be able to be implied.
I was 48 before I married her and she & I both know that I was NOT marriage material going back from 2 years prior to marrying her.
So I do not want to leave a spot for odd thoughts to develop.
If I di not have these 2 reasons not to: 100% I would implement your suggestion. Thank you for the reminder.

 

[LesterNZ]

Yes - I still have a big drawer full of them.

This was the solution

View attachment 432484

but Logitech has stopped selling the Harmony universal remotes that can be updated over the internet, although the device list is still being updated, which I think is great.
(For the people who still have some)

Yes, I looked for a second Harmony 650, where the woman in our local computer shop chain told me in an aggressive voice: "NO MORE stock, must use voice commands!". Doh!

 

[Mart68]

And the now unwieldy even horrendous navigation of menus.

“honey… was NBC on channel 1,741… or where is it?”

It's still better than having to get up and walk over to the set to change the channel. I didn't get a set with remote control until about 1992. Prior to that I still had one where you had to turn a dial to tune it in.

But yeah, it seems each time they update the interface, it gets worse not better. The old analogue cable boxes were much easier to use and I reckon the sound was better then too even though it was only Dolby Surround.

 

[thewas]

I would do that but I have a 91 year old mother that lives 12 miles from me. There is almost never an issue that I am needed for. But from mid Dec. to the 3rd week of Jan., I had to get her to the hospital 5 times, once for an overnight stay.
My mother & my wife are actually the only reason that I ever keep a phone near me (and with my mother, it's imperative that I do so).
At the moment, my wife is 9,000 miles away, so a call for action from her is not something that can be done immediately.
So, while that is a wonderful option (making the phone something for my convenience & not someone else's convenience,
It's not a good idea for me at the moment.
And even with my wife being away, if she calls & does not get an answer (or a call back from me shortly), that can be interpreted by her in a negative way.
She has never even implied any kind of issue but I don't want there to be a reason for that to be able to be implied.
I was 48 before I married her and she & I both know that I was NOT marriage material going back from 2 years prior to marrying her.
So I do not want to leave a spot for odd thoughts to develop.
If I di not have these 2 reasons not to: 100% I would implement your suggestion. Thank you for the reminder.

It seems you didn't understand my previous post where I was saying that you can program exceptions for specific telephone numbers so that they still ring normally at silent mode, so you are always reachable by them while others don't wake you up.

 

[mhardy6647]

It's still better than having to get up and walk over to the set to change the channel. I didn't get a set with remote control until about 1992. Prior to that I still had one where you had to turn a dial to tune it in.

As hardships go, that's right up there with having to walk to school in blizzards. Uphill. Both ways. With coyotes and wolverines lurking in the underbrush.
... as we had to.

 

[Mart68]

As hardships go, that's right up there with having to walk to school in blizzards. Uphill. Both ways. With coyotes and wolverines lurking in the underbrush.
... as we had to.

Yeah had to do that too with the wind in your face both ways just like in 'Scott Of The Antarctic'.

No underbrush but there was worse than coyotes and wolverines lurking - you didn't want to run into kids from other schools, especially if they were in numbers.

 

[EJ3]

It seems you didn't understand my previous post where I was saying that you can program exceptions for specific telephone numbers so that they still ring normally at silent mode, so you are always reachable by them while others don't wake you up.

I did not see that. And was unaware of that. So thank you.
The phones don't come with an instruction manual. (One of the most expensive things that I'll ever buy (aside from some audio gear, cameras, boats, cars & houses with no instructions [I think that is ludicrous]).
Because they are certainly NOT intuitive (at least not to me).
If something is mechanical, electrical or just needs to be made, I can likely make it, fix it, etc.
And I can tune computers that operate electro mechanical objects (sometimes).
But computers & phones, I am clueless with.
They are sufficiently high enough technology to me that they may as well be "magic".

 

[thewas]

I did not see that. And was unaware of that. So thank you.
The phones don't come with an instruction manual. (One of the most expensive things that I'll ever buy (aside from some audio gear, cameras, boats, cars & houses with no instructions [I think that is ludicrous]).

You are welcome, unfortunately a classic manual isn't really expedient on smartphones as their OS and behaviour changes depending on the version and on the apps you have installed and settings you have done, but there are many online helps and tutorials. I also prefer classic manuals but with this adaptive devices I guess we have to get used to their different approach.

 

[Barrelhouse Solly]

I like knobs. It's interesting that music player apps model them often. There appear to be libraries/apis that support this because I see graphically similar "knobs" in a lot of apps. I find them more convenient than sliders and infinitely more convenient than pushbuttons or their touch screen equivalent.