=====Which options are too obvious; which are not obvious enough; which are about right?=====

Key: //Too obvious//, **not obvious enough**, about right



====General/Presentation====

This is one of the worst config tabs, and it's the first one you see!

  * //Note name style// (definitely)

  * //Audio preview scale// (perhaps a bit)

  * Base octave number

  * //Show tool context help in status bar// (remind me why this is an option at all, again? I think it's just because I was too timid when implementing the feature)

  * //Use textured backgrounds on canvas areas// -- options like this can safely go in an Appearance tab because people will have no problem looking for them if they want to go changing the way it all looks

  * Side-bar parameter box layout

====General/Behaviour====

  * **Default editor on double-click** (should be right up at the top of the default tab)

  * Number of count-in bars

  * **Always use default studio** (not **all** that common to change, but not an option users will necessarily know to go hunting around for)

====General/External Editors====

There is no reason for this to be its own tab.

  * **External audio editor**

====General/Auto-save====

Likewise

  * Enable auto-save

  * Auto-save interval -- this could usefully be a combo with several obvious options in it, I doubt if anyone really needs to enter the exact number of seconds. Off / 30 seconds / one minute / five minutes / ten minutes should do fine. Then we don't need the enable button.

====Sequencer/General====

  * **Sequencer status** -- but this may be OK hidden away if we merge the trayicon branch

  * **Send all MIDI controllers** -- a useful option; the first tab of the Sequencer page is probably an obvious enough place for it, but I want to highlight that it's again not something the user will necessarily think to look for

  * Load SoundFont and associated options

====Sequencer/Startup====

  * Start JACK automatically options. The tab is badly named, given that it only contains these options. I still think the options are intrinsically problematic.

====Sequencer/Record and Mix====

  * //Audio mix and monitor mode// -- there's probably something to be said for removing this altogether

  * Create post-fader outs -- although if we had an Audio tab, these would be among the more obvious options to put in it

  * Record audio files as...

====Sequencer/Synchronisation====

  * Sequencer timer

  * **JACK transport mode**

  * MIDI Clock/System

  * MMC

  * MTC

  * Automatically connect sync output

====Notation/Font====

  * Various font options -- this tab is generally OK I think

====Notation/Layout====

  * **Default layout mode**

  * Default spacing

  * Default duration factor

These are debatable -- if only the notation editor remembered your last setting, it probably wouldn't be necessary to have them as configuration options at all.

  * Show non-notation events as question marks

  * Show notation-quantized notes in different colour

  * Show invisible events in grey

  * Show notes outside playable range in red

  * Show superimposed notes...

====Notation/Editing====

  * Default note style -- again, the notation editor could just remember this. I find it amazing that I bothered to make an option of it, looking back. I must have been bored.

  * When inserting notes... -- I think this option is wrong-headed, although I notice one user reported having used it. The proper options are "split notes" or "coerce new note to match existing notes" -- but not to permit inserting a note overlapping other notes. This is bound up with voice support however

  * Auto-beam on insert

  * Collapse rests after erase

  * Default paste type

====Accidentals====

This one's OK I think

====Quantize====

This one is highly problematic because of the "After quantization" options incorrectly affecting playback and editing in non-notation views. That makes it sort of a recording option, but it's clear that these are intended to be completely notation-specific. Have to think about this.

==== ====

=====We can improve the defaults for=====

  * External audio editor. Default is Audacity; if MHWaveEdit or Rezound is available we should perhaps use one of those in preference (owing to better JACK support and, in MHWaveEdit's case, better workflow for quick edit/save turnaround).

  * "After quantize" in notation/quantize. Should be made to do the minimum by default