6 ms·

>IMO they must have some of the best frontend/ui/designer people out there, especially for a company that’s not huge. They're one of the pioneers of flat UI's,

>IMO they must have some of the best frontend/ui/designer people out there, especially for a company that’s not huge. They're one of the pioneers of flat UI's, long before e.g. Apple jumped on that train in 2013. Here's a review with screenshots from 2004: https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ableton-live-4 https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ableton-live-4 Their UI style didn't change that much since then, they got it right from the start. I wish they'd make an OS and laptops/computers etc., as another design oriented alternative to Apple with an European background. They have the design cred to succeed there.

enneff 7y ago
Design maybe but their engineering is not exactly stellar. Ableton is pretty crashy, especially when working with external plugins (including their own Max). I’m not sure I’d be thrilled by that in the context of an OS.
- deltron3030 7y ago
  On Windows it's shit, because if you do music on Windows you depend much more on external driver quality. Only a few companies like RME get it right on Windows, the rest will always cause issues. Never had a problem with Ableton on OSX/macos, even with low budget class compliant interfaces like those cheap Behringers, there, all external hardware drivers are built on top of core audio.
twic 7y ago
For another aesthetic, see ReBirth: https://www.musictech.net/reviews/rewind-propellerhead-rebirth-rb-338/ https://www.musictech.net/reviews/rewind-propellerhead-rebir... I fervently hope they don't make an OS based on this.
ezconnect 7y ago
Microsoft has been using flat UI on Microsoft Money since version 8 Microsoft Money 2000. When I first saw it I found it beautiful back then, but they didn't use it on other products.
crucialfelix 7y ago
I call that the Fishertechnik aesthetic: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischertechnik https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischertechnik In a way I think that held them back for a while from being considered a serious audio app. I thought it looked too simple, gray and plastic. They needed more of a feeling of precision and control. On the other hand it had more of a fun lightweight feel and that helped for their main market.
- teucris 7y ago
  Super interesting, because I was drawn to Ableton years ago because I thought the aesthetic made it feel more professional and serious. I love how there’s no one absolute in design, or anything with humans for that matter
- deltron3030 7y ago
  Nah, they come from an electronic music background, their UI looks similar to modular synths which often have a very radical industrial aesthetic without bells and whistles. The round elments and neon color are influenced from the pseudo-futuristic 90s/y2k rave and acid aesthetic at that time.
  - crucialfelix 7y ago
    To be precise, it looks like Robert Henke's original Max/MSP patch. https://cdm.link/2014/03/see-max-patch-robert-henke-built-ableton-live-hear-music-made/ https://cdm.link/2014/03/see-max-patch-robert-henke-built-ab... Max has always been flat and simple: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_(software)#/media/File:LandMap_Max_patcher.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_(software)#/media/File:Lan...

enneff 7y ago

Design maybe but their engineering is not exactly stellar. Ableton is pretty crashy, especially when working with external plugins (including their own Max). I’m not sure I’d be thrilled by that in the context of an OS.

deltron3030 7y ago
On Windows it's shit, because if you do music on Windows you depend much more on external driver quality. Only a few companies like RME get it right on Windows, the rest will always cause issues. Never had a problem with Ableton on OSX/macos, even with low budget class compliant interfaces like those cheap Behringers, there, all external hardware drivers are built on top of core audio.

twic 7y ago

For another aesthetic, see ReBirth: https://www.musictech.net/reviews/rewind-propellerhead-rebirth-rb-338/ https://www.musictech.net/reviews/rewind-propellerhead-rebir... I fervently hope they don't make an OS based on this.

ezconnect 7y ago

Microsoft has been using flat UI on Microsoft Money since version 8 Microsoft Money 2000. When I first saw it I found it beautiful back then, but they didn't use it on other products.

crucialfelix 7y ago

I call that the Fishertechnik aesthetic: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischertechnik https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fischertechnik In a way I think that held them back for a while from being considered a serious audio app. I thought it looked too simple, gray and plastic. They needed more of a feeling of precision and control. On the other hand it had more of a fun lightweight feel and that helped for their main market.

teucris 7y ago
Super interesting, because I was drawn to Ableton years ago because I thought the aesthetic made it feel more professional and serious. I love how there’s no one absolute in design, or anything with humans for that matter
deltron3030 7y ago
Nah, they come from an electronic music background, their UI looks similar to modular synths which often have a very radical industrial aesthetic without bells and whistles. The round elments and neon color are influenced from the pseudo-futuristic 90s/y2k rave and acid aesthetic at that time.
- crucialfelix 7y ago
  To be precise, it looks like Robert Henke's original Max/MSP patch. https://cdm.link/2014/03/see-max-patch-robert-henke-built-ableton-live-hear-music-made/ https://cdm.link/2014/03/see-max-patch-robert-henke-built-ab... Max has always been flat and simple: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_(software)#/media/File:LandMap_Max_patcher.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_(software)#/media/File:Lan...