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Having used Reason, Logic and a huge amount of audio software, I can only half heartedly agree with this post. Ultrabeat and some of Logics other instruments(s

by S_A_P 16y ago

Having used Reason, Logic and a huge amount of audio software, I can only half heartedly agree with this post. Ultrabeat and some of Logics other instruments(sculpture) are indeed examples of how not to do a UI. Reason, for me is probably the most intuitive application I have used since I initially was plugging hardware cables to make music. However, it certainly isn't the most efficient way to patch something, but with the huge amount of routing flexibility in that software, I don't see a better option, the context menu for cable patching isn't really an effective method either since its list can exceed the height of my screen in some cases. I find though that most audio applications(reason included) do offer very flexible and easy linkage to hardware controllers which makes life easier. Most audio processing is about hands on control of many parameters simultaneously, and I think some of the best solutions(jazz mutant had some purpose built touch control surfaces) were much too expensive for the average user. I really hope that someone can make a tablet based app equivalent for iOS/android that could mimic these types of things. <shameless plug> (any software vendors want a dev(me) who would LOVE to work on this sorta project?!?! :)</shameless plug> One other point that wasnt addressed properly in this article is that much of the "hardware look" UI chrome is due to these things being "emulations" of real gear. I think the market has decided that if you want to model a piece of gear, you had better draw up a photo-realistic picture of it and add some 3dfx to the knobs and sliders. For better or worse, a lot of users just dont buy into the sound emulation thing unless it looks like real device. I have seen a lot of developers out there that have made some very functional very pretty UIs that also look like gear. U-he, FXPansion come to mind. Interestingly, Logic contains some very clean and easy to use UIs(the included efx) along with the dogs like Sculpture and Ultrabeat. Hopefully Logic10 will have a UI refresh to improve things...

jamesbkel 16y ago
I've been using Reason since it was released (Dec. 2000 I think, so 10 years) and was using ReBirth prior to that. Actually, Propellerheads released an iPhone (and maybe iPad too) version of ReBirth that while not entirely functional on the iPhone form factor, is still fun to muck around with. Main point: have to agree that Reason's approach to emulating hardware is a great deal for the home producer/hobbyist/traveling musician. I have a number of MIDI controllers which have all worked seamlessly with Reason... literally plug in via MIDI or USB and then you're physically manipulating the knobs in Reason. Also one side note on the quality of Reason UI. About 5 years ago I was doing some work in Reason on a flight from Pittsburgh to Boston and and I got a tap on my shoulder. A member of the Fedora UI team just "had to know" what was this "incredible looking software?"
MichaelGG 16y ago
Having just started to play with audio software, I was wondering why on earth everything except Ableton Live had such crazy complex UIs. This is an interesting viewpoint, thanks. Do you think this sort of UI is still important and relevant now, in 2011?
- S_A_P 16y ago
  Abeltons UI is very clean and seems to be a good balance between power and readability. It seems that the trend is to clean things up though. Sonar X1 looks like a step in that direction, logic and Cubase seem to be trending that way as well. I have some experience with real hardware, so I can understand the desire to emulate the look of a real device if you are trying to sound like it. I have also always been hopeful about the "future" of music apps and that maybe we should start moving forward more than looking towards the past. Part of the problem is the fact that until recently much of the "vintage" gear was unattainable to the masses. Now that we can create 90-95% identical digital copies we seem to want to focus on recreating all the gear we couldn't afford. As for the new gear, we seem to have forgotten that we should create things that sound good, not something infinitely flexible. Most importantly, I think the biggest problem with audio software is that features are emphasized over robustness. I wish that all of the vendors would step back and just spend 3-5 cycles making their apps stable.
kolektiv 16y ago
A little off topic, but if you're looking for iPad touch control of things like MIDI devices, hardware is already out there to do that. Projects like touchOSC are providing the graphical instances, as well as others like S1MIDITrigger. This is getting bigger and bigger, and I imagine that's the reason Jazz Mutant packed it in - the writing was on the wall that the iPad is storming this market.
- S_A_P 16y ago
  Will look into touchOsc- thanks.

by S_A_P 16y ago

jamesbkel 16y ago

I've been using Reason since it was released (Dec. 2000 I think, so 10 years) and was using ReBirth prior to that. Actually, Propellerheads released an iPhone (and maybe iPad too) version of ReBirth that while not entirely functional on the iPhone form factor, is still fun to muck around with. Main point: have to agree that Reason's approach to emulating hardware is a great deal for the home producer/hobbyist/traveling musician. I have a number of MIDI controllers which have all worked seamlessly with Reason... literally plug in via MIDI or USB and then you're physically manipulating the knobs in Reason. Also one side note on the quality of Reason UI. About 5 years ago I was doing some work in Reason on a flight from Pittsburgh to Boston and and I got a tap on my shoulder. A member of the Fedora UI team just "had to know" what was this "incredible looking software?"

MichaelGG 16y ago

Having just started to play with audio software, I was wondering why on earth everything except Ableton Live had such crazy complex UIs. This is an interesting viewpoint, thanks. Do you think this sort of UI is still important and relevant now, in 2011?

S_A_P 16y ago
Abeltons UI is very clean and seems to be a good balance between power and readability. It seems that the trend is to clean things up though. Sonar X1 looks like a step in that direction, logic and Cubase seem to be trending that way as well. I have some experience with real hardware, so I can understand the desire to emulate the look of a real device if you are trying to sound like it. I have also always been hopeful about the "future" of music apps and that maybe we should start moving forward more than looking towards the past. Part of the problem is the fact that until recently much of the "vintage" gear was unattainable to the masses. Now that we can create 90-95% identical digital copies we seem to want to focus on recreating all the gear we couldn't afford. As for the new gear, we seem to have forgotten that we should create things that sound good, not something infinitely flexible. Most importantly, I think the biggest problem with audio software is that features are emphasized over robustness. I wish that all of the vendors would step back and just spend 3-5 cycles making their apps stable.

kolektiv 16y ago

A little off topic, but if you're looking for iPad touch control of things like MIDI devices, hardware is already out there to do that. Projects like touchOSC are providing the graphical instances, as well as others like S1MIDITrigger. This is getting bigger and bigger, and I imagine that's the reason Jazz Mutant packed it in - the writing was on the wall that the iPad is storming this market.

S_A_P 16y ago
Will look into touchOsc- thanks.