Which RE has the best looking GUI, and why? (as a RE DEV I want to know ;-)

[Faastwalker]

Honorable mention for me (and a chance for a top spot) goes to...

The ORIGINAL Buffre:

Where did you go, old friend? 

It was replaced with a wibbly, wobbly sort of corrugated iron look :-/ Still a nice looking RE though.

[boobytrap]

a clear example about " best looking "


 

And " looks awful "

 


"GUI is not added value; GUI is value"
                        

[joeyluck]

Honorable mention for me (and a chance for a top spot) goes to...

The ORIGINAL Buffre:

Where did you go, old friend? 

It was replaced with a wibbly, wobbly sort of corrugated iron look :-/ Still a nice looking RE though.

Yeah, I'm aware of the change. That's why I noted 'Original.' Was just always confused by the change. It just looked much better before. The rack ears now look like they are just pasted on (it goes from this weird 'wibbly wobbly' texture and lighting to flatness with no seam). The shading and contrast are just odd. It was perfect before!

[Faastwalker]

Yeah, I'm aware of the change. That's why I noted 'Original.' Was just always confused by the change. It just looked much better before. The rack ears now look like they are just pasted on (it goes form this weird 'wibbly wobbly' texture and lighting to flatness with no seam). The shading and contrast are just odd. It was perfect before!

I agree. Looked better before. When Directre hit the shop it looked like Buffre does now. I guess Peff just wanted to maintain the look across the range, which sadly never got beyond two devices. Was hoping to see more from Peff. I remember his quote on the RE launch video, "We're gonna do more. We're gonna do a lot more". Well, one more! Not including Spacre, which doesn't really count does it.

[joeyluck]

Yeah, I'm aware of the change. That's why I noted 'Original.' Was just always confused by the change. It just looked much better before. The rack ears now look like they are just pasted on (it goes form this weird 'wibbly wobbly' texture and lighting to flatness with no seam). The shading and contrast are just odd. It was perfect before!

I agree. Looked better before. When Directre hit the shop it looked like Buffre does now. I guess Peff just wanted to maintain the look across the range, which sadly never got beyond two devices. Was hoping to see more from Peff. I remember his quote on the RE launch video, "We're gonna do more. We're gonna do a lot more". Well, one more! Not including Spacre, which doesn't really count does it.

And Spacre looks great!

I don't usually spend time whining about a GUI, but I guess I feel ok doing so in this case since a great GUI was something that was already achieved. And I like to imagine that going back should be somewhat easier than asking a dev to reinvent their GUI (assuming the assets/elements they created before are still saved as a version).

Peff also did the Alias8 controller, which looks nice
   

[8cros]

It looks nice
 

[Djstarski]

i actually like devices that look like you can buy as a hardware device and place in a real rack . you know that real world look .

...

 

No 

Interesting, I feel like this is believable as hardware and I could see this in a rack...

imo this looks like a cartoon drawing compared to some others  . but each to their own

[Carly(Poohbear)]

Having a RE with a WOW look is nice but functionality is the important part to me.
 
I think the Antidote is a well laid out RE with nice simple colours and very easy to read (and for beginners to understand the signal flow, which is also helped with the signal flow diagram on the back of the device).

The Hydronexius does have a bit of a WOW factor to it, uses 2 colours for the text (and a few background shades), love the use of ICONS under some of the buttons, everything nice and spaced out, very clear to read, a complete beginner may get lost with the signal flow, but wait they have the signal diagram on the back  :s0221:  

Parsec is nice and clear (But a beginner may get lost with the signal flow.)


Not a RE however I love the way THOR works, lots of tiny buttons and a little bit more fiddly HOWEVER with all the functionality that brings who cares, I prefer to have lots of smaller buttons and looking crammed than missing functionality but what I love best about the THOR is the signal path (with help with all them arrows) and the control you have over it.

Note. I prefer sliders to knobs as they are easier to use with a touch screen 

Final note: Don't forget to test on different displays (resolutions and types) ie when I work down stairs I have Reason on my 50" TV however on some RE's the text is more blurred to read.

[joeyluck]

And " looks awful "

 

                        

I always thought Black Knight looked nice. And I think the update to Meteora is much improved and believable as real hardware...

[ebop]

I'll put my hand up. I gave the original dark purple Hamu devices a hard time. But now when I look at them, I don't mind them, and I actually think they look (shock horror) good. Sorry Hamu, my bad.

The new updated bright pink/purple versions are fricken heinous though. I'd buy a bundle as they're very well priced but I'm not sure if I'd be paying for the dark purple ones or the pink/purple ones. It's unclear in the shop for at least one of the bundles I looked at the other day.

[TheGodOfRainbows]

It's funny how people can see things so differently. Joey likes the way Black Knight looks, yet it has my vote for one of the ugliest RE’s with the hardest to see controls. Everything is tiny, the white dots around the knobs add clutter, the arrow on the knobs are microscopic. Every time I see a picture of Black Knight, all I see is a jumbled mess of dots and color. It hurts to look at. I dislike everything about it.
As was mentioned, knobs with thick black lines are simply the best. That was one of the complaints I and others had with Antidote's knobs, which they improved (and it's still not  nearly  pronounced enough for me). The Kuassa EQ knobs are perfect - big and easy to see their position at a glance.

The new Presonus Studio One 3 has a wonderful clean look on the knobs. I'm envious of that dark, clean, minimalist look. I'm personally growing tired of the hyper-skeuomorphic design. I like it to an extent, but with the addition of fake screws and air vents I think is going a little too far. My brain is distracted by those things because I feel like everything on the screen should have some practical purpose and do something. So i like some skeuomorphism, such as the brushed metal, or textured coat of paint look. But also as was mentioned before, some types of switches, like rockers or toggles, do not translate well to a 2D interface. Again, Antidote has those rocker switches, and every single time I look at them, I have no idea whether they are on or off. It's amazing to me more people don't have this complaint.

Bottom line, less is more. Selig’s RE’s would have to be my favorite. They aren’t beautiful to look at, but they are EASY on the eyes, clean and simple. But when it comes to knobs, Kuassa’s EQ’s are my favorite by a long shot - I can quickly glance and know exactly where everything is set. With Antidote (and many other REs), my eyes are MUCH slower at quickly identifying the position of all the knobs. Forgive me for saying so, but the Mixfood synths, both have just the kind of knobs I hate - tiny and without enough contrast between the color of the knob itself and the line indicating it’s position. On Mixfood Orange, the shininess of the knobs compound this problem for me. When I look at the synth, I see a sea of knobs, that I have to visually zero in on and focus before I can see their position, rather than quickly scan with my eyes. Kuassa EQ type knobs (much smaller ones ofc) would be wonderful on a synth with that many knobs.

OP specifically said it would be nice NOT to have a discussion, so I’m sorry if I ranted too much. Also he requested our opinions on what we LIKE not what we DISLIKE, so again I apologize for not staying focused. And sorry for referencing Studio One 3, but if we’re talking about GUIs, then I have to mention what it is that I personally want.

[hamu]

I'll put my hand up. I gave the original dark purple Hamu devices a hard time. But now when I look at them, I don't mind them, and I actually think they look (shock horror) good. Sorry Hamu, my bad. The new updated bright pink/purple versions are fricken heinous though. I'd buy a bundle as they're very well priced but I'm not sure if I'd be paying for the dark purple ones or the pink/purple ones. It's unclear in the shop for at least one of the bundles I looked at the other day.

The pink/purple is only used for the ModPanels, even when included in the bundle MP Tutti. Sorry about not updating the bundle preview pics, didn't notice until now. But the exact same function is available in black, as Newtrols and bundled as Newt Pond, but alas; Looks cost. (My payback for the extra work with the black ones is maybe 1$/hour  :frown:  

All other Hamu devices are good old dark purple (thanks for change of taste, ebop). I'm now moving into SDK 2, and will have different colours for future devices. Some will like it, some will not....

Lots of 'I like' and 'don't like' in this thread, as expected, but especially one reply stands out as good advice to any developer, including me:
http://www.reasontalk.com/post/show_sin ... stcount=13
Thank you Vyckeil!  :s0801:

[helmutson]

the best ones are from PHS itself, then Soniccharge and Softube ... all the swedish guys
... btw, is there a reason that we see no new RE's from Props since a long time ?  

[Vyckeil]

No problem hamu! I'm glad some people took the time to read my wall of text. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so I restrained myself from citing REs that I personally liked. My philosophy is "To each their own."

What matters to me above all is usability. If you have the most gorgeous, flashiest RE on the shop but get annoyed at minor things while using it, there's a good chance you won't want to use it. That goes for GUI and sound quality.

It's like what ebop said, if you really like a plugin and keep using it over and over, it doesn't matter if you don't like the design initially, you get used to it and you eventually like it. At least with me, I develop emotional bonds to things I like, they grow on me and they develop an endearing quality over time. Like an ugly coffee mug a son made for his father. If you can create a GUI design that flows right, it won't matter if people dislike the looks initially. Just focus on good usability and ignore the haters.

[joeyluck]

It's funny how people can see things so differently. Joey likes the way Black Knight looks, yet it has my vote for one of the ugliest RE’s with the hardest to see controls. Everything is tiny, the white dots around the knobs add clutter, the arrow on the knobs are microscopic. Every time I see a picture of Black Knight, all I see is a jumbled mess of dots and color. It hurts to look at. I dislike everything about it.
As was mentioned, knobs with thick black lines are simply the best. That was one of the complaints I and others had with Antidote's knobs, which they improved (and it's still not  nearly  pronounced enough for me).

I agree. I was just replying to the "looks awful" aspect of your comment, as I thought you were going on looks alone. I don't use Black Knight, so I didn't give any thought to how easy the controls could be seen. That is something that is also very important to me.

I was the one who pushed and rallied for the Antidote knobs to be changed

[craven]

... btw, is there a reason that we see no new RE's from Props since a long time ?  

I guess they were pretty busy with Reason 8 updates recently.

[Pepin]

Polar's GUI is probably my favorite:
-Knobs and text are nice and readable without being excessively large
-Controls are organized into distinct sections, and signal flow is indicated with arrow shapes, much like on Malström
-Envelope uses faders rather than knobs
-Attractive color scheme and overall design
-Fits in the rack but minimizes non-functional skeuomorphism (no excessive reflections, vents, leather trim, etc.)

 

[K.Markov]

Korg MonoPoly. It was my first ever hardware synth, now I have a chance to play it again. It looks like original, plus much more in RE format (mod matrix). Just love it

[ebop]

Thanks Hamu, I appreciate your cool calm head and willingness to converse with A-holes like me that give/gave your GUI a hard time. I meant what I said about the dark purple, it really has grown on me and I've also come to appreciate your subtle cheekiness as well At first I didn't understand your devices but many swore by them so I'll give them a crack and I'll probably become a supporter because your pricing is very fair. But please please no more shocking pink/purple

[boobytrap]

I always thought Black Knight looked nice. And I think the update to Meteora is much improved and believable as real hardware...

Overall black knight colour scheme is too dark and too much details in that small space. They can make it bigger and use simple knobs with simple fonts. Like softube RE's. Problem is it's too small. Compare black knight with EVE-MP5 knobs and background. That's what I mean awful

See new FL STUDIO 12 VECTOR GUI.

[altron]

Most pleasing UI so far I found to be Quadelectra Mercury. Clear design, but not too sterile, nice textures and contrasty colours, nice flow of UI elements:

 
 

[selig]

Polar's GUI is probably my favorite:
-Knobs and text are nice and readable without being excessively large
-Controls are organized into distinct sections, and signal flow is indicated with arrow shapes, much like on Malström
-Envelope uses faders rather than knobs
-Attractive color scheme and overall design
-Fits in the rack but minimizes non-functional skeuomorphism (no excessive reflections, vents, leather trim, etc.)

 

I like Polar too, but want to comment and give a +1 to the REASONS why you like Polar, which I feel are often overlooked in GUI discussions. Most of the time folks complain about color or control density, but for me I see the ORGANIZATION as the number one quality to look for in a UI.

Sure, color is important if you screw it up, as is an uncluttered UI IMO. But if I can't understand the basics of the device from the front panel as you can with Polar, then it's poor UI design IMO. Yes, I LOVE a sexy looking interface as much as the next user, but as a "user" I need to be able to easily "use" the device as my number one priority. 

As such, I tend to put the overall concept/layout ahead of all other factors, which is not to say the other factors don't matter just that if the overall design isn't well thought out from an end users perspective, then none of the other factors will matter to me.

Just my 2 cents on the subject.