KVR Audio

iDesignSound · Post by **iDesignSound** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:17 pm

I know I am.

If something looks ugly I just won't download it, even if it's free (and probably sounds great) I just like prefer to use nice looking things.

So, tell me, which soft synths and effects get your vote for the best UI's?

budweiser · Post by **budweiser** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:29 pm

Kind of. But i'll stretch a bit and paraphrase my wife : size matters. No more tiny guis for me, so i suppose i'm a kind of ui snob.

recursive one · Post by **recursive one** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:42 pm

Not at all, as long as the GUI is readable.

Sylenth and Z3ta2 both have ugly but functional GUIs, and both are my to-go synths.

Among the synths I have, Razor has the best combination of aesthetics and functionality.

el-bo (formerly ebow) · Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:48 pm

not gonna lie, a good-looking gui does go a long way for me. but if i couldn't find a better alternative, then i wouldn't avoid a plug due to an ugly gui

xalama qo · Post by **xalama qo** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:50 pm

yes, but there are always exceptions.

cocoazenith · Post by **cocoazenith** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:54 pm

I'm definitely an UI snob. Good looking instruments inspire me to create more.

As far as looks go I can mention:

1. almost everything NI has done in the last 2 years - they've really stepped up their game (Monark is one example).
2. ableton and its instruments: i just love the simplicity of it all. it's really german minimalism at it's best. synths like analog
or sampler are ultra-fun to play with beacuse of their layout and looks.
3. UVI stuff - amazing interfaces - really. wish i had that much skills at designing.
4. some third-party kontakt instruments are really well done (sample magic, wave alchemy)

stuff that sounds great but it's not quite there ui wise:
zebra2, diva

stuff looks awful (never gonna buy):
synthmaster, sylenth1, that new U-he Hive synth - i understand the idea but looks too much like
a H.R. Giger/geek-fantasy thingie...

of course all of this is my take on things. i work in the design business and tend to think visually...

beely · Post by **beely** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:54 pm

I don't like things that look like crap in general, and don't use them.

If I'm using something on a regular basis, then I want it to sound good, work good, look good, and behave good...

U-o · Post by **U-o** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:00 pm

recursive one wrote:Not at all, as long as the GUI is readable.

Sylenth and Z3ta2 both have ugly but functional GUIs, and both are my to-go synths.

Among the synths I have, Razor has the best combination of aesthetics and functionality.

The most important for me is readable GUI with self explanation knobs which is easy to use with good sound and reasonable CPU usage. Big plus for me is if plugin has full mousewheel control (it's easier to turn knobs with mousewheel without 1.000.000.000 mouse-clicks) and no hidden functions/windows. If there is a nice GUI, it's a "must have plugin" for me.

BTW: I don't think that z3ta+2 is ugly, also Sylenth is nice plugin (but too expensive for me now).

el-bo (formerly ebow) · Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:03 pm

i always thought that sylenth looked great. the alternative skins have none of the original's charm

Burillo · Post by **Burillo** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:05 pm

yes i am. poor UI generally discourages me from using the plugin. poor not only in terms of looks but in terms of functionality as well.

that said, one man's poor UI is another man's great UI. for example, some people don't like Valhalla GUI's, while i think they are perfectly good UI's. some people don't like faux realism in UI's, while i like when a plugin looks like hardware (and generally prefer plugins which do). it all depends on the person.

audio/fault · Post by **audio/fault** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:12 pm

cocoazenith wrote: that new U-he Hive synth - i understand the idea but looks too much like
a H.R. Giger/geek-fantasy thingie...

so where did you see the complete ui?

cocoazenith · Post by **cocoazenith** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:24 pm

i'm talking about those screenshots / previews around kvr...but to cut the long story short:
first and foremost a hexagon is not the most beautiful shape when it comes to nice graphic design.

audio/fault wrote:
cocoazenith wrote: that new U-he Hive synth - i understand the idea but looks too much like
a H.R. Giger/geek-fantasy thingie...
so where did you see the complete ui?

WOW! Didn't know Sylenth1 can have skins. This changes a lot.

fmr · Post by **fmr** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:30 pm

I am the king of snobery, in what concerns GUI look. If a plug-in has a great GUI, it imediately appeals to me, even without listening to it. One with a poor design may be the best in his field... I will not care about it

xalama qo · Post by **xalama qo** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:30 pm

I love NI's Driver. it looks like fun, and it is fun. some of the functions are a bit hidden or cryptic, but the graphic representations around the knobs etc always makes me smile.
d16 is the only company I really forgive for their fisheye skeumorphic realism because I love their sound. love it! Now that Lush has a larger GUI which fills my screen the ergonomics and label legibility have improved, and the fisheye perspective almost makes sense.

I like flat/vector-type looks the most. I enjoyed the Bazille beta quite a lot. FAW Circle has always been a favourite, and v2 looks like it will look even better...I like their design philosophy. I appreciate Valhalla DSP's design philosophy too, but tbh VRoom is the only product of their's that I think looks good. VVV is quirky cool, but also just a bit queasy. Fabfilter's stuff just looks better and better, except for Twin 2, that synth needs some colour changes...purple and yellow, I'm not a fan.

DAW-wise EnergyXT 2 is a favourite with its simplicity and customizable colours. Ableton Live's interface is a great idea, but IMO poorly executed...lots of dead space where they could have put buttons and avoided odd shaped windows. I love Sonar's skylight interface and the clean looking ProChannel modules. Just wish they'd get the toolbar area to gel better visually with the track view.
Cubase IMO has looked good since the SX days. They've had a ton of revamps, but always seem to stick to a philosophy, and personally I find it works for me, now using C6 Elements.

REALLY dislike Tone2 GUIs!!! Perspective AND blindingly glowing LCD screens. No thanks.
Amplitube perspectived knobs just because the original amp has a slanted knob panel...stupid.
T-Racks Black and White look awesome, but a lot of the rest look very iffy. The new Neve emus I like a lot, but the SSL and (original)API stuff looks grubby and 'undefined', smeary. The Quad (?) processors look terrible, reminiscent of Sampletank, all gray and red.

OK, I've grumped enough. Rant over

emergeaudio · Post by **emergeaudio** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 2:45 pm

I like nice GUI like Native Instruments plugins. However I remember the time when I was composing with Jeskola Buzz. It has so basic gui, but It sounded so great (back in 2001). Didn't bother about gui at all.
Now it's different, however for me the more important are presets that comes with product. It's because when I compose I don't create new patches , just use ones I have (I own many "players" synths like Alchemy Player or Kore player).

Are you a UI snob?