Upcoming Synapse OB-Xa: Obsession

[Ingonator]

With the biggest GUI size at my Full HD display the OBsession GUI is exactly as high as my DAW/host software and some empty space at the left and right of the screen.
When i zoom the Arturia plugin to 120% (110% would be nice but not available) it exactly fits the screen horizontally but the lower part of the GUI is cut off and/or has to be scrolled.

At those big sizes the knobs and buttons of OBSession are clearly bigger than in the Arturia plugin.

Besides that the stripes at the Arturia plugin are really hurting my eyes after a while while the cleaner/clearer OBsession GUI is no problem for me even after a long time of using it.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

what can I say, I havent had a prob with it, and haven't seen anyone else mention it...

I'm not saying everyone has to agree with me. I'm just trying to articulate my particular issues with the layout. And a few of us feel that way about the layout, while the testers we've heard from don't see it as a problem. That's life. We all have opinions. I'm not trying going to suggest people are idiots because they disagree with me (we've got Bones here to do that).

And I'm not saying you or any other testers did anything wrong by not reporting something you didn't have a problem with. I just think a little more diversity of opinion on the team could've at least raised the GUI issues for discussion earlier, which would've been positive, and the right time for issues like that to be raised. Sometimes you love a product, you love the developer's work overall, you're happy to be on the team, and you may not necessarily be as critical as you'd otherwise be. Or maybe you're focusing on functional bugs and not even thinking about the design. Not saying that happened here, but sometimes being a tester can create a bit of a bias, same as getting free products for reviews can create unconscious biases.

Heck, even a teaser screenshot a few months ago would've flagged it for discussion sooner without needing to add testers. And maybe ultimately Richard would've kept it as-is anyway. But I [personally] don't feel the layout does the product any favors.

[zvenx]

I wonder why they don't just move the modulation row down, the layout would look more familiar this way:

More familiar with what? In the real OB-Xa the order of modules/sections is:
control/common/unison -> modulation -> oscillators -> filter -> envelopes

OBsession replicates this order from the upper left to the lower right of the GUI.

FWIW while having done tons of patches with the plugin for me it worked nicely as it is in the current way.

The controls of the second LFO are an exact duplicate of the first one. You have to use the corresponding 1 and 2 buttons at the left to switch between both LFOs.

The OBX-A also has Chord and Hold in the Manual section, and this Master (Manual) section to the Left of Control. So indeed Richard was open to some rearrangement in the GUI from the original.


The Osc/Filter/Envelope section takes up probably almost 60% of the hardware interface.
To me the Osc/Filter/Envelope section looks like as we would say in Jamaica, Brawta, Extra, like a Chuck on/Add on....rather than the main part of the whole synth.

I too am waiting to actually try it, but I am skeptical, very skeptical.

rsp

[AnX]

what can I say, I havent had a prob with it, and haven't seen anyone else mention it...

I'm not saying everyone has to agree with me. I'm just trying to articulate my particular issues with the layout. And a few of us feel that way about the layout, while the testers we've heard from don't see it as a problem. That's life. We all have opinions. I'm not trying going to suggest people are idiots because they disagree with me (we've got Bones here to do that).

And I'm not saying you or any other testers did anything wrong by not reporting something you didn't have a problem with. I just think a little more diversity of opinion on the team could've at least raised the GUI issues for discussion earlier, which would've been positive, and the right time for issues like that to be raised. Sometimes you love a product, you love the developer's work overall, you're happy to be on the team, and you may not necessarily be as critical as you'd otherwise be. Or maybe you're focusing on functional bugs and not even thinking about the design. Not saying that happened here, but sometimes being a tester can create a bit of a bias, same as getting free products for reviews can create unconscious biases.

Heck, even a teaser screenshot a few months ago would've flagged it for discussion sooner without needing to add testers. And maybe ultimately Richard would've kept it as-is anyway. But I [personally] don't feel the layout does the product any favors.

i dont have a problem telling Rich how I feel about his stuff, we often "discuss" things

ie I hate Dune3 gui, knobs the same colour as the background, so made my own skin...

as for a skin preview, when has that ever happened? Stuff changes so much, it's virtually impossible.... and as I said, if nobody brought it up, and Rich likes it, it was never an option


now, if half the team had mentioned it, it may have been an option....

[zvenx]

How about the preset browser? Did the team not mention that one too?




(I am here every Tuesday and Fridays)....
rsp

[e-crooner]

why?

ive never used an original, or any of the emus, so the whole layout was new to me, much like any new synth. Because of its simplicity, took very little time to find my way around. Its not like I have to physically reach over to get to anything, it's all a tiny mouse movement away.

Because putting the oscs, filters, and envelopes at the bottom of a vertical layout is about as non-standard as you can get. Putting the X-mod and the Osc2Detune outside of the oscillator section is about as non-standard as you can get. That's why. The place your eye goes to first is the center. In this case, that's the mod section. Why not just randomly place everything all over the GUI if none of this matters since we don't have to reach for anything and they're just tiny mouse movements?

I was also wondering about those Osc 2 knobs, but they are not in the Osc section on the hardware, either.
Anyway, updated my layout by changing the order of the four control elements so that at least the two Osc 2 knobs are right above oscillator 2.
I have sent my layout to Richard, maybe he likes it
What a nice person, by the way

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

How about the preset browser? Did the team not mention that one too?




(I am here every Tuesday and Fridays)....
rsp

What's wrong with the browser? It's not U-he's with extensive tagging and favorite options, but I find The Legend's browser easy enough to navigate and use. It's simple and gets the job done.

[zvenx]

It is 1984 good.. yes I like tagging, favourites etc... not just u-he.. almost all the other synths I use has them....(it is a huge part why I haven't bought third party banks for Legend, or many for Dune 3).

Especially favourites. I have to work fast, it helps tremendously.


At least Dune responds to my computer keyboard arrows to next and previous presets. The current version of Legend doesn't. I don't recall if it use to and stopped.
rsp

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I have sent my layout to Richard, maybe he likes it
What a nice person, by the way

I certainly like it. While I'd still say "hey, those osc 2 controls belong in the osc section" at least they're nearby, and the main controls are in the center of the GUI. I would go from "hey, there's a big problem with the layout" (current state) to "hey, that's a little weird, no biggie though."

Looking at your GUI, I'd probably go one small step further. I'd move Unison and Portamento to the Common/Master section by moving the section divider over to the left and re-centering the label. This makes sense since they really are "common/master" type controls anyway. Then I'd rename what's currently called the "Control" section (which is now just Osc2 Detune and X-Mod) to "Osc2 Control" or something to that effect.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

It is 1984 good.. yes I like tagging, favourites etc... not just u-he.. almost all the other synths I use has them....(it is a huge part why I haven't bought third party banks for Legend, or many for Dune 3).

rsp

I appreciate a good tagged browser too, but the menu/sub-menu system broken out by category is the next best thing. It took U-he a long time to get their browser up and running, and that was with a few developers if I'm not mistaken. So, totally get why everyone doesn't have such a comprehensively deep preset browser. Categorized menus/sub-menus are an efficient way to allow users to navigate presets.

Don't get me wrong: I wouldn't complain about a tagged browser with favorites, it would be an improvement for sure. I just get that it's a huge task and would rather see new products with the current menu system rather than a year or more of development go into just a browser. Heck, NKS/Komplete Kontrol users will already have tagged presets and favorites with this right (I think NKS is on the horizon for this)?

[zvenx]

U-he was playing catch up though..Quite a few others had it before then.
Anyway doesn't work for me, I end up rarely if ever using Synapse stuff for that reason. I have to work quickly. Don't have to go thru all the presets to see which one I like for the umpteenth time.

Tone2 is a one man operation and they have had favourites (ratings) for quite awhile.


For me it is huge, but i do get why it may not be for others.
Look at Reveal Sounds with Spire, they been working on theirs for awhile.....I am sure because they have gotten a lot of customer feedback clamouring for one.
rsp

[AnX]

How about the preset browser? Did the team not mention that one too?

sure, some ppl may have mentioned it (i personally like it as it is but...)

its on a list afaik, some ppl have been asking on the company forum for a new browser for D3 etc too.

[e-crooner]

I have sent my layout to Richard, maybe he likes it
What a nice person, by the way

I certainly like it. While I'd still say "hey, those osc 2 controls belong in the osc section" at least they're nearby, and the main controls are in the center of the GUI. I would go from "hey, there's a big problem with the layout" (current state) to "hey, that's a little weird, no biggie though."

Looking at your GUI, I'd probably go one small step further. I'd move Unison and Portamento to the Common/Master section by moving the section divider over to the left and re-centering the label. This makes sense since they really are "common/master" type controls anyway. Then I'd rename what's currently called the "Control" section (which is now just Osc2 Detune and X-Mod) to "Osc2 Control" or something to that effect.

That's funny, I had the same thought, but didn't want to go that far because of the section titles on the hardware
(To me control somehow implies stuff that happens while playing.)

[zvenx]

How about the preset browser? Did the team not mention that one too?

sure, some ppl may have mentioned it (i personally like it as it is but...)

its on a list afaik, some ppl have been asking on the company forum for a new browser for D3 etc too.

I do remember us having that convo, which was why I was teasing you about it.. I think you said you preferred it to a competitor one which I clearly much preferred.

rsp

[Echoes in the Attic]

why?

ive never used an original, or any of the emus, so the whole layout was new to me, much like any new synth. Because of its simplicity, took very little time to find my way around. Its not like I have to physically reach over to get to anything, it's all a tiny mouse movement away.

Because putting the oscs, filters, and envelopes at the bottom of a vertical layout is about as non-standard as you can get. Putting the X-mod and the Osc2Detune outside of the oscillator section is about as non-standard as you can get. That's why. The place your eye goes to first is the center. In this case, that's the mod section. Why not just randomly place everything all over the GUI if none of this matters since we don't have to reach for anything and they're just tiny mouse movements?

I was also wondering about those Osc 2 knobs, but they are not in the Osc section on the hardware, either.
Anyway, updated my layout by changing the order of the four control elements so that at least the two Osc 2 knobs are right above oscillator 2.
I have sent my layout to Richard, maybe he likes it
What a nice person, by the way

I probably would have put that top row on the bottom so that oscs and filter and envelopes were on top.