NI could learn from Spectrasonics

[kevvvvv]

Sampleconstruct

Omnisphere is just another fancy Rompler, boring and one can't load one's own samples which is making everybody using the same sounds again. Not the way to go imo.

yes ... omnisphere sucks

[EvilDragon]

Word.

[eduardo_b]

Native Instruments: Germans

Spectrasonics: Americans

Nuff said.

Not really. Please elucidate on this.

[tropicalontour]

If NI interfaces were web pages, it's highly doubtful they'd pass the mandatory accessibility rules. Sight impaired people would be automatically excluded from using their interfaces. So if there is a law that compels web based applications to consider sight impaired people and people with other disabilities, why does this not apply to desktop software applications, even as a courtesy by the developer? Are we only catering to the ubermensch these days? Kontakt is very hard to use on my laptop due to the tiny writing and itty bitty little active areas on some controls. Also the application isn't resizable to take advantage of the many unused pixels I have available to me on my screen. Why? It's bizarre. Haven't the interface designers heard of vector graphics?

[cryophonik]

...Kontakt is very hard to use on my laptop due to the tiny writing and itty bitty little active areas on some controls. Also the application isn't resizable to take advantage of the many unused pixels I have available to me on my screen. Why? It's bizarre. Haven't the interface designers heard of vector graphics?

Hey tropicalontour - have you looked at Kontakt 4? The GUI is freely sizable and you have some control over font size. I just got it yesterday and didn't play around with the font size because the default size works for me, but it may make a big difference to someone to like you.

[Hlis93]

I understand how users want more on one page, however the problem is that with complex instruments such as those mentioned a single view interface would be a cramped nightmare. There is not enough room to cram all that stuff on to one panel. Placing numerous things are a single panel interface forces the design to make things abnormally small or make the interface abnormally big, so you either have to scroll or choose a menu, either way it will be a pain to use. If you are one of those that have trouble reading the text as it is now imagine how small it would be to accommodate a bunch of cramped features just to get it on one page. Complex instruments do not play the shrink game, then again I suppose there could be some sort of rudimentary interface with a black background and just a bunch of text with numbers next to it.

Ultimately the best solution in my mind is a user definable easy page, the user can choose sets of items to display, then what the user considers relevant information to the patch is easily available. NI's Kore in many ways goes in this direction although it divorces one from the actual instrument interface.

[ozmoz2008]

... have you looked at Kontakt 4? The GUI is freely sizable and you have some control over font size. I just got it yesterday and didn't play around with the font size because the default size works for me, but it may make a big difference to someone to like you.

There is one thing about Kontakt 4 that I don't like compare to Kontakt 3.5. It's the Quickload feature that doesn't seem to be saving somewhere, it have to reload everytime I start the VST and since I have many folders in there it takes around 4to5min to scan everytime.

It was not doing that in 3.5

Do you know of a way to save the Quickload settings? It doesn't work with the normal scan like before. That scan is only good for seeing the instruments in the list but not on the Quickload menu.

[Nielzie]

Native Instruments: Germans

Spectrasonics: Americans

Nuff said.

Yes, and:

FabFilter: Dutch

Camel Audio: British

D16 Group: Polish

Sonic Charge: Swedish

So?

[cryophonik]

The best solution in my mind is to develop a GUI that makes sense for the synth from the designer's and the user's perspective, and make sure that it is well-documented and easily referenced via owners manuals, quick start guides, and/or videos. Both NI and Spectrasonics are stellar in this regard.

In other words,

whatevah

[klagga2]

I've always used NI products, but never loved them as they're always too complex and fiddly for me to really enjoy.

When using NI product I have to know in advance what I'm trying to achieve.

Knowing this, I can map my way through the maze of possibilities their software offers.

Spectrasonics products are equally complex (try digging into Steam if you don't believe me).

But they let me explore with confidence, peeling away the layers as it suits me.

I'm not required to know in advance precisely what I want to do.

I feel much better working this way.

Why can't NI learn from this?

Spectrasonics also offer lots of free training videos, so I can bone up on the "deeper bits" at leisure.

By contrast, NI offer the appearance of intuitive usability (mostly with the new browser). But I don't think they really believe in it.

Deep down they have a "no pain no gain" philosophy. Synths must be complex to be any good.

And now Spectrasonics are outclassing NI by a mile

I think you are absolutely right.

NI take note:
- Spectrasonics give away free video tutorials, NI make no (or awfully expensive) video tutorials.
- Spectrasonics focus on ease-of-use. NI focus on making things overly complicated, so that snobs can feel special for (maybe) understanding it.
- Spectrasonics has a basic customer friendly attitude with patience towards questions, something that NI could learn from, too. Nice attitude = good business. Greedy, snobby and impatient attitude = not so good business.

[.Parsec.audio.tron.]

I find the Massive interface, and most aspects of the Absynth interface, to be quite intuitive.

It's good that you're expert at synths.

But I'd take a guess that the majority of users don't have your skill level.[/quote]


i find the massive interface intuitive after reading the manual as well (not trying to be a dick here) but i'm not an "expert at synths" either.

some things work for some people i guess. massive is my most comfortable synth... even including the built-in logic ones. i know how to use it the best.

[standalone]

Omnisphere is just another fancy Rompler, boring and one can't load one's own samples which is making everybody using the same sounds again. Not the way to go imo.

Yes, the same 2700 multisamples over and over again.......fffff

[standalone]

Native Instruments: Germans

Spectrasonics: Americans

Nuff said.

Yes, and:

FabFilter: Dutch

Camel Audio: British

D16 Group: Polish

Sonic Charge: Swedish

So?

But you must admit that Ichiro Toda being half Mexican, half Moroccan explains a lot about Synth1's colourful interface.

[Aleatoriac]

I guess they're only opinions

First sample library I bought was Spectrasonics' "Distorted Reality 2". First thing I bought to play it in? Native Insruments Kontakt. I love 'em both.

Now... Camel Audio's Alchemy has 'em all beat on interface. I've never found an instrument so easy to understand. Maybe it's just when it came along, who knows; but all of them have a unique use and can be made to sound similar enough.

Fantastic time to be alive with all these sounds and manglers around!

[eduardo_b]

But you must admit that Ichiro Toda being half Mexican, half Moroccan explains a lot about Synth1's colourful interface.

Not Japanese?