Is 2C's Aether REALLY worth it? (the answer is: yes, certainly)

[quantize]

I won't be changing my mind ever...the current UI looks and operates like a professional product. I know this will thrill many here, but I think there is a culture of enthusing for amateur DIY UI's at KVR...they look crummy and (i think unfairly) reinforce the idea this place is for hobbyists. I know that's going to make folks angry here, but there is extremely good reason you got the UI complaints in the first place. You got it right this time IMHO

[dhalfen]

Dry:
http://www.2caudio.com/products/aether/ ... ds_Dry.wav

Wet:
http://www.2caudio.com/products/aether/ ... ds_Wet.wav

this is ONLY Aether.

Oh, now you're just showing off!!!

I won't be changing my mind ever...the current UI looks and operates like a professional product. I know this will thrill many here, but I think there is a culture of enthusing for amateur DIY UI's at KVR...they look crummy and (i think unfairly) reinforce the idea this place is for hobbyists. I know that's going to make folks angry here, but there is extremely good reason you got the UI complaints in the first place. You got it right this time IMHO

I would hardly call the initial Aether GUI "crummy" or "amateurish," if that's what you're inferring -- if anything, then it deserves to be called "way ahead of its time." I considered it to be quite lovely, if distinctly different from what the typical user would expect. (Any "fault" lies just as much with the user as with the radicalness of the design.)

Granted, the new look is excellent, but the original made a very good impression upon me (not to mention serving as attention-demanding eye candy for the layperson ).

And since I'm usually not looking at the GUI while playing the ol' keyboards, then the look of Aether and such really isn't that important -- it would sound just as good if the GUI consisted of a big, green frog with buttons.

[Andrew Souter]

I won't be changing my mind ever...the current UI looks and operates like a professional product. I know this will thrill many here, but I think there is a culture of enthusing for amateur DIY UI's at KVR...they look crummy and (i think unfairly) reinforce the idea this place is for hobbyists. I know that's going to make folks angry here, but there is extremely good reason you got the UI complaints in the first place. You got it right this time IMHO

Thanks. Manuel Colom in Paris is mostly responsible for the new GUI. It was his sketch and style here. I did some of it, and changed one or two things, and put the whole thing together, but it was only possible by working from his example. He's the true GUI designer, not me. Thanks Manuel!

[Breeze]

...jeeze you guys almost crucified me the first time I tried to make the GUI 960 pixels wide. Now you want it bigger?

Clearly, I wasn't one of the complainers.

I bet you, someday everyone is going to decide they liked the 3D GUI too. I still think it's pretty damn cool, especially the large 3d indigo skin. But I like the new skins personally a lot too and understand now how they are better in many ways.

Definitely -1 for me on that one: I liked the size but I much prefer the new clear GUI to the old one; yes, it's a little less creative, but I love how things are just so much clearer. What's important about a tool is how well-designed it is, the quality of what it does, how efficient it is to work with, and how well it allows you to materialize your ideas... not so much what it looks like, unless it interferes with any of the above.

Anyway, all said tounge-in-cheek, so please don't anyone freak out and start a new flame war...

Naaaa. We're all into love and peace and harmony around here.

[Andrew Souter]

I would hardly call the initial Aether GUI "crummy" or "amateurish," if that's what you're inferring -- if anything, then it deserves to be called "way ahead of its time." I considered it to be quite lovely, if distinctly different from what the typical user would expect. (Any "fault" lies just as much with the user as with the radicalness of the design.)

In retrospect, overall, it had some cool ideas, and the layout is maybe the strongest idea about it, and as you see we retained that in the current version. It's not standard, but once you spend some time with it, you start to understand the logic of why it is the way it is and you start to appreciate it.

But some things could certainly have been better. It is hard to do a real 3D look with only Photoshop, which is how I did it. Some GUI elements looked a little silly and could have been better if done with a real 3D app. And the knob style looked great (IMHO) on large knobs, but readability became an issue on the smaller sizes, especially when we shrunk it to 75% size. 720 pixels.

So basically the idea was mostly good, but the execution could have been better in many ways. Good thing we had a real graphic designer to help us this time.

I may rework it for fun at some point--time permitting...

And since I'm usually not looking at the GUI while playing the ol' keyboards, then the look of Aether and such really isn't that important -- it would sound just as good if the GUI consisted of a big, green frog with buttons.

exactly... the best thing about the new GUI, is we can stop talking about it and focus on the sound!

[quantize]

I would hardly call the initial Aether GUI "crummy" or "amateurish," if that's what you're inferring -- if anything, then it deserves to be called "way ahead of its time."

No I wasn't inferring that at all (or I'd just say it)...but I'll definitely disagree that it was 'way ahead of it's time'...unless your definition means 'not so well laid out and time consuming to identify parameters'.

Whatever, either way, it sounds bloody awesome and now i only have more reason to love it and use it with a friendly and logical UI.

[speedyd]

I also miss the large GUI. I work on a 30'' Screen and the small one is acceptable, but a large one would be great.

By the way : When will the 1.5 manual be ready ?

[quantize]

I also miss the large GUI. I work on a 30'' Screen and the small one is acceptable, but a large one would be great.

By the way : When will the 1.5 manual be ready ?

As do I, the size is absolutely perfect for such a size screen...weird stuff all this whining..

[Andrew Souter]

By the way : When will the 1.5 manual be ready ?

I am going to put up what is done tomorrow (friday), as I am leaving for a (deserved, I think) vacation on Sat for a week. Denis will handle things while I am gone, and I will also check in everyday I hope, but I will not be glued to the computer 16 hours a day like I have been lately.

It is mostly complete, but later I want to add some more detailed "tutorial" and "tips and tricks" kind of things.

[sazb30]

the little demoes you posted sound wonderful, but I can't find the 'Tundra' preset in the preset list for the Creativity Expansion? Is it an original preset? (can't check right now)

[ganymede]

the little demoes you posted sound wonderful, but I can't find the 'Tundra' preset in the preset list for the Creativity Expansion? Is it an original preset? (can't check right now)

It's in the Mystical folder. They just forgot to include it on the list file.

[Andrew Souter]

To contrast the previous FX examples, check this one out BTW:

http://www.2caudio.com/products/aether/ ... ng_Wet.wav

This is from Ian Stephenson. Some info about Ian:

Ian Stephenson is a professional folk musician and producer who works with many different artists around the world including Kathryn Tickell, KAN, Baltic Crossing, 422, Helene Boksle, Chris Stout, dozens of others. Albums which he's contributed to include major labels (Universal), Grammy nominated albums (Helene Boksle), Big name producers (Simon Franglen, -Titanic, Avatar), UK number one albums (Will Martin), and other countless other projects including numerous television appearances (this year, celtic connections, Howard Goodalls Carols, Culture Show, various gaelic language programmes etc..), His band Baltic Crossing is due to start an 11 date tour of some of Europes most prestigious concert halls (Vienna Philharmonie, Amsterdam Concertgebauw, Paris, Athens, Berlin, Stockholm etc etc.)

This one is great too from Holmes Ives:

http://www.2caudio.com/products/aether/ ... ix_Wet.wav

Holmes has worked with the following dance music labels:

Bedrock, Yoshitoshi, Shinichi, Renaissance, Hope Recordings, Caffeine, Release, Musicnow, Shaken Not Stirred, Six Degrees, Koch, Stimuli, Global Underground, Fade, Choo Choo, OVA Records, Mute, Fifth Column

And also does really excellent down-tempo, soulful vocal ballad type things, like this example. http://www.holmesives.com/

Anyway, these and the other audio files should give a good starting sense of the diversity of Aether: Creativity & Integrity.

Dry sounds are also in the previously linked folder.

[Coil]

hm, a manual would be cooler

[Andrew Souter]

the little demoes you posted sound wonderful, but I can't find the 'Tundra' preset in the preset list for the Creativity Expansion? Is it an original preset? (can't check right now)

It's in the Mystical folder. They just forgot to include it on the list file.

It's actually an original factory preset. That's what it's not on the new lists.

[Mogular]

Andrew, which preset did you use on the solo chords example?