I guess it's synth month because U-HE is finishing the new Hive synth

[Urs]

To me, design and function are both very important. Would you buy a car that looks boring?

Depends what you mean by "boring".

For me Valhalla, Ableton or Madronalabs not boring at all, but very well suited for working with for long production sessions.

The GUI is nice, but hopefully there will be alternative skins.

Our synths are so easy to skin, I'm sure there'll be tons of themes in no time.

And of course we'll offer alternative schemes as well, maybe even alternative layouts and styles.

[hakey]

I'd expect you to give us the benefit of a doubt rather than accusing us of foul play.

Foul play? I said it wasn't to my taste and explained why.

Do you only want to hear positive feedback?

[valerian_777]

I'd expect you to give us the benefit of a doubt rather than accusing us of foul play.

Foul play? I said it wasn't to my taste and explained why.

Do you only want to hear positive feedback?

Wait....you explained that the UI is not your taste with this:

"There's an implied presumption of a level of superficiality in the customer that's rather patronising. "

Now you wonder Urs take it as offense? Ehhhhh???

[Urs]

I'd expect you to give us the benefit of a doubt rather than accusing us of foul play.

Foul play? I said it wasn't to my taste and explained why.

Do you only want to hear positive feedback?

No, we appreciate constructive criticism - a lot was given and written down for our next design review.

But accusing us of being presumptious or patronizing isn't one of the things that sit well with me.

[chk071]

What happened to less is more?

As we're already on with the critics, tbh, i've been thinking the same when i read that Hive is going to have 3 switchable sound engines. Seems already a bit too much in the geek department considering the target audience and the simplicity approach IMO. At least i'm wondering who'd really make use of it. In the worst case, people could be puzzled which engine sounds the best now, especially when the differences are "subtle".

[Caine123]

have faith in u-he! whats up with you

[Urs]

What happened to less is more?

As we're already on with the critics, tbh, i've been thinking the same when i read that Hive is going to have 3 switchable sound engines. Seems already a bit too much in the geek department considering the target audience and the simplicity approach. At least i'm wondering who'd really make use of it. In the worst case, people could be puzzled which engine sounds the best now, especially when the differences are "subtle".

The synth engine switch replaces more than a dozen parameters that would, by them selves, be seen as "esoteric" at best. We concentrated them into three complementary flavours that do make an audible difference, instead of adding 30 more drop downs that leave people scratching their heads.

We also got the number of parameters down to about, hmm, two thirds (?) of similar synths, without sacrificing flexibility. While we dropped rather unimportant parameters, we also added new ones that let Hive go far beyond other offerings. So, despite a muchly reduced parameter set we managed to put more features onto the table.

Therefore, I'll stand behind "Less is More"

[hakey]

accusing us of being presumptious or patronizing isn't one of the things that sit well with me

I said that, for me, the GUI implied a patronising presumption about the customer. And it does. For me.

Indeed, your justification for the whimsical layer of concept - 'I believe that a less "flashy" look would immediately put the perception of complexity into the foreground and thus alienate people' - is bloody patronising!

[hakey]

"There's an implied presumption of a level of superficiality in the customer that's rather patronising. "

Now you wonder Urs take it as offense? Ehhhhh???

In which case he's taken offence because I've taken offence (at the patronising assumptions that lie behind the concept - which he himself has admitted).

[Urs]

accusing us of being presumptious or patronizing isn't one of the things that sit well with me

I said that, for me, the GUI implied a patronising presumption about the customer. And it does. For me.

Indeed, your justification for the whimsical layer of concept - 'I believe that a less "flashy" look would immediately put the perception of complexity into the foreground and thus alienate people' - is bloody patronising!

Aha. Sorry, I'm too busy to go into hair splitting debates.

[Urs]

"There's an implied presumption of a level of superficiality in the customer that's rather patronising. "

Now you wonder Urs take it as offense? Ehhhhh???

In which case he's taken offence because I've taken offence (at the patronising assumptions that lie behind the concept - which he himself has admitted).

I read this as: Any form of design is an incidence of "patronising assumptions"

(I can see where you're getting this. It's just not a nice way of putting down the experience, talent and motivation of a designer. If you feel patronised by the concept and its design, vote with your wallet. When I was three I wanted Lego, not Duplo. I made sure I got Lego.)

[martingifford]

What frightens me is that people defend Serum, which makes me think maybe the U-he people either don't hear the frostiness or maybe even think it's the latest cool sound to be copied or at least included, especially since the two demo mp3s are frosty like Serum. If I hear that U-he people at least know what the anti-frost people are talking about, then I'd be reassured. Otherwise, have to wait for the demo, but by then, it's often too late to change things significantly.

[bftucker]

"There's an implied presumption of a level of superficiality in the customer that's rather patronising. "

Now you wonder Urs take it as offense? Ehhhhh???

In which case he's taken offence because I've taken offence (at the patronising assumptions that lie behind the concept - which he himself has admitted).

I read this as: Any form of design is an incidence of "patronising assumptions"

I hope this stops...

but it seems that targeting (attempting to make your work especially attractive to any particular group (if that group doesn't include me anyway!) is a "patronising" assumption.

One man's appealing is another man's appalling?

[Urs]

What frightens me is that people defend Serum, which makes me think maybe the U-he people either don't hear the frostiness or maybe even think it's the latest cool sound to be copied or at least included, especially since the two demo mp3s are frosty like Serum. If I hear that U-he people at least know what the anti-frost people are talking about, then I'd be reassured. Otherwise, have to wait for the demo, but by then, it's often too late to change things significantly.

Hehehe, sorry, I have never heard Serum. I therefore don't know what you're talking about and can't make any educated statement.

Hive's filter opens wider than Sylenths. If that is what you're talking about then you won't like Hive. Similarly, maybe Serum has zero delay feedback filters and what you dislike is a lack of "smear". In that case you will also not like Hive.

There's many possibilities as to what you mean. The best way to go about this is to make the same sound once with Serum and once with Sylenth and post it here. Otherwise I'm a bit lost, unfortunately

[zvenx]

What frightens me is that people defend Serum, which makes me think maybe the U-he people either don't hear the frostiness or maybe even think it's the latest cool sound to be copied or at least included, especially since the two demo mp3s are frosty like Serum. If I hear that U-he people at least know what the anti-frost people are talking about, then I'd be reassured. Otherwise, have to wait for the demo, but by then, it's often too late to change things significantly.

Why do you think your ears and taste is better than everyone elses?

Serum is not your taste. That's fine. But it is just that, not YOURRRR taste..........

Actually as someone who owns most of what is out there, I will say that for me the two best sounding software synths I have ever heard and owned are Diva and Serum...... Very very different sounds. Just my taste.

It is almost like you expect your taste to be the definitive taste and Urs/U-he must comply if they know whats good for them.

rsp