Hive 2.1 Izmo skin by Plugmon

[Arashi]

You can click on the Osc number and select "--Init--" and it will take you back to the basic wave forms or is that what you meant by reinitialize?

Yes. The problem is all the buttons in the group except WT work as expected — you click a button and it becomes active, and you can always choose another one…unless you click WT, at which point the button group is gone and you're left to guess how to get it back. If that button group is not always visible, it should simply be removed.

[Arashi]

Mmmmmay be I can... if I adjust each element a bit...

I think this makes the most sense, because there's a clear hierarchy:

Type
[Wavetable Group]
[Wavetable]

The other option is to have the button group in a single row at the top, which would always be visible. I know it looks a little empty when it's not in wavetable mode, but the hierarchy and intuitive navigation are more important.

single_row.png

[MattLeschuck]

May be a small thing but it would be nice to be able to turn on the sub oscillators by clicking the S1 and S2 within the oscillator window.

[srcodling]

That opens the Seq section, I don't see the the Arp Menu in that section alas.
rsp

It's on the bottom right corner of the GUI when the Seq box is open:


hive 030621-2.png

Ahh I missed it.
Thanks
Cause it is in a completely different colour. I didn't even consider that was a new section only available with the rest of the lighter pop up.
rsp

Thanks... Even after searching and finding this post I had to look twice to see it that the new section was there... Didn't seem intuitive to me, but otherwise I like the Izmo... I've bought quite a few of Plugmon's skins and they are usually my go to GUIs...

[Arashi]

Thanks... Even after searching and finding this post I had to look twice to see it that the new section was there... Didn't seem intuitive to me, but otherwise I like the Izmo... I've bought quite a few of Plugmon's skins and they are usually my go to GUIs...

Plugmon does very nice graphic work, puts a lot of care and attention into details, and even comes up with clever new/improved functionality, but often tips a bit too far into form over function and tends to make a few usability errors in each design. Things like buttons that look the same but behave differently (maybe it opens a menu, toggles between two values, pops up a browser, or is just a label that does nothing — you don't know until you try clicking it), too much subtlety/not enough contrast, and functionality that is effectively hidden until you guess the right place to click.

This latest design suffers from some of the usual problems with overly flat design, where it's unclear which elements are interactive. I wouldn't think to click a magnifying glass unless I want to actually search for something, but Izmo uses that for toggling the entire preset browser. The clock and arpeggiator sections are hidden until you realize you can click the 'expand' icons to open the sequencer or shape sequencer, and even then, they appear outside of the expanded editing area, which you are not likely to notice. It's very pretty, but the details haven't been thought through, and as a result it's a bit frustrating and unintuitive.

Still, I'm a fan, and have bought the Plugmon skins for all the u-he synths I use. I really like the stylized modules in AIKO (for Diva) that hint at which hardware they're based on. Neumann (for Zebra) is much cleaner and easier to use than the default skin.

I think part of the problem is Hive itself is just complex in nature and very challenging to design a UI for. I'll give the benefit of the doubt there, but there are still a few areas where Izmo could be improved.

[fgimian]

There're 2 Waveform selectors, one in the upper display (which disappear when in WT mode), the other in the lower which is kept visible across in all modes.

Thanks. I didn't notice the smaller menu. It's not clear that it's a dropdown — it just looks like a label. I suggest adding pop-up menu arrows to make it obvious there's a menu. I also think if the button group is not always visible, it should just be removed, because it's not really intuitive that there would be two different ways to switch waveform modes (and one of them sometimes disappears).

Izmo Waveform Menu.png

I said something similar a few pages ago, must agree with this. It threw me off the first time I used it too.

[rafa1981]

Is this a bug?

VST2.4. Reaper 6.25. Win 10.

-Load hive.
-Right click on the pacth name and press the "init" patch.
-Go to the modulation matrix and select e.g. "Key Follow".
-Drag the first mod slot to e.g. oscillator detune (either from the matrix or from the bottom of the GUI).
-The orange dot doesn't appear.
-Drag the second mod slot to the neighboring knob (either from the matrix or from the bottom of the GUI).
-The orange dot doesn't appear.
-Move the modulation amount on the matrix.
-Both orange dots appear.

On the original skin the orange dot appears from the start.

Selecting the modulation from the center source shows the orange dot correctly.

[anttimaatteri]

the skin is damn nice here in the kvr-forum previews. when i start hive 2 on my system it looks way more grey in grey and less contrasty. is there a chance to get a version with more contrast?

[Arashi]

Another bug (or perhaps incorrect design choice): when you click the FX button in the header, it's illuminated when the effects are off, which seems backwards to me. Should be lit when effects are on.

[zvenx]

the skin is damn nice here in the kvr-forum previews. when i start hive 2 on my system it looks way more grey in grey and less contrasty. is there a chance to get a version with more contrast?

Indeed.
He was convinced here to take away some of the contrast from his earlier versions.
rsp

[plugmon]

Is this a bug?

VST2.4. Reaper 6.25. Win 10.

-Load hive.
-Right click on the pacth name and press the "init" patch.
-Go to the modulation matrix and select e.g. "Key Follow".
-Drag the first mod slot to e.g. oscillator detune (either from the matrix or from the bottom of the GUI).
-The orange dot doesn't appear.
-Drag the second mod slot to the neighboring knob (either from the matrix or from the bottom of the GUI).
-The orange dot doesn't appear.
-Move the modulation amount on the matrix.
-Both orange dots appear.

On the original skin the orange dot appears from the start.

Selecting the modulation from the center source shows the orange dot correctly.

"the center source" is technically called "Mod Assigner" and modulation dots are shown only when the corresponding Mod Assigner is active (=clicked). In Izmo, an active Mod Assigner is highlighted by underline.
Currently the communication between the traditional Mod Matrix and the v2 Mod Assigner is not perfect.

-Clicking a mod depth knob automatically activates the mod assigner (smart!!)
-Clicking (or dragging) a mod target area doesn't activates the mod assigner

But note that there's no difference between the default and Izmo on this point. If you think that in the default skin the dot appears, it must be because the Mod Assigner is already activated before D&D.

[plugmon]

There're 2 Waveform selectors, one in the upper display (which disappear when in WT mode), the other in the lower which is kept visible across in all modes.

Thanks. I didn't notice the smaller menu. It's not clear that it's a dropdown — it just looks like a label. I suggest adding pop-up menu arrows to make it obvious there's a menu. I also think if the button group is not always visible, it should just be removed, because it's not really intuitive that there would be two different ways to switch waveform modes (and one of them sometimes disappears).

Izmo Waveform Menu.png

I said something similar a few pages ago, must agree with this. It threw me off the first time I used it too.

The first time you got perplexed, and how about now? That is what I care.
Whether you've got used to it and benefit from the ability of 1-click waveform select, or seems like there's little hope of feeling familiar to it?
Imagine if there's no waveform selector, do you miss it or feel relaxed by a clear structure?

Indeed.
He was convinced here to take away some of the contrast from his earlier versions.
rsp

I couldn't stand the sense of guilt that I burnt so many people's eyes... some might have gone to hospital.....

[zvenx]

............

Indeed.
He was convinced here to take away some of the contrast from his earlier versions.
rsp

I couldn't stand the sense of guilt that I burnt so many people's eyes... some might have gone to hospital.....

lol.

rsp

[octaveup]

I couldn't stand the sense of guilt that I burnt so many people's eyes... some might have gone to hospital.....

Instead, the sadness of a less-contrasty version means I need therapy

[e-musician]

Indeed.
He was convinced here to take away some of the contrast from his earlier versions.
rsp

Really?
I thought people here were complaining about Izmo being too blurry and were asking for a version with higher contrast instead - especially, as regards the contrast of the grey display areas (e.g. "Glide") against that white paper background.

As for me, the latest reincarnation is too blurry (but I already stated that here); even the very first version was better in that respect.