Looking cool VS usable GUIs

[paramita123]

I'm sure you all use tons of plugins, aren't you also frustrated when plugins try look cool by emulating "hardware looks" only to prove frustrating to use?

I'll take the example of guitar processors, I use BIAS FX2 and Amplitube mostly, both have terrible use of screen space, depending on the view, perhaps only 10% of the screen space is dedicated to actually tweaking the controls !
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GUI1.jpg

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Both offer editing panels, but tiny and often requiring too many clicks. BIAS FX pedalboard is a good idea in itself, BUT why on earth give so much space to fake cables, fake boxes, fake racks etc.. and so little to the actually usable parts???
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GUI2.jpg

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This highlights the actual tweakable areas. Isn't it crazy?
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GUI2b.jpg

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I have seen similar issues with so many plugins FX and even instruments, I tried the Rhodes instrument demo and felt frustrated seeing this big GUI trying to look like the real thing with only a tiny part of the space for controls. Synths with large "wood panels". NI Studio Drummer with a large "kit image" that cannot be used to preview sounds, etc...

Rather than just rant, I would like to suggest to manufacturers to kindly think of designing TWO layouts, one for the pretty look to pitch the "hardware quality" but also a second one stripped of unnecessary elements and focused on production, with large enough fonts and maximised screen space optimisation with modern production in mind (menus, MIDI learn, visual clues and meters etc..) just have a switch to the two layouts, same functionality.

I would even argue that with time passing, more and more users have never touched hardware guitar rig or synths and do not relate that much to it...
Our modern smartphones do not emulate rotary phone dials to look cool
Then there is Airwindows, Kilohearts etc who make popular plugins with minimal GUIs.

I occasionally send requests or feedback on companies forums but thought this might be interesting to share with KVR friends here, I'm always happy to hear different thoughts from seasoned and more recent users alike.

[sqigls]

some of the wasted space GUIs are a bit silly, the Arturia Augmented series default page, the new Xils CS-80 has tiny controls in the middle of teak tables and the synth's air-vents... maybe better than GUIs that are tightly packed full of every control or like Poly Anna with the hideous knobs

i personally don't like the newer FabFilter GUIs, i just refuse to go there. I own Timeless 3 which can sound amazing with some hard work, but its just too fiddly... and v1 of the reverb which is passable. the newer ones i just can't get into those GUIs.
also Valhalla GUIs, cheap and nasty, not a major gripe but i wonder if it's at least part of the reason i never feel like using Valhalla plugins..?

I think i'd prefer the waste of space GUIs that are clearly laid out, to the uber fiddly ones that require manual reading or odd modifier key combinations to use. I wish that shit was standardised... Control or Double Click for reset, hold shift for fine control, piss the alt-click n double click digit entering ProTools key commands. First world problems :\

[Morty-C-137]

For me, Arturia's synths (that includes Pigments) are looking cool but are horrible to use.

[paramita123]

I wish that shit was standardised...

Completely agree ! In fact it is somehow standardised but too many manufacturers ignore those "rules". Shame they aren't all as good as U-HE

You are the first one I see who don't like Valhalla, interesting.
We may all have very different styles, and it is not possible for manufacturers to please everyone, but sometimes a good UI with two or more different skins can satisfy different people.

[Lbdunequest]

For me, Arturia's synths (that includes Pigments) are looking cool but are horrible to use.

I agree on this argument for all Arturia synths, but Pigments. Imo that one has one of the best and most user friendly guis.

[whassup]

Yeah, guitar plugin suites like Bias, Amplitube, Helix, etc. are horrible GUI wise.
On the better end of "looks + usability" are U-He, Toneboosters and FabFilter.
We all are very visual, well most of us. If we admit it or not. If you think you're not I suggest some ABX tests. Shocked me when I learned that. ("No, I am NOT influenced by fancy graphics! I ONLY listen for the sound!" Hahahaha! I found out that this was a beautiful myth that quite a few plugin developers understood before I did.)
On the other hand things like Valhalla plugins are the max of a functional GUI.
NOT looking bland like AirWindows plugins (which I use with ears only, after suppressing some other biases)
It is a learning curve that every one decides to take or not (or do it differently):
First you know sh**. So you trust the Pros, trust the ads, trust YT. You are fully influenced.
Then after buying some plugins you realize that you use some of them and some not. Hmmm...
Then you start listening to some comparissons. Ups, it's getting spicey as some freeware turns out to sound better or as good as some expensive stuph.
Then you start to make your own comparissons.
OK, now you do the next comparissons as ABX tests. Here it starts to become a matter of what you WANT to believe, want to like anyway or simply admit to yourself what your ears are telling you.
Even then not taking into account that you're probably not the cool cat on the forum when choosing some plugins that are "officially" whatever: uncool, overprice3d, have the wrong copy protection, dev lives in the wrong country, etc.
And in the end after maybe this or a similar cycle of doing it for some years you might realize that you just like certain things and certain GUIs and just want to be cool and secretely like the "uncool" artists and all of that.
And if you disagree, be my guest!
Enjoy your process, have your opinion!
Cool.

[imrae]

I love the Valhalla GUIs, it's clear a lot of thought goes into them.

[paramita123]

Enjoy your process, have your opinion!

Very interesting breakdown of some of the psychological processes at play, especially the biases and the ultimate question of what we choose to believe.
And it does not matter if we get it wrong or have our biases, if we can spend some of these years enjoying our journey with our cool toys, and once in a while go beyond the toy to reach that elusive moment of musical ecstasy, then it is all worth it !

[paramita123]

I love the Valhalla GUIs, it's clear a lot of thought goes into them.

I like the Valhalla GUIs too as they are clear and efficient.
The ONLY thing that makes me slightly disagree with the huge crowd praising Supermassive, is that the modes are so different and random that it is difficult to control the beast : sometimes lots of repeats even with a very low feedback.
So the space theme sounds cool but in practice it's not so clear. I still use it though, free awesome plugin, but not as clear to use as the other awesome Deelay for example.

[HOTF]

This looks beautiful but so much wasted space

[Vortifex]

I much prefer modern interfaces optimised for computer screens, like TDR, DMG, Valhalla or Fircomp2.

[funky lime]

comparisons, shootouts, abx tests, bleh. my hearing is f**ked anyway, so the sound quality of a plugin is secondary for me. does it load quickly, is it easy to get what i need from it, is it fun to use, etc. ideally, one main principle of a good plugin is that i can be done looking at it as quickly as possible, and move on with my life/music.

i don't tend to like the analog gear lookalikes. wasted space aside (seems like amp and tape sims are generally the worst offenders), i just think they often work against my main desires above. looking at the screenshot of that leveling amplifier above for instance, i can barely read the labels, and the attack/release knobs are very hard to clock where they're pointed, which means it's going to slow me down. but anyway, that plugin aside, perhaps among the most egregious things are neve-style concentric/stacked knobs—clever for compact hardware, but moronic for a plugin.

tape sims, of course, need the big animated gui because that's the only way they can convince me it's actually doing anything even remotely beneficial for the sound . now i just use airwindows though. amp sim suites, eh, i get the idea, pretty clever really (it has to be, for the sake of dumb guitarists ), but i try to avoid bloated software when i can. despite owning most of amplitube, i don't even have it installed anymore, as it just feels like a time sink. i also don't need or want my effects to look like stomp boxes; my usual flanger/chorus/delay/whatever plugins work just fine as guitar effects.

valhalla, i can dig it. quick and easy to use.

[vitocorleone123]

Sound first, usability a close second.

Silly "realistic" visual design is just silly - but it clearly sells. At best it just takes up space. It all too easily gets in the way of using the software.

Caveat: I've been working on UX (not music stuff) for decades.

[DJErmac]

Nice one.
I enjoy my plugins with a highly realistic 3D rendered graphics with raytracing enabled. I just got a new graphic card so it can handle all this.
I don’t care if I can’t use it at all or if no buttons are showing in the main menu.
Why should I care ? It’s insanely realistic and beautiful. It looks like the gear is just in front of you. Or in the studio, you choose.
Next week I’ll enable virtual reality on my computer, as soon as I receive the components, so I can mix using my VR glasses instead.

[DNAudio]

Really glad this thread was made. There's so many plugins that have truly, TRULY horrible ergonomics that make it a chore to do anything with.

The biggest upset for me is with iZotope and them actively regressing in their UI department. They used to have such a crisp & defined visual style that was so nice to use it made me believe the modules sounded better than they actually did. Now they've added HUGE knobs that take up real estate with tasteless gradients that have masked much of the contrast that once was used to clearly separate visual elements.

Separate but related rant:
You can make a good UI with knobs, great even, but a pet peeve of mine is that knobs are on hardware for a reason whilst almost every digital UI outside of the audio world uses sliders. Sliders make more sense as you don't "rotate" your mouse like a knob and (thankfully) knobs where you drag in a circular motion died out. It's one of those annoyances that isn't a big enough problem for most developers to switch from a style more people are familiar with