Which version of your favourite DAW nailed the UI?

[jjpscott01]

Overall Reason still has my favorite UI. I really liked Studio One version 2 UI and Trackion Waveform is also really easy on the eyes.

[Chris Hawkins]

Well if we are talking Cubase then VST24 3.70 from 1999 is the best, all downhill from there-








As far as favorite, Maybe Reason 3.0.4... All downhill from there as well-

I was thinking VST 5 as well! But I thought maybe 'too old' to be included. I was also looking a book I wrote many moons ago on Reason 2.5 and was thinking the UI was well done there as well.

[jamcat]

Studio One 6. But not 7.

[syntonica]

For me, especially with dual monitors, Bitwig is just the best. Things consistently placed, easy to jump between things.

The thought in the layout is excellent and is very very intuitive to use.

I also like the colour scheme. Although perhaps they can slightly tweak it, the overall colour palette is easy on the eye and I can work with it for many hours, especially in a room with dimmed lights.

It also works really well with a single monitor with just a few shortcut keys to jump between different views.

I would agree, but I tend to be mouse-centric in my workflow, so the constant returning to the lower left-hand corner to switch pages is exhausting...

[pocvecem]

I have never been so happy since Live12 with its new editor and viewing options. Together with my new 40" UWQHD monitor it's my personal perfect workflow. I don't even miss my old dual screen setup.

Screenshot 2024-12-15 185647.png

[machinesworking]

For me, especially with dual monitors, Bitwig is just the best. Things consistently placed, easy to jump between things.

The thought in the layout is excellent and is very very intuitive to use.

I also like the colour scheme. Although perhaps they can slightly tweak it, the overall colour palette is easy on the eye and I can work with it for many hours, especially in a room with dimmed lights.

It also works really well with a single monitor with just a few shortcut keys to jump between different views.

I would agree, but I tend to be mouse-centric in my workflow, so the constant returning to the lower left-hand corner to switch pages is exhausting...

Bitwig has hands down the best implementation of keyboard shortcuts of any DAW. It's crime to not use all the single key shortcuts. Plus name a DAW that has multiple areas to switch pages, they all have an area that you have to mouse to if you refuse to learn m for mixer, l for launcher etc. Live has a single area to mouse to if you don't want to use the tab key to change pages. I'm at a loss to how Bitwig is any worse than any DAW in terms of mousing.

[Resonant- Serpent]

Sonar 8.5.3 for nostalgia favorite. Cubase 14 for what I use now.

[syntonica]

For me, especially with dual monitors, Bitwig is just the best. Things consistently placed, easy to jump between things.

The thought in the layout is excellent and is very very intuitive to use.

I also like the colour scheme. Although perhaps they can slightly tweak it, the overall colour palette is easy on the eye and I can work with it for many hours, especially in a room with dimmed lights.

It also works really well with a single monitor with just a few shortcut keys to jump between different views.

I would agree, but I tend to be mouse-centric in my workflow, so the constant returning to the lower left-hand corner to switch pages is exhausting...

Bitwig has hands down the best implementation of keyboard shortcuts of any DAW. It's crime to not use all the single key shortcuts. Plus name a DAW that has multiple areas to switch pages, they all have an area that you have to mouse to if you refuse to learn m for mixer, l for launcher etc. Live has a single area to mouse to if you don't want to use the tab key to change pages. I'm at a loss to how Bitwig is any worse than any DAW in terms of mousing.

Hm. I forgot to add "Cue the shortcut key crowd!"

[apoclypse]

Studio One 2.x. It wasn’t pretty but there was nothing ambiguous about the UI. Very intuitive without a lot of hand holding.

Logic 8. When Apple introduced their one window view in 8, it just felt so modern compared to the previous versions with all the floating windows. I loved it immediately and that doesn’t usually happen for me with gear or software.

Reason 3.0.4. Was pretty amazing at the time. I thought combinators were the future. That along with Remote is why I loved Reason.

Fruity loops 3.0. It was the version where they added the PR. I remember how impressed I was at how easy and intuitive to use it was at the time.

Not a DAW but Maschine 1.5. It really felt like hardware. I could make music without looking at my computer. Older versions were a bit clunky and were missing some key features 1.5 added.

[machinesworking]

Hm. I forgot to add "Cue the shortcut key crowd!"

Mostly you missed the point that any DAW that allows you to switch pages with a mouse only includes one area to do that in... Bitwig is not my main DAW but literally no DAW I know of has multiple tabs in multiple places that you can mouse to, to switch windows.. that's the crux.

[Yorrrrrr]

Live 12.

[_leras]

Hm. I forgot to add "Cue the shortcut key crowd!"

With dual screen layout I don't need to switch panes that often, what I need is usually displayed.

I think what you are after is just Ctrl + 1-5.

Either way compared to Cubase and Live, they both feel quite clunky for at least a few hours when I need to switch from Bitwig.

[_leras]

Logic 8. When Apple introduced their one window view in 8, it just felt so modern compared to the previous versions with all the floating windows. I loved it immediately and that doesn’t usually happen for me with gear or software.

Preach!

Having a fixed layout doesn't necessarily solve all issues, but I think it can really help with knowing where everything is. The layout, and navigation, are one of my favourite things in Bitwig.

[syntonica]

Hm. I forgot to add "Cue the shortcut key crowd!"

With dual screen layout I don't need to switch panes that often, what I need is usually displayed.

I think what you are after is just Ctrl + 1-5.

Either way compared to Cubase and Live, they both feel quite clunky for at least a few hours when I need to switch from Bitwig.

I always use a single screen. The reason I'm mouse-centric in a DAW is that I paint and edit notes as my main thing, add plugins and mix as secondary. Having to switch to the keyboard and back is an annoyance. Bitwig is probably the worst offender at mouse distance traveled compared to the other DAWs I've tried (Mulab, Logic, Studio 1, FL, Live, etc.) although I pretty much like it the most out of all of them otherwise.

[lotus2035]

I loved the look of Cubase 6.5. It was the last version before they switched to the newer mixer. I downloaded it a few years back to compare it to Cubase 10 and was surprised how uncluttered it looked.

The current version of FL Studio has it's best interface IMO.