This new SSL channel strip from IK Multimedia looks great

[MickGael]

So anyway what about the new British GUI ?

+1

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Personally if we reduced the eye candy of the tape transport, etc, I'd opt for MORE buttons to control more cool stuff. Glad I'm not in charge of that! Well, at least some people probably are glad...

sounds like a perfectly good idea...function trumps style....

that controlling "more cool stuff" was ditched in favour of a large, static, stylised graphical representation is part of the point i'm making

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

the point is the decision was made to sacrifice a 3rd of the space for unusable graphic eye-candy....it looks like the (g)raphic is more important than the (u) in the gui...

i'm sure n one would have problems zeroing in on those knobs, but bigger is better...in what looks like a shell type of arrangement i can see how the plug could not be made smaller, but in that case i think there would be a stronger argument for making the knobs (the actual user part) bigger

Designing a GUI is always a matter of finding balances and making compromises. I saw people advocating the minimalist approach, and stating that only sound matters... It isn't true, and the fact is that if you have two similar products, and one looks better than the other, you choose the one that looks better (I would).
So, IK Multimedia knows that, and besides doing great sounding plug-ins, also offers some eye candy to their users. I, at least, like that. Sems like others do, too, and that's why we were schocked with the look opf British Channel. Sure it sounds good, but an eye lifting is a desperate need.
I also don't mind some wasted space - otherwise, I would not buy any soft synth that has a keyboard in it's GUI - and I have many with that.

never said there isn't a place for cool looking gui's...i actually like eye-candy....i just don't happen to think the amount of gui space given over to an unusable area is part of that

the fact that it turns out to be ipad, and thus on a maximum 9-point-whatever touch operated (i.e with fat fingers) interface IMO makes my point even stronger

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

So the knobs look too small, but my question was simply whether you were assessing the visual or the actual use of said knobs to come to that conclusion - and you answered my question. Defensively. But I won't tell you how to post/act.

it's not about the knobs looking too small....i made a general comment about gui design which doesn't just apply to this plugin, nor is it something i would level at you as a company specifically

the point is the decision was made to sacrifice a 3rd of the space for unusable graphic eye-candy....it looks like the (g)raphic is more important than the (u) in the gui...

i'm sure n one would have problems zeroing in on those knobs, but bigger is better...in what looks like a shell type of arrangement i can see how the plug could not be made smaller, but in that case i think there would be a stronger argument for making the knobs (the actual user part) bigger

Don't like it ? Don't buy it. I think the GUI is both functionally and visually perfect.......it's for the iPad and if I owned one I'd buy that version is a heart beat.

you mean i have the choice to not buy it if i don't like it....hmmm, that's quite a revolutionary concept

i don't think i once said that gui trumps sound....there are many instruments i use because i like the sound despite not liking the gui

i realise my tone was a bit harsh when i first responded, and without realising that anyone had responded i decided to edit it out...however, i still don't see why my opinion is not valid - that having a 3rd of the screen unusable , especially on a small 10-inch touch space seems counter to a good interface/gui design

my opinion still holds (by virtue of the fact that it is an opinion) that form has been favoured over function....that it is still useable doesn't change that...that i don;t own it (nor even an ipad) doesn't change that

[Teksonik]

i still don't see why my opinion is not valid

You are certainly entitled to your opinion.....just don't state it as fact. The GUI appears perfectly functional....that's all that matters. A little "wasted" space on the top isn't worth getting all bent out of shape over.......
In the post where I showed the screenshot you'll notice I said:

If it looks anything like this style you'll have a winner.......

The key word being style...I never said make it look exactly like the tape deck I only meant if it had the same realistic and subdued style they would have a winner. It would keep in line with IK's other hardware style plugins without looking garish which from what I've read is one of the major complaints about the SSL GUI. I didn't expect such a simple post cause such a drama.......


Anyway.........how about a screenshot of the new GUI..........

[metalifuxx]

however, i still don't see why my opinion is not valid - that having a 3rd of the screen unusable , especially on a small 10-inch touch space seems counter to a good interface/gui design

+1
Tone and easy to use controls over large pretty GUI works for me any day. Not everyone is using a high resolution 36+" cinema display screen, in which one can afford to use plugins that have large amounts of unusable space on the GUI. Plugins like the FXPansion that force me to increse screen resolution on an already small monitor really piss me off and I deter from even thinking about using them, because I can only visibly see half the GUI on the plugin window. If I know its a tape machine emulation already, I don't appreciate 1/3 of non functional space to be used as a front cover graphic, with the expense of making the parameter knobs smaller and harder to use and dial in. In the end, it's about the sound and how to easily and quickly dial that in.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Personally if we reduced the eye candy of the tape transport, etc, I'd opt for MORE buttons to control more cool stuff. Glad I'm not in charge of that! Well, at least some people probably are glad...

sounds like a perfectly good idea...function trumps style....

that controlling "more cool stuff" was ditched in favour of a large, static, stylised graphical representation is part of the point i'm making

There is no more stuff to control. There is nothing left off (or made too small, again sorry to say that in use this becomes apparent but unfortunately it really does - it is one of our most well-regarded interfaces on iOS in both usability and style) so really there was room and we made a fantastic looking tape-style graphic which people seem to like. Function and style can also coexist in situations like this where neither needs to trump the other.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Personally if we reduced the eye candy of the tape transport, etc, I'd opt for MORE buttons to control more cool stuff. Glad I'm not in charge of that! Well, at least some people probably are glad...

sounds like a perfectly good idea...function trumps style....

that controlling "more cool stuff" was ditched in favour of a large, static, stylised graphical representation is part of the point i'm making

There is no more stuff to control. There is nothing left off (or made too small, again sorry to say that in use this becomes apparent but unfortunately it really does - it is one of our most well-regarded interfaces on iOS in both usability and style) so really there was room and we made a fantastic looking tape-style graphic which people seem to like. Function and style can also coexist in situations like this where neither needs to trump the other.

is this some kind of riddle ?? i quoted you (you can see it in the text above) saying that if you had your way you would "opt for MORE buttons to control more cool stuff"...now you say there is nothing more to control

and of the rest...you say people seem to like the tape-style graphic while completely ignoring the fact that i don't...so what does it matter what "people" like...i have nothing against the design of the tape graphic per se, and i think i have made it quite clear why on a 9 inch screen, between 30 and 40 percent unusable space is a waste ad forcing things to be smaller than some may find comfortable

it's really quite a simple thing to grasp, only you won't because all you see is someone criticising your plugin; someone whose opinion is of no consequence/validity to you because a) he hasn't used it and b) "people" seem to like it

1000 apologies for speaking out of turn

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

by way of balance, i'll share that the 3 ik plugs i own have perfectly usable and good looking gui's

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

It is not a riddle. More buttons/controls, more things to ADD (as in I'd like to add more functions and the respective buttons to control said ADDITIONAL functions). It seemed clear to me. Sorry for the confusion.

I thought MY statement was quite simple to grasp too, and I grasp yours and I see exactly what you are trying to say. I'm just pointing out not only that people "seem" to like it but they absolutely DO like it. But really you have not used it and are judging its usability and I simply point out in that respect that it does work and nothing is too small and using it does help assess that (naturally). Nothing shocking there. I've worked in UX before and the difference is akin to using wireframes vs full mockups vs functional interfaces for testing usability. There's a difference.

Again, nothing was "forced to be smaller" in order to incorporate the tape graphic at all. I thought that was quite simple a point I made too, as I stated it above quite clearly. The controls there are the right size, there was room for something quite cool-looking, so.... we put it in. Quite simple.

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

By way of balance I'll ask if those include British Channel? Sorry I had to ask.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Again, nothing was "forced to be smaller" in order to incorporate the tape graphic at all. I thought that was quite simple a point I made too, as I stated it above quite clearly. The controls there are the right size, there was room for something quite cool-looking, so.... we put it in. Quite simple.

i get it wasn't forced to be smaller, but you make it sound like you chose the buttons to be that size because they worked but i'm going out on a limb here to suggest that's putting the cart before the horse....

you didn't design it with that size in mind then find you had 35% screen estate unused and so opted to put in a pretty graphic....i'd guess the thing was designed in it's entirety, graphic included to achieve the same result that all eye-candy, 'true' , hardware-realistic gui's are designed to achieve - that perceived professional quality

that the buttons are usable in spite of being relegated to a smaller space is obviously enough for you and all those who love it


but there's a lot to be said for the controls on an interface on a 9 inch screen, intended to be controlled by fingers, to be as big as is possible while maintaining space for all the other elements...

reduce that down further to fit the ipad mini (iphone also ???) and i don't see how this could be the right size...who knows, maybe one day i will try it

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

By way of balance I'll ask if those include British Channel? Sorry I had to ask.

haha...no

miroslav phil, sampletron and tr3 vc 670...the 670 is actually a perfect example of the marriage of style and function, within a usable space

i'd imagine that the large knob and vu stylings from the 670 would have looked great filling every inch of that tape plug, sans the tape graphic of course

[gmitch]

So anyway what about the new British GUI ?

+1

YEP!!!

[fmr]

So anyway what about the new British GUI ?

+1

YEP!!!

Yeah, we've been here discussing the "metaphysics" of the GUI, and no new pics yet. Are there anything to show already or not?