Will Avid ever update the GUI?

[Bob Olhsson]

One of the most important features of Pro Tools for me is that I can walk into any studio and go right to work.

[Emcha_audio]

Originally Posted by jaminjamesp

I know there is a long list of things that need fixing. That's part of the reason I downloaded the demo for Studio One. I've grown increasingly frustrated with Avids complete lack of thought put in to streamlining work flow. And honestly, as a writer and composer, I was getting so uninspired staring at a GUI that looks like it was designed with a dentists office in mind.

Studio One really nailed a lot of things. There are some amazing work flow features, a macro editor, overall all a lot of things that seem like they should be a given these days. And the GUI, in my opinion is gorgeous. It's so easy on the eyes. It makes me feel more creative looking at it. But. It's seriously lacking in deeper features. The audio editing feels so clunky coming from Pro Tools, the wave forms are atrocious. I can't imagine trying to remove mouth noises from a vocal take with the lack of detail. Just basic things are missing, like L-R pan control on stereo tracks, a marker System that does anything besides mark locations (and shows up in the midi window as well), the ability to define nudge values, groups with parameter control, any time line besides bars and beats (it has a min/sec timeline but you have to choose one or the other). The grid and quantize functions are linked, so if you have input quantize on, and your grid is in 8th notes, everything is quantized to 8th notes. Lots and lots of little things like that which add up to a lot of frustration. Most of all, there's no import session data, which is just a total no go for me.

But I felt so good just looking at it, it was so hard to decide against it. After 12 years of staring at basically the same sterile GUI, I almost dread opening it back up. But I have to. I need what it offers. Why does professional have to mean boring?

Will Avid ever do a major GUI redesign? I don't mean all frilly and fancy, or changing overall layout. Just something with tasteful design elements. Some personality, and a little bit of style. It looks dated, boring and uninspiring.

Tomorrow I'm opening Pro Tools up for the first time in a week. Not looking forward to it. But there's just no way I can sacrifice usability and features for good looks.

The GUi was already updated from Pro tools 7 to pro tools 8. It used to be even harder on the eyes and the introduction of the color palette made things a lot more easier to manage. Things could certainly be improved, IE made a bit darker where the light grey is. But the way the work flow is right now for the edit window and mixer window is spot on for my taste. No need to have floating windows. In the Edit window you can resize the tracks so that the midi editing window is shown under. You can also save window location so that you can resize your windows, save as a memory location and use that to taste. Example having your drum tracks (or see any instruments, or groups of instruments/vocals) only in one memory location without or with the midi edit pane opened at the bottom, ect.

Staying organized: memory location and windows configuration

Pro tools 7


Pro tools 8

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

One of the most important features of Pro Tools for me is that I can walk into any studio and go right to work.

This!

[suicune]

Hands up those who remember the amount of forum whinging that went on the last time the GUI got updated?

Who on earth wants functional software to be 'characterful'?

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

One of the most important features of Pro Tools for me is that I can walk into any studio and go right to work.

Agreed.
This is where one of those things that what I wrote about DP with their themes comes into play. They all have the same functionality with things in the same places but the look can totally be changed. Say you are working on a session that I did on my system with a non-stock theme - when you open it on your system and your system is set to the stock theme that's what the session will open in.

[Bob Olhsson]

Originally Posted by musicman691

...when you open it on your system and your system is set to the stock theme that's what the session will open in.

I'm talking about opening it in somebody else's studio.

[musicman691]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

I'm talking about opening it in somebody else's studio.

And that's what I'm getting at - the 'theme' is whatever is at the other person's studio. The theme selection does NOT travel with the session. If that studio's computer is set for the what would be the stock theme then that's what is seen on screen. Theme selection in DP has NOTHING to do with how the program functions.

With DP you can change the theme at will. If you go to another studio and they have their machine set for a theme that has a riot of colors and you don't like that you can change the theme with a couple of key clicks. And then change it back when done to the original that was in use before you got there. It's all in the program preferences.

[djjazzy41]

Originally Posted by Muddy-T

Funny how you never seem to hear anyone say that about an SSL, a Neve or an API desk...



What he said

T

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

One of the most important features of Pro Tools for me is that I can walk into any studio and go right to work.

And what he said

Honestly, I thought the GUI jump from 7 to 8 was well done and long-overdue. I like the look now, though, and it functions without getting in the way. This doesn't mean I'm not open to change, I just like the way it is and it has become familiar. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[sjs]

For me PT has the best GUI among other DAW's .
I hate that light gray text on dark gray background. Is this modern? Well, thank you...

[JFreak]

Originally Posted by djjazzy41

Honestly, I thought the GUI jump from 7 to 8 was well done and long-overdue.

Yes, just like GUI jump from 5 to 6