Skeumorphism anyone?

[Digital Igloo]

Skeuomorphism is convenient when getting familiarized with a new tool.

However, I’ve adapted and gotten used to the sliders in Helix Native, menus in FM3-Edit, and drop down selection of NAM captures. The generic appearance is less distracting for me when I want to get stuff done.

I find it hilarious that if you turn off all the advanced tools in Logic's Settings menu, Garageband's wooden side panels appear (or at least they did, before a recent update):

Apple clearly understands that if you're going after beginners or casual users, make it familiar-looking—whereas if you're going after pro workflows, make it fast, clean, consistent, and repeatable, with plenty of shortcuts for power users. Get rid of the fluff, or at least give people the option of ditching the fluff.

You can incorporate pretty graphics into fast workflows; just make sure they don't slow down getting from point A to point B. Tap-tap-tap-tap-open-tap-swipe-close-tappity-tap drives me bonkers when push-turning a single knob or pressing two physical buttons (or touching two switches) could accomplish the same task.

 

[northern_fox]

It's a lot of extra dev work, but I like skeumorphism personally

 

[Sascha Franck]

Raise your hand if you've ever bought a new amplifier and shortly after getting in home found yourself simply looking at how freaking cool it is!
It's like a self contained nuclear reactor for your guitar.

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No amount of GUI magic will ever take the place of that.
It can be a decent enough fake out, but that's all.
Plus GUIs can't smell like transformer laquer.

While I'm not totally against certain representations of real materials in software land (such as 3D knobs, grille material and what not), why would you want tons of wasted space on your precious computer screen, especially in case it's a laptop?

 

[MirrorProfiles]

While I'm not totally against certain representations of real materials in software land (such as 3D knobs, grille material and what not), why would you want tons of wasted space on your precious computer screen, especially in case it's a laptop?
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Familiarity, and to evoke some kind of emotional connection to what it is the software represents. Quite often the look of the amp will give clues as to what it’s based on, what kind way you should expect to use it. A generic row of knobs doesn’t really you much at all - a metal tread plate, white script and gold piping, tweed tolex actually inform the user with some information that will determine how they use something.

The wasted space can be a doubled edged sword, if it’s handled well I don’t think it needs to be a problem. Less distraction, so your focus is on the right place. That’s not to say it’s always implemented well (often it isn’t), and sometimes veering away from 1:1 sizes is preferable so things are readable, easy to click etc.

I know for a fact I don’t dial real amps in the same way I do modellers, and it’s the same with synths. There is something about how we interact with gear that leads us towards certain sounds.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

While I'm not totally against certain representations of real materials in software land (such as 3D knobs, grille material and what not), why would you want tons of wasted space on your precious computer screen, especially in case it's a laptop?
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How much information do you need on your precious computer screen while playing guitar?

 

[Digital Igloo]

While I'm not totally against certain representations of real materials in software land (such as 3D knobs, grille material and what not), why would you want tons of wasted space on your precious computer screen, especially in case it's a laptop?
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Yep. That space should be used for meaningful feedback, deep parameters, or the ability to see what's going on in your DAW behind the plugin window.


Elsewhere:

Don't get me wrong—I love the sound of UA, and I get the whole "it looks most like the real thing so it must sound most like the real thing" oneupmanship happening in plugin land, and would never suggest they change their direction, but...

...the usability friction involved with their Neve 31102's upside down knobs means I will never use it, no matter how close it might sound to the real thing:

Makes me appreciate FabFilter and their consistent design language more every day:

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And I don't really have a suggestion here. UA's still doing the right thing—it's just frustrating at times.

 

[Sascha Franck]

How much information do you need on your precious computer screen while playing guitar?

Pardon? What's that got to do with it?

 

[Sascha Franck]

A generic row of knobs doesn’t really you much at all - a metal tread plate, white script and gold piping, tweed tolex actually inform the user with some information that will determine how they use something.

Not exactly a problem for me. But wasting 2/3 of the entire UI with that stuff is just nonsense. At least give me an option to turn it off.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw, IMO this is a great interface:

Tons of information but not too overwhelming (at least not once you're sort of familiar with it and consider the amount of things you can do without switching pages, entering menus or whatever).

 

[Achilles]

If we can eat with our eyes we sure as hell can play with them too. If I'm using a plug-in that's suppose to give me the aural experience of a Bogner Ecstasy then I'd like to be able to glance over now and then and get the visuals too.

I'm talking purely jamming here - not writing or anything like that where you may need multiple windows open.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Yep. That space should be used for meaningful feedback, deep parameters, or the ability to see what's going on in your DAW behind the plugin window.


Elsewhere:

Don't get me wrong—I love the sound of UA, and I get the whole "it looks most like the real thing so it must sound most like the real thing" oneupmanship happening in plugin land, and would never suggest they change their direction, but...

...the usability friction involved with their Neve 31102's upside down knobs means I will never use it, no matter how close it might sound to the real thing:

Makes me appreciate FabFilter and their consistent design language more every day:

​

And I don't really have a suggestion here. UA's still doing the right thing—it's just frustrating at times.

I agree with you on UAD, the upside down knobs was a dumb thing to carry over. They generally get this stuff right these days - for instance the 2500 or distressor don’t follow the exact layout of the HW, but are still evocative and familiar enough that the experience of using one will translate to the other. Likewise their tape machine’s proportions are adjusted to make sense for a plugin and the look of it informs how you should use it (rather than all controls having equal importance).

I love fabfilter too, but I use them in ENTIRELY different ways and with different intentions than I would with say, a Massive Passive which only really makes sense by following the HW layout and look.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

All of the Fractal UI complaints show that the struggle is real. But:

My process is pretty simple.

1. Acquire gear that has the function and sound that most closely suits my needs.

2. Learn how to use gear.

3. Use gear.

I guess that's why I've had my 3 main guitars since '85, '93 and '95.
And I've played direct through an Axe-Std and and FM9 for the last 17 years.

The constant gear churn I witness here on a daily basis makes my palms sweat. But I get it, and live vicariously though some of you.

 

[Orvillain]

Fwiw, IMO this is a great interface:

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Tons of information but not too overwhelming (at least not once you're sort of familiar with it and consider the amount of things you can do without switching pages, entering menus or whatever).

No. Big terrible.

 

[Sascha Franck]

No. Big terrible.

No. Big wonderful.

 

[northern_fox]

Now I kind of want to build a non-skeumorphic shell for an amp and just make it blank white with text that just says "amp" and has a few unlabeled controls

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Now I kind of want to build a non-skeumorphic shell for an amp and just make it blank white with text that just says "amp" and has a few unlabeled controls

Triaxis is the gold standard for amp design