What are your favourite plugin UI's?

[laxu]

When you say “with no good reason”, it seems to imply that available space should have a knob or some kind of visual feedback? Is a totally congested plugin somehow an improvement? I think space+contrast are very important in order to direct your focus to where it’s supposed to. The more things are crammed in and exposed, you lose this visual contrast and the experience suffers. So “blank space” or pretty graphics absolutely serve a purpose.

No I'm saying it should be a smaller plugin window. It's one thing to have some empty space and another to cram visuals that don't really do anything, like those top VU meters and numbers.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

No I'm saying it should be a smaller plugin window. It's one thing to have some empty space and another to cram visuals that don't really do anything, like those top VU meters and numbers.

Do you often leave multiple plugin windows open at once? If you aren’t using one plugin window at a time, or you can just put another plugin over that space if your screen isn’t big enough to fit everything you need. Or if you need something on the edit or mix window you just hide the plugin window. It’s benign.

What situation would it cause any kind of problem? Maybe on a tiny screen?

 

[laxu]

Do you often leave multiple plugin windows open at once? If you aren’t using one plugin window at a time, or you can just put another plugin over that space if your screen isn’t big enough to fit everything you need. Or if you need something on the edit or mix window you just hide the plugin window. It’s benign.

What situation would it cause any kind of problem? Maybe on a tiny screen?

Yeah I leave them open often, and I have tons of desktop space as I use an 8Kx2K superultrawide. But UA plugins need about 120-150% scaling for comfortable size. That eats up a lot of space on screen pretty quick.

I just dislike plugins that waste more space than is reasonable for their functionality and visuals.

 

[Orvillain]

wood trim

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Yeah I leave them open often, and I have tons of desktop space as I use an 8Kx2K superultrawide. But UA plugins need about 120-150% scaling for comfortable size. That eats up a lot of space on screen pretty quick.

I just dislike plugins that waste more space than is reasonable for their functionality and visuals.

I mean that’s on you if you choose to work like that, but even a small session with say 40 tracks would have more plugins to fill even a massive screen. I’m not sure if the benefit of keeping a tape sim on the screen all the time. I can understand maybe having some metering plugins on screen all the time, or a tuner or a mix bus limiter. Tape machines are essentially playback mediums.

I think the main benefit of having controls spread around a UI with some empty space is that it avoids the plugin becoming cramped, busy and distracting. It also keeps it from blending in with the DAW in the background. Visual contrast is good - it draws your eyes and focus to where it matters.

In fact - I just looked at several of the plugins myself and @LeftyLoungeLizard posted, and quite a lot of them have a fair amount of empty space on the sides with the controls focussed a bit towards the middle. The Logic stock compressor even does this a bit. The RME/Massenburg/Exponential Audio stuff that I described as bad all had controls that pushed right out towards the edges (on top of many other problems).

 

[Orvillain]

I guess you don’t know why these plugins stopped being supported. A quick google search of the dev will probably make you want to stop using it, but have a bucket nearby

Jesus fucking H. Christ.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

This video's funny. And I quote:

"So we've got Comic Sans here..."

 

[laxu]

I mean that’s on you if you choose to work like that, but even a small session with say 40 tracks would have more plugins to fill even a massive screen. I’m not sure if the benefit of keeping a tape sim on the screen all the time. I can understand maybe having some metering plugins on screen all the time, or a tuner or a mix bus limiter. Tape machines are essentially playback mediums.

I think the main benefit of having controls spread around a UI with some empty space is that it avoids the plugin becoming cramped, busy and distracting. It also keeps it from blending in with the DAW in the background. Visual contrast is good - it draws your eyes and focus to where it matters.

In fact - I just looked at several of the plugins myself and @LeftyLoungeLizard posted, and quite a lot of them have a fair amount of empty space on the sides with the controls focussed a bit towards the middle. The Logic stock compressor even does this a bit. The RME/Massenburg/Exponential Audio stuff that I described as bad all had controls that pushed right out towards the edges (on top of many other problems).

I think you are misunderstanding me. I'm not leaving a tape deck sim open all the time, it's just an example. To me the Studer could save some screen space by simply cutting the useless top portion off.

From this (linked picture from Lefty):

To this:

That's already some screen space saved because that top part literally does nothing to my understanding except show some lights for different settings. Which mean nothing when you can't read any of it.

That's why I brought it up as "going too far in replicating the real thing" which looks like this:

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I think you are misunderstanding me. I'm not leaving a tape deck sim open all the time, it's just an example. To me the Studer could save some screen space by simply cutting the useless top portion off.

From this (linked picture from Lefty):

To this:

View attachment 37883

That's already some screen space saved because that top part literally does nothing to my understanding except show some lights for different settings. Which mean nothing when you can't read any of it.

That's why I brought it up as "going too far in replicating the real thing" which looks like this:

It’s benign. Yes it’s bigger as a result, but it poses no problem and having a larger window with more space around the controls makes a plugin feel less claustrophobic. That’s why it has the floor and edge trims too, they aren’t just giving themselves more work for no reason. IMO it’s too minor of a quibble to have an issue with, I’d focus your UI grief on how horrendous Reaper’s UI is

 

[Orvillain]

I’d focus your UI grief on how horrendous Reaper’s UI is

This, a million times this.

 

[Sascha Franck]

To this:

This would be sufficient for me:

 

[Orvillain]

The right tape reel changes graphics when you change the tape knob. This can be helpful if you want to check multiple instances all at once to make sure they're on the right tape mode. But it's definitely a minor thing, and you could live without it.

The top half also reflects the status of the thru/input/sync/repro buttons, although I don't really consider that to be all that useful.

Point being - they're not just static graphics, and they do offer a modicum of functionality.

 

[newholland]

I mean that’s on you if you choose to work like that, but even a small session with say 40 tracks would have more plugins to fill even a massive screen. I’m not sure if the benefit of keeping a tape sim on the screen all the time. I can understand maybe having some metering plugins on screen all the time, or a tuner or a mix bus limiter. Tape machines are essentially playback mediums.

man. 40 tracks is more tracks than im ever negotiating, ever. if im dealing with 24, thats sufficiently overkill. who're you all recording, michael jackson?

i can relate to running outa space- for the most part im a devoted sonic minimalist- so i try to work with little stuff open- but if youre working on a vocal track- its nice to have say, eq, comp, maybe saturation or delay/verb- but you still need mixer and wavform and the time info- and hell- sometimes the envelope open. even with two monitors... thats some real estate, especially if the art departments had a bit too much fun.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

eq, comp, maybe saturation or delay/verb- but you still need mixer and wavform and the time info- and hell- sometimes the envelope open. even with two monitors...

You don’t need these open at the same time though, even when you’re going between them you’re only adjusting one at a time. If I have melodyne open, I’d rather have that occupy the whole screen than give space to an EQ or compressor. And regardless of that, almost all plugins are totally resizeable these days and can accommodate those sort of demands easily.

Having lots on the screen at once to search through isn’t really any better than showing or hiding plugin windows individually as and when you need them. I remember switching from Logic to Pro Tools and having to adjust from Logic’s default behaviour (where plugin windows need you to close them) to Pro Tools default (where opening a new window closes the previous ones). Both can be adjusted, but I find it more annoying having to close each and every window manually than finding it useful having loads of plugin windows on the screen.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw, older versions of Logic had an incredible way to "link" plugin windows. When you opened a new plugin UI, the previously opened one would close. That was fantastic. This function is still there, but ever since Logic 9, once you activate that function, it's also kicking in once you select a different track/channel (it'll automatically open the plugin in the same plugin insert). And that absolutely sucks. Has been one of the kickass features to set it apart from, say, Cubase, but these days you're constantly drowning in plugin windows, just as in any other host. F***ing idiots.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Fwiw, older versions of Logic had an incredible way to "link" plugin windows. When you opened a new plugin UI, the previously opened one would close. That was fantastic. This function is still there, but ever since Logic 9, once you activate that function, it's also kicking in once you select a different track/channel (it'll automatically open the plugin in the same plugin insert). And that absolutely sucks. Has been one of the kickass features to set it apart from, say, Cubase, but these days you're constantly drowning in plugin windows, just as in any other host. F***ing idiots.

I love both eucon and soundflow for quickly calling up particular tracks, plugins and sends etc. It’s pretty incredible what you can do with soundflow for repetitive tasks (I believe they’ve added more Logic support over the last year too but haven’t tried it there too much).

 

[Orvillain]

I actually prefer to open windows individually, across as many tracks as I want. It allows me to view whatever I need to, to achieve my goal - for example, EQ'ing the resonant peaks of 4 or 5 toms in a drumkit. Having to jump from track to track to do that fucking sucks, frankly.

Yes this sort of thing can now be done using Fabfilter Q4 and its 'all instances' view - but that wasn't always possible, so I've developed a particular set of expectations around these kinds of workflows.

The way a lot of DAW's seem to just assume that you're working on one track at time is, frankly speaking, amateur as fuck.

 

[newholland]

You don’t need these open at the same time though, even when you’re going between them you’re only adjusting one at a time. If I have melodyne open, I’d rather have that occupy the whole screen than give space to an EQ or compressor. And regardless of that, almost all plugins are totally resizeable these days and can accommodate those sort of demands easily.

Having lots on the screen at once to search through isn’t really any better than showing or hiding plugin windows individually as and when you need them. I remember switching from Logic to Pro Tools and having to adjust from Logic’s default behaviour (where plugin windows need you to close them) to Pro Tools default (where opening a new window closes the previous ones). Both can be adjusted, but I find it more annoying having to close each and every window manually than finding it useful having loads of plugin windows on the screen.

probably right- but its easier for my old eyeballs to have the chain right there- and dickin with a trackball gets tedious sometimes.

apparently (i just found- havent tried) the ui can be launched directly from my mixer panel these days (tmk it didnt USED to do that!).. so thats a time saver i didnt know i had!

i love discussions like this just cause i dont often sit in with other people to leatn their worlflows!

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I actually prefer to open windows individually, across as many tracks as I want. It allows me to view whatever I need to, to achieve my goal - for example, EQ'ing the resonant peaks of 4 or 5 toms in a drumkit. Having to jump from track to track to do that fucking sucks, frankly.

Yes this sort of thing can now be done using Fabfilter Q4 and its 'all instances' view - but that wasn't always possible, so I've developed a particular set of expectations around these kinds of workflows.

The way a lot of DAW's seem to just assume that you're working on one track at time is, frankly speaking, amateur as fuck.

sounds like you need a Console 1 or one of those SSL doodads.

SSL have that CLA SSL bucket thing, and you can use the SSL software with a mouse and they are pretty horrible to use without HW. I think it's more of a limitation of using a mouse than it is of inherent plugin design. I don't really use the Console 1 much but you can fly around a session pretty quickly and get a lot of muscle memory for certain tasks. Over time the only HW control I absolutely depend on (besides keyboard and mouse) is the artist mix and a monitor controller. Faders and maybe some sends are the only thing where I absolutely have to be controlling several tracks at once.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I actually prefer to open windows individually, across as many tracks as I want.

Fwiw, that obviously was always possible with Logic as well. The window linkage was just an additional function.