Cubase 14 GUI design regressions

[Johnny_Moneto]

Maybe for you, not for me.

[wavefunktion]

I’m not saying that the Control Room must look like this, but buttons should somewhat look like buttons and not like a kids drawing…

[izak]

I’m totally on board with the mixer window design. I think your first design (top left, among the 4 designs ) is very clean, sleek yet detailed. I wouldn’t mind the UAD design either.

However, regarding the pattern editor, I would very much prefer the Cubase design over Studio One. I personally think that it has better contrast. Studio one is definitely a lot more consistent across the whole DAW when it comes to design (very uniform). Even their plugins share similar design language.

[Pablin_Drummer2]

Only saying C12 GUI,PLEASE!

[Reco29]

Wow, this thread has quite some stamina. Same as the discussion about design choices in general ever since the release of Cubase 13/14.
Let’s see what Cubase 15 brings…

[battleangel]

I’ve got used to C14 but seeing it next to another DAWs like above (or that redesign concept which I love the most)… C14 looks like a design of a software in the alpha state.

Fortunately on a day to day basis I’m switching between Cubase and Unity so it doesn’t hurts that much

[wavefunktion]

The first top left mixer design that you like was a conceptual mixer GUI idea created by the forum user named @D-Struct. It has many great design aspects to it.

[wavefunktion]

I agree. For example, the newly imagined Cubase 14 Control Room GUI design that came out in November 2024 is a sad state of affairs. Yes it’s probably better than the previous design but it’s still far from being good.

[wavefunktion]

Here’s another example of Cubase toolbar design and information presentation. Who knows off the top of their head what all of the selected toolbar icons do ?

This is not intuitive or efficient design in my opinion and this is where I think questions need to be asked about toolbar design, such as:

• Does the icon intuitively represent the function ?
• Is the function a necessity or not ? Can it be removed ?
• Should the function be represented in a text / checkbox / dropdown menu format instead of a icon ? Should it be located in a different section of the GUI ?
  etc.

[Reco29]

Although this is deeply connected to GUI design choices, I think this is a much more fundamental question being asked here. It’s basically about the core dilemma to find a balance between Cubase’s complex functionality and communicating it in a way that it’s accessible to the end user.
This is beyond mere design decisions. And it’s probably the most difficult task to master!

And yes, there’s room for improvement. Not only when it comes to Cubendo - intuitive accessibility to otherwise brilliant features affects other products as well.

[Martin_Vipond]

FWIW. I changed the cursor color to a mid tone yellow and I love it. Super easy to see all the time.

[wavefunktion]

Yes, I understand what you’re saying.

Here are some potential design concepts:

1) Various functions could be nested under toolbar menu’s instead of icon/buttons.

2) A secondary toolbar / info line that could host various information, functions and settings in text / check box / menu bar formats.

3) Potential other areas where functions, settings and information could be displayed where suitable.

[Reco29]

Hi @wavefunktion ,

I agree with all of these suggestions you made. Everything that helps to get

-a better overview,
-a sense of structure
-away from this cluttered assembly of mini icons.

I think that Cubendo is well structured for most parts. However, there are specific areas (e.g. Sample Track) and in-house products (e.g. Groove Agent, Backbone, Halion) which definetly lack visual structure. As much as I love the vast range of options that come with these applications - it is tough to get to the bottom of them. Aiming for more clarity and visual guidance would be highly beneficial for both Steinberg and users.

[wavefunktion]

Yep, for me personally the issue is with the annoyance of continuous mouse hovering over icons to remember what they are, the un-intuitive icon symbols, the lack of descriptive information and the visual clutter. Looking at the GUI should not take much guess work.

[Pablin_Drummer2]

For sure,the same….

[Semarus]

Isn’t that dependent on the individual? It doesn’t take me more than a couple of times and then I remember. The first time I used any DAW, 90% of the icons were un-intuitive to me at the time, until they weren’t anymore.

[wavefunktion]

Sure, that’s a very broad statement but I would argue that there’s a difference between a learning curve or something being fundamentally un-intuitive. I personally think that a row full of icons with symbols that don’t particularly represent anything is fundamentally un-intuitive in the way that it is presented and if there is room to improve upon that than it should be investigated into.

[battleangel]

The toolbars are a mess. But it’s understandable. It’s surely quite a task to manage all those functions on such a small space. I can’t even think about a solution that would satisfy majority of users.

I iconography is hard. I’m learning slowly the meaning behind Cubase icons but the amount of them is discouraging. At least those are not as tiny as in their instruments. I didn’t bought full Halion yet, because of the GUI.

I think that Steinberg would have to find one of those “one in a million” super talented GUI designers to take care of it. We know that in every profession there are people who can do “miracles” in their fields. Cubase at this stage of complexity really need someone with crazy UI/UX skills.

[wavefunktion]

Here’s a rough incomplete conceptual idea for the Sampler Track layout.

I would also relocate the “Loop Mode” down to the “Playback” section.

[Johnny_Moneto]

Your design improves nothing. Just my personal perception.