I disagree. Some may opine that “dark mode” interfaces are easier on the eyes, and may have some clinical data to back it. But “flat” design? That there’s just personal preference. You can bet your bottom dollar that companies the Apple know that if you polish a trd like the Mac Pro with “style” and “design” it’ll sell to the hoi polloi grasping to be cool.
Steinberg lives off that. They deliberately mess with the GUI in every update so as to sell you the fix in the next one, in turn introducing more braindead and annoying crap as they go along. There simply is no other explanation for this. They have the poison, they have the remedy.
Do not expect this behaviour to change anytime soon, it makes them money.
That’s sad. I really hope that is not the case. Also, when users here say that GUI doesn’t matter, and that Steinberg should focus on bug fixes etc., I’m really shocked. I mean, the graphics team doesn’t have much to do with bug fixes–they have their own job. And I’m sure there are various teams for different features and operations.
I agree with lovegames.
The only issue in cubase is that over time they tried to make it apple-ish which lead to a strange mixture of various “GUi-Generation” depending on the part of the program you are in.
Just ask yourself: why does Wavelab have a coherent GUI? Why do pretty much all other software companies try and succeed to come up with coherent GUIs, regardless of whether those are tasteful or not?
And why on earth would they not be capable to accomplish the same for Cubase?
Either they are running a charity, refusing to fire those who are simply incompetent ( which I doubt ), or it’s likely being a scheme to push the boundaries for draining your dough.
If you watch that sponsored artist profile about Dominik Eulberg, you’ll notice that they’ll probably paid him to state therein that with regards to Steinberg, it’s all about passion instead of profit. I almost pi55ed myself laughing.
No offense but I think you are developing a false narrative not really based on anything but your own personal frustrations.
First of fall, you can’t compare to newer DAWs that had the opportunity develop a GUI based off current SDK utilities, Operating Systems, Graphic card assets, etc, etc. Cubase has been around longer than Ableton, FL Studio, Studio One, etc.
Secondly, the GUI is not simply just graphics - there are user interaction parameters everywhere, and new features being added. If they are adding new features, they are potentially having to update the GUI, and if they are also wanting to overall update the GUI - well, they need to balance that between integrating new features into the new GUI and vice versa.
Thirdly, to some degree, all of these companies are being forced to change GUI based on current technology specifications in graphic driver support as well as screen resolutions and technology specifications.
Steinberg has been doing an amazing job of managing this logistically complicated feat. I don’t think you really have any understanding of what that is like and what they are faced with. It’s in many regards easier building a new program from the ground up, that it is to change one you already built without breaking everything and backwards compatibility. Hence why protools and new-now-old programs such as Ableton, FL Studio, etc haven’t changed since their incarnation.
If you take a look at a newer software like Bitwig, you can see that they were able to build and design graphic elements that are utilized today and capitalized on Ableton getting a bit stale in looks and features.
Not everything is so simple friend.
passion instead of profit
I agree, because passion correctly focused will lead you to profit regardless.
You are certainly entitled to your very own opinion. But please be so kind and comment on the main points raised, instead of just conveying assumptions rather than observations.
Edit: I think I will - just for fun - start to collect the annual release marketing campaigns of theirs. Just to remind myself, how absolutely ridiculous those are at times…latest example : to pretend, retrospective recording is an all-new feature. It’s simply mind bending…
I did address the points. You’re making an accusation that their GUIs are some profit scheme - I pointed it out, it’s tangibly much more complicated than that and they are adding more features and content at a much greater rate across multiple DAWs (Nuendo, Cubase, Wavelab, Groove Agent, Halion, Dorico, Spectralayers, etc).
It’s not a matter of opinion mate, you’re wrong. We’re not deliberating on what colour to paint the walls in the apartment we’re not moving into together.
In regards to romance, a bit of that doesn’t hurt either. The successful professionals I’ve met in this industry certainly aren’t lacking passion and it certainly wasn’t profit that got them through the hard times.
Perhaps this one significant update a year needs to be changed to multiple significant updates a year—like PreSonus or Apple does. And they do it for free. I wouldn’t even mind paying a bit if the updates are good.
