Font rendering... GUI... what happened?!

Cubase
#1

Well, I love progress - and there’s some great stuff in Cubase 7. I’ve only been playing with it for a little while, but there’s some things that are already bugging me I’m afraid.

For a start, the font rendering / anti-aliasing on the Mac has gone from beautiful and clear, to seeming very blurry. I know this might sound like a minor thing, but actually it’s the sort of thing that can cause headaches and eye strain, since we spend so long looking at this interface.

I have a comparison here: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9569550/7vs6.jpg

I’m not entirely sure there’s any reason for the change, other than perhaps to squeeze in the TINY text in the new mix console… is there a way to revert the anti-aliasing and weight settings back to what they were in 6.5?

D

#2

Have you tried updating your graphics drivers?

#3

Do I see this right:
In version 6, you have disabled insert 4 SPL Vitalizer, which is cleary visible. In version 7 you cannot spot, if it is enabled or disabled?

#4

The difference between the left (6.5) and right(7.0) screenshot is subpixel rendering. It seems they use their own font rendering code (bypassing the native OS rendering) for 7 which does not support subpixel rendering. If this is the case then I’m afraid there is no quick fix for that.

#5

I must have enabled the SPL Vitalizer whilst playing around - you can actually see when it’s disabled or inactive/bypassed (the blue-ish colour turns grey). The behaviour has changed though - clicking the power icon (which is only visible when the mouse it over the blue-ish plugin ‘block’) bypasses it. To fully disable/unload, you must now hold the ‘alt’ key down whilst clicking the power button.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the ‘mouse-over’ for additional information stuff… the new mixconsole is overwhelming really, but I suppose I’ll get used to it.

Thanks for the reply Jim - I’m on Mac, which is slightly different in the sense that we don’t really update graphics drivers (Apple updates them in new OS updates). I’m on OSX 10.8.2 - latest and greatest.

This is what I was worried about. I genuinely don’t know why Steinberg would change this from 6.5 -> 7. It was so much easier on the eye in 6.5.

Best
D

#6

I can not see any differences on your screenshots. Except that in C7 the Font seems to be light grey instead of white in C6.

#7

Fascinating, as Mr. Spock would say :slight_smile:

And is it true, that you have to double click the blue-ish plugin block if you want to edit the plugin? Is there no “e” button anymore, if you hover the block?

I ask myself, why this big bold block, if it doesn’t carry any information…?

#8

Should’ve gone to Spec Savers :wink:

#9

Yes, double clicking now opens the plugin (this is true for the MixConsole as well).

Generally, the design choices of the new GUI are making me scratch my head (“illogical”, to stick with the Spock quotes). I hate to say it, but I’m afraid it just lacks taste.

Feature wise, Steinberg have come up with the goods - yet again. Design wise (which I cannot stress the importance of enough), I feel they’ve actually taken quite a big a step backwards.

Here we have 3 inserts in the list: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9569550/7vs6insertslist.jpg

I don’t know about you, but I think that version 7 looks like a total mess. Note that we are now no longer able to choose/browse presets from the side bar either. Btw, the little ‘e’ that you see over the Vitaliser slot in C7 is only visible when the plugin is open (i.e after double clicking it). It serves no purpose and has no function other than to indicate the plugin GUI is open.

D

#10

There is a definitve difference between the two. It’s not a big difference, but it is definitely noticeable.

#11

I notice a difference as well. Ill get used to it but still shouldnt have to with a brand new version

#12

No, that really doesn’t look good :confused:

I see all these XXL color bars everywhere, without carrying much info, but crude arranged, overlapping text elements. The beloved inspector now looks like new elements colliding with the existing ones…