YES!! I’ve been complaining about this for the last few versions. I can’t remember which version it happened on, but the GUI was looking good and just needed a little bit more “realism” to be perfect. I couldn’t wait for the next version to come out and then it came out looking as awful as Logic. Its sad when an off-brand DAW like MixBus looks a million times better than the top version of the longest running DAW in the business.
Your comment likely means that version that ruined the GUI was 13. Just be thankful you waited until now to switch. Nuendo15 looks notably better than 13 and 14, but still too much flat Ableton/Logic looking buttons, especially in the mixer.
Before anyone says some nonsense like “The GUI doesn’t make it sound or work any better nor worse”, it definitely DOES have an impact on the sound because I have to look at it for hours everyday at work and esthetics affect mood and comfort. When I’m comfortable and happy, my work is great. When I’m uncomfortable and annoyed… well, it still make it sound great lol, but it comes easier and comes out a little better when I’m comfortable and happy.
Yes, i think there’s a definite split on what users want regarding the GUI. I wonder if it’s a gfenerational thing as well. Older users who’ve grown up using hardware and real consoloes perhaps want Skeuomorphism in the GUI, and younger users who’ve grown up with tablets/phones who have no connection to hardware so are happy with flat non Skeuomorphic design.
That’s interesting! I was actually thinking the opposite. I started on Cubase SX3, Pro-Tools and analog consoles (a vintage API and then others).
I look at Skeuomorphism as more of just an outdated practice in UI design… It’s something developers leaned into as resolution and colour count increased on computers, “we can do this now, so we’re going to do it - look how pretty our icons are!”
I figured those who are doing skeuomorphism in the GUI today are doing it more to market to younger audiences, because they haven’t worked on consoles, it looks cool, and it looks like it sounds good.
RME also just changed TotalMix from Skeuomorphic to a flatter more resizable UI, which is really what it comes down to - resize and adaptable resolution.
For me (and my colleagues) it’s not about the coat of paint but the usability. I don’t really care as much how it looks as to how fast and usable it is. Nuendo 13+ is a large backwards step in speed and usability for my (and my colleagues) workflows.
These UX regressions have been widely discussed on the forums.
It seems, that even the usability of GUI, similarly to it’s aesthetics, is a personal choice. I’m much happier with this “plain” design direction from N 13+, it leaves less “stuff” between me and the sonic material itself, so I’m under the impression that I can work a bit faster. (Haven’t tested, tho) The only thing that was bugging me at first, is the smaller knob for control room level, and now I don’t think about it at all. But again, that’s really just my impression.
This is surprising to hear. I’ve been very critical (and analytical) of their GUI and I’m fairly certain that their current version now actually allows for stronger contrast settings than before, but you may have to make the color adjustments.
They also now have support for regular and bold fonts compared to v12.
But I would agree some buttons are smaller than before.
I was very critical of the GUI changes at first but I must be honest and say that the adjustments they made after we voiced our concerns came a long way and by now I’m completely used to it and don’t think about it anymore. For me it works great.
My only gripe with it is that the Mute/Solo block is unecessarily square and takes way too much vertical space and doesn’t scale with the height of the lower zone. I’d love to be able to reduce its height.
That would be good to be able to scale buttons, but I also do not like the mute/solo buttons on Folder Groups being on the right-hand side, rather than being on the left as per what the default is for other track types.
Let me guess, since Windows '95 was made obsolete?
The only problem I am having is, MIDI channel assignments are reverting back to a single channel, for multi-timbral instruments, when loading projects created in a previous version.
So don’t comment then? There are those of us who have to work at speed under time sensitive deadlines and the UX changes are a backwards step for that.
You’re not the only working under sensitive time constraints… There’s nothing in the UI hindering that - there is no time to even think or worry about that under our time constraints.
Again, that statement is very much subjective. I work under deadlines too and the new approach clicks with me faster, than the old one. Maybe a question of habit as well? I’m on Nuendo only from 2020 or so.
