Bitwig UI makes Live look old-fashioned
Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 5:02 pm
I don't own Bitwig, but looking at that new modular interface of theirs the design is really exceptional. The visual aspect of course is very apealing, modern, shiny, stylish, etc. But the interaction and signal flow seems very well thought out and delivers a complex interaction with a modular environment that doesn't require a massive manual.
Live most people here I spend at least 2 hours a day staring at Live and it not only looks old but the interactions are clunky. Take a look at some UI elements. Look at the chain selector : small, medium, large view. What the hell is this? Where is the scaling? Look at the Sampler, the key view. Shouldn't this share a visual metaphor with the chains? Nearly, not quite. Both are abominable and unweildy in unique different ways.
How about routing signals? Who loves drop down menus? Fancy routing your drums all through the same effect? Well press the marble to unhide the nested return and then set each drum to route through that effect chain. Really. It's brutally clunky but OK.
OK, now how about the Instrument rack, how does that route ? Same way? Nope.
There are so many abandoned UI projects in Live it's absurd.
I'm sure people will say "I love the way Live looks, never change it". But I can provide you with a nice long list of UI failings which have lain unrepaired for about a decade. Live is looking and acting OLD and OUTDATED
Live most people here I spend at least 2 hours a day staring at Live and it not only looks old but the interactions are clunky. Take a look at some UI elements. Look at the chain selector : small, medium, large view. What the hell is this? Where is the scaling? Look at the Sampler, the key view. Shouldn't this share a visual metaphor with the chains? Nearly, not quite. Both are abominable and unweildy in unique different ways.
How about routing signals? Who loves drop down menus? Fancy routing your drums all through the same effect? Well press the marble to unhide the nested return and then set each drum to route through that effect chain. Really. It's brutally clunky but OK.
OK, now how about the Instrument rack, how does that route ? Same way? Nope.
There are so many abandoned UI projects in Live it's absurd.
I'm sure people will say "I love the way Live looks, never change it". But I can provide you with a nice long list of UI failings which have lain unrepaired for about a decade. Live is looking and acting OLD and OUTDATED