Does Ableton Live look blurry to you?

[SupersawLead]

Hey guys.

I've been trying out a number of new DAWs at the moment and I've been giving Ableton a go. It looks really really unreadable to me. The fonts look terrible. I've used the zoom feature and at all zoom levels the fonts are blurred. It can't just be me, in fact a friend of mine has been trying Live and he too commented on this.


I'm running Live 8.1.1. Windows 7 x64. Nothing else on my system is blurry. It's just Live that is really really hazy.

I'll even post a screenshot.

[Tarekith]

One downside to the zooming unfortunately.

[SupersawLead]

One downside to the zooming unfortunately.

But i've tried at all zoom levels and even the default level looks really blurry.

Do Ableton users just accept that their DAW is hard to visually make out ?

[td6d]

You're right, I think this should be fixed (at least as an optional feature)

[xristopher]

It could be that Ableton uses a typeface that is not really designed for on-screen viewing, Helvetica. The typeface is anti-aliasing because it is not a pure bitmap, and that is why you get the blurr. There is an interpolation of gray pixels. If you look at the actual Ableton elements, like their icons on the left, you will see that they are crystalline.

Perhaps if Ableton creates its own typeface this could be resolved, or makes it possible to choose which typeface the user sees. I would prefer the second alternative, but a custom typeface is always cool.

Blessings,
Xris

[Efraim]

Could it be that you're just not using the native resolution of your screen? LCD-panels look blurry on all resolutions except their rated maximum (the native resolution).

Just as a counterargument: on Mac OS X 10.6.3 (macbook pro, both on the laptop screen and a Samsung 23" external one), the Live-interface doesn't seem overly blurry. But I must agree that since the zooming feature it has become slightly more blurry than before.

[SupersawLead]

As stated in my original post, nothing else on my system is blurry in any way. My system is set up correctly.

Ableton is the blurriest piece of software I've ever used. I don't know how you guys can ignore it.

Also, I supplied a screenshot, tell me that's not blurry.

[davepermen]

in my case, it's perfectly sharp at 100%. BUT the fonts look quite blurry compared to the cleartype fonts used by windows.

afaik ableton live uses opengl (mainly else used for game development), and that can't use cleartype. if that's still true (or ever was), then maybe some gpu setting on your system creates the blurry effect. just a guess, that is.


edit: and btw, yes, your screenshot is blurry, and no, it's not live at 100%. it's around 150% or so?

[massenmedium]

Yes, the font is anti-aliased. Presumably for smoothness, or to make you feel like you have a hangover. If you actually have a hangover the effect cancels itself out.