Can a good looking plugin give you better results just because it invites you to do stuff?

Discussion in 'Lounge' started by zalbadar, Feb 6, 2022.

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Do you think a good looking plug-in give you better results then a plain functional one

  1. Help

    70.0%
  2. Hinder

    2.0%
  3. No differance, just looks good

    28.0%
  1. 5teezo

    5teezo Audiosexual

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    The automatic assumption that a good looking gui also is a good functioning one is a fallacy. Therefore the whole vote is redundant.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2022
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  2. Sylenth.Will.Fall

    Sylenth.Will.Fall Audiosexual

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    I'd like that on my computer too, only i don't have mushroom left on my hard drive.
     
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  3. Odious Blot

    Odious Blot Member

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    That's not an automatic assumption, the assumption only is that it inspires over something not so attractive. Very many good looking plugins have poor function and/or poor sound quality/effectiveness. Inversely (as already stated) many ugly plugins have excellent sound quality and are highly effective.
     
  4. Trurl

    Trurl Audiosexual

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    I know it's ridiculous but I really resist ugly plugins. I know intellectually, for instance, that Voxengo make great plugs but using them kills me.
     
  5. No Doz

    No Doz Producer

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    i try to pay a lot of attention to the way my physical surroundings affect my internal landscape. i've found that having aesthetically pleasing equipment inspires me to use it and gets me excited about sitting down and creating every time i see it. it's not an absolute rule and obviously sound is the most important requirement, but i'll almost always opt for the gear that i think looks better if given the choice, both inside the box and out of it
     
  6. 5teezo

    5teezo Audiosexual

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    Everybody who has ever built a reaktor ensemble for example knwos that the most important thing about a GUI are the parameters assigned to a knob or slider (amaount, etc) and not the looks. Everybody who ever used a VSTStudioLinked Library knows they are shitty because of bad programming and controls – not because of looks.
     
  7. BEAT16

    BEAT16 Audiosexual

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    Old fashioned look - Desperately needed a modern update. I wouldn't spend 5 minutes creating presets with it.

    Reaktor Tutorial: Building a custom ensemble
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2022
  8. justwannadownload

    justwannadownload Audiosexual

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    No, the automatic assumption is that two plugins in question are of the same functionality and sound quality.
     
  9. pizzafresser

    pizzafresser Producer

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    I mean it's not ugly but it's not very inspiring either. I totally see why people prefer that look though. Some people prefer a more utilitarian look that doesn't distract. Personally I like it a bit more colorful, but not too distracting. Like this for example: [​IMG]
     
  10. ArticStorm

    ArticStorm Moderator Staff Member

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    For synth i find look and GUI usability very important.
    A good example of not so good GUI design is for me still RP instruments. (I know some will say here, but i cant work with it and it inspires me) But for me the GUI hinders me to actual get confortable with the synth.

    I think Fast efficent GUI design is a very big challenge:
    1) too many controls will make the plugin hard to use, not enough or can i hide some of these? For example the Ableton PP Delay was a very good design, it was freakin minimal and if i could i would still use it over the new Delay device in Ableton, simply because i had minimal controls with a minimal feedback, which just worked for me. (and it was a stock fx, therefore was not so advanced like others.)
    2) Then there is - not the right forms to control something. A good example, which i thought was:
    Envolopes as faders or as knobs? (Sylenth1: Faders and Massive: Knobs) I cant decide which ones make more sense for the actual visual representation in a plugin. I guess on hardware device you might find both of them? Or even more?
    3) Visual Feedback? Show the Filters curve of the form of an Envelope? Is it helpful? Or are "just" the controls enough?
    4) Visual Feedback is for me like Eye Candy it adds asthetic to the Plugin GUI.
    5) Pleasent colors: Something avoid big huge white areas or colors which just give eye strain?
    6) Modern GUI, does it emulate something? Then you can copy the design from the physical device? If not its difficult? But there is probably always references? Like existing plugins?
    7) How fast can you do X? How intuitive is an plugin (sadly depends on the level of the user, how many plugin had he used already?)

    So it very difficult to name Plugins, which i simply want for the looks.

    It is minimal, i dig it. I always prefered Graphical Eqs to other forms of Eqs, i for my part need the visual feedback. I mean you can skin design reaper quite deep, i am not of a fan of the White, bcs eye strain in the night/dark room, when using it. But from the functional aspect its good.

    What are samples of bad GUI/bad looking plugins?
    What are samples of good looking ones?
     
  11. KungPaoFist

    KungPaoFist Audiosexual

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    I eat babies
     
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