Haven't we already gone through Sonar facelifts?

I seem to like the way it looks, and if I don't like it, I can change the colors. Besides, I don't want it to be a needless strain on my video card.

Personally...as long as it still works and response like a standard windows app....I think a SONAR facelift is in order...something a bit more contemporary...I quite like the direction they're going with Dimension and Rapture...

my 3 cents

Let the bakers concentrate on making a solid product with rich functionality - and keep with the Windows standard. All else is a waste of resources and a pain for the users

I second that, and others with like comments. GUI works well enough. I like more hot-key capabilities and batch processing capability, say an overhaul of CAL to do more audio processing and not just midi.

Given the option of a prettier button or not having to push the silly button because you've streamlined your work flow, is there really a choice.

Come on kids, let's keep focussed.

This is not intended as a negative remark to Cakewalk, but every time I open Sonar 5 I get the feeling that this is a very transitional release, and, perhaps, an end to Sonar as we have come to know it.

I think the last drop has been squeezed out of this particular interface--and now that the ice has been broken on a 64-bit app, I predict we are in for big changes (i.e., improvements, in whatever comes next).

To quote Dennis Miller, "But then again, I may be wrong..."

it with you on the changes, but I must also agree with the other guys for a change, I actually have picked out some color options that I like now, so Im okay with the looks but, I am also and have been a big supporter of the change, I sound like a politicain dont I.......UStudio for Prez

Another vote to Leave It As It Is. Work on stable features.

Here's my take, mostly related to hi-res screens:

• Allow bigger toolbar buttons
  
• Allow bigger fonts (better handling)
  
• Allow wider Console View track strips
  

ORIGINAL: Jake68

It doesnt have to NOT look like a Windows Application.. It just has to have a more succint readable GUI. With less unneeded colour variation.

If you take a look at the leading visual DAW apps, they use 3D instead of colour variation. A small emboss or drop shadow is far more visually pleasing and less confusing than a colour variation. If you look at Nuendo and Logic specifically, you find a far far far far far less fatiqueing and more succint visual interface. Less colour and more depth.
Further more, this is not just me, this an opinion based upon professional multi platform use and hearing the opinions of so many other professionals who use Macs and PC's for music. The bottom line is that, like it or no, Like Steinberg have a rep for ****ty customer relations, Cakewalk have one for poor GUIs. They need to think more 3D and less colour.

Yes Thats what I'm getting at! More 3d and less color. Too much color makes it look pre-school.

I do like the idea of skins as a solution!

I don't want to upset anyone with this post and I wasn't asking for a revolution! I'm also not asking to change the layout in any way. Keep Sonar 5 EXACTLY as is and just make it look 3d! And lose the big clunky blue Windows banners on the top!

Also, I guarantee that this will increase Sonar sales dramatically because those not familiar with Sonar and comparing it with the competition by browsing online photos of software DAWS will judge it by how it looks. I know it is a matter of opinion, but lets be honest with ourselves, sadly Sonar does not look as rich as the some of the other software DAWs on the market.

I like Sonar 5's interface quite a lot as it is. It may not be perfect, but I'd much rather they worry about other things before that. Sorry dude, but I don't think your bill is going to pass.

(ducking to avoid punch in the face)

My first use of Sonar was version 2.0 XL and looking back, when they made 3.0 it was a MAJOR improvement - and made it SEEM easier to use. I love the new look and probably would vote to keep it.

The only thing I would make note of is that in my opinion, I hate when they try to simulate software as hardware (looks wise) Meaning that Knobs are virtually impossible to turn. Now Sliders, another story indeed. Take a look at Ozone, no knobs, nothing but sliders, and extremely fast & easy to use!

peace!

Well turds, I thought I was gonna be the cool person to say "no way, keep it like it is" but some kind of super-majority jumped on this way before me.

I will say this though: so many people HAVE asked for a different interface that I wonder why not skin the interface? Let people make their own damn GUIs, it'll let Cake recover some dev time to concentrate on things I'm more interested in anyway (like plugin and file management improvements)

I have no problem with Sonar's interface, just it's user

Man, I GOTTA get with the track templates....

If you take a look at the leading visual DAW apps, they use 3D instead of colour variation. A small emboss or drop shadow is far more visually pleasing and less confusing than a colour variation. If you look at Nuendo and Logic specifically, you find a far far far far far less fatiqueing and more succint visual interface. Less colour and more depth.
Further more, this is not just me, this an opinion based upon professional multi platform use and hearing the opinions of so many other professionals who use Macs and PC's for music. The bottom line is that, like it or no, Like Steinberg have a rep for ****ty customer relations, Cakewalk have one for poor GUIs. They need to think more 3D and less colour.

Personally, I find Sonar to BE one of the leading DAW apps.
Embossing is good... but color variations can almost always be overridden is Sonar with a little time. With some tweaking, I find Sonar much easier on the eyes that Logic or Cubase, which I also use.
I particularly like being able to change the scheme in such a way as to make it "right" for the type of light that I'm using (or not using), or for under the glare of the sun on a reflective laptop screen. I can't do this with either Cubase or Logic.
I don't find Logic or Cubase fatigueing, however, just dreary... I can choose a color scheme in Sonar to make it look equally as dreary...
I listened to the "others" about Sonar for a VERY long time... and I never considered buying it because everyone called it amatuar or unprofessional. After owning Cubase and Logic, and being a regular on various forums for them, I'm now of the mindset that most of those guys haven't ever actually used Sonar, and they are used to the Germanic GUI darkness so popular in German audio/video software, particularly software that used to be (or still is) cross-platform for the mac and pc (and hence has difficulty with native windowing systems). This isn't a crack against Germans!!!
I don't mind the Logic or Cubase GUIs, but if that's all that's unprofessional about Sonar then that's pretty lame.
Now that I have it I am VERY impressed overall, and wish I hadn't been a snob for such a long time.

On a different note... and one that I don't mean offensively...
Maybe I'm just old, but nothing screams amatuar toy to me like skinning. It's cool... perhaps I'm just out of touch, but having "brushed steel" as my interface or some anime character isn't my thing. The color scheme changes and a custom background are fine. If it happens, I'd like the ability to turn the skinning engine off, as I'm not convinced as a programmer that more eye candy won't hurt performance. Perhaps...

Also, I guarantee that this will increase Sonar sales dramatically because those not familiar with Sonar and comparing it with the competition by browsing online photos of software DAWS will judge it by how it looks. I know it is a matter of opinion, but lets be honest with ourselves, sadly Sonar does not look as rich as the some of the other software DAWs on the market.

Hmm... speculation, but I'll go with it. Personally, I only glance at the photos. I spend most of my time comparing things like feature sets, driver support, audio engine types, plugin support, etc. Of course the pictures make an applications tone available, but I thought that Sonar looked/looks fine, and had the features I wanted that were making me desire a change.
If people have never used a DAW before, or bought software for it, then perhaps they are looking at the pictures more carefully, and not reading or understanding the specs/features set.
I'd really rather have an app that only looked OK and performed wonders than an app that looks PERFECT and is otherwise sub par...

Edited because of my horrible spelling...

Considering that only a couple of months back there were calls on here from people who wanted to go back to the CW9 spreadsheet interface because it's more efficient (and in some ways it is), I'd say that leaving it alone would probably keep most people happy.

no facelift no fluff, the icons in s5 were a bridge too far for me

please please please do not try and make it look like a piece of hardware this is so early 90's it's untrue!

For those of you who want something flash for surfing the net and email there is this: http://osx.portraitofakite.com/

Child

Too much color makes it look pre-school.

Just out of interest: Can you give some examples exactly where there's too much colour in your opinion? IMO there's not much room for changes, maybe the pan and trim faders on console view, but that's it. Volume faders, send knobs and buttons are 3D already, and having the active buttons lit in different colours makes sense.

In track view there's not much colour either. Faders and other elements on the track headers are very close together, so colour coding is essential for a good overview. 3D look wouldn't give you anymore than what you can achieve right now by setting those to the same colour - OK, maybe independant settings for faders and associated envelopes would be a good thing.

And lose the big clunky blue Windows banners on the top!

You know you can change the XP appearance? I use the "silver" scheme and have made window elements a bit smaller etc. Looks very nice! There are even tools available which allow you to customize XP graphics completely.

werner