ORIGINAL: .

Keep it the way it is.

There are far more important functions that need to be added besides skins.

I think I turned off shadows and 3D images when tweaking XP .... maybe they are there if you want them.... There is a protool theme too

ORIGINAL: Rednroll
Opening up FX insert Windows. Again, non dockable and no way to arrange them in an organized fashion when you have multiple plugin windows open. Open up about 4 plugin Windows and place them on a single monitor screen infront of the track view. It looks like a deck of scattered playing cards, where you have to keep shuffling the cards around to get to the plugin you wish to adjust. Sony apps have a dockable/undockable and tabable plugin view.

Rednroll ...

If I understand correctly what you are asking for, you might find this feature is already provided, at least in Sonar 5 and 5.0.1. You can click in the top left corner of any FX Window and choose "Enable Tabbed." It docks the window. I have found this especially useful with FX in the Main Mix chain. To reverse it, right click on the tab and "Disable Tab".

Same thing with the "Loop Explorer" Window. It's a floating mess window that can't be docked. I use it, I click outside of it into my track view....poof it disappears behind my track view. Go back to View menu item to bring it back to the front.

I believe that Brendan has already pointed out to you that you can in fact dock this if you wish. Another option you might find useful is to click top left corner of the Loop Explorer window and "Enable Floating". Easier for you to try it than for me to try to explain exactly how it works.

In my Opinion coming from the outside world use of other apps, Sonar does not allow alot of customization with it's user interface comparitively speaking. It's pretty good, but there's room for much improvement.

Ah yes, there's always room for improvement! But I wonder if you are using Layouts to your best advantage? Did you know that you can save and recall screen layouts (under the View, Layouts command) and recall them at will ... you can of course also assign keyboard shortcuts to them.

As a side issue, I'd be interested to learn how you are finding it using Vegas style key bindings, which I believe you said you are doing? I remember doing something similar years ago when I first switched (reluctantly!) from Word Perfect to Word. In the event I found it was better in the short term but worse in the longer term because what I was doing was out of kilter with all the manuals, help files, etc. Just a tghought!

All the best,
Geoff

ORIGINAL: Rednroll
If I was already up to speed on Sonar and all it's native keyboard short-cuts, than I could see S5 being the better solution for me.

I think the problem is that most DAW software is so big and so complex these days that knowing keyboard shortcuts becomes virtually obligatory if you're to function with the softare effectively. Do you know about Editor's Keys? Could be just be the job.
http://www.editorskeys.com/

Best,
Geoff

What you MUST understand is that only Sonar users think its the best looking DAW. I want EVERYONE to think its the best looking most visually functional DAW. If you take a poll on the entire community of native DAW users, Sonar would come low in the major group, probably last. In fact, I am going to do one to show you what I mean.

I've always struggled with some folk's desire to be all things to all people. Usually when a company does this it is the point that they make the decision to fail.

I like Sonar's look. I actually like it better than PT, Logic, or Cubase. I do really like Digital Performers look, but I'm not a Mac guy obviously. I don't think Sonar needs a facelift.

I want to attach mini meters to the track Header that remain visible when the track is minimized.
And the MSR buttons could be narrowed to create more title space.

As far as a general overhaul, just as long as readability and font size isn't reduced, a little beautifing might be nice.

I would prefer if the interface update focused on interface functionality, like cleaning up the menus.
Make those context menus specific to the item being right clicked
Put all the settings in a setting dialog.
Move all to ini and reg setting to the above setting dialog
Make the TV grid lines usable
Make Tool Bar Window that will hold Tool Bars, that is dockable in the tabbed area.
Ability to AutoHide the Windows title bar and Standard Menu(file, Edit,...)

Why do we need the Little Auto Group Triangle, why not Auto Group all the controls in all Selected Tracks, including Input and Output setting?

How about a Track Properties window Update. Put all the controls in there, including the "builtin" EQ and FX.

How about some midi sends.

As to nice but superflous, why not be able to open the Track Icon dialog and drag the icons to the tracks.

Obviously I could go on.

Lots of stuf to do before a dangerous mono colored super metalic modification to user interface is undertaken.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS AS OF 2/12/06 11:30 p.m. EST


MAKE SONAR LOOK RICHER, MORE 3D: -------- 35
KEEP SONAR THE WAY IT IS: ------------------- 34
UNDECIDED/DON'T CARE: ----------------------- 4


There have been a lot of requests for SKINS as an alternative to changing the GUI altogether

Change is the universal constant. I vote to dress it up.

Give me functionality over looks.
Give me system resource not resource hog
Give me consistency through the versions

I guess you know where my vote will be.

Here are the current results of the DAW GUI poll I am running on the SOS forum: http://home.casema.nl/ajohnston/DAW_GUI_Poll.html

Note the huge difference between how people judge the looks and the graphical workflow of Sonar. Then also looks at the same numbers for DP, Logic and Nuendo.

Are looks really that important to serious musicians/audio engineers? Considering the popularity of ProTools I would say no ...

UnderTow

I was thinking the same thing...

How would changing the look of a meter for example eat more CPU cycles?
That's the part I don't get.

It's interesting UnderTow that you have a thread with graphs etc over at the Sound on Sound forum:

http://www.soundonsound.com/forum/showflat.php?session=fac042eef7efdfc239aa180e6e7475ad&Cat=&Number=251472&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1#251472

Andy

The boring Windows-look is stable, customizable, easy to work with and you can configure things so take up less space than they seem to in Cubase.

The interface *MUST* change! I can't even look at it! It's no wonder I can't get anything done! It's so clinical and flat that the muse refuses to come around unless I cover the monitor with a paper bag. I tried getting a third party to use the interface for me from the control room be she couldn't deal with it either. She went cross-eyed after only 3 hours at the controls; she never came back. We had to result to turning off the monitors completely and using keyboard shortcuts. ;-)

For what it's worth, one of the things I like about Sonar's GUI is that after using it for hours on end, my eyes don't feel burnt like they do with some other apps.

Sorry to hear Sonar's looks embarass you in front of your friends.

I’m by no means embarrassed. It is just difficult to brag about the qualities of Sonar to people that work with Nuendo/ ProTools and don’t even get past the interface of Sonar.

Perhaps a DAW is the wrong thing for you? How about a nice background image for your desktop to impress them?
I use Sonar for work.

JazzSinger, I think you’re getting too personal. I won’t return that favor. I just tried to get a message across and not to offend anybody. We may have different opinions but that is no excuse to become abusive. You use it for work. I use it to put creative ideas on the computer. I was a studio musician for many years and I just try to do the recordings myself. The looks of the interface (GUI) contributes to my creativity. This may be different for other people. Again I only express my own opinion.

I feel that having a different opinion about Sonar somehow upsets some people so I herewith redraw from this discussion.

Regards,
Helmut