• SONAR
  • CakeTV Live, Quick Bytes, Get Started, Go Deeper, and Master Classes in HD (with links) (p.12)
2011/08/26 17:13:43
Seth Perlstein [Cakewalk]
Hello all,

We've got a new Quick Bytes video called SONAR X1 Easier to Use which shows ten reasons why X1 is easier to use than past versions.

Check it out here ...

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viHws3lo9Q8

CakeTV
http://www.cakewalk.com/CakeTV/quickbytes.aspx

Enjoy!

SP
2011/08/26 17:22:27
John
I love that Video!!!!
2011/08/26 18:02:32
garrigus
Yep, that was a great comparison between the two versions. Nice video, Seth!

Scott

--
Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar ProAudioTutor video tutorial series: http://garrigus.com/?ProAudioTutor
* Publisher of the DigiFreq free music technology newsletter: http://digifreq.com/?DigiFreq
* Publisher of the NewTechReview free consumer technology newsletter: http://newtechreview.com/?NewTechReview

2011/08/26 19:51:47
Seth Perlstein [Cakewalk]
garrigus


Yep, that was a great comparison between the two versions. Nice video, Seth!

Scott

--
Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar ProAudioTutor video tutorial series: http://garrigus.com/?ProAudioTutor
* Publisher of the DigiFreq free music technology newsletter: http://digifreq.com/?DigiFreq
* Publisher of the NewTechReview free consumer technology newsletter: http://newtechreview.com/?NewTechReview


Thanks, Scott! But, to be fair, it was a team effort.

SP
2011/08/27 01:00:00
stickman393
Yeah, nice work guys. I mean that sincerely.

But I do feel the need to add some balance here and point out that it also demonstrates a good amount of what I hate about the X1 UI. There's a lot of subjective stuff there. 

And it also conveniently omits things like:
"In X1, you can no longer distinguish all automation envelopes in a single glance!"
"In X1, you'll be clicking the left mouse button more than ever!"
"In X1, you're limited to a restricted choice of text colors, and we've adjusted the contrast so their harder to read!"
"In X1 track view, pan,gain and volume controls all use the same color of blue!" "In X1, device names are munged into a confusing jumble of letters - and you'll have less room for the text!"

By the way - What on earth did the devs have against "cascading right-click menus" ? What made you hate them so virulently that you felt you had to remove them - even in cases where they are more efficient than the replacement mechanism provided in X1?



I see a lot of hard-learned UI conventions thrown out without any thought as to why they were used in the first place.

What's heartbreaking is the truly useful workflow enhancements in X1 would have been a godsend if they were added to a 9.0 release.

(No, I'm not one of those folks who think Cakewalk should be supporting the 8.5'rs with an updated release.)

(Yes, I'm bitter.)
2011/08/27 11:24:06
Seth Perlstein [Cakewalk]
stickman393


Yeah, nice work guys. I mean that sincerely.

But I do feel the need to add some balance here and point out that it also demonstrates a good amount of what I hate about the X1 UI. There's a lot of subjective stuff there. 

And it also conveniently omits things like:
"In X1, you can no longer distinguish all automation envelopes in a single glance!"
"In X1, you'll be clicking the left mouse button more than ever!"
"In X1, you're limited to a restricted choice of text colors, and we've adjusted the contrast so their harder to read!"
"In X1 track view, pan,gain and volume controls all use the same color of blue!" "In X1, device names are munged into a confusing jumble of letters - and you'll have less room for the text!"

By the way - What on earth did the devs have against "cascading right-click menus" ? What made you hate them so virulently that you felt you had to remove them - even in cases where they are more efficient than the replacement mechanism provided in X1?



I see a lot of hard-learned UI conventions thrown out without any thought as to why they were used in the first place.

What's heartbreaking is the truly useful workflow enhancements in X1 would have been a godsend if they were added to a 9.0 release.

(No, I'm not one of those folks who think Cakewalk should be supporting the 8.5'rs with an updated release.)

(Yes, I'm bitter.)


With all due respect, your points don't address a single thing that was in the video. We chose ten things that are easier to do in X1 than in older versions of SONAR and demonstrated them.

Nothing against cascading right-click menus, but would you really rather have to dive through one of those rather than simply drag and drop a plugin every time you wanted to add an effect to the project? I know I wouldn't.

SP
2011/08/27 14:28:04
Keni
Nicely made Seth...

My compliments on a job well done...

But I can't say that I agree with all the opinions regarding "easier in X1"...

X1 I still don't get the browser... You still have a menu of sorts to go thru to find things (how else could it be done?) and then I must drag the object around the screen...

The drop down menu system of past was every bit as quick to page thru as expanding/finding in the browser and a simple click is far easier than draggin the object across screen...

I won't go into more as I'm not trying to derail the topic. I'm just reminding you that not all of us find all these things improved...

But your video does show the differences very well and gets a lot of info across in a small amount of time...

Nice job...

Keni

2011/08/27 15:21:41
John
The drop down menu system of past was every bit as quick to page thru as expanding/finding in the browser and a simple click is far easier than draggin the object across screen...
And where did that go? Its still there you know. You can still use the FX bin for example to insert an FX or synth just as in 8xx.
2011/08/27 15:52:02
stickman393
Seth Perlstein [Cakewalk]

With all due respect, your points don't address a single thing that was in the video. We chose ten things that are easier to do in X1 than in older versions of SONAR and demonstrated them.

Nothing against cascading right-click menus, but would you really rather have to dive through one of those rather than simply drag and drop a plugin every time you wanted to add an effect to the project? I know I wouldn't.


The respect is mutual, Seth. 

I wasn't addressing the points the video made directly, for two reasons: 

One, because on the whole, they are easier in X1, although I believe that "easier" is subjective (as you admit in your comment about cascading right-click menus), and that not everyone agrees about what is "easier". 

Two, I wanted to add some balance, and bring up some changes in X1 that (in my opinion) make it harder to use, and of course these weren't highlighted in the video (because that wasn't the point of the video, I understand.)

That was the point of my post. I'll acknowledge it was cheeky, but I think the points are still valid. I don't expect them to be incorporated into the next video Cakewalk releases, but on the other hand it will be pleasant if the next SONAR release addresses them. Cakewalk might even get my upgrade $$ again next year.


Best,



2011/08/27 16:44:57
Seth Perlstein [Cakewalk]
Keni


Nicely made Seth...

My compliments on a job well done...

But I can't say that I agree with all the opinions regarding "easier in X1"...

X1 I still don't get the browser... You still have a menu of sorts to go thru to find things (how else could it be done?) and then I must drag the object around the screen...

The drop down menu system of past was every bit as quick to page thru as expanding/finding in the browser and a simple click is far easier than draggin the object across screen...

I won't go into more as I'm not trying to derail the topic. I'm just reminding you that not all of us find all these things improved...

But your video does show the differences very well and gets a lot of info across in a small amount of time...

Nice job...

Keni


Thanks, Keni!

One of the biggest benefits of X1's Browser is that it is permanent, as opposed to the open/ close nature of pop-up and right-click menus. Take inserting a plugin, for example. With the plugin menu open in the Browser it is always there. With the old style right-click menu you have to navigate through that cascading system each and every time you want to insert a plugin. Also, that menu goes away with every plugin inserted, unlike X1's Browser which is always there.

Also, you don't have to drag plugins or synths all the way aacross the screen as simply dropping a plugin anywhere on a track or in the track pane itself will insert that plugin on that track. And synths can simply be double clicked or drag and dropped.

And Screensets remember which section is open in the Browser, so you could easily set up a Screenset with the plugin list open, one with the synth list open, etc. Much faster and more flexible than using the right-click menus, IMHO. 

For what its worth, , though you can still use the right-click menus to insert plugins and synths should you really want to. But I typically wouldn't/

SP
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