Greetings,
Forgive me if the topic has been beat to death or, if you feel it does not matter....for the rest, PLEASE HELP AND CHIME IN!!
 
- COLORS -
A long time ago I began my relationship with Cakewalk. I am pretty old school and have really only used Cakewalk as a tape machine. About the time of Sonar 4 I decided to see what this "digital thing" was all about and I discovered something called "Track Folders". There it was, proof that this digital recording thing was very cool. Since this time I have picked up a few things but still consider myself to use the software for tape machine purposes. I have seen some gripe on several issues and I will not expand on any of them. I just want to complain about one thing. The color and look.
 
As I sit watching the X1 video and playing around inside the program, I just feel like something is missing. When I began setting up tracks in console view, I KNEW SOMETHING WAS MISSING!!
 
When I sit and think about what is important to me in life..I think, family, guitars, more studio gear and always seem to forget that air is the most important. It's just always there, I never need to think about it. I have recently realized the look and color options have had the same impact in my recording world. I never think about it. I would never mention how it is important. If I sent a letter to Sonar regarding changes, I would never take the time to worry about the look or color. All of a sudden, it is all that matters. I cannot dig deep into X1 simply because of this. I miss the rich, deep, almost 3D look of 8.5. I miss the color options (which are actually even better in earlier Cakewalk products). When I pull up console view and have 16-24 audio faders, a half dozen effect sends, groups/busses etc., I end up with 40 faders of the same color. This is very hard to work with. We should be able to quickly select any channel/channel strip/group of channels we want and change the color, the whole color, and nothing but the color...in a second. Some of this same idea or better yet options, can apply in the track view as well. But even the general look seems drab. I want to feel like my software is professional and the greatest thing out. I don't want to feel like I bought the discount or alternate version of Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase etc. I want it to look fantastic.
 
This is the other side though, someone thinks this look is indeed fantastic. None of us will have exactly what we want, right? So, I am simply asking for the option. I even understand it is a different program and I may not have the option of exactly what I am used to. I am sure there can be an option of "very close" to what I am used to. And I am certain I can have an option of a color for a fader in console view.
 
I support new versions. I am ok with nothing being perfect out of the gate. I respect that a company needs to put something out with a price tag in order to generate dollars. However, I feel like with the push of X1, something as simple yet as critical as air, has been overlooked.
 
I am sure some think the bland look is great. I am sure some will agree with me. I am only asking for support of this thread to convince Sonar for the option to pick a look. I think besides the look, most will agree that some color options in general, or better yet make some actually work, is needed. And for the console view, I think we all could agree that a fader color is a must.
 
So please chime in. I hope I did not start a thread to discuss several issues and bugs. I am hoping to really drive the point home on the look. Change is great and I am loving some of this stuff, the docking, the options and on and on. But again, just not such a bland overall look.
 
To me, it seems they have completely destroyed console view. It is almost like they have ruined it and flattened it for prochannel. I cannot move the channel strip, dock it, move it, grab it, slide it over to another group of tracks and COLOR a group of drums or guitars etc.. Nothing. It is just this useless section. And sadly, this section is a deal breaker for me. The console view is a major view that I use for mixing. I can't record a shaker track and then slide it over to the drum tracks and group the whole thing and "color" it.
 
At 6 to 12 hours a day in front of a monitor, I don't want to take the air for granted. It is the base for all that I do.
 
Thanks for taking the time to read this rant.
 
-NickandPam

I would love to see color options.. not just for faders, but for entire console channel and buss strips, as well as track headers.

Just changed what I meant for others. You caught me before I updated it. That is was I was meaning. I just added a little extra to my original post to make it clearer.

I suspect they'll return many of the color options. I bet a few return with this update, and the next major version will bring more of them back. I appreciate X1's "return to simplicity" but any major DAW has to have major customization features. 

Of course, especially after seeing the mod thread, I still hold they should just make the whole UI skinnable and let the user community do the heavy lifting.

Return to simplicity? Bah! this is the music work we're doing here... It is NOT simplistic... There are many tools that need to be around and hiding them just means having to find them when you need them...

(no slight on you wicked - Just stole your line)...

Yes, I believe more color control will return in time... but we will not be able to change the availability of tools... the current TV wastes so much space to make it look "simple" that I can't get enuf data on screen to work comfortably... the buttons need to be re-sized and re-grouped so that we can see them and position them to our needs as before. It's now gonna take years until we get back the customization and control we had before... What a great way to double the life of a software... After it's got everything, re-package it in shiny new clothes without everything so that everyone will have to buy for another 10 years to get everything back!

I better stop now... I'm getting wound up again...

Keni

While I like the colour scheme of the track view, I do agree that it should be fully customisable as before, and I also agree with everything that has been said about the console view. They should have left the same console view from 8.5, but added the Prochannel where appropriate. I was doing some mixing last night using the Console View and wanted to re-arrange the position of a couple of tracks, so I tried clicking and dragging them as before and..... nothing. Not a big problem for those of us who have dual monitors as we can have the console on 1 monitor and track view on the other, so it's easy to just zoom your mouse across and re-arrange the tracks there.
 
While we're on the subject of colours and appearance, in 8.5 and earlier, when tracks were in a folder and the folder was open in the Track View, they would appear to be slightly indented so you could easily see at a quick glance which tracks were in the folder and which weren't. X1 doesn't do this; they all stay at the same level so it's not so easy to tell which tracks are populating the folders.

Anyway, I'm getting off the point here, so +1 for the return of full customization, and a more exciting and inspiring console view.

I believe that the main reason of the simplified interface has a lot to do with fatigue. It's been proved that the more the colors, the more our brain tries harder in order to stay focused. When you work for long periods with many colors and you don't know basic tachniques in order to rest your eyes from time to time, you are likely to experience headaches!!!

read about this, you'll learn a lot!
http://sangrea.net/ohs_dbase/colour-color.htm

Keni


Return to simplicity? Bah! this is the music work we're doing here... It is NOT simplistic... There are many tools that need to be around and hiding them just means having to find them when you need them...

(no slight on you wicked - Just stole your line)...

Yes, I believe more color control will return in time... but we will not be able to change the availability of tools... the current TV wastes so much space to make it look "simple" that I can't get enuf data on screen to work comfortably... the buttons need to be re-sized and re-grouped so that we can see them and position them to our needs as before. It's now gonna take years until we get back the customization and control we had before... What a great way to double the life of a software... After it's got everything, re-package it in shiny new clothes without everything so that everyone will have to buy for another 10 years to get everything back!

I better stop now... I'm getting wound up again...

Keni

Wasn't that called planned obsolescence at one time?  



I do understand the frustration though...it certainly appears a little strange that one has to go on a major hunt to do things when it is hidden...


...and with my eyesight the way it is...it certainly would help if they were a little easier to read...

...and with my eyesight the way it is...it certainly would help if they were a little easier to read...

Hence my point about the folder indentation.

stevenpanter


While I like the colour scheme of the track view, I do agree that it should be fully customisable as before, and I also agree with everything that has been said about the console view. They should have left the same console view from 8.5, but added the Prochannel where appropriate.

Yeah... I not only agree, I believe they should have done the same with TV and made the entire Silverlight interface an option! More involved for them, but would have squelched a huge amount of disappointments and the likes...


Keni