Yet Bapu, who doesn't even work for Cakewalk or have source code for Sonar, was able to make it look better with his add-on. Cakewalk just doesn't get it.

Don't you mean Panup?

John

Yet Bapu, who doesn't even work for Cakewalk or have source code for Sonar, was able to make it look better with his add-on. Cakewalk just doesn't get it.

Don't you mean Panup?

Yes......it for sure wasn't Bapu ....that is so not his style ....

daveny5


NOPE. They said on the Webinar that there won't be any changes to the GUI.

Cakewalk bought into this stupid Skylight crap which is not scalable or customizable.
 
 

+1 to that.  I don't know if I'd phrase it this strongly: I definitely see the APPEAL of Skylight to SOME users, but I'm not currently one of those users and probably won't be anytime in the near future.
 
I'm likely going to upgrade to X2 Producer.  EVENTUALLY.  Some of the new features look very handy, particularly the improved Now Time functionality and Smart Snap.  I literally have wanted Automation Modes since I first started using Sonar 6 years ago: it was ALWAYS a sacrifice for the other features I felt it did well. 
 
I'm eager to find out as much as I can about X2, and from what I've seen I'm gonna hold off on the purchase until either (a) I'm sure the cool new stuff fits into my workflow (got burned on this with Pro Channel in X1) or (b) they make the deal more appealing.  Is the upgrade worth $99 to me?  Probably, but not for a pre-order when there's bound to be bugs, and throwing in the Strings package (which I will likely NEVER use) doesn't make up for that to me in terms of pre-sale value.
 
What I think is especially frustrating about Skylight is that it looks VERY similar to other existing DAW programs.  I first saw the "track view over mix view" style on Reaper YEARS before X1 came out, and have also seen it (with other distinct similarities to Skylight) on Logic and Studio One.  All three came out PRIOR to X1.  If consumers liked it, I don't blame the bakers for implementing a successful feature like that, but focusing SO heavily on how it's "brand new from the ground up" just makes it look like you're playing a game of Follow the Leader.  Particularly when the nuts & bolts of the program aren't radically different to the end user (e.g., the driver interfacing and Friendly Names seem EXACTLY the same, and I'm still right at home in the Preferences Window, even if it's laid out a little differently).

It's been my observation that organizations that have bad ideas and make bad decisions are sluggish to acknowledge the bad decision and then make the effort to execute a good idea.

I have to agree with this observation as well Mike. I like the way PT handles colors. Not sure if it's a closet full of wires for the programmers to sort through, but I think it's a no-brainer for Cakewalk to offer us colors to target our work areas faster.



BTW - I've feature requested this as I'm sure others have as well over the past 12 months.

Custom colors / the GUI is one of the sore spots for me on X1/2.
 
Skylight seems to be just a clever marketing name for nothing much new. Maybe there is some new framework under it, but they are still using bitmaps to draw the GUI. The browser, inspector, dock, etc. were all advertised as if they were brand new - but each was there before X1 - they have just been updated in X1/2. The old smart tool for MIDI was as also good as the new one plus you could customize it.
 
All I see in Skylight is a name and a cleaner (forced) look, some wasted space, etc. At the very least, Cakewalk could have removed the entries in color customization that no longer worked from 8.5 to X1. They could easily have left custom menus alone - its not like the average user was bothered by something they never knew was there.
 
I'm impressed that they have taken more time on this release and seem to have worked on a couple areas that were badly implemented in X1 - but they seem to be only able to chip away at things slowly. I am actually surprised that after two years they didn't have time to address color customization. It may be several versions before I upgrade again. 8.5.3 with custom colors and menus is still more streamlined than X1/2 can hope to be, and I seem to do just fine without the few new additions such as screensets, drag/drop browser, etc. I'm hoping X3 onward will start to become a mature product and Cakewalk will start to release features only when they are well thought through and stable (including the GUI).
 
 

cornieleous


.....At the very least, Cakewalk could have removed the entries in color customization that no longer worked from 8.5 to X1. 
 

+1

I like the X1/X2 GUI a lot, but they should bring back the custom options.

Man I sure agree with you guys who miss the freedom to customize colors and other things about your workspace! I just installed the X1 (I've owned it a long time- but stickin' with 8.5, though!)- it's horribly illegible and ugly/drab. You can't READ the little tiny font with barely any contrast against various medium shades of gray. 

The nice crisp white font and dark navy blue background that I have in 8.5 is SO much easier to see from across the control room! May not be everyone's cup of tea, but, at least it's nicer to have a CHOICE!

Whoever is the gray color-Nazi who designed and forced us to use their undecipherable GUI better not try getting a job at the Florist! Ha! Just kidding... still- I hate the drab, pale, murky GRAY. Yuck. 

Big step backwards to remove color choice from customers.

It is interesting that ever since X1 so many of the active forum members have so vocally complained about losing color customization and so ardently asked to have it back and still...it ain't happenin.  I'd just like to know definitively from a Baker who knows why on earth this useful feature had to be removed and why it cannot be brought back.  Would it be that much of a programing challenge?  Because it seems it is definitely a sore point with many long time users. 

I like the look of X1 over 8.53 by a mile or two. But, I want to be able to group sections of tracks and markers with colors. PT has the right idea around workflow on this one!

My uneducated guess would be X1 uses a large amount of "place holder" type graphics in it's GUI