Dune 3 GUI

[zyguli]

After using Dune 3 for sometime I have some ideas concerning the shortcomings of the GUI.

1. I wish the GUI was in 16:9 format, so I could use a skin more fitting for the panoramic displays thus using the screen real estate more efficiently;
2. I wish all of the three oscillator tabs were visible at all times for example on the left;
3. I don't think Mixer deserves so much space - I think "Unison voices", "Master", "Common" sections should be optimized and integrated with the Mixer section.
4. Arps/Sequencers settings should have their tabs in the bottom section.

In conclusion, using the 16:9 format for the GUI and optimizing space should allow all of the oscillator sections be seen at at all times and make working with the synth faster.

I have attached a super awful mock up made in MS Paint presenting the idea.

[Teksonik]

You would have to copy the entire Osc section or it wouldn't make sense:

D3 061922-1.png

In the end all three Oscs are only a mouse click away now so you wouldn't save anything significant.

There are skins with an alternative layout like Duneton. You might bring your idea up to them:

https://killihu.vstskins.com/duneton/

Duneton.png

I will agree that there is room on the bottom for an Arp/Seq tab and this suggestion has been made quite some time ago. It might then be possible to show all 32 steps at once.

[Teksonik]

As a tip, instead of using Osc 2 or 3 in a single voice layer try using another voice layer instead.

That way you can have different filters, FX routing, envelope settings, etc for each layer and by using the Solo buttons you can easily select certain parts to hear without using the mixer sliders.

Light up all the Solo buttons for every active voice layer and then you can mute parts by turning off individual lights.

[zyguli]

You would have to copy the entire Osc section or it wouldn't make sense:

D3 061922-1.png

I believe I have done just that in my mock-up, though a single oscillator section expands in it horizontally - that's one of the reasons to widen the GUI.

In the end all three Oscs are only a mouse click away now so you wouldn't save anything significant.

Exactly, and I don't like that. I like to have a bird's eye view of everything, especially that I'm working with my Nektar Panorama.
I like DS Thorn GUI because of this.

There are skins with an alternative layout like Duneton. You might bring your idea up to them:

https://killihu.vstskins.com/duneton/

Duneton.png

Thanks, I'm aware of them, however, these skins don't address all the issues described above.

[Teksonik]

I believe I have done just that in my mock-up, though a single oscillator section expands in it horizontally - that's one of the reasons to widen the GUI.

You covered up the Mixer section in your mock-up.

Good luck with your request. Maybe Synapse will completely redesign the GUI to suit you. Or as I said you could contact people who make skins for D3 and see if you can convince them to do it....

[zyguli]

I believe I have done just that in my mock-up, though a single oscillator section expands in it horizontally - that's one of the reasons to widen the GUI.

You covered up the Mixer section in your mock-up.

Mixer was moved to the right, which can be seen by expanding the view of the image. And I don't think it is possible to make all of the oscillators visible at once at this point by making an alternative skin.

Good luck with your request. Maybe Synapse will completely redesign the GUI to suit you. Or as I said you could contact people who make skins for D3 and see if you can convince them to do it....

I don't think that the redesign would be made for me but for better usability.

Although this is a wishlist section of the forum, I sincerely apologize if I offended you by the request. You seem to be very upset by it.

[Christophe]

noone is upset, Tek just wants a new synth to test, He doesn't want Richard to waste time on reskinning an old synth

[Teksonik]

I don't think that the redesign would be made for me but for better usability.

DUNE 3 is perfectly usable right now. I've made hundreds of patches for it and used it in almost every project since it was first released.

Although this is a wishlist section of the forum, I sincerely apologize if I offended you by the request. You seem to be very upset by it.

Not offended or upset in the least bit. I'm just being realistic. The work and cost of completely redesigning DUNE 3's GUI after all these years is probably not a high priority at this point in time.

The request to make all three Oscs viewable at the same time was made long ago and well.....here we are.

But like I said good luck with your request.

[Teksonik]

noone is upset, Tek just wants a new synth to test, He doesn't want Richard to waste time on reskinning an old synth

Not upset at all and yes there are other projects ongoing right now that would be a better use of Synapse's development time.

I don't have any problem with them doing an additional skin as long as the current design remains an option but yea to me it would be a colossal waste of time......

[HYPNAGOGIA]

This thing can't be done with just making a new skin.
There are too many things that are shared, that just have to be in the same place.

Few examples:

Code: Select all

; Background positions
OscBackground1 = 42, 30
OscBackground2 = 42, 30
OscBackground3 = 42, 30
OscTypeBackgroundVA = 42, 240
OscTypeBackgroundWT = 42, 240
OscTypeBackgroundFM = 42, 240

Backgrounds for VA/WT/FM would need a duplicate for Osc2.

Code: Select all

; Type switch positions (VA, WT, FM)
OscTypeSwitchVA = 80, 224
OscTypeSwitchWT = 126, 224
OscTypeSwitchFM = 171, 224

Same as above, it's shared between OSC1 and OSC2.

Code: Select all

; OSC 1/2 knob and switch positions
Semi = 246, 72, Middle
Fine = 324, 96, Small
Detune = 246, 150, Middle
Spread = 312, 150, Middle
Reset = 372, 156

You get the point.
It would need code changes for all of those to be independent between oscillators.
Only THEN you'll be able to position them on a skin.

Frankly, I don't see this happening at all.

[pier]

Personally I agree the UI is the weakest aspect of Dune. Not only aesthetically but specially in terms of UX.

It's awesome Richard improved the preset browser (which was seriously lacking) but my biggest issue has always been the center display with the arp and mod matrix.

For example, it's really tedious and confusing to not be able to see all the modulations in that tiny display as it requires you to scroll up and down again and again. Another issue is that it doesn't have a slot for "sidechain" modulations (as it's called in Massive) or "via" (as it's called in Zebra). You can of course modulate the mod matrix itself but this adds another slot in the mod matrix, which means more scrolling and less available slots.

Of course Dune's UI paradigm was started in a world of 72dpi screens where everything was bitmap based. Now we live in a world of multiple resolutions and pixels densities, with drag and drop everywhere, and with UIs that give abundant information via animations.

Don't get me wrong, I do think Synapse has some of the best DSP in the industry, but this GUI issue will need to be taken more seriously at some point. It is getting progressively outdated and alienating more users as the years go on.

[Kriminal]

Each to their own.

[Teksonik]

Yes to each their own. I think DUNE 3 has one of the finest UX/UI of any plugin in my folder.

But then I'm not easily confused and don't consider scrolling to be a difficult task either physically or mentally.

If people get "alienated" by the UX of one of the best sounding synths on the market then their priorities are skewed in my opinion.

One person's "useful animations" are another person's useless eye candy and so on.

At any rate doing a complete redesign of DUNE 3 to satisfy a couple of people is probably not the best use of development time.

[pier]

At any rate doing a complete redesign of DUNE 3 to satisfy a couple of people is probably not the best use of development time.

Improving the product to be able to acquire more users is not the best use of development time?

It shows you've never been responsible for a software company.

[Kriminal]

I guess a few more users isn't financially viable given the huge task to re do the gui from scratch, compared to the number who are quite happy with the way it is.

I've seen less than a dozen posts on the web complaining about the gui

The majority of feature requests were for a new browser and wavetable editor, both of which were eventually included (and neither of which I use BTW, so....)

Myself and many other users/testers have been asking for stuff for years that has never made its way in. You can't always get what you want...