(Sorry if this kind of topic already exist, i wasn’t able to find one)
Any thoughts on this subject?
Last night i was messing around for about two hours on desktop (dual monitor setup) in new version (9.5)…
So, i know desktops are usualy more comfy, but i got the feeling that the Ardour’s UI design simply fits desktops much better. I don’t think the layout isn’t good, for me it’s more the feeling about button sizes, track/grid visability etc (changing themes doesn’t change the feel for me), and sometimes i just feel like the clicking-around flow is too fast…almost like the drop down menus are too responsive/fast or something, and all those thing are exaggerated when using laptop.
It’s just the feeling i get from the UI…
I had the same feeling about Reaper’s UI, but not with Fruity’s or Cubase’s. Maybe it’s the animations or something…i can’t put my finger on it exactly.
Does anybody have similar feelings about this, and what do you think, why is it so?
In general, I find laptops to be pretty inconsistent due to how all apps and OSes (linux here) deal with higher res displays. I don’t notice a big difference in Ardour experience switching between desktop and laptop, though (after I adjust the various GUI sizing to my liking).
My only consistent desire is for more real estate.
Well as a new user here, it’s been about 2 weeks learning ardour, the only problem I am running in to is issues with me is using a Hi-DPI setting environment. Mainly with teeny-tiny cursors. I spent about a week trying to figure a work around. Issue not solved yet.
I know that this is a GTK Hi-dpi issue, especially when porting to windows
I work with a 4k screen because i am working with Blender 3D.
I may have to start a new thread on this issue
Being able to change font would be desirable. Crowded UI…well I’m use to that(Blender, Mixxx).
Well, there’s this specific thing that many audio/video apps use - Premiere, Final Cut, Cubase etc. I’ll have to investigate it further to better describe it. The “feel” difference.
Something like the difference between movies and tv image - one flows more softer/naturaly, and the other looks more sharp. When it comes to this example, i know what’s causing the difference, but when it comes to app’s UI i don’t know how to better technicaly describe the difference.
Like there’s kind of a small latency between input with mouse/keyboard and application’s response, which just feels like it flows more naturaly. When using Ardour, especialy on laptop, that feeling is lost - it is like the input/response happens immetiately, so it feels rigid. I notice it especialy when zooming in/out in editor, or when adjusting note durations with mouse while editing midi. Also, when opening drop down menus.
I know it sounds strange to accuse the app of being “to fast” , but i sincerely think it wouldn’t hurt it to be little “softer” flowing. Right?
Sounds annoying to me, but maybe that is something you can adjust with your OS display settings.
You didn’t mention which OS, but that sounds like something that might be in the Accessibility/Visual Effects menu of Windows. You mentioned Cubase, which is not available for Linux so I assume you are not using Linux. Not sure what eye candy settings are available on MacOS, but poke around in the OS settings, that might be something you can change from there.
Ardour in linux-mostly debian 13 xfce and kde these days, Cubase and Ardour in windows, Final Cut sometimes in macos (i’m worst at using mac, use it rarely and don’t own it personaly right now).
I’ll tinker more and let you all know. Eye Candy stuff is not realy my thing, this comes down more to interaction feel. For example, i’ve spend many hours in Premiere 2021 and it’s realy ugly if you ask me, but the feel while scroling, clicking thru etc is realy good. I bet they introduce small interface latency or something on purpose.
Good example of this i can think of on top of my head(writing from my phone) is when you click&drag to prolonge the midi note in Ardour - i sometimes wonder did i just prolonge it or was it already this way before.
Don’t want to a drag, just sayin’ what i notice. Overal, at this point (minus the lacking in time stretching/pitch shifting department) i find Ardour to be a killer programme. And, when it comes to UI’s, to me it’s side by side with Reaper, but i do prefer Ardour’s UI much more.
I’m clicking thru UI on a 14 inch laptop right now.
Yeah you’re right, many of these quirks are adjustable in preferences. But i can also see i’m not mad, there’s something weird going on here when it comes to general “flow” .
For example - font scaling and deadzone adjustment.
To achive a similar “feel” i’m much used to, first i had to adjust mouse pointer speed in xfce’s setting to 0.5 and set Ardour’s drag deadzone to “huge”.
Does someone know is it possible to rearange top panels and buttons?
I’m looking there at many things i just don’t use (like navigation timeline window), and many of those buttons could just remain hidden or simply put in a single panel hight line.
The more i realy look at it, the more i’m aware why it’s just more comfy on a desktop machine.
Yes, it would hurt me.
I prefer my Ardour to be as ‘painfully’, blazingly fast as possible.
But maybe you should get LICEcap (or some GNU/Linux alternative), or some screen-recording software, and try to capture some GIFs/recordings to demonstrate this contrast in ‘flow’ you’re talking about. Although, that might not be a good use of your time, so you decide.
There’s parts of the answer to this in that post of mine right before you chipped in .
I’m beginnig to be aware of what it actualy is. It’s all these little things that create cumulative effect, and now i’m much more aware why it’s so different to me when it comes to laptop vs desktop dilemma.
On desktop you just simply need to work harder to get across all that real estate (which is good in my case ) , so the feel was automaticaly better to me.
Still…any way to rearrange top panels(above rulers) / get rid of things ?
Thanks.
Oh i see, you can declutter it this way if you don’t always need everything (which i don’t) .
Is there a way to move the rest to a single line in order to gain more vertical space?
, but i sincerely think it wouldn’t hurt it to be little “softer” flowing. Right?