Arpangel wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:20 am
...it’s like these things are designed by engineers for engineers, not musicians.
Germany believes in technical education. It shows in their approach to many things, including product design. I like that!
Basically, some of us, like me, are idiots regarding certain technical things, we aren’t all created equal, unfortunately some designers don't take this into account, that’s why I like American stuff, they know how to "idiot proof" things. What they remember is that idiots, are also "customers" too.
My particular affliction is a block regarding numbers, maths, a complicated page of software does the same, puts my brain into melt down, a mental panic that I find paralysing.
I've recently moved over to RME, and I've found TotalMix to be pretty logical. Anything that comprehensive will always have a bit of a learning curve, but it could certainly be a lot worse. I've not spent too much time with it, but I've simply hidden the various bits I don't want or need and labelled everything to match my I/O, that's made a big difference.
Arpangel wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:33 am...we aren’t all created equal, unfortunately some designers don't take this into account...
Why should they? Making something genuinely idiot proof inherently also simplifies it, reducing it's versatility and capability. I get why some designers and manufacturers aren't prepared to do that.
They're aiming products at people who appreciate the design capabilities.
If you don't, find something simpler and be happy with that — but don't criticise a product you simply don't understand or can't be bothered to invest effort in understanding.
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
The Elf wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:37 am
There was a saying oft quoted in IT circles: "Design it for idiots and only an idiot will want to use it."
It's probably a bigger market!
Seriously, though, idiots and braniacs can both be served by the asme product. I must admit, I preferred the older version of Totalmix, before the DSP FX came along and necessarily made the interface busier. But the whole point about it is that a 'friendly' view is possible, and so too is lots of logically laid out info in one screen...
There must be a reason Cubase became to go to DAW for many people
If anyone needs a coder to produce instantly accessible software, I'd suggest go see the coders at TikTok, it's almost become addictive, no wonder the USA wants the forced sale of TikTok, so FaceBook can buy it and get at those algorithms they can't figure out - You heard it here first
Luke W wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:41 am
I've recently moved over to RME, and I've found TotalMix to be pretty logical. I've not spent too much time with it, but I've simply hidden the various bits I don't want or need and labelled everything to match my I/O, that's made a big difference.
Same here - once the input and output names reflect your real-world hardware, TotalMix becomes a lot clearer.
Hugh Robjohns wrote: ↑Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:48 am
If you don't, find something simpler and be happy with that — but don't criticise a product you simply don't understand or can't be bothered to invest effort in understanding.
Maybe I should stop beating about the bush and just say I don’t like the sound of it.
Well its back to square one for me! Andertons now have the RME UCXii in stock and I was very happy to get it today. I'm sure it's a professionals piece of kit but its a bridge too far if you don't know your spdif from your adat from your DSP. Four hours after unboxing I'm yet to get a sound out of it. It ships without a manual now, and as someone who likes to have the info in front of me to go through that's a negative. There's not even a quick start guide to help you along, for the expense that's poor. I eventually managed to get total mix to appear but its looks different to my old fireface 400 one and I felt there was another learning curve there. May be they have totalmix templates ready for new users to get them started? I couldn't find them if they do. Their graphics look dingy and old as the hills, personally not very inspiring. RME have some videos to get you started but as I had no sound that wasn't best pleasing. The display on the unit itself is busy and postage stamp tiny meaning you have to be close to read it. I know rme is loved universally here for its drivers and reliability, but I've found you need to have a fair level of expertise to get it working. I've accepted defeat, it will go back and I will now look for a two channel interface that's user friendly. Back to the drawing board it seems............
To their credit my old fireface 400 worked straightaway on being re-connected, what a relief that was!
Well its back to square one for me! Andertons now have the RME UCXii in stock and I was very happy to get it today. I'm sure it's a professionals piece of kit but its a bridge too far if you don't know your spdif from your adat from your DSP. Four hours after unboxing I'm yet to get a sound out of it. It ships without a manual now, and as someone who likes to have the info in front of me to go through that's a negative. There's not even a quick start guide to help you along, for the expense that's poor. I eventually managed to get total mix to appear but its looks different to my old fireface 400 one and I felt there was another learning curve there. May be they have totalmix templates ready for new users to get them started? I couldn't find them if they do. Their graphics look dingy and old as the hills, personally not very inspiring. RME have some videos to get you started but as I had no sound that wasn't best pleasing. The display on the unit itself is busy and postage stamp tiny meaning you have to be close to read it. I know rme is loved universally here for its drivers and reliability, but I've found you need to have a fair level of expertise to get it working. I've accepted defeat, it will go back and I will now look for a two channel interface that's user friendly. Back to the drawing board it seems............