Alan's New GPO Skin #2

[Alan Lastufka]

As promised...

The interactive version: http://www.fallofautumn.com/GPO2.swf (\"http://www.fallofautumn.com/GPO2.swf\")

The static version:
http://www.fallofautumn.com/GPOskin02pic.jpg

I like this one much more than the first...

I tried to keep in mind all of the comments made on the last design and tried to improve upon that one.

I am still working on a \'goth\' design and one other surprise design that I got a PM about... and it was a REALLY cool idea if I can pull it off.

All comments are welcome, thanks guys for looking.

[Waywyn]

all i get is a pretty white screen and the description, seems a little too much moonlight images/icons/wink.gif

[Alan Lastufka]

Are you on dial-up?

The Flash file for this one is a little bigger, more layers and such... it might take a minute before it shows the Flash file. If it would help, I\'ll post a .jpg in a minute, you won\'t be able to move the faders or anything, it would be static.

Give me a second to load it up to my server...

[sirbellog]

Originally posted by Waywyn:
all i get is a pretty white screen and the description, seems a little too much moonlight images/icons/wink.gif <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">-----
Same here, even with adsl : blank screen, even after a minute....
well, we are looking forward to it, anyway.
thank you for your efforts !

[Alan Lastufka]

Okay, its posted above... I was going to wait for Valentine\'s day with this one, but I have no patience... images/icons/smile.gif

[Rico]

I think it looks good overall - the red \"slider-buttons\" is a bit over the top to me, but the rest is beautiful.
But the question is - can anyone write anything but romantic pieces with this skin before their eyes? images/icons/smile.gif

Ohh, and the \"DFD\" led sounds promising - just what I\'d like to see in the future images/icons/wink.gif

Really Nice work!!!

Regards,
Rico

[Adam Burford]

I could go for this design if it came with a DRY and a WET KISS--would that be a percussion instrument?

[Waywyn]

now it\'s working, also the flash-thingy.

hmm to be true i would never integrate something like on my sequencer.

it looks kinda gay and reminds me of the pianos on our old schlager music shows here in germany, where 60 year old guys sitting in front of it and singing songs, about earlier times and girls etc.

maybe you should add an interactive timer, so that the roses can wither and you can get an interactive watercan to water them. but after one week the flowers are totally withered and you have to take a flash animated broom to wipe it off the piano...

[13]

it sure is sissy looking, but whether that attests to it being homosexual or not, i couldn\'t tell (or care)

[Hardy Heern]

Alan, I didn\'t know you cared. This really brings out my feminine side (and I\'m 6\' 4\") images/icons/smile.gif images/icons/smile.gif

Joking apart it\'s actually rather well done. As a designer myself I know it\'s hard to come up with original stuff as you have and all too easy for other people to criticise after they have seen it! But could they create it in the first place?? Mostly not I suspect.

I would welcome such a design amongst others for when I\'m in the romantic mood....although I\'m not normally a skin man....I tend to just want something very clear, practical and easy to use......bguger...there I go...back to earth! images/icons/smile.gif

Keep up the invention...

Frank

[Alan Lastufka]

Originally posted by Hardy Heern:

...As a designer myself I know it\'s hard to come up with original stuff as you have and all too easy for other people to criticise after they have seen it! But could they create it in the first place?? Mostly not I suspect...
<font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">Thank you VERY much! A little appritiation goes a long way. It\'s nice to know the hours spent weren\'t wasted.

[Bela D Media]

Hey at least no one has posted pics of ear plugs about your work!! LOL images/icons/shocked.gif

Sorry - had too.

Anyway, I think this is one hell of a concept.
Can\'t wait to see the cool, retro skin!

[Waywyn]

i think earplugs would not work on an image, but maybe this could do it images/icons/wink.gif

http://www.domshoppe.com/design/allmaleBDSM/Copy_of_blindfoldbutton.JPG

i am kidding!!! sorry but i had to.

[Garritan]

Alan,

Where did the Valentine\'s Day skin go? I thought it was clever and original. Would have been a perfect Valentines Day gift (along with some chocolates). Bring back the skin!

Gary Garritan

[Wirebird]

It\'s sad to read some of the comments on this skin, particularly over at the Sample Libraries forum. But then again some guys there seem to lack so much respect and manners that I admire anyone who dares to post anything there for response.

Thanks for sharing your ideas with us. I\'m a professional designer and VSTi graphics designer, so the following critique is based on experience with the intention of giving some constructive suggestions.
What separates your skins from the original one is that they have a human touch and a warmth that I like. The original one has a high-tech industry feel that doesn\'t really blend with an orchestra, perhaps because an orchestra as such projects more absence of high-tech than many other groups of instruments and their players.
The brush script typeface that is used here doesn\'t really cut it in readability for a quick overview and is perhaps a bit too casual for an instrument of this kind. The GPO logo already has a handwritten touch that is also more elegant in a way that associates to classical music, so this doesn\'t have to be represented in other typefaces. There\'s a general rule that no more than 3, preferably less different typefaces should be used in a design to promote readability. In many cases it\'s just a stupid rule, but regarding user interfaces it should be considered. Here we have at least 5 different typefaces represented, and that is too much in a small space user interface.
Regarding the logo it\'s a good bulls eye-effect to place it in the center as here, but it\'s taking up too much space where normally all the user action takes place. Given the small size of the interface the original top position is probably the best.
Your choice of sliders instead of knobs could be a good thing because this would give a quicker overview of the setting for a patch, compared to the knobs on the standard GPO interface. But there needs to be some form of numeric value presentation. This could be done by lowering the slider to give room for numbers and a pointer at the top of the slider, and/or by modifying the sliders to include a numerical value in the slider itself.
I would also suggest a different grouping of controls. Group 1 should be Tune, Portamento, Var 1 and Var 2. Group 2 should be Volume, Pan and Ambience. This results in Group 1 being the modification of a patch and Group 2 being the output/mix of a patch. There are settings in the standard Kontakt display that should belong to these groups as well, but perhaps this would be confusing for those that use both Kontakt and the GPO player for GPO.
The sliders as such are a bit too much candy-looking for my personal taste, but that\'s just me.

I really like the addition of a picture in the interface. The chosen one is too romantic, but the idea as such is good. Because of the small space that is available for graphics, it can be hard to give the design a certain mood without sacrificing ease of use in some way. But this approach allows for the rest of the interface to be more strict and user friendly. The picture would have to be more neutral than this, but it could work.

Regarding the current GPO interface I think it\' ok, apart from NIs persistent use of microscopic fonts. But an interface that projects more of an \"orchestral mood\" (whatever that is) would be nice images/icons/smile.gif

Wirebird

[Alan Lastufka]

Thanks Wirebird! Now that\'s something I can use...

I have three others half finished and this will definetly allow me to approach them from a fresh perspective...

[Waywyn]

\"It\'s sad to read some of the comments on this skin, particularly over at the Sample Libraries forum. But then again some guys there seem to lack so much respect and manners that I admire anyone who dares to post anything there for response.\"

Dear Wirebird,
tell me, where is the meaning or reason of a discussion bord when i can\'t say my free meaning???

[Wirebird]

Originally posted by Alan Lastufka:
I have three others half finished and this will definetly allow me to approach them from a fresh perspective... <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">Cool, looking forward to seeing them images/icons/smile.gif



Originally posted by Waywyn:
Dear Wirebird,
tell me, where is the meaning or reason of a discussion bord when i can\'t say my free meaning??? <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">You lost me right from the start since I haven\'t mentioned any comments from you. But the fact that you replied indicates that you think you stated something that lacks respect and feel that you should have the right to do so. (I wrote: \"Some guys there seem to lack so much respect and manners\" and you reply that you fail to see the point when you can\'t say your free meaning, thus indicating that your free meaning equals lack of respect and manners).
Please correct me if I\'m wrong but if so, and in reply to your question my answer is that perhaps the meaning of a discussion board is not having the freedom to treat others without respect, perhaps the freedom is rather on the level of sharing thoughts with people that one would never even have met if it weren\'t for the internet forum. Perhaps the meaning of such a forum is being able to share without prejudice and related conflicts because on a forum one has the option of thinking twice before posting a comment.

But then again, who am I to tell the meaning of a forum? I just like the general idea of being able to think before I act, especially since I can be a sometimes too cocky guy IRL. But I\'m learning images/icons/smile.gif

Wirebird

[Waywyn]

hi wirebird,

i thought you mean me, because i think i wrote the most \"rude\" post here because i don\'t like skin stuff, so i thought your post was a reaction of my \"disbehaviour\"...at least i saw it like this images/icons/smile.gif

so all i wanted to say is that i don\'t like it and that i understands when sombody designs, colorizes and tunes his instrument.

but everybody is crying out performance problems and crackles, moans to the developers if the programms don\'t work right and then everybody is asking for skins and additional designs. maybe some flash-animations next time images/icons/wink.gif

the comparison is nearly the same if i would go to a wheelstore and ask for quadratic wheels for my car.

[Wirebird]

Originally posted by Waywyn:
i thought you mean me, because i think i wrote the most \"rude\" post here because i don\'t like skin stuff, so i thought your post was a reaction of my \"disbehaviour\"...at least i saw it like this images/icons/smile.gif <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">No I didn\'t mean anyone in particular, I just got a general bad vibe from some various posts in a couple of topics at the Sample Library forum, and it happened to include the skin topics images/icons/smile.gif



Originally posted by Waywyn:
so all i wanted to say is that i don\'t like it and that i understands when sombody designs, colorizes and tunes his instrument. <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">I understand and I think it\'s very important to express such opinions as it gives the developers an idea of what the users want. I only have an issue with some peoples comments like \"that was the worst bla bla bla\" (I\'m not quoting anyone in particular) without any explanation to why or any respect for the creators work and contribution.
Some people like the current skin, some people would like to change it and expressing those opinions is important. But when someone like Alan leaps a bit further and creates a couple of sketches that enables people to visualize their \"yes\" or \"no\" a lot clearer, then that\'s a really good thing that deserves nothing but appreciation.



Originally posted by Waywyn:
but everybody is crying out performance problems and crackles, moans to the developers if the programms don\'t work right and then everybody is asking for skins and additional designs. maybe some flash-animations next time images/icons/wink.gif <font size=\"2\" face=\"Verdana, Arial\">You should know though that interface design and coding most of the time is two separate things. To illustrate this I could for example redesign the interface of GPO and create a fully working plugin here all by my lonesome without even touching the code or exchanging two words with the programmers. It\'s all there already. The only thing I would not be able to do without giving the programmer a call is move or resize anything.
Also, for an interface design to result in bad performance the designer must really do a bad job.

In specific, the programmers work on improving the Kontakt engine would not suffer from any minor changes in the interface. Thus new ideas are in the safe zone images/icons/smile.gif

Cheers,
Wirebird

[13]

i just thought the phrase \"kinda gay\" was incredibly in poor taste and completely sophomoric (though i\'ll admit my comment wasn\'t much more inspiring, even if it was meant to be tongue in cheek)

i like designs that are much more straight forward. i agree with wirebird about the font choice. even with a romantic theme i\'d keep it in sans serif, non italicized territory. i think the graphic in the corner throws people off too. the color choice works with the button design but the graphic is too distracting.

the romantic theme isn\'t my cup of tea anyway, though to veer this discussion into positive light here are my skin suggestions:

- one that\'s plain wood that would remind me of those vintage toy pianos
- one that\'s entirely brass, but not bright brass. more like a beat up used sousaphone
- one that looks like a black orchestral music stand


back to the superbowl..

[Wirebird]

Vintage brass sounds cool.
I\'m curious about the gothic theme that I read somewhere Alan was working on. Bela D Medias suggestion of a bad *** GPO skin in all black and silver with a picture of the orchestra sounds like a cool idea too. It\'s tricky to use silver though, it\'s basically all reflections.

....but then one could have an orchestra reflected in the silver graemlins/tounge_images/icons/smile.gif

Wirebird

[Waywyn]

hi wirebird,

yes it\'s kinda rude to say gay or that was the worst piece blabla...

but i came here on NS to get some real critics and comments to my musical pieces and i just posted stuff i really thought, this should work, but nowadays everybody is posting even stuff he did with some midi stuff from the net, even not checked some midi-commands and just threw a library over it and then a lot goes wrong. we also really saw some posts here were the developers \"came down\" and told to remove the piece.

if there is anybody saying, that a song or a composition is the worst he ever heard, then it\'s his true opinion. if somebody comes to me and tells me your stuff is like sh*t, i think it\'s not pretty helpful, but if somebody comes to me and says, your stuff suxxs, BECAUSE of this and that. then this is helpful to me and in addition, in know that this demo kinda su**ed images/icons/smile.gif but i know what to do better!

so where the problem ???

i really don\'t mean it by offense, but it\'s just my free point of view i want to share.

[Wirebird]

Waywyn,

there is no problem, I agree with what you write images/icons/smile.gif

Wirebird