MPC Software re-design

hey mpc-forums, first post from me on here. I'm a long time MPC user, owned a 2000 back in the day, then an XL and started using the Ren shortly after it was released.

I normally avoid un-solicited re-designs. You are too far removed from the decisions that were made, both from a visual aesthetic perspective and from a technical one. You are not under any type of deadline, there are no product launches to meet. Time and money run out, you have to cut features, or add unforeseen ones in at the last minute. Things can get a bit messy.

With that in mind, this isn't meant to be presented as a better version of what is already out there, just my take on it. I did this for fun. The whole goal of this exercise was to try to stick to the original format as closely as possible, so this perhaps isn't really so much of a re-design as it is a re-skinning of the current layout and UI. I moved some things around in order to keep everything aligned and uniform, but for the most part I avoided re-thinking and/or changing the interactions. That would take a bit more time, and doesn't necessarily translate well in a static format.

Anyway, thought I would share this, would love to hear what you guys think.

Also, if anyone is interested, I recorded the whole making of, which can be found here: https://vimeo.com/71172009 .
Not sure if vimeo embedding is supported here, if anyone can tell me how I'll edit this link.

cheers

Really nice GUI!!!

Very Logic Pro X like!

Aw man for few seconds I believed you re-program/hack the software ala jj...too bad...

Really nice! Pad lights aren't blue though! I think the pad lights should stay the same as they are on the hardware, as well has the midi notes in the piano editor! Other than that, slick as ****!

Looks like Pulse. But more knobertry.

Man! That GUI is straight smooth as f***! Akai, you should hire this guy and then change the software to look EXACTLY like that!
Who gon hate?

I would like to see this change.

It's a nice skin but I wouldn't want this instead of the original one. I do actually like the original design, it matches the hardware pretty well. That said I think it would be cool to have an option for different skins like this one which is very good. Nice video too! In my video you would have seen me reading tutorials on the internet on how to create shading and masking etc, wouldn't have look nearly as cool

Nice skin though man

excellent work great video. someone needs to sort it out, obviously we need more improvements to the software first and foremost that goes without saying.

one thing i'd like to see is the size of the horizontal and vertical magnifiers made a bit wider they are to small and fiddly at present when using the mouse.

anyway good job maybe they will take note.

This GUI could be perfect for Dark Rooms or Live on stage ! Sometimes my eyes are bleeding with all this bright grey. #NeedIt

Danny wrote:the size of the horizontal and vertical magnifiers made a bit wider they are to small and fiddly at present when using the mouse.

Very Glad you pointed that Dan

Yes this is nice. But it's something I believe should be down the line.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Appreciate all the positive comments.

I think there's definite advantages to the software closely emulating the hardware, and I have obviously stepped outside those bounds for this particular skin. I do however think theres lots of room for improvement with where the current software stands, the size of the vertical / horizontal magnifiers for example, as Danny pointed out. I am thinking about perhaps doing another version of the skin in the future when I have more time, but a lighter one that matches the hardware look more closely. Might be a good time to try to tackle some of those interactions then.

thanks again for the reactions guys, keep em coming.

cheers.

wow this looks slick

any chance you could share the skin?

I might design one myself.. I prefer the lighter greys, should look similar to the hardware like another person was saying

Maybe a similar look to logic 9.. Before they went all dark..

This is what is should have looked like from the start. 1000X better and much more professional looking.

AyePee wrote:wow this looks slick

any chance you could share the skin?

^^^ +1 ^^^