Cubase Pro 10 GUI: Tabbed Interface / Dockable Windows / Fully Vector UI

Hello @Steinberg,

Short version:

  1. Please replace the current Main Window / Project Window with a Tabbed Interface “à la Studio One” (Start / Song / Project tabs)
  2. Please let us manage Left / Right and Lower Zone’s tabs with “Dockable Windows” à la Wavelab, Sonar, and Acid Pro (thanks @Quinn3k3 for the heads up)
  3. Would love an all-vector GUI for both Cubase Pro and its Midi / Audio Plugins, that would translate beautifully on HiDPI / 4K Screens - “à la FL Studio 12” with custom designed modal (popup) windows (instead of using Windows GUI / Radio Btns / Checkbox / Buttons).

PS: Please let us close this Lower Zone (and the Left / Right panels) by just double-clicking on the edge when the resize “” cursor shows up.

This new GUI would cop so well with Cubase Pro’s “Lower Zone” based interface.


Long version:
(Explaining current interface vs “Tabbed Interface”)

Even if this seems like a minor workflow issue, I believe UI is the heart of a successful DAW.
There’s a weird window management issue going on, that was probably inherited back in the 1990s with MDI-style intefaces (as @SuperG said). Nowadays, this kind of UI interface still makes sense on OSX, but on Windows 10, it’s not relevant at all as Windows never had a Top Bar like Mac OS has.

On OSX, windows management make use of Apple’s OS top-bar and let apps replace it with their own.
But on Win10, we don’t have an OS top-bar at all, so having Cubase Pro with this “Photoshop for Mac-like” top-bar / see-thru desktop / floating windows environnement is not only aesthetically unpleasing, but also problematic for 3 reasons:

  1. It takes a quadruple click to close the program.
  2. It gets confusing when it comes to maximize / minimize the program itself.
  3. It’s aesthetically not pleasing/ it’s cumbersome UI wise.

A good example of a straight-forward solution to manage a Program that hosts multiple project windows would be, in this case, Studio One 3: they worked around this dilema with tabbed interface : a non-floating Start / Song/ Project shortcut bar on the top, right below Window’s “Files / Edit / About” bar, and it makes perfect sense. The background of the whole program is in sideral gray letting the user know this is the active application he’s working on.

PS: I believe Studio One is definitely not a competitor of Cubase Pro, as it’s clearly a Pro Tool’s direct competitor. So please don’t take this comparison personally. IMO Cubase Pro is light years more advanced feature wise than any DAW I’ve tried so far.

I’m sure this is something that’ll concern Cubase Pro 10 more than 9.x, where for such an anniversary version, there’s probably going to be deep re-engineering involved.

Would any Windows Users agree with this one?

Seems like Cubasers are all Mac users now… I wonder what’s the actual %.

+1 I agree that this could be improved upon.

I also believe the S1 GUI has some advantages over the current Cubase GUI. Especially in regards to the tabbed windows as Zacchino mentioned above. When Steinberg decides to update the look and feel, I hope they also borrow from Wavelab’s dockable window functionality. It is very powerful.

@Quinn3k3

  • Thanks for your +1!
  • Dockable windows: that would make sooo much sense as well. So +1 for dockable windows

I would give a +1

But afaik the reason for how it currently working, I’ve read to be something with the plugins always stays on top and not get hidden behind one of the Windows. This is something they should not screw up as I don’t fancy going back to having plugins hiding behind the main Window(s) again.

+1000

+1

+1

Wow amazing! Thanks for your support @Everyone!
It’s not a mandatory / show-stopper feature, but it’ll definitely would make Cubase look and feel amazing.

+1

+1 for “Dockable Windows” and to be fully customizable like HALion

How to Design Your Own Workspace | Getting Started with HALion