DP 10 on Mac - Does this version bigger fonts?

[Kenny B]

I just thought I'd ask here before disrupting my work flow and downloaded a trial version of DP10. My biggest complaint of version 9.x.x. it the size of the font used in the track window, soundbytes window, etc. The font is too small for my aging eyes and I want to be able to increase this. Just wondering if the new version of DP allows for such things. thanks, Ken

[dix]

Indeed it does. The entire GUI, including the fonts, can be scaled bigger in DP10. However, your sig says you're running Snow Leopard. The minimum requirement for DP10 is 10.11.5

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Some dialogue boxes DO NOT expand, especially the drop downs from the upper right corner of the window. Otherwise, it's pretty useful. I never had a problem with the text size in the first place.

[Kenny B]

Hello... I updated my signature to include latest info. I am running El Capitan ver 10.11.6 which maxed out my Macintosh. I need to buy a new mac if I want the latest and greatest OS, however I don't see a need to do that for what I'm using it for, recording my acoustic guitar and occasional vocalist.

So maybe we can revisit my question and also ask whether or not there is a screen choice that would allow me larger text sizes that I'm not aware of in version DP 9.51. Right now, that's my only complaint with DP. I'm not justifying a new computer and new software when for recording acoustic guitar my system is working fine.

[dix]

Hello... I updated my signature to include latest info. I am running El Capitan ver 10.11.6 which maxed out my Macintosh. I need to buy a new mac if I want the latest and greatest OS, however I don't see a need to do that for what I'm using it for, recording my acoustic guitar and occasional vocalist.

So maybe we can revisit my question and also ask whether or not there is a screen choice that would allow me larger text sizes that I'm not aware of in version DP 9.51. Right now, that's my only complaint with DP. I'm not justifying a new computer and new software when for recording acoustic guitar my system is working fine.

Ah. Yes DP10, with it's scalable GUI, will be work with your OS, El Capitan. However, be advised that there is a known issue with DP10 and El Cap, that MOTU has said will be fixed in an update, where large white blocks appear intermittently, randomly when the GUI is scaled.

Re fonts in DP9.51. There is no way to increase their size. Complaints about DP's small fonts is one of the reasons they made DP10 scalable.

[HCMarkus]

Hello... I updated my signature to include latest info. I am running El Capitan ver 10.11.6 which maxed out my Macintosh.

Hey Kenny... Your 2009 (4,1) Mac Pro can be upgraded to 5,1 with a firmware update. You can even update CPUs, although the 2009 Dual CPU Mac Pros are a little more challenging/involved than 2009 Single CPU Mac Pros and 2010/2012 Single/Dual CPU Mac Pros. Two used hex-core 3.33gHz CPUs won't cost you more than $100 total, but de-lidding can add a tad to the cost if you are unwilling to do it yourself. And, if you go whole-hog and get a Metal-compatible GPU, you can bring your Mac Pro all the way to Mojave.

Best source for all info on the subject is here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/cm ... on.2099092

This lengthy MOTUNation thread includes many members' experiences:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=58848

[magicd]

Hello... I updated my signature to include latest info. I am running El Capitan ver 10.11.6 which maxed out my Macintosh. I need to buy a new mac if I want the latest and greatest OS, however I don't see a need to do that for what I'm using it for, recording my acoustic guitar and occasional vocalist.

So maybe we can revisit my question and also ask whether or not there is a screen choice that would allow me larger text sizes that I'm not aware of in version DP 9.51. Right now, that's my only complaint with DP. I'm not justifying a new computer and new software when for recording acoustic guitar my system is working fine.

Decrease your monitor resolution.

Dave

[bayswater]

Decrease your monitor resolution.

Dave

Right. I don't understand the objections to this solution. The interface is almost all graphics, so decreasing resolution and then zooming out a bit gives you pretty much the same thing, but with large fonts. I suppose it's a problem with some old monitors that get a milky haze on them when not in their native resolutions.

[dewdman42]

once you get used to using Retina or HiDPI...you can never go back... I don't have DP10...and likely I am going to skip this rev honestly...but...I hope the zoom in and zoom out feature basically works as one would expect with a Retina monitor....without having to "reduce the resolution" and then zoom back out...

[Kenny B]

>>>Hey Kenny... Your 2009 (4,1) Mac Pro can be upgraded to 5,1 with a firmware update. You can even update CPUs, although the 2009 Dual CPU Mac Pros are a little more challenging/involved than 2009 Single CPU Mac Pros and 2010/2012 Single/Dual CPU Mac Pros. Two used hex-core 3.33gHz CPUs won't cost you more than $100 total, but de-lidding can add a tad to the cost if you are unwilling to do it yourself. And, if you go whole-hog and get a Metal-compatible GPU, you can bring your Mac Pro all the way to Mojave.>>


Thanks for this tip and I will seriously looking into this upgrade. I have someone who loves nothing better than to do these type of things for me... will be worth it, i'm sure. Right now my Mac feels sluggish... sometimes I need to wait too long for DP to get going....have the spinning thing while waiting.

[Shooshie]

To anyone who is wondering HOW you change the size of the font, etc., it's really simple.

COMMAND +/-

Just like other applications. It took me about a half hour of searching manuals to finally try that, just on intuition, and it worked. I'm sure the answer is there in the manual, but no need for you to go looking if you haven't figured it out yet.

I DID finally notice in the manual that the feature lives under the VIEW menu. It's the last thing in the list. That's a good thing to remember, because it's easier to "RESET" the GUI size rather than click around and try to remember its original size.

On a side note, when you change the size, even on increment, your AmpGUI themes will be pretty worthless, covered with huge gray rectangles and making a lot of labels illegible due to color contrast issues. I'm sure it's fixable, but not so sure that Andy will have the time to do so. This may be the end of AmpGUI themes, if you prefer a larger GUI over those beautiful themes. I figure I'll stay with the themes, and only occasionally use the GUI scaling feature.

Shooshie (New & Improved!)

[dix]

On a side note, when you change the size, even on increment, your AmpGUI themes will be pretty worthless, covered with huge gray rectangles and making a lot of labels illegible due to color contrast issues. I'm sure it's fixable, but not so sure that Andy will have the time to do so. This may be the end of AmpGUI themes, if you prefer a larger GUI over those beautiful themes. I figure I'll stay with the themes, and only occasionally use the GUI scaling feature.

Shooshie (New & Improved!)

Sadly, this occurred to me too. From what I understand MOTU painstakingly created separate graphics for each scale level for each skin, which is why even when huge the graphics remain sharp. There may be some way to automate something like this, but MOTU mentions in one of the NAMM videos that it took awhile for them to do it.

[Shooshie]

Oh my. So, every one of those little rectangles or buttons requires creating and matching with its neighbors, for each magnification level. That's a helluva lot of work, and I can tell you that it's very unlikely that Andy will be able to do that for his AmpGUI Themes. It also means that MOTU is less likely to make new themes. That's sad, because they don't have a single theme that really appeals to me. I like a warm theme without gray in it. Not fond of whites, either, except as needed for track backgrounds. I like deep reds, oranges, burgundies, and contrasting fonts — usually light colored fonts — with appropriate harmonized trim details. I don't think we'll be seeing anyone attempt that with all the extra stuff they have to do. I'm disappointed in that. But I can still use AmpGUI's Gotham and Oxidation, while they work, if I don't scale the GUI. Maybe someday I'll tackle it myself and add the extra files for Gotham and Oxidation. Don't look for that any time soon. Half my studio is at the ranch and half at home, as I'm in the middle of moving away from Dallas for good.

Shooshie (just a ghostly whine)

[Shooshie]

I just checked, and it appears that the changes can be made without too much trouble. (I haven't tried it. I said "appears.") In most cases it just consists of taking a file and doubling its size and resolution. They don't have a size for each increment; just two: large and small. In each resource folder there are 159 files, as opposed to 90 before. That's not prohibitively difficult, though I may change my mind when I try it!

Shooshie (just blowin in the wind)

Edit: Further investigation revealed that the Plasma Theme by MOTU has 263 files, and the Light Theme has about 52 or so. The difficulty varies dramatically from theme to theme. /edit

[dix]

I just checked, and it appears that the changes can be made without too much trouble. (I haven't tried it. I said "appears.") In most cases it just consists of taking a file and doubling its size and resolution. They don't have a size for each increment; just two: large and small. In each resource folder there are 159 files, as opposed to 90 before. That's not prohibitively difficult, though I may change my mind when I try it!

Shooshie (just blowin in the wind)

Edit: Further investigation revealed that the Plasma Theme by MOTU has 263 files, and the Light Theme has about 52 or so. The difficulty varies dramatically from theme to theme. /edit

Cool. I was about to suggest that someone with more knowledge of the subject than me investigate. If you're right it shouldn't be too much more difficult for MOTU or AmpGUI to create alternate skins.