Who doesn’t want to play with this? Totally lickable UI. FourTrack.
Seen byJason Friedon November 20 2008.
There are21 comments.
RS
on 20 Nov 08
That app gives me fond memories of my Tascam Porta 02. There’s so much you can do with four tracks, a tape, and a couple SM57s. It’s a great way to learn the essentials of recording. Plus tape saturation brings a lot of life to the sound.
RR
on 20 Nov 08
That app gives me a fond seizure.
Drew Franklin
on 20 Nov 08
I agree the design is lickable, but I feel like a lot of music based software UI suffers from trying too hard to look “real” or like their harware counter parts. They come off gaudy, such as the pan and volume. I guess from a marketing stand point it works, but I feel the point is that it is not the hardware, and because of that it can do more.
Brian
on 20 Nov 08
Wow! Great interface … just what I’ve been looking for to quickly record a guitar lick or song idea that seems to always appear when just relaxing on the couch with no recording equipment.
Thanks for the post!
roger wilco
on 20 Nov 08
@Drew: I agree…the most pleasing software interface I’ve ever worked with is Ableton Live, which is one of the very few programs out there whose UI is geared towards reflecting software, not emulation of hardware.
That’s a very pretty interface. Will be interesting to try it and see if they’ve got it nailed.
I’m trying to work out where you would PUT the darn thing so that it would pick up your guitar whilst you listen through the headphones – perhaps we need a special iPhone Mic Stand adapter :)
CJ Curtis
on 21 Nov 08
Wicked.
Braxo
on 21 Nov 08
What I found interesting were the old earphones. Why use the older style in a product image?
RS pretty much nailed it on the head. It totally reminds me of recording on an old Tascam four-track and is great to learn the basics of recording.
The very intuitive interface makes for an app that is so fun to use, that it actually makes me inclined to want to use it and lay down quick tracks—even if it’s for shits and giggles.
And the fact that it’s portable and on my iPhone makes me more inclined to use it to get quick ideas down then, say, GarageBand.
There’s a great review of this app over at wired.com:
http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/11/a-four-track-re.html
I know this comment is not about the UI of the iPhone, but I couldn’t comment on your iPod Killer post anymore, so here we go anyways:
Is it only me, and it seems like it is only me, but I am having an extremely hard time with using iTunes 8 on Windows. The UI is not intuitive, it’s very hard to remove the songs from your iPod and then it’s really hard to fill up the iPod with random songs.
What’s the general opinion out there? Is it possible that iTunes is very different on Apple?
I am asking this because everyone is praising iTunes as a software and UI experience, but I strongly disagree. That leads me to think that it is me that is not understanding how to use iTunes.
This discussion is closed.
About Jason Fried
Jason co-founded Basecamp back in 1999. He also co-authored REWORK, the New York Times bestselling book on running a "right-sized" business. Co-founded, co-authored... Can he do anything on his own?
RS
on 20 Nov 08That app gives me fond memories of my Tascam Porta 02. There’s so much you can do with four tracks, a tape, and a couple SM57s. It’s a great way to learn the essentials of recording. Plus tape saturation brings a lot of life to the sound.
RR
on 20 Nov 08That app gives me a fond seizure.
Drew Franklin
on 20 Nov 08I agree the design is lickable, but I feel like a lot of music based software UI suffers from trying too hard to look “real” or like their harware counter parts. They come off gaudy, such as the pan and volume. I guess from a marketing stand point it works, but I feel the point is that it is not the hardware, and because of that it can do more.
Brian
on 20 Nov 08Wow! Great interface … just what I’ve been looking for to quickly record a guitar lick or song idea that seems to always appear when just relaxing on the couch with no recording equipment.
Thanks for the post!
roger wilco
on 20 Nov 08@Drew: I agree…the most pleasing software interface I’ve ever worked with is Ableton Live, which is one of the very few programs out there whose UI is geared towards reflecting software, not emulation of hardware.
chris
on 21 Nov 08not me. i like tactile stuff. analog still rules in my universe. buttons and clicky noises and dials and REAL things.
Tobin Harris
on 21 Nov 08That’s a very pretty interface. Will be interesting to try it and see if they’ve got it nailed.
I’m trying to work out where you would PUT the darn thing so that it would pick up your guitar whilst you listen through the headphones – perhaps we need a special iPhone Mic Stand adapter :)
CJ Curtis
on 21 Nov 08Wicked.
Braxo
on 21 Nov 08What I found interesting were the old earphones. Why use the older style in a product image?
GeeIWonder
on 21 Nov 08Does it Preamp?
Blake Fischer
on 21 Nov 08You only like it because they used 37signals’ logo. It’s all a subliminal attraction.
CJ Curtis
on 21 Nov 08I hear ya Chris. Love the interface, but stuff like this is not an easy transition for someone who loves the feel of a sound board.
Don Schenck
on 21 Nov 08+1 ONLY if it goes to 11!
Brandon Durham
on 21 Nov 08So, so pretty.
Villafranca
on 21 Nov 08RS pretty much nailed it on the head. It totally reminds me of recording on an old Tascam four-track and is great to learn the basics of recording.
The very intuitive interface makes for an app that is so fun to use, that it actually makes me inclined to want to use it and lay down quick tracks—even if it’s for shits and giggles.
And the fact that it’s portable and on my iPhone makes me more inclined to use it to get quick ideas down then, say, GarageBand.
There’s a great review of this app over at wired.com: http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/11/a-four-track-re.html
Sebastian
on 21 Nov 08Looks awesome, does it have guitar FX on-board?
StartBreakingFree.com
on 21 Nov 08Great looking app. If there was ever an example of needing a demo video on their home page, this is it! Hope they get one up soon.
Ben Nolan
on 22 Nov 08It looks fking awful! Too compliated, too many colors – how the hell do you even use it?
Not for me. :O
nexusprime
on 23 Nov 08Wasn’t there a similar app called TripLog that got panned by you guys recently?
(I kid, I kid, this UI looks obsessed over, though the proof would be the usage of it)
JamesAbery
on 23 Nov 08Sorry, it looks like a babies activity center.
Hugene
on 27 Nov 08I know this comment is not about the UI of the iPhone, but I couldn’t comment on your iPod Killer post anymore, so here we go anyways:
Is it only me, and it seems like it is only me, but I am having an extremely hard time with using iTunes 8 on Windows. The UI is not intuitive, it’s very hard to remove the songs from your iPod and then it’s really hard to fill up the iPod with random songs.
What’s the general opinion out there? Is it possible that iTunes is very different on Apple?
I am asking this because everyone is praising iTunes as a software and UI experience, but I strongly disagree. That leads me to think that it is me that is not understanding how to use iTunes.
This discussion is closed.