I have just spent 3 hours with Scaler 3 trying to adjust and adapt, but I honestly do not find this to be as intuitive as 2 was in terms of usability and helping me with comping chord progressions out efficiently. I’ve been using scaler as a part of my composing workflow for several years now and I have to say, I just don’t get where you guys are trying to go with this iteration of the tool.
I can see that it’s very powerful and capable of a lot more than I need it for, but that just makes me more frustrated that I can’t intuit what I primarily use it for - finding great chords and then help me better understand the theory behind what I’ve created.
I hope this doesn’t come across as too harsh because I can tell a lot of effort went into making it, but I truly think having someone with solid UX/DAW expertise to help rethink the interface could make the user experience better overall.
I’ll go back and re-watch the videos to see what I’m doing wrong, because it seems clear that I’m just not using it the way it was intended and that is frustrating.
I don’t think it’s meant to be used in the same way as Scaler 2 at all. I’ve been trying to replicate my workflow and it’s missing the features I used most. I’ll wait for more detailed tutorials before trying it again.
Yeah, it’s a shame I can’t use it the way I think they intended. I hope it works better for others at least.
I mean, I already have a very good DAW with arguably the best arranger on the planet so I won’t be using that feature set anyway, but every time I tried to add chords to the main track it just behaved in ways I didn’t expect so I couldn’t argue for or against it at this point. Most likely user error, haha!
Agree whole heartily. It’s a leap off the wharf for me. So user unfriendly and confused layout. I had little issue with scaler 2 and found it a very intuitive tool.
Sorry, but scaler 3 is now useless to me.
What a waste of money.
I think the user interface is an attempt to standardise between desktop app and iOS app so there are bound to be some compromises. I’m mostly getting on OK with it but there have been a few places where I just couldn’t figure out how to do something and some other places where it did not behave as I expected, like when I wanted to change a chord on the arranger page the new chords would not preview when I clicked them. Might be a bug or might be as intended but it was not what I expected.
But it will definitely improve over the next few months as Davide and the team respond to our feedback.
But for all the calls over the last 18 months that practically begged “Where is Scaler 3?” - and then it finally arrives - that people are shocked (and dare I say angry) by its new vibe - does not make a lot of sense to me.
What exactly did you expect? That v3 was gonna be identical to v2 - but just with a 3 in the logo?
This is a sea change people - and it WILL require work. It will require changing habits, workflows and maybe everything else we developed over years of v2 activity.
But kicking it to dirt just because you do not get on with it in the first hour is a tad unfair.
Everyone had (and still has) the opportunity to watch the endless stream of YouTube vids, read reviews, read these boards - educate yourself before even buying this thing.
If you bought it - and are annoyed in the early going here - no one is taking away your v2. Carry on with that as before and save yourself the agony until this new thing takes shape and gets some maturity and stability.
But poking Davide and the gang in the eye because they chose to move Scaler forward - in a big way? I would like to think we are all above that.
And what did you do in advance of it coming out? Any homework at all or just bought it sight unseen and are now unhappy?
And please do not even get me started on ACDSee. That company needs to look up the word “lazy” and take their staff on a learning day. Never have I seen any company that charges more for doing the least amount of work possible and then having the audacity to call it “new”.
Common sense - is making a decision after gathering the facts. Not just clicking Buy before you even have the thing and then get bent out of shape because it does not meet your expectations.
Scaler V3 is clearly not ready for prime time. I am sure that the DEV crew knows this, perhaps misread the market a bit and will make course corrections in due time.
But I also know you clearly have v2 at your deposal - have read many of your excellent posts with interest. Nothing has changed there. Keep on creating Claudio.
Common sense - is making a decision after gathering the facts
The facts are that SC3 is not an SC2 improved, but a strange mix of 2 unmixable tools, IMHO
But rest assured that I have no problem with it
And I have no problem with changes BTW
I will never use either, and maybe I will never make music at all
To clarify it better; I am sure that S3 can do a lot of things that were impossible in S2, but I just don’t need them, and I cannot just ignore their presence because they added a lot of useless (to me, not for most others) complexities
Moreover, the few things (three) that I hoped to see improved aren’t improved at all
As I said to Davide while attending the alpha, then the beta team (so I didn’t buy it ), I am happy if the tool will have success, because the only thing that counts for devs is having success and make money for them and their families
My opinion counts nothing in the business
cheers
And yes - change is hard but is sometimes necessary. Me - am I happy about this unstable mess? No. But I am glad the team upped their game and decided to move Scaler forward.
I see great things here - it will just take time for it to come into focus and make more sense.
I hope that Davide and crew are able to accept a little feedback that as I said clearly, is not intended to be too harsh, but to let them have my feedback.
I participated in previous betas and was a day one buyer of the original Scaler; so, at least we can agree I support Davide and the devs.
I also said that I could tell that a lot of effort went into its development and that it seems to me that the new features are probably intended for a different set of users.
Sonic, I completely agree with every one of your comments.
“ACDsee Pro 2023, for example, is equal to ACDsee Pro 2022, PLUS some new featurememoQ 11 is equal to memoQ 10, PLUS some new feature, etc. This is just common sense”
It’s only common sense if you believe software evolution is about taking an old product and giving it a lick of metallic varnish. The is presentational ‘trash with flash’ American style.
I want the developers to introduce new thoughts and approaches which are real improvements, not lipstick on a v1 pig. It’s uncomfortable for users, requires a learning curve, and some of your favourite bits have gone.
I’m sure a 116th version (if it were still going) of Multimate “MultiMate - Wikipedia” would be very familiar to me, and require little learning. But conceptually it is still version 8.
This approach makes sense IMHO. Anyone who thinks that version x.0 of anything is going to be bug free is unrealistic. Essentially, bits are missing and there are bugs. But to me personally, conceptually V3 is a step forward and I’ll work with it over the next few months.
Let’s put the above comment into context. 25 years ago I started using Microsoft Outlook Mail client. There are still bugs in it (some drag and drop issues, mixing PP3 and IMAP folder issues) which are really utterly basic things and drive me crazy on a daily basis. Still not fixed! .. and this this from the worlds largest, trillion dollar software company. I’m not gong to give Scaler any flak on that basis.
Yes there is work to do, but I for one will cut some slack for Scaler Music as I think I see where they are going.
@ClaudioPorcellana . Please calm down. You’ve been with us for a long time and your opinion is very valuable here, but it is getting a little crazy from you. People want to come here and say they like the product - let them have their opinion too. And making statements like ‘the only thing that counts for devs is having success and make money for them and their families’ is offensive. You should know that you are Italian. Basta!
As for frustrations with Scaler 3 I get it! As a team we worked very very hard on making it a familiar environment for our valued users and we all feel we did that. As some of you may know we are composers and producers first and foremost and I am loving using Scaler 3 in all of my projects. Actually I use it like Scaler 2. Mostly out of DAW sync, using trigger notes. My ability to find new chords and harmony is so much more expansive than Scaler 2 and the way you can voice lead chords, see them all together, make adjustments to all is amazing.
The arrange page was not intended to be a daw replacement it was intended to negate the need for multiple scalers. When you think like that it all makes sense to me. Sure now that we have the Arrange page we expect it to be more proficient that will come. We are listening and all ready making many improvements.
Scaler 3 looks to be a breakout success. Many people are off enjoying it, some are stumbling with the workflow, some people hate it - fair!
We want everyone to use it and get something out of it so we will do what we can on our end. Please keep the feedback coming.
I am a software engineer almost 30 years… such “frustration” is my life…
Although i am not saying that they don’t have probably the right to complain but come-on guys Scaler 3 is NOT a new version of scaler 2. It is profound that its a NEW product with a lot of ideas and functionality from the old one. You should and must consider scaler3 a new product and rest assure at from my point of view that the team LOVES this product and everything will get resolved sooner or later. Although please i beg you consider this as a NEW product that was given for FREE!!! Until that you may use the Scaler 2! Scaler team does not seem that they don’t give a F… about our feedback.
), I am happy if the tool will have success, because the only thing that counts for devs is having success and make money for them and their families