MIOConsole3d Preferences
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Color customization hints/suggestions
Figure 14.5: Just three little changes...
The above (apologetically unattractive) example illustrates just how much trouble you can get into
with just thirty seconds of downtime between takes. Starting with the default color scheme, quick
color wheel tweaks were made to the “Light”, “Medium” and “Dark” Color Palette group controls.
You can see the changes reflected in the Theme and Color Palette controls, and their effect to the
Mixer and Monitor Controller windows. The blue vs. ruddy red also nicely reveals the interaction
between the “Gradient Light” and “Gradient Dark” Theme Color controls (which belong to the
“Medium” and “Dark” Color Palette groups, respectively).
You can see what changes are being made to the MIOConsole3d UI as you make them, so really
the best way to understand what each control element does is to try them out and see how they
interact. The Theme Control labels make sense once you see them in action.
It should be noted that there is a real purpose for custom themes beyond just making cool-looking
mixer desks. Working long hours in front of computer screens can be easily as fatiguing to the eyes as
listening to high levels of audio for extended periods is to the ears. A dark-background, high-contrast
desk surface with vivid (but not blaring) colors on important interface elements is much easier to look
at over long periods than eight channel groups of brilliantly clashing colors at maximum brightness.
For example, the color palette for the ‘Night Vision’ preset was sampled from photos of the cockpit
of a British Naval aircraft on night maneuvers, then modified to taste. Note that, depending on the
display, white and light text and control elements can be too contrasty (if that’s a word) against
deep dark backgrounds, and can be hard to look at. Lightening very dark backgrounds to let the
controls "sit on a surface" so to speak, emulates a more natural context for your eyes to deal with,
further lessening fatigue. Think of it as the visual equivalent of adding a mild room reverb to dry
instrument tracks.
