I think it is a mistake to frame this as a matter of form "versus" functionality, because they actually complement one another.

I am not talking about a slick GUI for it's own sake; I don't care if the font and colors hearken back to Windows 3.1.

Rather, the problem with the GUI is that it is so perplexing. Things take so much figuring out that it's coitus interruptus left right and center; the moments of artistic "high" are there, but punctuated by lots and lots of head-scratching, manual consultation, forum queries, etc.

Really good software is designed so that as much as possible it becomes "invisible" i.e. you spend much more time concentrating on what you are doing with it, as opposed to puzzling over how you do it.

If you think this is just an unavoidable fact of life, due to BIAB's deep feature set, try downloading free demos of Melodyne or Studio One. Both -- especially Melodyne -- are not only extremely innovative (Melodyne recently won a technical Grammy)but are also simply a joy to use, because they are quite intuitive, despite being very sophisticated, powerful and feature-packed.

Whereas BIAB hides its gifts to the world behind a mind-numbing GUI. I know many of y'all have been using it for years and have reconciled yourselves to it. I for one am trying to love it, but it is just such a labor.

If it could be made more accessible -- again, not "purdy" as such, but accessible -- it would be catapulted from being the favorite of a tight-knit niche to being something the computer-based music-making world would flock to.

Ok, try not to beat me up, I'm new.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tDj_VanH3g