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I’ve accidentally stumbled into a set up that is largely screenless pretty much by acccident-and I’m really enjoying it!
Using a TR8S (small screen) Circuit Tracks, TD3 and Bass station 2 - playing improvised techno, house etc. I’ve come from using the MPC live 2 for a while, the Force previously, the polyend tracker for a bit etc. I’ve found the freedom in not having a screen quite inspiring-I work on a laptop all day so don’t want to spend ‘hobby time’ using one. I don’t think it’s the way to go to produce professional tracks if this is your job-but as a hobbyist I prefer the approach of ‘trusting my ears’.
Totally agree that often it’s bad UI that’s the problem rather than a screen though.
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Depends very much on the device and how tactile it feels in terms of workflow. For example, I like the big screen and UI on the Roland MC909 but never enjoyed the MC707.
The Roland Verselab and Aira Compact T8 don’t really have much of a screen - certainly much smaller and with less info displayed than the MC707 - but I find them so much easier and more enjoyable to use.
G
A bit off-topic, but too good not to share:
The super macro shots 6 mins in, showing the grain in coloured light, are lovely.
Two problems with hardware that relies too heavily on a screen in order to use it:
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Too much visual feedback can produce a phenomenon known as the McGurk effect, where the visual input actually changes how you perceive the sound
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There is a concept from the creator of gmail that 100ms is the threshold for digital interactions to feel instantaneous. Beyond that it starts to feel like a slog. Intentionally or not, I think a lot of hardware that is less reliant on a screen gets this right, because it becomes a matter of learning button combinations to navigate - which can be daunting at first, but makes it feel more like an instrument than a “daw in a box” once you learn them.
The Perkons doesn’t have a screen, and it’s very appealing to me.
It’s not just the lack of screen though, it’s the simplicity of the thing.
The idea of memorizing the layout over time and only relying on the interface as is to do everything seems wonderful.
When it comes to making drum tracks, 4 voices seems like a sweet spot of limitation.
Although I’m sure they will make OS updates, as is, it seems like apiece of kit that would last forever, and the more you use it the better it gets.
The lack of screen and all the other limitations, along with the UI relying on buttons seems to promote an insanely fast way to work that’s very focused.
Screens are no deal breaker for me by any means.
I feel like the OT is a great example of needing the screen but not being glued to it visually, especially after years of use.
Nevertheless gear designed without, is something that excites me for sure.
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If I can’t play Etch-A-Sketch on a device through its screen, I’m not down.
Generally speaking, a better screen reduces menu diving. Compare the MC-101 with the MPC One for example. The differences in menu diving is astronomical.
Of course, a knob-per-function is great, but for any moderately complex device, that’s not going to be feasible. And if you have to choose between scrolling through a long list on a screen with one line of text vs ten lines, which one would most people prefer?
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I’m happy with either because sometimes a screen is essential and the hardware offers a streamlined experience using it. Other times nob per function is also great when its intuitive and the design works smoothly.
What i dont like is a machine that has too much functions and shift button presses when a screen would make it easier. On the other hand i hate screens when they become too difficult and slow down the process and your workflow becomes sluggish.
Basically i dont have a preference so long as its a well made machine that i can interact with and get results that excite me. I love technology and developments that introduce new ways of working but i also love a simple machine that makes great sounds. Embrace it all i say
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Also i think there is a generational thing in music production. Young people surrounded by technology and digital mediums probably take to using screens, laptops and software better than older people who grew up in a different environment. I dont think a 18 year old would need to escape the computer screen after a days work as much as a 40+ would
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The right answer. End of thread 
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I think what most people don’t like is badly implemented screens - if a screen is a natural, unobstrusive and secondary part of the experience I don’t think people really mind - it’s when functionality is heavily loaded into small screens with bad UI that it becomes a real issue, like you’re using a VST on a dot matrix.
That said I think hardware is primarily about tactility and direct feedback - screens can only support that experience and so they don’t tend to be a favoured part of it.
I like instruments that when fluent with them I’m able to play with eyes closed. Really interesting musical experience then.
Piano, keyboard and guitar, but also monomachine when the pattern is done I can just close my eyes and tweak knobs and mutes from muscle memory for a couple of minutes.
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I used to work all day making Japanese paper room dividers, then I would do a night shift as a cinema projectionist.
When I got home, I would make my partner listen to radio dramas, because I couldn’t bear to look at another screen after working on them all day.
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I have to use glasses to use most gear with screens nowadays. So i like the devices that are usable without a screen.
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As long as it’s not a touch screen
My soft, supple fingers won’t go near any type of archaic knob or slider, lest I get a callus or contusion.
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I’ve picked up a couple of pieces of gear with either a small or no screen, although I wasn’t consciously looking for no screen at all - but perhaps a bit less of a reliance on an entire interface being accessed through the screen itself. The Digitakt and Digitone look like the perfect screen form factor to me. In the videos I’ve watched they’re really responsive to what’s going on with the knobs & buttons. I think the Polyend Tracker is a pretty good combo too, in that the screen is directly responsive to the jogwheel which is a different but interesting take on the concept.
As a user of Novation’s Circuits, I do enjoy the lack of analysis when making something on their machines. Yes, there is actually a “hidden” screen in Components which is necessary to set the devices up, edit synth patches or load samples. But all the actual playing is screen free, which essentially makes it so that you can’t make too many changes or analyse your waveforms because they’re just not there. This is a real plus and I’ve seen both old and young producers cite this as a reason for liking these devices.
I’d also agree with @muzka that generationally, these things matter. I was listening to Fred again… saying how he gets all the pushback against phones, but equally they are how his generation experience the world. But the more interesting factor to me is how a generation changes once their youth is over. It’s easy to forget that folks born in the 80s were the first to really get computers as teenagers, and we spent way way too long on them (mainly because of the amount of time it took to do anything.) And so even though we didn’t have smartphones, you could argue we were overexposed to screens because we added hours of that on top of (typically) a fair chunk of TV. And many of those same folks who has had lots of access to screens at a young age are - yup - tired of screens. And so I do wonder what will happen with this generation when the classic factors of age, decades of work, and other universal ageing factors come into the picture.
Anywhoo. Screens can be good, but sometimes they aren’t totally necessary. When they’re there, ideally they should have tight integration with the knobs (basically seamless feedback) and in the best case scenario they should give you an experience not available on a smartphone or otherwise; not because smartphones are bad, but because it’s interesting to have a customised screen interface for creating music with.
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I don’t really care… my favorite instrument is my favorite because it doesn’t, but I love the screen on my mpc and the whole experience much more then my elektron. So for me it can go both ways… I just love good instruments… simple is better, but everybody should have atleast one box that can be a brain, and for that it is better having a good screen.
Love the iridium and 1010 stuff… also love the pulsar 23…
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I do not like screens at all. They require a context shift every time. You have to look, work out what it’s showing you, and only then can you turn the knob. And that’s if it’s already showing the right screen.
The OP-Z does a good job of being complex and not needing a screen. And if you need one, you can use your phone’s screen.
The 0-Coast’s PGM options, on the other hand, are a nightmare. Such a pain. I would prefer a tiny B&W LCD screen just for those settings