Purple might be a choice; it's only used for Matroska Audio which is not very widespread and is not even a real audio codec.
Turquise is also free, but is widely used in the computer/software branch.

I think the file icon color is up to the foobar2000 developers, as the existing icons don't have much in common with the original file format logos and/or websites.

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The latest logo is one of the best so far. It's like the Pepsi wave (or whatever it is), you see it and you think [insert product here].
When I think of TAK the color blue comes to mind, I'can explain it, it sounds somewhat blue.
As for foobar2000, I think the TAK logo should't matter as the foobar2000 icons are the same anyway. Lame's logo consits of blue and green, yet the foobar2000 for mp3 is red.
So I don't think foobar2000 should play a role in choosing TAKs color as they use the same icon for all filetypes anyway.

There appears to be something wrong with the image.
The blue in this latest logo seems close to the blue used in some foobar icons made a while back, using prawns design colours IIRC. Either way, that blue is nice.

Don't take me wrong, it's just an idea :

I agree, his is by far the best out of this entire thread. The only thing it could use is an emblem of sorts, because text generally isn't a good idea for icons.

Very nice!

But "TAK" lying on the ground raises some not so good feelings. Everybody can trample all over it...

edit:

A small program and file icon is also needed. I don't know, if this is possible with your logo.

Possibly the rightmost of prawns' icons could be used:



The colors could be modified to match your colors.

I like this icon, because it's also different from the usual stuff and because it is blue...

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Silversight; the 'sign' part is great imho, but the text, font, position will need some brainstorming.

edit: from my experience thought, it is better to always 'design' logos/signs in bw, colors should be post-choice.

Weird. I can see it this morning. Even though I'm a big fan of orange, and orange and grey looks good, I think the blue is still a clear winner.

I think the icons and logo need to be the same. I would have thought that you could use the grey and blue logo for 32x32 and bigger, and maybe just the blue cube for 16x16? If you go with Silversight's logo.


FYI: here are links to two foobar icon threads from way back:

http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=54567
http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....showtopic=54568

TBeck: It does work in 16x16 px, using Synthetic Soul's idea of using only the blue cube.



The two bottom lines are my favourite idea for text rearrangement, using the 32x32 and 16x16 icons.
Font replacement, however, is somewhat difficult. An edgy, 80s-reminiscent font won't work with the logo, so you're pretty much restricted to using an equally modern font.

The one I chose is Platelet Heavy with modified spacing and redesigned E and I letters (the original ones are awful), and in my opinion it matches the logo's overall "spirit" quite well. On the right I added three other examples of fonts that also do quite well. Especially the top one (Arial Monospace with modified spacing) looks good, too.

smok3: The initial cube design was indeed done in b/w

For the larger icons/logos, perhaps putting the T, A and K on the left, top and right grey panels, respectively? The letters would need to be translucent as well (perhaps a few shades darker than the panels themselves), and oriented in this manner:



-brendan

Looks *very* good!

You might want to do a more thorough search than the one I did before you settle on the logo: Laboratorio Nazionale MDM, nCube...

The cube idea is great. My favorite by far.

Really nice!!

At first sight, I don't saw it as a cube though. (except the small one)

Great! Thank you!


I agree.


I really don't know how to perform a search for graphical trademarks. Any tips?

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Well, no, the cube is different. You'll see inside cube of the proposed TAK logo has been tilted upwards so that it's standing on its corner.

The MDM logo has four panels on the outside, not three. So it is not the same.

-brendan

Well, everytime i look at it i like it more

For the two bottom rows: I am wondering, if it would look even better if the letters were a bit more sharp (especially the right text) and / or the gray of the right text was a bit lighter.

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As the source files are vector graphics, sharpness is only a matter of size and filtering, so making the text sharper should be no problem. And of course sharper is better.

However, I have to take a forced break until next Tuesday. I'm at my parents' for Easter and I just realized I forgot to copy the source files to my laptop. When I'm back at my place I'll make some sharper versions with slightly lighter grey text (and/or maybe outlined grey cube planes).

Obviously it's not exactly the same, but the principle is: a plain cube inside a hollow one. Settling on a logo that could bring Thomas cease & desist letters from zealous legal departments would be a waste of time, IMO. That said, one cube alone is so basic that I doubt it would be a problem. IANAL though.

The MDM logo features 3 semi-hollow cubes in the middle and 4 outlined and completely transparent planes which do not form a cube per se.

The nCube logo consists of 1 red cube inside 1 transparent cube, which is to a certain extent a more exact 2D-representation of a hypercube, along with the angles connecting the two cubes. The idea that these actually are cubes is furtherly backed up by the company name.

My logo suggestion is 1 upside-down blue cube behind 1 grey semi-transparent cube and thus is not a replica of or resemblence to either of the stated logos.

For trademark law to be applicable there must be a clear likelihood of confusion between two trademarks which in this case I cannot see. Furthermore, the trademarks in question have to be in the same or at least two quite similar market branches, which I cannot see either. As long as it doesn't copy another audio compression technology logo, I see no reason for being afraid. After all, we're talking about a field in which there is no money to be made (yet).

Generally, the use of cubes or parallelograms as design elements can not really be restricted by trademark law. That said, I'm no lawyer, so anyone with firm knowledge feel free to correct me. Of course, the idea is not particularly new (well, the TDK-like design wasn't either), but in this combination of features it is to my knowledge unique.

Money already *is* being made from lossless audio codecs. Meridian, Dolby, DTS inc. already license theirs for use with DVD-Audio, SACD, Blu-ray, etc...
Anyway, I'm not the one who would have to deal with hungry (angry?) lawyers, so I don't care either way

I wanted to see what it looks like in a real scenario so I made myself a icon file from silversight's picture. It just a rough first shot but if anyone wants to try it you can download it here.

OK, taking that back. I should stick to graphical output.



Thank you! It shows a problem I hadn't thought about so far: Semi-transparency. Seems it takes a special icon designer application to get this feature into an icon.

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These are the icons I've been using in the interim...


(Winamp user!)

Something to play around with...

Download

6b: Icon (remade on my laptop) with semi-transparent outer cube
6c: Blue inner cube, solid
6d: Blue inner cube, 80% opacity
6e: Both cubes, inner blue cube bigger

I like the last one the most.

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These look great!

I seem to recall a spinning cube in an ancient ST:TOS episode.



-brendan

b6 or 6e for me: probably 6b still. I like having the distinction between the grey and the blue.

I love the idea of making the grey opaque. Of course, on my Win2K machine here at home it won't work, but I don't think support for an eight year old OS should be a huge consideration. IIRC you can provide alpha-transparent and non-alpha-transparent versions in an ICO file anyway, if so desired.

I think the blue should always be solid, with the grey opaque. I'm looking forward to testing on an XP machine on different backgrounds (ooh, that makes me sounds like a nerd).

The grey...opaque? Do you mean transparent or translucent perhaps?

-brendan

Indeed I do, totally getting my words fuddled. Thanks for clarifying. I mean (alpha-) transparent.

6b or 6e but with a bit more contrast in the inner cube.
EDIT: I downloaded your icon files and 6e looks perfect for me. It already has enough contrast.

Me too, that box looks very much like the Dropboks logo.

I like the colors that Silversight uses, but they look more like an application's icon rather than a filetype's.

They're actually intended as application icons. For the files I'll make a more rectangular icon (maybe the well-known paper with a folded corner and a small blue cube on it) when I have time.

Ah, my mistake. Your file icon idea is perfect IMO.

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By the looks of the foobar2000 icon, would you ever know it was an audio player?

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Be sure to let us know when you create something better.

I personally could care less if the TAK logo doesn't give you an idea of what it's representing.

I'm tired of looking at waveforms, speakers, dials and VU meters.

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I read something earlier in this thread about using a thumbtack, and I suck at photoshop, so...

I like the logo and the font.

In my opinion the 16x16 icon should be like the bigger one but trimmed to the blue cube shape, ie. it should retain the subtle luminosity changes due to the translucent grey cube faces in the blue area.

How would it look to have TAK in a triangular pattern instead of a straight line?

Like that:

" T
A ' K

Or that:

T . A
. K

Subtle luminosity changes included, but they make it feel "muddy", I think.

I'm curious about the letter idea (the second one), however I can't do it here - the font is missing.