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Your DAW of choice?


bill5

Your DAW of choice?  

21 members have voted

  1. 1. Your DAW of choice?

    • Cubase
      1
    • Sonar
      4
    • Pro Tools
      4
    • Reaper
      5
    • GarageBand
      0
    • FL Studio
      0
    • Studio One
      4
    • Ableton
      1
    • Mixcraft
      1
    • Other
      1


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I avoid DAWs of any flavor as much as I can. I like knobs and switches that I can grab instead of hunting around to find the control or switch that I want, then pointing, clicking and dragging with a mouse to make something happen, then do it again when I realize that I made something other than what I intended happen. .

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Well' date=' these days it's hard for me to have a "primary" DAW. When I need an SUV, I boot up Cakewalk. When I need a sports car, it's Studio One. When I need a helicopter, it's Ableton Live :) And then there are always the clients who want something done in Pro Tools...and Mixcraft makes for a great needledrop music library. [/quote']

 

Being a one-DAW man, I've never understood the purpose behind using more than one. While they all do the same basic tasks, the controls are completely different in each. I can't understand why you'd go through the effort of learning more than one complicated tool for the same job. The only thing I've ever needed to do that Studio One couldn't do efficiently is control an external synth module. Sonor happened to have a great set of tools for that, but I wasn't going to switch DAW's for that.

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One of the things I learned (and should have known at my age) is the old adage "Don't put all your eggs in a single basket." I have learned that this applies to DAWs as well.

 

For years I used nothing but SONAR and the different variations that came out over the years. When Gibson shut down SONAR development, I knew I would need to look elsewhere, as eventually SONAR would no longer work. Then came news that BandLab had rescued SONAR (now known as Cakewalk by BandLab - CbB) and it appeared I could stop my search. Additionally, it was announced the base product would be released free of charge - an apparently big win-win.

 

However, when CbB was released it required that the DAW computer the software is loaded on be connected to the internet - for the download process, the installation process and authorization process (once activated internet connection is not required for ongoing usage). Failure to have the actual DAW computer connected to the internet during these three phases results in a message that CbB is in demo mode. Based on what we have seen on the forums, it doesn't appear this is going to change (although I hope at some time in the future an 'offline' option is restored).

 

For folks like me in rural flyover country with spotty internet, this is a no-go. My home connection simply won't make the grade. I can't go elsewhere, download the software and bring it home to install (CbB won't allow it), and there is no way the public library (where I would take my laptop) would let me come into their facility with a tower, keyboard and monitor to download the CbB software onto my DAW computer. And I have but one choice for ISP.

 

So I continue to use my existing installation of SONAR. I am working to learn REAPER. I will probably also look more into StudioOne. I want at least two DAWs that I can use, so that I am not dependent on a single provider. So yes, I have learned my lesson well.

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All I have is the Home Studio version of Sonar...And it has more stuff than I even know how to use. To tell the truth, if I had the cash, I'd rather have a 16 track Tascam or Otari and a 32 channel board. Then mix it down to a DAW. I've still got a few rack goodies and would be ok with just buying more of those.

 

I've still got a huge bin full of patch cords....I never sold a patch cord in my entire life. I even save the bad ones and splice and solder new plugs on them.

 

I realize this marks me now and forever as a Luddite. I'm 65 and my Old Man grumpy is ready to go...

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I own several:

 

Reason is used mostly as a sound bank. I also prefer it for MIDI so I will often start a song in Reason and Rewire the tracks into another DAW, usually Digital Performer.

 

Digital Performer has been my primary DAW since 2001. Honestly, I have never been completely satisfied with it... too many mini-windows, too much scrolling for simple tools, etc... I`ve been looking for another DAW that can do what it does so I recently purchased Logic Pro X which I will be transitioning into over the summer.

 

Ableton LIVE is another DAW that I use here and there. I was hoping by now to have transitioned to it full time but that never happened. I`m still not used to it but I do enjoy how most of what I need is within reach of a click. I also like the simplicity of the GUI.

 

I`ve been getting more into scoring for film and TV so I may jump into Cubase eventually as well to see what it has to offer. Eventually I would love to settle on one DAW and get on with the music but right now I feel like I`m at a fork in the road.

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Zoom MRS-1608

 

I feel I have an affinity with this standalone unit. Music production is effortless.

 

However, when I use a laptop and software it feels like I'm preparing to do battle. It's like the laptop is saying 'I wasn't really designed to do this, you know. I'll fight you all the way!'

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I will say of all the DAWs I've worked with over the years, I found Reaper the most difficult to get into.

 

I felt the same way about Cubase, but somehow Reaper feels pretty natural to me. Of course I only use i like a recorder, don't use virtual instruments, and rarely use more than two hands full of tracks. Mixbus is about the same for me, but it fells more "unix-y" than "windows-y."

 

 

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Thx for the replies. Had hoped for more votes, but oh well. I found Reaper and Mixcraft the easiest to use (unless you count Audacity, ha), which is my #1 requirement; I don't have the time, patience or inclination to bust my butt learning something just because it was poorly designed. User-friendliness is a must. (PS I would have added more choices but polls are limited to 10.)

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I find Reaper gets more powerful the longer I use it, because each time I need something new I create a macro for it (they call them 'custom actions').

 

I tried the new free Sonar, but didn't care for the hot-wire connection to the company, it seemed like snoopware to me. It did include some very nice VSTi's for bass and drums though.

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I have reaper, but I'm on a Mac so for me my DAW of choice is logic. It has everything I need and the virtual drummer is excellent. When your on a mac, garage band is free and the interface is similar to logic. The same really, logic just has the professional features. So when you move up the learning curve is much shorter. I also use iZotope tools for mixing, mastering and vocal processing. Reaper is a very good DAW and as previously noted it can be scripted extensively. But the learning curve can be pretty steep.

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I've been a Studio One guy for years. The only real issue I have with S1 is that they are absolutely awful with support for external MIDI synths. I'm considering installing Sonar just for that function. That's something that Sonar does very well.

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I've been using Cakewalk/Sonar (and now CW/BL) since 1996. Reaper would be my fallback -- and I thought I was going to have to make the switch until Bandlab resurrected CW/Sonar.

 

The transition from 8.6 to the X-generation (straight to X3 in my case) was decidedly problematic and almost pushed me to the Reaper door, right there, but the logic of at least some of the changes between 8.6 and X3 began to emerge out of ongoing and deeply vexing frustration. I never really warmed up to X3 -- but even though the changes from there to CW/BL are not huge, I found the recent BL release to be overall a bit smoother (and, of course, I had at least partially adjusted).

 

I'm glad it seems to have found a home where people understand it. Fingers crossed. ;)

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Studio One is the only DAW I have used. I had a Studiolive mixer and when Studio One was announced and would integrate with the mixer I thought it would be the best route to go since I was just learning how to record. I record bands mostly and this DAW has met all my needs. I stayed at version 2.6 for years as I didn't see the need for version 3.5, until this year when my band started to record our music, I updated to 3.5 to be able to remote start and stop the song files. Right now version 4.0 doesn't offer me enough to upgrade ,yet.

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I've been a Studio One guy for years. The only real issue I have with S1 is that they are absolutely awful with support for external MIDI synths. I'm considering installing Sonar just for that function. That's something that Sonar does very well.

I suggest you check Mixcraft and Reaper; they do that very well too.

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Being primarily a bedroom playing hobbyist' date=' I use Audacity.[/quote']

 

I do too Jeff....I have Sonar Home Studio...But it's really above my pay grade. I haven't ever really progressed past 4 track cassette, technologically wise. Audacity is user friendly for the Roots Rock guy I am.

 

Kinda embarrassed to admit that.....But I Yam what I Yam.

 

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