*Why* Do You Use the DAW You Use?

[Ed A.]

I use Logic Studio mainly because of three of its plugins: Sculpture, Space Designer and Delay Designer.

[Phil O'Keefe]

I'd like to think that I'm a phriend...AND a phan.

 

And I like to think the same about you bud. You're definitely one of the "good humans" in my book!

[ggm1960]

 

I use Digital Performer. Most of the people I work with also use it, thats why I got it. I know DP well and use it as a tape recorder and some of the plugs. I have tried using LIVE LITE (which I also own) several times but cannot get used to that work method as yet.

 

 

I had a question about DP and it seems extremely difficult to get answers from them or anyone else.

 

I've been using a couple MTP interfaces for a while (a II and an AV-USB) and actually dug into them deep enough to set up patches, modifiers and midi cannons which I've been using at live performances for a while now. The trouble is that I have to keep an old Lombard computer with OS9 around just to be able to program them because the OSX version of Clockworks is dumbed down.

 

What I was wondering is if the OSX versions of DP will setup/program these units?

[Jeff da Weasel]

 

blue, can you explain a little more what you're talking about here? (I'm a n00b.)

 

 

Don't sell yourself short... you don't need to be a n00b to not understand Blue!

[vintagevibes]

Well, I can't say I started with Cakewalk(Dr. T's KCS/Commodor 64, then Mac/Opcode), but it was my second try on PC after the Turtle Beach Voyetra fiasco

 

I also started on the Commodor 64. I had the portable one where the cover came off and it was the keyboard and it had a built in 5.5" color screen. I ran Dr. T's as well. Took it on the road with me. Then I also graduated to Voyetra Sequencer Plus and it was by far the best DOS sequencer ever written. Then of course came Turtle Beach. That was sad. Then I started with Cakewalk ver. 3 because it was the first Windows (3.1) sequencer. I've been with it ever since.

[rlindsey0]

Tracktion. My favorite UI by far. Easy for me to learn and get stuff done on, and I haven't encountered anything I need to do that it can't do. But then, I'm not a hadrcore engineer, just a musician who needs to get stuff done quickly and efficiently, and someone who hates flipping around between windows.

[Dexter Frank Jr]

Well, I started out with N-Track years ago, and moved on about 5-6 years ago.

At some points I tried both Sonar and Tracktion, but neither worked very well for me. I could never get Sonar to work very well due to some driver things, and the Tracktion UI was just too weird.

I eventually landed on Samplitude and has been very pleased with that one ever since. I use very little to no Midi, and it fits my needs perfectly.

Frequent updates/improvements, and it sounds good, and apart from the dangle quite hassle-free. Big plus on the endless routing capabilities.

 

The included plugins are very good and the program has been very stable (I think I got it to crash once).

[Ernest Buckley]

 

What I was wondering is if the OSX versions of DP will setup/program these units?

 

 

Craig is better equipped to answer. I would "think" you could.

[roland]

I bought a Digi001 when it first came out in 2000 and it still suits my needs, so theres been no need to upgrade.

[jamesp]

Forgot to mention...

The biggest reason I'm still using Live is that it's FUN!

[amplayer]

I'd suggest calling MOTU tech support. Unfortunately, their phone number is often busy instead of going to a hold, so you have to keep calling back until it goes through. Anyway, I'm sure they'd be able to answer your question.

Their number is:

617 576 3066

 

 

I had a question about DP and it seems extremely difficult to get answers from them or anyone else. I've been using a couple MTP interfaces for a while (a II and an AV-USB) and actually dug into them deep enough to set up patches, modifiers and midi cannons which I've been using at live performances for a while now. The trouble is that I have to keep an old Lombard computer with OS9 around just to be able to program them because the OSX version of Clockworks is dumbed down. What I was wondering is if the OSX versions of DP will setup/program these units?

 

[Lee Flier]

Just had to share that every time I see this thread now I start singing the Temptations:

 

"Wellll you coulda bought any DAW that you wanted to, so why the helllll...

Why do you use the DAW ya do?"

 

 

Sorry.

[UstadKhanAli]

 

I bought a Digi001 when it first came out in 2000 and it still suits my needs, so theres been no need to upgrade.

 

 

I'm still using mine too, although I do use different converters. Works great. I wonder how many of us on this forum are still using Digi001?

[nerol1st]

I use cubase SL 3 because I started on LE and liked it. There are plenty of free VST plugs and I got the upgrade via educational discount. I am probably going to upgrade to studio 4 pretty soon. It's not all good though and I do use pro tools after tracking any drums or midi because of a few things:

 

1. Midi is better in cubase (I don't like the workflow in pro tools, even though I have been told it's gotten better)

 

2. I only have an mbox 2 and 4 inputs don't cut it for drums (for me).

 

3. I don't care for the lack of choices when creating crossfades.

 

4. I don't like the fact that cubase just strait dies when moving midi data around at times (not always the case).

 

5. SL 3 doesn't have side chain effects, I'm pretty sure that it's not possible in this version even if you had a 3rd party plug with the capabilities.

 

6. Even though there are workarounds in cubase for what beat detective does, it's not NEARLY as intuitive as beat detective.

 

7. Not that it affect performance directly, but stienberg as a company is horrible.

 

Now here is my beef with PTLE 7.4 (my current version):

 

1. No official support for leopard (although I am running it fine).

 

2. The mbox 2 will lose sync at random times and only with certain plugs that are CPU heavy (even on a quad core G5 2.5 ghz). The only way to un{censored} it is to restart pro tools. Where in cubase on the random times this happens you can reset the driver right in the program.

 

3. I get that stupid buffer error more than I should. I have found ways to get around it, but it's stupid non the less. I record on a separate drive (FW) have done all the stupid fixes etc...

a) I can run amplitube (full version) in standalone mode fine and have no issues monitoring through it. AS SOON as I load it as an insert pro tools gets {censored}ed. This is both on leopard and tiger.

 

4. You have to spend a {censored} tone for all this exstra crap that you may/ may not need just to get your track count up and use beat detective on more than one track at a time.

 

 

Now for the good in both:

 

Cubase:

 

1. Easy as hell to use.

2. Feature heavy.

3. Works with any hardware.

4. Built in EQ on every chanell.

5. Uses VST and DX plugs.

6. More tracks than I could ever use.

7. Like the routing better over the 2.

 

Pro Tools LE7.4

 

1. Time stretch is awsome.

2. Plugs that come with pt are better than cubase.

3. You can swap with other users then bring it back and it openes (PT HD and m powered)

4. No dongle.

5. The workflow is just easier and faster.

6. Sidechain effects.

 

And for one final review I will do Reaver on OSX (complaints only I found no good):

 

1. It's gui based, nothing makes sense logically to me.

2. It looks like a rip off of sony acid.

3. It's under developed (biggest turn off, it's amazng on PC sucks on mac).

4. The plugs that I saw were crap.

5. The entire layout doesn't seem to fallow the logic that I have been tought with daws (buttons way it works etc.)

6. Any recording program I use I should be able to figure out the most basic functions without consulting the manual.

 

These are only the apps that I have used enough to offer an opinion. I have never used logic, digital performer, sonare, or the full version of abelton. I have use live lite 4 but it was crap, and I don't want to measure that program by it's lite version.

[Beck]

Just had to share that every time I see this thread now I start singing the Temptations: "Wellll you coulda bought any DAW that you wanted to, so why the helllll... Why do you use the DAW ya do?" Sorry.

 

You're forgiven.

 

Go, and sin no more. :poke:

[ggm1960]

 

I'd suggest calling MOTU tech support. Unfortunately, their phone number is often busy instead of going to a hold, so you have to keep calling back until it goes through. Anyway, I'm sure they'd be able to answer your question. Their number is: 617 576 3066

 

 

I'm trying a different approach by e-mailing sales rather than tech support and if that doesn't net any results I'll try giving them a call, thanks.

[veracohr]

 

I'm trying a different approach by e-mailing sales rather than tech support and if that doesn't net any results I'll try giving them a call, thanks.

 

 

You can get some good help here:

 

http://www.unicornation.com

[kalab]

Hi. Regular lurker but I'll chime in on this one.

 

Started on Pro Tools in 1995 when I started working in 2 different facilities. PT introduced me to the world of DAW's and the transition from the more traditional recording gear to mouse and monitor production was pretty seamless and intuitive to me. Since then I've configured and run dozens of different Pro Tools systems from LE to MIX to current HD systems. Pro Tools and I have always gotten along swimmingly as far as reliability, productivity and quality.

 

I see lots of posts about people fighting with PT configuration problems and reliability, but all my systems have always been pretty rock-solid (at least on Mac, though I have a couple PC LE systems that work fine too).

 

I will tend to learn towards Logic for serious MIDI projects, but I don't really care for it and most of my work is either studio recording mixing, or post-type production anyway. All Logic projects eventually end up in PT. Oh, and REAPER on my laptop. Big fan!

 

I do miss Studio Vision Pro though.

 

And that's that then.

[ggm1960]

You can get some good help here: http://www.unicornation.com

 

Well......I never have yet, but it hasn't stopped me from trying!

http://www.unicornation.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=28067

 

As near as I can tell there must have been three people on the planet (including me) who have actually dug into those MOTU midi interfaces enough to figure out how to use the patches, midi cannons and modifiers. Perhaps people just didn't use these things for live performance. It might explain why MOTU didn't port those features into the OSX version of Clockworks. They are amazingly powerful features!

 

I dunno, but questions in this area have been drawing a blank since I first started screwing with these things late last year.

[blue2blue]

Well......I never have yet, but it hasn't stopped me from trying! http://www.unicornation.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=28067 As near as I can tell there must have been three people on the planet (including me) who have actually dug into those MOTU midi interfaces enough to figure out how to use the patches, midi cannons and modifiers. Perhaps people just didn't use these things for live performance. It might explain why MOTU didn't port those features into the OSX version of Clockworks. They are amazingly powerful features! I dunno, but questions in this area have been drawing a blank since I first started screwing with these things late last year.

 

You know, I thought I'd done due dilligence when I bought my MOTU 828mkII hardware. But it wasn't long before I started reading horror stories about having to deal with MOTU support.

 

Happily, I've had few problems -- except for the two initially crappy sounding preamps built into it. I thought they'd be handy for, say, mobile work, but they were all but unusable -- and now they are completely unusable because they've developed a somewhat constant (though very possibly heat dependent) odd ticking noise.

 

Based on my experience with my box and the stories I've read, I'd be disinclined at this point to even try DP if I was on a Mac. I strongly suspect I'd go Cubase -- although if Logic worked, I would definitely give it some consideration. Overall a pretty good feature set, finally -- although still a few things missing, and, of course, it would appear to be buggy as hell for most folks.

[Rubber Lizard]

I use Sonar. Since I'm another one who uses the DAW like a tape recorder with cheap effects boxes, any DAW will do more than I need it to, but I like the way Cakewalk does business. Each version addresses the wish list of it's users.

[rasputin1963]

AudioSnap and V-VOCAL really are the shiznit.

[Ernest Buckley]

Just to add my experience with MOTU... I never call their tech support. When I first did, it was like calling into a vacuum and then when I actually did talk to someone, they acted like they were annoyed so I stopped calling them. Fortunately, I did purchase my MOTU gear from Sweetwater so when I actually do need tech support these days (which I honestly do not remember the last time I did) I call them.

 

As for the MTP-AV, I use it as a MIDI interface and its my master clock but I have never gotten into its potential. Don`t need to...

[gdoubleyou]

Logic Studio, fell in love with the instruments.

 

[blue2blue]

 

Don't sell yourself short... you don't need to be a n00b to not understand Blue!

 

 

Indeed, I often stumble on to my old posts and have no idea whatsoever what I was on about.

 

 

In this case, though, I was just referring to some benchmarks I recently was checking into at:

 

http://www.dawbench.com/

 

It was the X-scaling benches (which really don't effect me 'cause I'm on an old P4HT... at least I don't think they effect me but maybe they do, since it is an HT).

 

I haven't had a chance to really get into his benchmarking but Scott from ADK seems to feel he's got his head on straight, so that's a pretty solid endorsement.