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What DAW do you use?


NoFrills

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People choose various Desktop Audio Workstations aka DAWs.

 

This is a thread to see what the Gibson forum members use and what their impression of their chosen DAW is and what they have tried before staying on the current DAW they now use.

 

 

I personally use Cakewalk Sonar 8.5.3 Producer since I am a PC user.

 

I have tried Cubase and found the learning curve was just too steep for me to carry on being trying with it.

So I decided to lower the bar a little and Tried out Adobe Audition 3.

It was definitely worth learning but it still lacked what Cubase offered.

 

So I ended up with Sonar 8 PE at first which took a little time to get used to but at least it was easy to get my head around.

Had a few bugs and was a bit of a system hog, upgraded to 8.5.3 Producer 32-bit and it ran much better.

 

The DAW has it's quirks like every other but it does the job beautifully for what I want it to do which ranges from electronic industrial to acoustic unplugged sound.

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Reaper!

Its vst routing shape is one of the most comfortable of the market and is not so complicated as Cubase, for example. Its a daw that weighs almost nothing and it is said that, along with Samplitude, have the best audio engines in the market .

 

In relation to PC processes, reaper is the king, I have had many tracks projects and it just consume 14% of the computer and using big VSTi.

 

I think it is he daw of the future and its price is more than ridiculous for what it offers. Without a doubt a great system for work and composition.

 

Even though I have a huge affection for adobe audition, in fact I still use mostly for editing guitar tracks when a noise slip trough. Its noise reduction tool is stunningly effective and I think is the best I've tried of all daw.

 

Even the license if it is not free, it never expires, it can be used as often as you like without limitations, now if you like it you can purchase it and its worth doing it, because its cheap and all the other possibilities that offers..It's worth tasting it.

 

greetings [biggrin]

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I'm with you on Reaper brother sinovic even though you left out a few things like,

 

The small footprint 6Mb download.

Just one version - no starter SE packs here with upgrade paths to part you from more of your cash.

Want to work on your project at a friends PC/Mac? Install Reaper on a USB pen drive and carry it with you. That's allowed. No web authorisations here.

Don't like it - just delete it. It hasn't filled up your registry. No uninstallers necessary.

Don't like the look of it - change it with other themes or make your own.

No bloatware - doesn't come with a load of VSTi instruments, samples and trial versions you'll never use.

Reaper VST FX are as good as many commercial offerings costing $$$$$$.

Regularly updated if bugs are found - the developers actually read the forum and do something about it..

The forum - is THE BEST. You'll probably get an answer to any problems the same day.

The cost - Reaper, full printed manual and tuition videos can be had for around $120.00. The PDF of the manual is free and the guy who writes it is an active forum member.

Plus it sounds great, as sinovic said, and it's easy to get started with and/or as deep as you want to go.

 

I still also use Ableton Live 8 for the nice and easy MIDI and audio looping but Ableton works differently to other DAW's anyway. Previously used Samplitude but I wouldn't give up Reaper to go back to that.

 

(You were slightly wrong on the licence though. If you buy Reaper v4 now (actually v4.02 at the moment) it's valid until v5.99. That could be around 4 years worth of updates judging by how long v3.x was around.)

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Guest BentonC

I pretty much exclusively use ProTools, but I tend to think that almost every DAW will outshine others at particular things.

 

I'm just used to ProTools (and I think most users will stick with what they learned on), and I know I can open sessions without a hitch at any of the studios I'm moving between. I also like the editing features in PT a lot better than any other DAW I've been on- very quick.

 

Though, it does weigh pretty heavy on processing power... Reaper is great if for nothing other than that! (though we know it is great for other reasons too [thumbup] )

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I pretty much exclusively use ProTools, but I tend to think that almost every DAW will outshine others at particular things.

That's very true. I know a lot of DAW fanboyz who dismiss Pro Tools out of hand for whatever they perceive as faults, but things don't become industry standards for no reason. I've never used Pro Tools but I've seen it working in studios and it can be quite impressive.

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That's very true. I know a lot of DAW fanboyz who dismiss Pro Tools out of hand for whatever they perceive as faults, but things don't become industry standards for no reason. I've never used Pro Tools but I've seen it working in studios and it can be quite impressive.

 

I use Presonus Studio One; I find it quite intuitive and it does a great job!

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I use Presonus Studio One; I find it quite intuitive and it does a great job!

It surprised me that Studio One didn't get a bigger user base when it was released since it came from the freebie Kristal which a lot of people used, including me for a while. I went from Kristal to Samplitude initially but most of my friends either moved to Cubase or Sonar/Cakewalk without considering Studio One. A couple still use Kristal. At the end of the day once you find something that works for you there's little point in changing. Loads of guys are happy to use Audacity because it gets the job done for them. As Benton C said in another thread, one of the best things about music these days is you do have choices.

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Guest BentonC

That's very true. I know a lot of DAW fanboyz who dismiss Pro Tools out of hand for whatever they perceive as faults, but things don't become industry standards for no reason. I've never used Pro Tools but I've seen it working in studios and it can be quite impressive.

 

nice to hear jonnyg! Seems like there are these camps that develop with sole intentions of bashing specific products just because it isn't what they're used to or their particular preference. I really like PT (I'm on PT9 at home and love it!), but I also have a great deal of respect for a lot of engineers and producers who don't touch it. At the end of the day it all comes down to who is sitting behind the mixer- especially now, since virtually none of the DAWs have had "bad" sound quality in several years.

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  • 2 weeks later...

i been using pro tools 8 but since buying fast new computer with win 7 64 i am having issues so have got pro tools 9 crossgrade which i am getting next week..hoping this solves audio issues running 32 bit app on 64 bit os..will get mbox 3 next they look pretty good for price...currently run line 6 into mbox 2 for models effects..got an axiom 61 midi controller..use addictive drums ..currently use a sm 58 as my room is to noisy for condenser unfortunately..aim to get electric drum kit will probably use bfd for triggers

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currently use a sm 58 as my room is to noisy for condenser unfortunately.

You shouldn't have any more noise problems with a cardioid pattern condenser than you do with an SM58, especially if you team it up with a noise gate plug-in. Not that there's anything wrong with using the '58. I often prefer to use one if I want a slightly thicker, "shouty" or different lead vocal or for backing vocals etc and some of my friends wouldn't use anything else. Just saying a condenser shouldn't be a problem.

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You shouldn't have any more noise problems with a cardioid pattern condenser than you do with an SM58, especially if you team it up with a noise gate plug-in. Not that there's anything wrong with using the '58. I often prefer to use one if I want a slightly thicker, "shouty" or different lead vocal or for backing vocals etc and some of my friends wouldn't use anything else. Just saying a condenser shouldn't be a problem.

cool thanks for that i looked at those options i didnt think of a noise gate the problem is in my room there is traffic noise like trucks etc i am hoping that i may get a better environment at some stage..i am just sought of used to stage stuff where i know with dynamics need you to be very close..the sm 58 seems to be used in studios by vocalists with big voices..thanks for you feedback i will remember the tip with the noise gate it makes perfect sense [thumbup]

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest BentonC

I've been using Cakewalk since it was Cakewalk 9, so from Sonar 1 through the current Sonar X1 Producer. I love everything about it.

 

Cakewalk was actually my first DAW- way back. I'm glad they stuck it out, and seems like they have a great following still. There are so many DAWs I've been meaning to get into lately, but getting access to them has been difficult. SOnar is definitely one I've been excited to dig into lately though...

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Cakewalk Sonar has been my favorate DAW since I started recording and it's the heart of my modest home studio. Other DAW's just haven't inspired me like Sonar has. Currently running X1 Pro and still getting used to it but I think I prefer 8.3 better because I am to lazy to remember all the shortcut keys and hidden options. I prefer to have easier access in menu's, but thats just me and I do like some of the changes in X1 especially the Pro Channel.

 

McEye

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Guest BentonC

Cakewalk Sonar has been my favorate DAW since I started recording and it's the heart of my modest home studio. Other DAW's just haven't inspired me like Sonar has. Currently running X1 Pro and still getting used to it but I think I prefer 8.3 better because I am to lazy to remember all the shortcut keys and hidden options. I prefer to have easier access in menu's, but thats just me and I do like some of the changes in X1 especially the Pro Channel.

 

McEye

 

What are the features of Sonar that keep you coming back?

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What are the features of Sonar that keep you coming back?

 

I found it to be easier to learn and use overall. It just seem to fit when I was starting out and it feels the same today and it's value for money for sure. I like the bundled software, Dimension Pro, Rapture, Zta3 and the abundance of effects and instruments. It has all you need it make good music in many genres.

I tried a few others eg samplitude. live, studio one but none of them grabbed me like Sonar did.

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Guest BentonC

I found it to be easier to learn and use overall. It just seem to fit when I was starting out and it feels the same today and it's value for money for sure. I like the bundled software, Dimension Pro, Rapture, Zta3 and the abundance of effects and instruments. It has all you need it make good music in many genres.

I tried a few others eg samplitude. live, studio pro but none of them grabbed me like Sonar did.

 

Awesome- it's great when a piece of software or gear inspires you or makes you comfortable. It always ends up spitting out a better end result! [thumbup]

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  • 1 month later...
Guest BentonC

I have just downloaded Reaper and I have to say that it looks quite good to me, and the basics are fairly easy to follow.

It has similarities to Audacity, and to a video editing program I use

I record on a Korg 3200 ... what a great machine :)

 

Nice! Let us know how you like it when you get to dig into it a bit.

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I'm a recent Reaper convert. Prior to changing operating systems (from pc to mac) I used Vegas. I really liked Vegas for it's simplicity and it always did a great job. I'm still learning reaper's quirks but I'm beginning to like it. I'm currently using it w/ a Tascam M-164 and so far - no problems at all.

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Guest BentonC

Reaper and Steinberg products seem to be dominating here. Nice. I've been meaning to get Reaper for a while now, but haven't had much time. Can't wait to pick it up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My first choice is Pro Tools 10 native, but if I need to do a bounce quickly, I use Logic. Since I do mostly location work, I often have to bounce a 2 to 3 hour show for rough mixes, so sometimes it's hard to justify tying up the computer for that long.

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