The DAW/Sequencer Shoot-Out

[HeadCrusher]

Which one are you using and why?

I'm using Cubase because it was the first one I could get my hands on and it's kind of popular around here.

I'd love to try ProTools but the Hardware is still a little to expensive for me atm. But to be honest I didn't get the chance to try it out so far and I really don't know what makes it better than any other DAW. So I'm still curios about the big "Myth" - Maybe I shall find out some day.

 

[Wolfeman]

Cubase SX 3.....

Why? Because it is easy to use, does the same(if not more) than ProTools, and you don't have to buy over priced CRAP just to be able to use it.

 

[Benny H]

Sonar

I grew up with cakewalk on the family computer. So.. roughly 10+ years experience with it..

 

[Sweetnothing]

At the moment is Sonar, and Live when doing electronic stuff.
Why? Live is great for electronica, is pattern based and it's pretty fast for loops and such
Sonar was cheap ( 100 bucks secondhand, it's Sonar4), and it has less bugs and performs better on my computer, I like the midi editing.

But...I grew up on logic, straight from notator ( oh the atari st days), shame I don't have the money or the intention of getting a new mac for it.
Sonar does what I need at the moment.

 

[elmuchoescadawg]

Ive been using logic for the last 6 years or so after changing from cubase on a PC. Ive concidered going for pro tools but once Ive spend several thousand to get a pro rig rather than a 002 or the like what can I do in it that I cant do in logic? IMO its all about knowing what ever DAW you have and getting the most out of it. Having said that I wish timestretching in logic was as easy as it is in tools

 

[Gnash]

I'm in Sonar 5. Like old boy said, been using it since the original version.

 

[Pot]

cubase sx 3 or nuendo 3.

 

[KnifeVariable]

Scream Tracker 3.21... well, used to anyway. I'm using SX3. Why? Hm because I know it well enough to avoid getting overfrustrated when using it and it's capable of doing everything I come up with.

 

[RootBoundApollo]

I've been using pro tools 7.1.1 on my intel mac to keep up with the industry stadard (it sucks, i know, but whatever) and Nuendo 3 on my PC because it's just better overall IMHO not to mention it's aesthetically more appealing and has customization options and far better MIDI capabilities than PT and blah blah... I've been meaning to try Sonar for shits to see if I like it any better but I'm fucking broke thanks to Fedex dropping my mesa cab off a truck. :u-


here's an e-depiction of my emotional progress since the incident huh: uke:

as you can plainly see I've gone through the five stages of loss and then realized that I don't live in a third world country and I still have Comus to rock out to, so everything's gonna be chill. But god damn Fedex...

 

[-Gavin-]

Sonar 5!


Amazing layout, great mixier, inbuilt convolution reverb, v vocal, sonitus suite is pretty fucking good.


Can't beat it.


Cubase inbuilt plugins i've found suck ass.



I am gonna buy a PTLE system so i can accept projects from others

 

[gabriel g.]

i have started with cuabse VST. That was my first steps...

along time I used cubase sx3. (very good program but the plugins aren´t the best. Only magneto, real verb and fuzz distortion)

Now I´m using cubase 4. It eats up all my CPU but the plugs are fantastic.

 

[sparkyness]

Switched from Sonar 3 to Nuendo. Much happier with the workflow, and the bugs in Sonar 3 (i.e. automation) put me off Cakewalk for life. I truly got robbed by those sharks for releasing, then refusing to fix a fatally flawed product without paying again to upgrade to the next version to fix issues with functionality they said was in 3 that wasn't. Nuendo isn't perfect, but I can at least work with it.

That being said, I have had a look at my mates Sonar 5 PE setup which looks/sounds cool. At least the automation works now.

At the end of the day unless you're looking to work in pro studios (which are mostly PT-centric) I don't think there's any major disadvantages between the major platforms on a performance or sound quality level, so it basically comes down to what workflow you're happiest with, and can achieve the best results on.

 

[LydonB]

I'm using Digital Performer 4.6...
Started using it becuase thats what we had on the macs at my high school for the intro. to music production class. ha...seems like forever ago!

 

[IronApe]

I used to work with Logic but switched to Cubase SX3, I just couldn't seem to get along with Logic. I find SX3 more me-friendly, and although plugins aren't that great, there's loads of free plugins around that work well. And I managed to get my hands on the Waves plugins which imho kick some ass.

 

[musickey]

Just upgraded from Nuendo 2 to Nuendo 3! cant say enough about that program
and Nuendo 3 supports all the lastest CPU's like Dual Core Duo. wich is a big plus now that i got my new machine.

 

[chadsxe]

Sonar 6...been using cakewalk for over 5 years.

 

[006]

Cubase SX now. Worked professionally with ProTools HD and Vegas. Tried Digital Performer 4.6/5.0, Logic, Sonar and a few others. Always come back to Cubase...it's just so much more "natural" to use, to me anyway.

Honestly everything does the same shit. Some just do it easier for some people, and others do it easier for other people. I love Cubase because it handles resources a lot better than PT and DP, and it's MIDI editing/sequencing functions are easier to use. But again, that's all just for me...it may be difficult for someone else.

~e.a

 

[unsilpauly]

i use dp 4.61 for almost everything. i also have protools 7 which i use for projects i get that i didnt track at my studio that i want to overdub and/or mix at my place.

 

[Gnash]

Switched from Sonar 3 to Nuendo. Much happier with the workflow, and the bugs in Sonar 3 (i.e. automation) put me off Cakewalk for life. I truly got robbed by those sharks for releasing, then refusing to fix a fatally flawed product without paying again to upgrade to the next version to fix issues with functionality they said was in 3 that wasn't. Nuendo isn't perfect, but I can at least work with it.

That being said, I have had a look at my mates Sonar 5 PE setup which looks/sounds cool. At least the automation works now.

Yeah, check out the newer versions of Sonar. At least 5. It's progressed by leaps and bounds since version 3. I've just never tried anything else. My friend in Nashville is trying to get me to switch to Logic. I don't know, I'm too used to Sonar.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

My sympathies to you Cubase SX3 users who just got fucked by Steinberg.
Cubase 3 support announcement
Not trying to rub anything in here, so please don't take it that way! However, I wonder how much they'll charge you for the upgade to version 4? Will it be $100 or under? Somehow, I don't think so.


As for what I'm using, I'm gonna try real hard not to sound like a broken record:
I've tried cubase, worked with Cakewalk from version 7 up till Sonar 3, but I switched to SawStudio. Why?
It's faster than your Daw. WAY faster. It's unique in that it's written in hand-coded assembly. (you need serious programming chops to do this, & it'll beat the pants off a C++ compiler every time. You won't believe how fast your machine truly is until you've run something written in assembler.)
There's no insanely overpriced hardware to buy with it (runs fabulous with a FF800) no major/overpriced upgrage every three years.... and it doesn't force you to buy new hardware to go with the upgrade. The last major upgrade cost $100. That was once in four years. No new box in the mail either, just a quick download. Oh yeah, the entire program is about 3.5 megabytes. (not a misprint.) That's how tight the code is. I've heard of guys running it off of a flashdrive with no hiccups.
Updates come often, based on user suggestions. The developer is always on hand, helping the users wherever possible. If you're really stuck, you can call him at home. By far, the best tech support I've ever encountered.
I also like the fact that money is spent on development. Not advertising.
There's also the channel EQ's & comps, which are extremely clean. VST, Direct X & SS format plugins run great. Not to mention the interface, which was designed from the ground up to be ergonomically efficient: I had a Mackie Control for Sonar, which was a must have. The Mackie interfaced beautifully with Saw (you should see how the LCD display can switch from track labels to level meters. Very cool!) but after a few months, I found myself not using it at all! It slowed me down. The mouse & keyboard interface with Saw is that good. I sold the Mackie.
I could go on & on but if you're really interested, download the demo & check out the videos.
Saw Studio

Oh yeah, one last thing: No hardware dongle, no iLok, no copy protection whatsoever. I like the fact that I'm not treated like a thief & have to go thru a "Mother May I" procedure just to use the damn thing.

-0z-