Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: jonathanf on April 26, 2011, 09:13:23 PM

Title: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: jonathanf on April 26, 2011, 09:13:23 PM
Hi, I'm looking to see what is the recording software everyone is using. Right now, I have FL Studio 9 Producer Edition and REAPER. So whats that about logic 9 and pro tools, why so expensive?
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Frank on April 26, 2011, 09:29:33 PM
I've used Cubase since it came on two floppy disks for the Atari ST and I'm not changing now. Even if everyone else in the universe calls it a buggy memory-hogging piece of junk, I like it.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: sgmypod on April 26, 2011, 09:48:24 PM
I've used Cubase since it came on two floppy disks for the Atari ST and I'm not changing now. Even if everyone else in the universe calls it a buggy memory-hogging piece of junk, I like it.

Yeah I had it with a monochrome monitor.....still like cubase on 5 now, keep trying others like reaper
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: _tom_ on April 26, 2011, 10:12:18 PM
Reaper for me. I've used all of the "big names" and it's my favourite. Uses minimal resources and is really nice/intuitive to use. Not a fan of Pro Tools at all as I find it slow and clunky. Logic is nice but I don't think I'd use it unless I was doing a fair amount of electronic music.

edit - forgot about ableton. Again probably good for lots of electronic stuff but I didn't like the interface at all.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Alex on April 26, 2011, 10:23:26 PM
I'm using Ableton Live 8, but the intro version which you get for a really nice price. I'm satisfied, but I don't use it a lot; most of the time I don't even have the time to play guitar anymore, so recording has become a distant past hobby for me.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Nadz1lla on April 26, 2011, 11:24:01 PM
Cubase all the way for me. Reaper and Audacity just don't cut the mustard for what I want out of a DAW. But hey, personal preference I guess. I used Logic in college too, and I loved it, but it's not worth buying a Mac for, heh. PC all the way.  ;)
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: _tom_ on April 26, 2011, 11:34:34 PM
^What do you feel is missing from Reaper? Not trying to start an argument just curious as it seems to have everything I'd look for!
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Frank on April 26, 2011, 11:41:20 PM
^What do you feel is missing from Reaper? Not trying to start an argument just curious as it seems to have everything I'd look for!

I find the track arming, I/O and MIDI stuff confusing in Reaper, I much prefer the way Cubase is laid out. Plus I use some external synth modules and Reaper doesn't seem to have downloadable progam "maps" so I'd have to use either sysex or MSB/LSB bank and patch change info and nothing is worth that much hassle.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: tomjackson on April 27, 2011, 09:45:07 AM

I started on logic then moved to Cubase as Logic went Mac only.

Cubase is easy to get going but I'm thinking of ditching it for Reaper as I move from my desktop to a laptop system.  I want something a bit more stripped down without the need for a dongle.  All that Cubase security annoys me, okay on a desktop but would take valuable resource on a laptop. 

Cubase just seems too hungry as well.  Although to be fair The SL3 I have used is fairly stable....

Reaper can be shared between machines as well....




Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Bob Gnarly on April 27, 2011, 09:46:18 AM
Logic 9 here. For a while I was using Garageband.
The more expensive software for me gives me better FX, and more powerful editing tools.
Happily runs on my 4 year old Macbook pro.

Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: MDV on April 27, 2011, 11:34:18 AM
I like reaper.

Previously used (as in owned) cubase (sx3) and sonar (producer 7), used (as in for a brief period) pretty much everything else. Reapers my favourite.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: jonathanf on April 27, 2011, 05:33:59 PM
So why is logic and pro tools so expensive? I use my software just for recording, what I mean is that no added anything(no added eq or nothing) except for if I'm playing a song, the wav file of the song on another track and I also use betamonkey drums on FL studio 9. But FL is 5x the cost of reaper, I just don't get it. Sure, it has a lot of plugins but not very useful.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Nadz1lla on April 27, 2011, 05:44:26 PM
^What do you feel is missing from Reaper? Not trying to start an argument just curious as it seems to have everything I'd look for!

Pretty much the same as what Frank posted right after you. I just don't get on with it. I find Cubase a lot easier to use, more intuitive, and the program quality and compatibility with VST's etc is better in my opinion. That and I used it through college too, so I am more comfortable with the UI.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Nadz1lla on April 27, 2011, 05:48:34 PM
So why is logic and pro tools so expensive? I use my software just for recording, what I mean is that no added anything(no added eq or nothing) except for if I'm playing a song, the wav file of the song on another track and I also use betamonkey drums on FL studio 9. But FL is 5x the cost of reaper, I just don't get it. Sure, it has a lot of plugins but not very useful.

Because Logic and Pro Tools are basically considered the "Industry Standard" and they are very, VERY powerful tools. They are the kind of thing I would invest in if I had the money and the means to really use them to their maximum potential. If I knew everything I needed to know about utilizing every last resource Logic and Pro Tools had to offer, I would definitely invest in a Mac. But seeing as how I'm not a minted world-class producer, I'll just stick with Cubase on my PC, heh. It has plenty of potential to do more powerful stuff than I use it for now, so I can use more and more of it as I learn how, but I don't have to go buy a Mac to use it, which is really nice, heh.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: gwEm on April 27, 2011, 06:02:05 PM
i'm using ableton live. like it alot.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: jonathanf on April 27, 2011, 06:42:41 PM
Because Logic and Pro Tools are basically considered the "Industry Standard" and they are very, VERY powerful tools. They are the kind of thing I would invest in if I had the money and the means to really use them to their maximum potential. If I knew everything I needed to know about utilizing every last resource Logic and Pro Tools had to offer, I would definitely invest in a Mac. But seeing as how I'm not a minted world-class producer, I'll just stick with Cubase on my PC, heh. It has plenty of potential to do more powerful stuff than I use it for now, so I can use more and more of it as I learn how, but I don't have to go buy a Mac to use it, which is really nice, heh.
[/quote]
I could get pro tools if I wanted but I'm not because I don't need it(in other words to me, its a waste). I don't own a mac so no logic 9. But if I ever bought a mac it would never be for a recording software.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Nadz1lla on April 27, 2011, 06:55:55 PM

I could get pro tools if I wanted but I'm not because I don't need it(in other words to me, its a waste). I don't own a mac so no logic 9. But if I ever bought a mac it would never be for a recording software.

That's fair, it's like I said, if I thought I would use it to its full potential, I would go buy a Mac and use Pro Tools. But for what I am doing now? Yeah, that would be a waste, heh. Plus I'd still need something to run VST's / Midi.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Transcend on April 27, 2011, 07:18:56 PM
im pretty certain that pro tools is available for the PC and is also no longer hardware restricted

s
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: jonathanf on April 27, 2011, 08:22:58 PM
yeah pro tools is also on windows, linux,...
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: jonathanf on April 27, 2011, 08:37:24 PM
BTW I know this is stupid but... Where are the plugins like EQ in Reaper?
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: _tom_ on April 27, 2011, 08:40:48 PM
I don't really get pro tools. It's good for working with video, 5.1 mixing etc but I can't see why it's an industry standard other than it's what people are used to (and that routing for buses/aux tracks etc is good). It's quite a clunky interface compared to other solutions, needs 2 monitors to make it less fiddly to use, seems to take up a lot of resources, cr@p at midi and it doesn't even look very nice! Oh and the real-time bounce/export is a complete pain in the arse if you don't have time to waste.

Jonathan, to add an EQ in reaper you click the "FX" button on the track you want it on, and a window should come up with a list of all the VST plugins available. From there double click the EQ and play around with it! The built in reaper EQ is really good actually.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Nadz1lla on April 27, 2011, 11:13:27 PM
im pretty certain that pro tools is available for the PC and is also no longer hardware restricted

s

Aye you can use it on any platform, but the way Mac OS uses memory / CPU etc, I would get one. I'm talking if I was an uber producer and had shed loads of money to burn, heh. My ideal Studio setup would be based around Pro Tools and Mac.

I used Macs with Logic and Cubase in college and they were absolutely bug and trouble free when it came to making music and overall system / HDD stability. After getting used top the whole one-mouse-button and one-click thing, they were an absolute joy to use.

The only reason I use a PC to record at home is because I don't have the money to go the Mac route, and in fact my music PC is made from parts of old, dead machines, and I can knock another one together in ten minutes if any parts fail out of a plethora of spare bits I have stored under my bed, heh. My music computer is called the "Ratzilla Junkeon" and is made out of half an old computer chassis and half a roll of gaffer tape.  :lol:
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: jonathanf on April 28, 2011, 06:14:09 AM
Thanks Tom for the help.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Frank on April 28, 2011, 10:30:48 AM
I used Macs with Logic and Cubase in college and they were absolutely bug and trouble free

The only things which make Cubase (PC version) crash for me are Antares Autotune and any of the Arturia VST synths. Every time it bombs out it's a plugin, not the program itself.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Nadz1lla on April 28, 2011, 05:24:49 PM
Yeah for me too, the VST's I use are Superior Drummer 2 and Eastwest Silk, both really memory heavy VST's and sometimes my poor budget machine can't hack it. Especially both at once, it always crashes, hah!   :lol:  Just need a faster CPU and more memory and it'll be sorted.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: MDV on April 28, 2011, 05:43:39 PM
PT9 is not hardware tied anymore, and runs on/with anything, yes.

Though the only reason I can think of to buy it is to tell my clients "I use PRO TOOLS", stick my chest out and let them think that their mixes were made with pixie dust and unicorn hair. I have no time for such nonsense. DAW choice comes down to three things:

1: Can it do the basic stuff you need it to? Edit, mix, implement midi, buss, yada yada in a fashion that suits you and to the degree you need it?

2: Will it run everything you want it to run, VST wise?

3: Workflow. Can and do you get along with how you do each thing you do in the VST, mechanistically, and does it integrate with the rest of what youre doing well (tracking, triggering, blah, sampling, blah blah, running outboard effects/mixers, integrate with/working alongside other pieces of software, blah blah blah).

Nad; try increasing the buffer size. 128 and 256 are common defaults, and you need it to be low for tracking (I've taken to tracking @96, 24, 48 bit buffer: 0.9ms in, 1.5 out, sweeeeeet) but you dont need low latency for mixing, just ramp up the buffer and see if its more stable/less strenuous on the machine.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: hunter on April 28, 2011, 06:19:43 PM
Logic/Mac

I did Cubase in the past, too. I like em both, but since Apple took over, Logic has become pretty damn good. Was a bit powerful but nerdy before, now it's just polished and great.
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: PRguitars on April 28, 2011, 07:35:44 PM
Cubase SX3, it does the job for me  :D
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Twaddlefish on May 05, 2011, 08:31:05 PM
^What do you feel is missing from Reaper? Not trying to start an argument just curious as it seems to have everything I'd look for!

Pretty much the same as what Frank posted right after you. I just don't get on with it. I find Cubase a lot easier to use, more intuitive, and the program quality and compatibility with VST's etc is better in my opinion. That and I used it through college too, so I am more comfortable with the UI.

Really? I found Reaper easy to use, although FL  Studio was a nightmare for me. Cubase and Pro Tools enrage me so!
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Roobubba on May 06, 2011, 10:51:34 AM
I used cubase for a while ages ago, but recently got a proper interface and so on. I'm using reaper now and after an initial fairly steep learning curve (which I honestly think is more DAW-related than specific program related - it's a whole new ball game to me!), I'm very, very happy with Reaper. It does way more than I could possibly need, and while you can use it free, I like the program, and I like their pricing model, so I bought it. Big thumbs up here, well worth the very very low cost!

Roo
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Transcend on May 06, 2011, 01:23:06 PM
i moved to reaper from cakewalk 7 producer edition and have not once looked back.

It's easier to use, quicker, less clunky and doesn't hang when loading vsti's
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: MDV on May 06, 2011, 01:25:39 PM
i moved to reaper from cakewalk 7 producer edition and have not once looked back.

It's easier to use, quicker, less clunky and doesn't hang when loading vsti's

I did the exact same move.

Was on SX3 before that.

I havent found myself wishing reaper can do anything more than it can. Its very good. VST compatibility is superb as well. A lot of the stock effects are also pretty high class, but I use more voxengo plugs than c--kos now (weird, kind of overpowered, but extremely effective if you use them judiciously).
Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: HTH AMPS on May 06, 2011, 03:20:27 PM
I always used to track in Cool Edit Pro as it was fast and easy to use, then export the tracks to Logic Audio for mixing.

These days I have Pro Tools and find it similar enough to Logic that I'm happy with it.

Title: Re: Audio Recording Software.
Post by: Johnny Mac on May 06, 2011, 07:26:01 PM
I use Logic 9 on a Mac.  I did use an old version of Cubase on my Dinosaur PC but it couldn't handle Midi guitar.
Logic has some good tools in it like audio quantize which is useful if you messed up in tracking. There is a huge library of loops which can be handy. Lots of software instruments and amp sims too. It's worth having if you have a mac and £340 to spare.