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I also have Samplitude, Studio One, Reaper and Cubase but Protools gets the most use. All are extremely powerful in what they can do with a modern computer
It can seem daunting to new users, but actually it's quite easy to use.
The trial version IS the actual full version, registration is honour based. There is a great user community and loads of free training videos. It supports all the usual plug-in standards and comes with a decent selection of signal processing VSTs.
Natively it is perhaps not as pretty as other DAWs but because the theme-engine is open to 3rd party developers there are plenty of superb free themes available built by enthusiastic supporters.
If there is a down side it's that no VST instruments are supplied.
My only big criticism of Reaper is that is does not support MIDI feedback to controllers natively.
It is supported when using the Mackie protocols so controllers like the Icon QCon, Panama 4 keyboard work fine with their supported implementations, but if you are using something like the MIDI Fighter Twister rotary controller, if you make a change to a mapped controller input on the screen, it is not reflected back on the physical controller's display. However recently someone has scripted a tempory(?) solution to this.
see:
http://forum.cockos.com/showthread.php?t=94384&page=5
I stuck with it in the early days because it had a good and helpful user community. The Reaper forum was the first forum I joined. Also, I enjoyed sharing knowledge and taking part in music collaborations on the forum.
Now I stay with it because it does everything I need and has been super reliable. I like the idea that's it's got a small development team and it doesn't seemed to be weighed down with big company bloat.
I find it very logical and easy to use at a basic level but maybe that's partly because I haven't used other DAWs, so I approached it as as open book. I probably haven't scratched to surface of what it's really capable of and still occasionally go back and work through the excellent Kenny Gioia videos. Plus there's an excellent manual written by Nicholas.
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
The dongle is a PITA, however.
I have only ever used Sonar, but for the most part, I love it. The Pro Channel is great to use, especially the EQ, the 1176 and SSL 4K bus compressor.
There are a few quirks that irritate; the "undo" function does not list the correct previous action and sometimes bus automation reads can fail, but overall I am happy with it. Plus, with monthly updates, there is a consistent stream of new features and bug fixes, so you don't have to wait for the annual update.
To those running Cubase - do you feel the zoom is sluggish compared to other programs? Honestly it's really bugging me. The whole experience of moving about it so much more cumbersome than Studio One and Logic (and the sessions I have in both of those have more tracks and more plugins, so it's not that)
https://www.studiowear.co.uk/ -
https://twitter.com/spark240
Facebook - m.me/studiowear.co.uk
Reddit r/newmusicreview
As an added bonus...even if you don't buy Reaper, you can download the entire plugin pack for free for use with any other DAW that supports VSTs.
@spark240 Studio One 3 frustrations
Crossfade behaviour - no option to change default crossfade size, which is almost always too large and crossing over my transients. When inserting a new crossfade after cutting an event with a crossfade on the other side already it resets the existing fade when inserting the new one. My initial reason for getting Studio One was to suppliment Logic with slip editing, but I feel I spend as much time adjusting fades as I do actually slipping. In Cubase cross fading can be either auto on split, or you can insert a manual fade (with a preset length) and adding a new fade on an event that has a fade on the other side leave the existing fade alone...
Paste behaviour on existing sections - in Logic using the marquee tool makes this pretty seamless over the top of the old section, however in Studio One I have to delete before I paste otherwise when I crossfade it'll take the underneath events into account and cross fade with those. A minor thing but annoying nonetheless.
Group behaviour - Having to press alt to select every time I want to do an action independent of a group is slow and frustrating. In Logic I can select which actions I want grouped and which I don't, which seems ideal to me.
General 3.5 issues:
- Level meter plugin in my inserts no longer works during tracking under green Z and only works during playback, making it useless. I have to pull up the console now to look at the input meter there, wasting screen space.
- Encountered bug where sound was being monitored but not recorded, I had to remove and set up inputs again, despite the fact nothing has changed. This bug happened between sessions already in 3.5, so wasn't caused by updating to 3.5.
- Not a fan of the new default monitoring behaviour (unable to hear recorded audio when record/monitor enabled) but I've just discovered you should be able to get it to auto monitor on punch in which would be the same behaviour as Cubase so acceptable to me...
I like it; I originally wanted a PC-based drum machine, more or less, but the audio recording that's been added is straightforward, it integrates fine with Kontakt and NS Kit and there are plenty of free generators and (of course) VSTs and so on.
I found this thread which at least shows they're aware of the slow GUI https://www.steinberg.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=115038
https://www.studiowear.co.uk/ -
https://twitter.com/spark240
Facebook - m.me/studiowear.co.uk
Reddit r/newmusicreview