Switching DAWs

What's Hot
Thinking of moving from Cubase to ProTools (mainly because Steinberg don't seem very keen on supplying me the upgrade I paid for a couple of weeks ago ....)

Anyone made the jump?  Or from any DAW to ProTools ... what was the learning curve like?  Never even touched ProTools so that's the concern ... albeit probably a short term one.
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«1345

Comments

  • joeyowenjoeyowen Frets: 4025
    I used sonar for years, made the switch to pro tools last summer.

    I love it. 

    Yes I had to Google shortcuts as they came up, but mostly it hasn't been too bad 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    Protools is probably the easiest to learn out of all of them, only has a mix and an edit screen and the routing works like an analog desk. In the studio I found work experience kids from school could be capable of creating a new session, setting the in \ out and recording a band within their first few days of using it for the first time. 

    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BezzerBezzer Frets: 581
    Thanks guys, good to know. Think it’s time to move! 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14324
    Bezzer said:
    Thinking of moving from Cubase to ProTools (mainly because Steinberg don't seem very keen on supplying me the upgrade I paid for a couple of weeks ago ....)
    It ought to be worth chasing Steinberg up about this. If you have subscribed and registered correctly, you should get what you have paid for.

    If Steinberg has what they consider to be good grounds for declining to supply, request a refund of your most recent payment. (If, for example, you have installed their software in to more than one computer, that may breach the terms and conditions of your user license.)
    Be seeing you.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • You might also want to give Reaper a quick look if you are considering the jump to PT.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    Bezzer said:
    Thinking of moving from Cubase to ProTools (mainly because Steinberg don't seem very keen on supplying me the upgrade I paid for a couple of weeks ago ....)


    If you paid for it online you just download it from your account ...

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    edited January 2019
    I would also demo Studio One ...some have made the move from PT to S1 and don't look back


    Mac Mini M1
    Presonus Studio One V5
     https://www.studiowear.co.uk/ -
     https://twitter.com/spark240
     Facebook - m.me/studiowear.co.uk
    Reddit r/newmusicreview 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • andy_kandy_k Frets: 818
    try the free version first, it wouldnt be my first choice--depends on how you want to work with it, I took pro-tools 101, and it seems fairly simple at first-depending on your background, but relies heavily on memorizing shortcuts for everything,, they all do to some extent, but I chose to go with Reaper, which just seems to do everything I need, and when I open one of my older pro-tools sessions ( which are latest version ) I know I made the right decision--same feeling when I open a Logic session.
    Reaper is free to try fully unrestricted, pro-tools le is very limited, but does give you an idea how it works.
    horses for courses really.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • BezzerBezzer Frets: 581
    Bezzer said:
    Thinking of moving from Cubase to ProTools (mainly because Steinberg don't seem very keen on supplying me the upgrade I paid for a couple of weeks ago ....)
    It ought to be worth chasing Steinberg up about this. If you have subscribed and registered correctly, you should get what you have paid for.

    If Steinberg has what they consider to be good grounds for declining to supply, request a refund of your most recent payment. (If, for example, you have installed their software in to more than one computer, that may breach the terms and conditions of your user license.)
    No reason to decline. I paid for the upgrade to Artist 10. This needed an elicenser so no download under my account until authentication code entered. I’m two weeks on from them debiting my account and they haven’t sent confirmation, let alone the code, also had no response to support tickets. Only got them to talk to me by raising it on Twitter .,, and now they’ve gone quiet again. 

    So yeah, chased multiple times. Given plenty of opportunity to resolve but they don’t seem to be interested.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BezzerBezzer Frets: 581

    Fretwired said:
    Bezzer said:
    Thinking of moving from Cubase to ProTools (mainly because Steinberg don't seem very keen on supplying me the upgrade I paid for a couple of weeks ago ....)


    If you paid for it online you just download it from your account ...
    oh if only it were that easy :-) 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    I have to own and use most of the major DAW’s.
    If you are doing a lot of midi then you will find PT basic compared to Cuba’s (or pretty much anything else).

    What types of music are you doing?
    Is it predominantly live recording or band tracking, or are you working mostly alone with VI’s.

    Are you Mac or PC?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BezzerBezzer Frets: 581
    edited January 2019
    @octatonic mostly live recording. I do use midi for drums and some additional instruments so will be on every track. What do you mean by basic? 

    Oh and PC.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Bezzer said:
    @octatonic mostly live recording. I do use midi for drums and some additional instruments so will be on every track. What do you mean by basic? 

    Oh and PC.
    You don't have a lot of the more advanced midi functionality that you get with Logic or with Cubase.
    There is no drum editor, if you use that in Cubase (many do).

    The way Avid (and previously Digidesign) added midi was really clunky- it wasn't efficient (still isn't) and in order to do things that other DAW's do quite easily you have to work around the architecture.
    For instance, looping regions/clips PT is a complete pain in the ass.
    In most DAW's you just click the end of the loop and drag it to make copies.
    In Pro Tools you need to remember the key command for 'Clip Looping' (Command Option L on Mac, Control Alt L on PC) and then input loops you want, or to set another end point, such as until the next clip, or end of the session.
    It is clunky and cumbersome compared to other DAW's.
    This is just one example- there are loads of them.

    Pro Tools also has some rather arbitrary limitations unless you are going for HDX, which I assume you are not.
    As a native solution you will be limited to 32 simultaneous inputs, so if you have a 64 channel interface PT will only let you use 32 of them.

    I need to have Pro Tools HDX and it is great at what it does.
    If I was suggesting a do-it-all DAW then it would be Cubase or Logic, no question.

    Most people I work with (and myself) tend to sequence in another application (I use Logic and Live mostly) and then transport everything into PT to mix.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • StuckfastStuckfast Frets: 2393
    I've worked with most of the major DAWs too, but Pro Tools is the one I use most of the time. Like octatonic says, it's not going to be the first choice for doing big MIDI film score mockups with a virtual orchestra or something, but the MIDI is absolutely fine for everyday use. What does take a bit of getting used to in PT compared with other DAWs is that nothing is preconfigured, and unless you start with a template session, you have to set your own routing up. I have got to like the flexibility that offers but it can seem like more work to start with.

    There are aspects of PT that are noticeably different from most other DAWs (soloing will do your head in at first). I much much prefer the way editing in the Edit window works, and once you've got used to how things like Edit and Mix Groups work in PT it's hard to go back to other approaches. Perversely I also love the fact that the keyboard shortcuts are not customisable. This means they are sensible and logical in a way that Cubase ones never quite are. For instance there's a global convention in Pro Tools that holding down the Alt key applies an action to all tracks, while holding Shift + Alt applies it to all selected tracks, and Shift + Alt + Command/Ctrl takes that further depending on the context. For me, the consistency of conventions like that is far more valuable than the freedom to say 'Actually I'd like Shift + Alt + C to do *this*'.

    Of the other Windows DAWs... Studio One is actually very similar to Cubase in many ways, which is not surprising as it was designed by the same people. Cakewalk has the advantage of being free, and, er, it's free. Reaper is immensely flexible but I find it quite counter-intuitive. I'm sure once you get to know it it's incredibly powerful -- certainly the DAW to learn if you are ever likely to do immersive audio and Ambisonics. Samplitude is great, if a bit intimidating in a heavyweight German engineering sort of a way.




    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BezzerBezzer Frets: 581
    Lots of good info, thanks guys ... certainly food for thought.

    Steinberg have now (finally) come through.  Still don't seem to know what emails are but have DM'd me the activation code on Twitter so I guess demanding a refund now is moot.

    I think I will investigate a few other DAWs though based on the things you'd all said about strengths and weaknesses, always handy to have options.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Reaper is a no-brainer as it is virtually free.
    Start with that.

    Pro Tools is expensive to get in and they ransom you with yearly 'support payments.
    I spend $400 a year just to have Pro Tools Ultimate license stay current- it is a massive ball ache and frankly I really dislike Avid's business model.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • SnapSnap Frets: 6256

    @Bezzer - before you buy anything, go have a look at Cakewalk by Bandlab. I have used Sonar/Cakewalk since about 96, and bought the very last version of Sonar Platinum with lifetime upgrades, only to fins a year or two later it is now free. Great.

    The new free version is the same as Platinum, but you don't get all of the third party bundled VSTs e.g. melodyne. What you do get is a pro grade DAW, with the same level of functionality as the previous paid for flagship version. Its pretty intuitive to use too. Cakewalk's in house VSTs are very good too.

    the only drawback I find with Sonar is that it can be glitchy. I don't know what the bandlab version is like though in this respect. I am not far off doing a totally fresh install, so I will find out soon...…

    I debated long time about changing DAW, but I am a hobbyist with precious little time to learn a new one. IMO it would be a waste of time and money.


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • BezzerBezzer Frets: 581
    @snap that's interesting too, will add it to the list.  I haven't used Cakewalk since the mid 90s and had kind of forgotten it even existed!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • octatonic said:
    Reaper is a no-brainer as it is virtually free.
    Start with that.

    Pro Tools is expensive to get in and they ransom you with yearly 'support payments.
    I spend $400 a year just to have Pro Tools Ultimate license stay current- it is a massive ball ache and frankly I really dislike Avid's business model.

    Yeah.... I mean if people care in 2019 about the words "industry standard" and want to pay $400 a year just so Avid respond to their emails then thats ok but wtf

    Maybe 15 years ago when there really wasn't a viable alternative out there but ffs Reaper can do anything ProTools can in a large studio and in a small home environment where midi is usually important, ProTools gets whipped by pretty much every single other DAW out there

    INDUSTRY STANDARD!!! I wonder how much of that $400 a year actually goes into advertising and bungs to magazines to keep repeating that mantra
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • domforrdomforr Frets: 326
    Personally, I far prefer Reaper to PT's. I used pro tools for many years and eventually gave it up in frustration at its instability and expense.  Reaper covers all the same ground but is simpler to use, much cheaper and (for me) far more stable.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.