Switching DAWs

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  • StuckfastStuckfast Frets: 2393
    Sorry but that's nonsense.

    (a) The VST code is not open source. It's a freely downloadable SDK. There's a difference.

    (b) Avid had their own plug-in format way before Steinberg, why should they jump ship to a later format?

    (c) The VST format does not support some key features of AAX / RTAS. In particular there is no VST equivalent of AudioSuite off-line processing, and there is no 'VST DSP' format that could run on HDX cards.

    (d) AU is more like the equivalent of DirectX on Windows: an audio plug-in format that is supported at OS level. It's certainly not a copy protection issue.

    (e) Avid don't want millions of untested, buggy free plug-ins floating around. It's a support nightmare and undermines the professionalism of the platform.

    (f) If you're desperate to use VST plug-ins within Pro Tools it's fairly easy with a wrapper.


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  • andy_kandy_k Frets: 818
    I respect your greater knowledge on these matters, my perspective is coming from a home user, as I said, my entry into PT was Via having to use it in an educational establishment, I have no financial outlay into the system, which I respect others may.
    My first serious outlay into music production, was also my first Macbook pro, when Logic was also available as a studio and Pro version, studio was £150, pro was £600, the difference was sample libraries and instruments.
    After laying out for the MBP, I went with the studio version, which began an upgrade path, where we now have Logic proX for the price of my old studio version--and the equivalent MBP is now twice the price I paid.
    I wanted to create a VST istrument, along the lines of Spitfires LABS instrument, which is where I found the Steinberg SDK, which is a platform for creating an instrument, but as it is more or less writing code, I gave up. Logic includes a sampler which allows instruments to be created-ESX24, but is not a cross platform solution--hence locked into Apple, for my purposes.
    not nonsense really--just my experience, and opinion, which is all I offered.
    I'll stick with trying out 'buggy untested ' VSTs out on my system, rather than trying to keep up with Avids model.
    if it breaks, I'll fix it.
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  • StuckfastStuckfast Frets: 2393
    I totally get that Pro Tools is expensive and that many people will find other DAWs much better value for money. It just kind of annoys me when people slate it either for reasons that are simply false ("Pro Tools is outdated!") or unfair ("Avid are just trying to lock everyone into their own closed world!"). Not sure why it seems to attract so much more unjustified criticism than other products, maybe it's a kind of tall poppy syndrome thing.

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  • andy_kandy_k Frets: 818
    Actually, I just think its a hangover from the old days, 'industry standard' just doesn't count these days--which 'industry??' 
    Record industry---
    Film industry----
    TV industry----
    sure--they all use PT, they are all based around the fixed studio model, to some extent, and those systems grew alongside the main DAW, at the time--which became PT. 
    Creatives used the best system at the time as well-MAC systems were long known as the serious tools for video and audio production, times change.
    It isn't just the expense, it is just the inevitable upgrade path we get locked into.
    Slate is one company that seems to be getting things right at this time.
    They use the subscription model, but also seem to be value, for £14 a month, you basically get everything you need, all the comp / eq / mastering/ delay/ reverb/ guitar sim you could ever want, and they just seem to keep adding to it.
    I am not anti PT by any means, I love what it allows us to do, but I can see that if I had invested time and money into it, I would be reluctant to admit that there may be smarter solutions for certain users.
    I don't consider it the tallest poppy these days, but it is a pretty easy target to hit.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Stuckfast said:
    I totally get that Pro Tools is expensive and that many people will find other DAWs much better value for money. It just kind of annoys me when people slate it either for reasons that are simply false ("Pro Tools is outdated!") or unfair ("Avid are just trying to lock everyone into their own closed world!"). Not sure why it seems to attract so much more unjustified criticism than other products, maybe it's a kind of tall poppy syndrome thing.

    I agree.
    No one criticises RADAR for being too expensive, or Sequoia (which is £2k in itself).

    I think there are legitimate criticisms that can be made about Avid, but these aren’t it.

    HDX with AAX DSP plug-ins is still the best, most stable way to track bands and live drums.
    Latency is under 1ms.
    There is no messing with alternate mixers, or hardware monitoring.
    Integration with their controllers is excellent.
    Audio editing is so much easier because the edit window is the audio editor, rather than, such as with most other daws, a separate window.

    Yeah, the scoring is ridiculous, but Sibelius isn’t.
    The yearly support payment irritates but you’d probably pay that in yearly updates anyway.

    My most persistent issue with Avid is the time it takes for them to make an update to the current OS.
    I have a 2018 Mac Mini as my main DAW that shipped with Mojave but no PT version exists that works with that OS.

    Also, not being able to change audio interface without quitting the application and holding cmd cntl N on a restart is a PITA for those of us running multiple interfaces.
    Oh and I think the solo, solo safe architecture is really dumb.
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  • Stuckfast said:

    (e) Avid don't want millions of untested, buggy free plug-ins floating around. It's a support nightmare and undermines the professionalism of the platform.

    . Reaper is big in the game industry and at least one Hollywood producer uses Reaper and thought it was good enough for him to start making YouTube tutorials on the subject.
    David Farmer (The Hobbit, Ant-Man, World Of Warcraft) uses REAPER for sound design and has started making videos on the subject.



    Reaper works with VST, David Farmer is about as professional as you can get

    the PT brainwashing is strong 
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  • siremoonsiremoon Frets: 1524
    Snap said:

    @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.


    That's quite a big drawback imo.  I used Sonar for years and the dread of changing to something else made me stay with it but eventually the persistent irritating bugs and glitches drove me insane.  I dumped it and took the plunge with Reaper and it just works every time. 
    “He is like a man with a fork in a world of soup.” - Noel Gallagher
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  • spark240spark240 Frets: 2073
    Suggesting a $600 DAW to a hobby user is just plain ridiculous.

    I've tried them all... Reaper hands down, best community, YouTube tutorials for EVERYTHING, easy to use. Not technically free but $60 isn't breaking the bank after 60 days trial (which doesn't actually end) I started with reaper thought "I'll try the more PRO stuff" always ended up going back to Reaper. 

    Also there are no ridiculous limitations on Reaper, everything works, forever.

    Throwing money at the issue wont make your mixes any better, some big ticket productions have been done with Reaper, yea they probably splashed out on plugins but still. Reaper is big in the game industry and at least one Hollywood producer uses Reaper and thought it was good enough for him to start making YouTube tutorials on the subject.
    David Farmer (The Hobbit, Ant-Man, World Of Warcraft) uses REAPER for sound design and has started making videos on the subject.
    But this is just your opinion?....you can’t simply say....Reaper wins hands down, clearly this thread says differently.

    i also tried a few....i settled on my choice that works for me, I also collaborate with other people who use other systems, that’s fine.

    There is no way any of us can know what DAw is good for another user...just share our working knowledge and let them make a choice.




    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 
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  • josephdoucejosephdouce Frets: 1
    edited January 2019
    At the end of the day all I'm saying is there are more cost effective options. Unless you cant think of a single other piece of equipment you could spend the money on, or you have unlimited funds, I cant possibly recommend any of the expensive options knowing there will be no improvement in the final product. 

    Some people have commercial reasons to use other DAW's mentioned but I see absolutely no benefit for the home user.

    If there's a $60 option that good enough for David Farmer it sure as hell exceeds anyone on here's requirements.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    At the end of the day all I'm saying is there are more cost effective options. Unless you cant think of a single other piece of equipment you could spend the money on, or you have unlimited funds, I cant possibly recommend any of the expensive options knowing there will be no improvident in the final product. 

    Some people have commercial reasons to use other DAW's mentioned but I see absolutely no benefit for the home user.

    If there's a $60 option that good enough for David Farmer it sure as hell exceeds anyone on here's requirements.
    Not mine.
    When I'm doing any sort of collaborative post production, tracking or mixing rock bands then I use PT HDX- I've outlined many of my reasons above.

    I do have Reaper and I use it, however.
    I even paid for it. :)
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  • josephdoucejosephdouce Frets: 1
    edited January 2019
    octatonic said:
    At the end of the day all I'm saying is there are more cost effective options. Unless you cant think of a single other piece of equipment you could spend the money on, or you have unlimited funds, I cant possibly recommend any of the expensive options knowing there will be no improvident in the final product. 

    Some people have commercial reasons to use other DAW's mentioned but I see absolutely no benefit for the home user.

    If there's a $60 option that good enough for David Farmer it sure as hell exceeds anyone on here's requirements.
    Not mine.
    When I'm doing any sort of collaborative post production, tracking or mixing rock bands then I use PT HDX- I've outlined many of my reasons above.

    I do have Reaper and I use it, however.
    I even paid for it.
    OK I'll rephrase, the majority. As there are a few people on here who use PT in a professional studio environment. For anyone who needs to ask "which DAW should I use" Reaper has probably got them covered.
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  • octatonic said:
    At the end of the day all I'm saying is there are more cost effective options. Unless you cant think of a single other piece of equipment you could spend the money on, or you have unlimited funds, I cant possibly recommend any of the expensive options knowing there will be no improvident in the final product. 

    Some people have commercial reasons to use other DAW's mentioned but I see absolutely no benefit for the home user.

    If there's a $60 option that good enough for David Farmer it sure as hell exceeds anyone on here's requirements.
    Not mine.
    When I'm doing any sort of collaborative post production, tracking or mixing rock bands then I use PT HDX- I've outlined many of my reasons above.

    I do have Reaper and I use it, however.
    I even paid for it. :)
    yeah anyone saying Reaper is free can you please go an pay for it you cheap mothercukers

    Its 60 quid for personal license and like 200 something for a commercial one. Its NOT free. They keep the prices down by spending zero on advertising and zero on encryption (this is why you can use it even if you don't pay) and don't bloat the package with a bunch of useless sample libraries etc
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    edited January 2019
    and don't bloat the package with a bunch of useless sample libraries etc
    Personal bugbear of mine.
    I don't install the full sample libraries- what the hell do I need 400GB of someone else's idea of a good drumbeat for?

    Logic doesn't have crazy encryption either- I have it on all my Macs with one license and it is therefore the one I tend to gravitate towards.

    One other irritant regarding Pro Tools- the number of authorisations for the application is 1 but the number of authorisations for their plugins is 3.

    So you can have 3 iLoks with the Avid plugins authorised on it but you cannot run PT without moving your iLok yet between machines, or using iLok Cloud, which is not brilliantly implemented.
    That sucks.
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  • octatonic said:
    and don't bloat the package with a bunch of useless sample libraries etc
    Personal bugbear of mine.
    I don't install the full sample libraries- what the hell do I need 400GB of someone else's idea of a good drumbeat for?

    Logic doesn't have crazy encryption either- I have it on all my Macs with one license and it is therefore the one I tend to gravitate towards.

    One other irritant regarding Pro Tools- the number of authorisations for the application is 1 but the number of authorisations for their plugins is 3.

    So you can have 3 iLoks with the Avid plugins authorised on it but you cannot run PT without moving your iLok yet between machines, or using iLok Cloud, which is not brilliantly implemented.
    That sucks.
    I made the move to Logic and Apple in 2012 after having enough of running Windows Vista. I basically run Logic with Native Instruments plugins 90 percent of the time and everything just works. Every now and again I venture out into the real world and realise why I shouldn't. I recently downloaded PT First (havent had PT since I moved to Mac) just for shits and giggles and good god. Even the download was running at 100kbps max... yes! KILOBYTES! and that was after several failures and three days of trying to get a decent connection. It was literally just Avids site. I also have Reaper and Ableton Live both of which run like charms on Mojave.

    Im also using the single £140 payment for Logic X from when it came out in 2013 and I have it installed on three machines. I realise it is a loss leader...(or maybe not)... for Apple but considering you pay $400 a MONTH just for support and everyone just goes along with it because they have to makes my brain melt.

    The R&D was done on these programs long ago. The advancements are incremental at best. Tech has moved forward so much in the past 15 years it's incredible. 

    Engineers of the world unite! Its time to storm the evil Avid compound and install Reaper on all their servers!
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  • also..... 




    I used to have mine looking like Cubase lol
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    I still like the Traktion ease-of-use - now free from AVID's death grip and back with the original developer
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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  • StuckfastStuckfast Frets: 2393
    I don't think Avid ever owned Tracktion, did they? It was part of the Mackie empire for a while, though.

    I've never heard of David Farmer, but it's true that Reaper poses increasing competition to PT in one particular 'pro' market sector, namely immersive audio for gaming and VR. That's because it has a very flexible bussing structure that can accommodate the enormous numbers of channels you need for higher-order Ambisonics.

    I don't really buy the line that "Reaper is cheap because they don't do any of this evil stuff like advertising and copy protection." It's cheap because it was developed as a pet project by someone who made hundreds of millions selling WinAmp at the height of the dotcom boom. It's also cheap because they rely on the Reaper community as a support resource rather than offering official tech support (which is infinitely more costly than a few pages of advertising here or there).

    It certainly is cheap though! And I totally agree about the sample libraries. Logic is the worst for that.
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    octatonic said:
    and don't bloat the package with a bunch of useless sample libraries etc
    Personal bugbear of mine.
    I don't install the full sample libraries- what the hell do I need 400GB of someone else's idea of a good drumbeat for?

    Logic doesn't have crazy encryption either- I have it on all my Macs with one license and it is therefore the one I tend to gravitate towards.

    One other irritant regarding Pro Tools- the number of authorisations for the application is 1 but the number of authorisations for their plugins is 3.

    So you can have 3 iLoks with the Avid plugins authorised on it but you cannot run PT without moving your iLok yet between machines, or using iLok Cloud, which is not brilliantly implemented.
    That sucks.
    I made the move to Logic and Apple in 2012 after having enough of running Windows Vista. I basically run Logic with Native Instruments plugins 90 percent of the time and everything just works. Every now and again I venture out into the real world and realise why I shouldn't. I recently downloaded PT First (havent had PT since I moved to Mac) just for shits and giggles and good god. Even the download was running at 100kbps max... yes! KILOBYTES! and that was after several failures and three days of trying to get a decent connection. It was literally just Avids site. I also have Reaper and Ableton Live both of which run like charms on Mojave.

    Im also using the single £140 payment for Logic X from when it came out in 2013 and I have it installed on three machines. I realise it is a loss leader...(or maybe not)... for Apple but considering you pay $400 a MONTH just for support and everyone just goes along with it because they have to makes my brain melt.

    The R&D was done on these programs long ago. The advancements are incremental at best. Tech has moved forward so much in the past 15 years it's incredible. 

    Engineers of the world unite! Its time to storm the evil Avid compound and install Reaper on all their servers!
    Not $400 a month. It is a year.
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  • The reality is that most of the DAWs around now have converged on a set of accepted workflows and feature sets that really, once you're comfortable with one of them... it'll take you a day max to get comfortable with another of them.

    Pro Tools is no longer the king. The professional domain is no longer the barometer. Last bit of industry info I got on this topic was that more people were using Propellerheads Reason than Pro Tools in North America. I don't have a source, but it was going around a few years ago.

    Cubase, Logic, Reaper, Studio One, and Cakewalk all do the multi-track group editing thing that Pro Tools does, and they all have similar mixing workflows and features too.

    The same thing has happened in video now, where you've got the likes of Adobe Premiere really equalising the playing field when it comes to accessibility - since Final Cut Pro X came out, Adobe saw a MASSIVE jump in people using their software. And now you've also got the likes of Da Vinci Resolve, which is completely free for the average person right now. Nobody needs Media Composer anymore.

    So ultimately, buy for your wallet. When it comes to newbies to recording, I always recommend Propellerheads Reason. Because it's one of the easiest to get your head around, as it relates to the physical world. If you can get your head around how a wire works, then you can understand that.

    Loop based music creation = Ableton Live or Bitwig Studio; FLStudio if you really must!
    Linear recording = Studio One, Reaper, Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools.

    Those are basically the main options.

    Bye!

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  • StuckfastStuckfast Frets: 2393
    When it comes to newbies to recording, I always recommend Propellerheads Reason. Because it's one of the easiest to get your head around, as it relates to the physical world. If you can get your head around how a wire works, then you can understand that.

    That's an interesting point. I think you could make a good case for the opposite point of view though. If you're recommending something for newcomers to recording, why choose a program that's based around mimicking an old hardware paradigm that those people won't have ever used? Why not instead recommend something that cuts ties with the hardware world and just adopts the principles of good software design, like Ableton or Bitwig?

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