Using DAWs other than your regular, learning experience?

[Sean]

i was listening to Graham Cochrane of The Recording Revolution and he was recommending using alternative DAWs to explore and learn more about what's possible and to use accidental discovery to enhance the music making process.

Do any of you advocate this? Is there anything to be learned other than how to drive a different DAW?

Before I go downloading something and giving it a whirl, I'd be interested to hear if any of you do this and what you've learned.

I use Logic btw.

[topo morto]

I've mostly found DAWs much of a muchness, and have had enough problems getting a soundcard/daw/computer combination that worked well to be happy to stick with what I had when I had a combination that did work! The two that seemed to offer a different perspective on things were Ableton and Melodyne... or it might be even more interesting to mess with an old tape multitrack or something like audiomulch, both of which get you away from the dreaded 'grid'.

[ironside1966]

If you have been doing it a long time and find yourself stuck in a rut then yes it might be a good idea. If you are fairly new to the game then spend your time leaning your craft, one good, EQ, compressor reverb, ect, learnt well is worth a thousand plug-ins.

[Skol303]

[quote name='Sean' timestamp='1419785500' post='2642690']
i was listening to Graham Cochrane of The Recording Revolution and he was recommending using alternative DAWs to explore and learn more about what's possible and to use accidental discovery to enhance the music making process.

Do any of you advocate this? Is there anything to be learned other than how to drive a different DAW?[/quote]

As mentioned above, there's a lot to be said for learning one DAW [i]really[/i] well.

My own 'go to' DAW of choice is Propellerhead Reason. I know it well enough not to have to think about using it - I can get it to do whatever I need quickly and easily - which means I can concentrate on the more creative aspects of making music, rather than sweating too much with the technical stuff. That doesn't make Reason any better than other DAWs - it's just better for me because I'm very familiar with it. It feels like 'home'.

However... I do like to dabble with other DAWs for the exact reason you mention - sparking creativity and making accidental discoveries. I'm increasingly using NI Maschine for beat-making and writing loops, because it's quite literally hands on and playful. I'm also messing around with Ableton - mainly as a platform for running a few VSTs that I can't access in Reason (such as the Massive synth). But I'm also enjoying it's immediacy and the speed at which you can use it to throw things together.

So in short: yes! I advocate playing with different DAWs - but I also advocate having one favourite DAW to rule them all

Edited January 2, 2015 by Skol303

[Drax]

Agree with the points above - learn one really well and it becomes second nature.

However I totally buy into the 'happy accident' as a key part of creative production, and you could be having more of these experimenting with a new DAW.

Personally the best injection I get for enhancing the musical process always comes from recording and manipulating analogue instruments, whatever they may be. Breaking away from the wretched midi keyboard..

Edited January 2, 2015 by Drax

[Mornats]

I find that Reaper can do anything you want it to. I don't think I've googled anything that's come up with a nope, it can't do that. But I can totally get how using another DAW that highlights some working practices/features more than others, or even offers them up in a more usable manner, can help you discover and try new things.

I do like that Recording Revolution site. Graham speaks my language.

[51m0n]

Reaper isnt great at video, and it doesnt have any notation built in.

Other than that its great, and has the most comprehensive routing capabilities of any DAW I've ever used.

Whenever I use another DAW I'm left wondering why I need a specific typ eof track/channel for this thing or that thing, why I cant just hook anything up how I like, yada yada. Wastes ages for me, I soon head back to the place I like to call home

Some may be a little prettier but none I've used are more functional (some may be as functional if I knew them better).

[RockfordStone]

i bounced between reaper and cubase as well as using a programme called riffworks.
i found that because i didn't have the same native instruments or effects it did make me think differently, sometimes stepping outside your comfort zone helps.

on another note, stick with graham, also check out his buddy joe gilder. they also do a thing called duelling mixes which is a monthly challenge where other people get involved. it does cost, i did it much of last year but my time now doesnt allow me to do it, but worth looking at. the home recording show is also a good thing to listen to.