Alternative DAW

[Horizontalste]

Been using Cubase LE for a while and to be honest it's far too complicated for me so I'm struggling with it. I use a Lexicon Alpha interface and all i really want / need is a tool that will enable me to load songs into so that I can learn to play them.

So...... Can anyone suggest a simple play along, recording platform that i can use with Windows and my Alpha?

[Mornats]

I would have said GarageBand if you were on a Mac but you're not so I'll point you in the direction of Mixcraft Pro Studio 5. Many people say it's the closest thing to GarageBand on the PC but I've not tried it myself so can't vouch for it. Worth trying to get a demo of it though.

[lowdown]

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1334406386' post='1615758']
So...... Can anyone suggest a simple play along, recording platform that i can use with Windows and my Alpha?
[/quote]

Check my link from a couple of days ago about Studio One V2.
It's fast becoming a very liked DAW.

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173356-presonus-studio-one-free-daw/"]http://basschat.co.u...o-one-free-daw/[/url]


Garry

Edited April 14, 2012 by lowdown

[Horizontalste]

Thanks guys Il check them both out when I get home. I knew not paying attention to my IT teacher would bite me on the arse one day.

[ash]

I'm a real fan of adobe audition - you can get a demo version of it and the earlier version is called Cooledit Pro which I think is available for free as it is no longer supported. Both are great for track editing and as a multitrack and very easy to use.

[charic]

For just loading tracks in you could use something as simple as audacity

[Horizontalste]

Right, I've downloaded Studio One & Audacity. Let's see if they are idiot proof.

Cheers dudes.

[lowdown]

I think you will find Studio One [free] the easiest.

But other freebies here.

Podium also has a free version. in 32 & 64 bit.
[url="http://www.zynewave.com/"]http://www.zynewave.com/[/url]

Download for Podium free. [full version $50.00]
[url="http://www.zynewave.com/download.html"]http://www.zynewave.com/download.html[/url]

Tutorials here.
[url="http://www.youtube.com/ZynewaveDotCom"]http://www.youtube.com/ZynewaveDotCom[/url]


Reaper can be used free as well.
[url="http://www.reaper.fm/"]http://www.reaper.fm/[/url]

Edited April 14, 2012 by lowdown

[Horizontalste]

Spoilt for choice now, I knew the BC massive wouldn't fail.

[Dood]

Why has no one mentioned Reaper? It's incredible! I'm using it more than Logic! It's workflow is very simple to get started, but has masses of pro features placed neatly out of the way until you need them. Oh.. And the 'demo' version is actually the full version, with no limitations , just a little nag after 30 days. Its so cool, i bought a license straight away!

[discreet]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1335021748' post='1624853']
Why has no one mentioned Reaper?
[/quote]

It may still be too complex for what the OP needs!

[lowdown]

[quote name='dood' timestamp='1335021748' post='1624853']
Why has no one mentioned Reaper?
[/quote]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/173557-alternative-daw/page__view__findpost__p__1616114"]http://basschat.co.u...ost__p__1616114[/url]



Garry

[Dood]

Nicely added Garry superb!

[skidder652003]

always used to use Tracktion when i had a studio. Lovely intuitive workflow, plus everything on one screen, no new windows popping up. Mackie own it now.

[heminder]

if you're willing to dual-boot with Linux, Ardour is a great DAW [url="http://ardour.org/"]http://ardour.org/[/url]

[Horizontalste]

Audacity is working for me at the mo. Nice and simple once I sorted out the latency issues.

[discreet]

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1335044770' post='1625251']
Nice and simple once I sorted out the latency issues.
[/quote]

Yeah, I found that.

[charic]

[quote name='Horizontalste' timestamp='1335044770' post='1625251']
Audacity is working for me at the mo. Nice and simple once I sorted out the latency issues.
[/quote]

Glad it's working out

It's nifty for plug and play (like you say once your through the latency stuff). How long till you get the bug though? It's addictive, I'm warning you now!

[xilddx]

Reaper.

[Earbrass]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1335179036' post='1626671']
Reaper.
[/quote]

Wot he said.

[LiamPodmore]

I have Cubase LE5 (came with my Alpha, as yours did) but much prefer Reaper. I find that my Alpha has too much latency for playing along with (if i'm monitoring through the PC that is) as it's i think 18miliseconds on both the input and output, but when monitoring directly it's fine.

Liam

[Ancient Mariner]

I like audacity very much - been using it for several years now. The only weakness used to be that it would occasionally crash, although I've not had that happen for quite a while now.

[51m0n]

Audacity has (or always has had when I have used it) one huge flaw. You cant hear an effect as you apply it. You say you want to do something then you hear a demo of a tiny region, then you change a parameter, then you listen to a demo etc etc.

The reality is when using any kind of serious tool for recording and mixing you absolutely need to hear the changes you are making in real time as they are happening. So you hear an eq sweep as you make it so you can stop sweeping when you hear the problem frequency etc.

For a very simple tool to top and tail wavs its fine though. Thats about the extent of it usefulness really.

[Ou7shined]

Don't fear the Reaper.
I paid my 30 quid for the licence and it's fantastic for what I do. I sometimes use Audacity to capture riff ideas but if I do it in Reaper I always end up adding more and more tracks until I basically have a song because of how easy and fun it is to use.

[Leon Transaxle]

Another vote for REAPER here.
OK it might be a complex beast but it can grow with you.
You can start of perfectly OK with the basics and have an '"I didn't know it could do that" moment every few days as you work your way through the excellent free manual/guide.
Compared to Cubase the cut, paste and shuffle around clips is a fragment of urine.
For £30 its the bargain of the century.
I must confess to being old fashioned with a liking for real sliders so although I have a very good M-Audio USB interface I tend to use a Fostex MR8 to record and transfer the tracks over to Reaper sending mixed stuff back to the MR8 to add further intruments/vocals.