Which recording software package would you use?

[Beedster]

Hi guys

With reference to my thread at [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=97039&st=20&start=20"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...20&start=20[/url], I'm looking to take the first steps towards the studio, that is, buying a computer & software, controller and monitors. I'm simply not sufficiently clued-up as to the differences between the packages (although increasingly I get the impression it's more Jazz v Precision than Encore v Sadowsky), so am keen to think what the more wxperienced folks out there think?

Many thanks

Chris

[crez5150]

Digital performer for me every time.... alongside Logic.

[leonshelley01]

I use Cubase Essential alongside Line 6 Pod Farm, and it does everything I need plus more. I do think however a lot of it is because having used it for years, I know my way around it now. All of the software mentioned would do a good job, so maybe it's a case of which is easiest/quickest to learn.

[BassMunkee]

REAPER.

nuff said.

[51m0n]

Reaper here too.

Its outstanding value for money, shows the big boys a thing or two about performance, is 32bit floating point internally, and has a dev lifecycle faster than anything else ot here that I know of...

And it sounds killer too

[Ian Savage]

I'm Logic through-and-through now, learned on Cubase but since I made the jump to Apple I'd not go back.
Having said that, I've never tried Reaper, just started messing around with GarageBand when I got my first Mac and loved it - the learning curve's made a lot less steep by transferring through GB->Logic Express->Logic Pro and to me the whole workflow's more intuitive for recording actual instruments than Cubase's. If you plan on doing a lot of MIDI work I'd hesitate, but from the sound of your studio thread you're looking at more recording and editing band performances, and for me Logic WINS on that front.

[fatback]

The big choice is between going Mac and going PC. As Ian said, Mac/Logic is great for live recording. Logic doesn't run on PC anymore. Cubase maybe scores on sequencing, although i like Cubases mixing layout as well.

A big plus of Cubase is the huge number of cheap / free VST effects/instruments apps out there.

don;t know anything about Reaper except that it has a lot of fans.

Edited August 9, 2010 by fatback

[ahpook]

i use nuendo...but only because i used cubase for years and it's a similar animal.

i'd like to get into ableton, but it means a lot of learning and no playing.

[ShergoldSnickers]

Still on GarageBand - the freebie that comes with new Macs. It's so immediate, with a clean and uncluttered interface, and it handles the raw audio track files that our guitarist's Korg D888 creates, and which gets used to record everything we do. As an improvising band, we like to keep the recording set-up simple, less set-up time and more playing. So, it's bass and keyboards straight in, guitar and drums mic'd. Rode NT4 for the overhead on the drums, CAD m179 for snare and hi-hat reinforcement and AKG D112 for bass drum reinforcement. Simple but it works. And yes, sod the mic bleed.

The next upgrade would be to Logic Express - this is less daunting than full blown Logic, but is still enormously powerful. Logic express is around £165. At the moment this is academic, as I haven't really hit the buffers with GarageBand yet, and it's had lots thrown at it. Deceptively powerful.

[Bilbo]

Cubase but have never tried anything else because it works for me.

Pro Tools is the industry standard, though, I am told. Again, as I always say, your skills, imagination, ears and patience are what makes it happen, not the software. Software on its own is of limited value.

[fatback]

[quote name='ahpook' post='919425' date='Aug 9 2010, 11:24 AM']i use nuendo...but only because i used cubase for years and it's a similar animal.

i'd like to get into ableton, but it means a lot of learning and no playing.[/quote]

Nuendo is really nice. basically, it's Cubase optimised for sound to picture, great for soundtracks.

Ableton seems to score highly for using in live performance for sequencing, but I found it a pretty alien way of thinking.

[lowdown]

[quote name='fatback' post='919494' date='Aug 9 2010, 12:28 PM']Nuendo is really nice. basically, it's Cubase optimised for sound to picture, great for soundtracks.

Ableton seems to score highly for using in live performance for sequencing, but I found it a pretty alien way of thinking.[/quote]


Another Nuendo [PC] user here - but i do work with post production and video files, so from that point of view its more usable for me than Cubase [ same Audio engine though]
With any of the Steinberg stuff, its a good idea to see if you, or someone else can get you educational discount.
It will save you quite a bit of dosh.

On the other side my wife uses Didgital Performer on her Mac, and she loves it...


Garry

Edited August 9, 2010 by lowdown

[Bottle]

Reaper for me - just started using it in anger. Haven't used the other packages as I don't own/use a Mac.

[cheddatom]

I voted Cubase, but i've only compared it to ProTools. I did like ProTools but not as much. I haven't tried Logic or Reaper which both look great.

[clauster]

Beedster, to use your own analogy.....

The vast majority of computer recording software is Precision vs Jazz. I voted Logic because it's the one I've been using most recently alongside Garageband. A great combination because GB is so immediate to use, you can get your ideas down with the minimum of fuss as soon as inspiration strikes, then import into Logic when you need greater functionality.

The Encore vs Sadowsky analogy comes in when you compare all the others to a proper Protools HD system, but as with Encore vs Sadowsky we are a talking a whole different cost as well.

[Lord Sausage]

I know its well expensive, but no-one has said Pro tools. Its awesome. Kicks the others ass. I used logic at Uni, Cubase at college and in various studios. They were essentially the same thing. Used Pro tools the last year or so in studio's. Infinitely better

[purpleblob]

I must admit I've not used it in a while as the PC set-up for audio died and haven't gotten around to fixing it - but I used Sonar which I always felt was a really good all round system.

I much preferred Sonar to Cubase but of late I've started to try to learn Logic as I was thinking of moving the audio recording to the Mac OS. But still debating this one as I see Sonar has some great looking (if a little expensive) control surfaces for it nowadays

EDIT: Sorry, doesn't exactly answer the question of "what would I use", but I think it's likely Sonar or Logic for me.

Edited August 9, 2010 by purpleblob

[ahpook]

[quote name='fatback' post='919494' date='Aug 9 2010, 12:28 PM']Ableton seems to score highly for using in live performance for sequencing, but I found it a pretty alien way of thinking.[/quote]

the live looping/performance side of it is very confusing, but the people who i know who use it for multi-tracking seem to love it.

but yes, it's a weird old package

[cheddatom]

No one has mentioned Record - the new DAW from Propellerhead. I've not tried it but it "sounds" great.

[clauster]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='920358' date='Aug 10 2010, 09:29 AM']No one has mentioned Record - the new DAW from Propellerhead. I've not tried it but it "sounds" great.[/quote]

I've tried it and it is great if you want a way to work with recorded audio in Reason.

I'm not sure I'd recommend it over (or even on a par with) Cubase or Logic for a serious home studio.

[Smash]

I really like Sonar 8.5 it seems to tick all the boxes I need without being too complex, even though I do have Mixcraft which was cheap and dead easy to use, if your beginning that is a nice cheap bit of kit with lots of help files to guide you through.

[Beedster]

The low vote for Protools is worrying given I've just opted for it?

[derrenleepoole]

Given the choice I would use Pro Tools hands down - it's simply head and shoulders above the rest in terms of usability and quality. I used to use the free one on Mac OS 9, but alas there is no free OS X equivalent. As I don't have the funds at the moment for both a new Mac and a Pro Tools setup, I've been using Ardour which is a free open source DAW that works a lot like PT. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.

[fatback]

[quote name='Beedster' post='921507' date='Aug 11 2010, 12:35 PM']The low vote for Protools is worrying given I've just opted for it?[/quote]

That may be because most people are PC and don't have the Mac options of protools and logic.

If you've decided on Mac, then the choice between protools and logic might come down to whether or not you do sequencing and how much of it you do, and which processing plugins you like.

As a Cubase / Nuendo person I can't advise you there, but you might think of reading up about effects plugins for Logic and Protools and working backwards to choosing the platform

[ironside1966]

Pro tools is a good choice the LE and M-powered are stripped down versions of the TDM
Pros
The elastic audio is one of the easiest ways of tightening up a drummer or any musician.
It is quite straight forward to use.
Play list editing is a great way of comping a track.
Routing is straight forward
Popular with pro studios
Cons
The midi side is not that good but it’s getting better
The VST instruments are not that good, the Piano is ok
Lacks a good reverb
Lacks pitch correction
I have found Cubase far more stable On PC then Protocols LE on both PC and Mac
The big one for me is it lacks plug-in delay compensation as I use the liquid mix SSL Duenda and a TC helicon card.