++ DAW Poll ++

[HIMbeats]

A lot of people sleep on any kind of freeware because its free. They assume it sucks or has no value. Sure you can buy Reaper but the fact that you do not have to puts it right into the catagory of Freeware. I personally don't love Reaper. I am also quite comfortable in Sonar and Reason.

I got Reaper last summer and am really glad I made the jump, at least for what I use a DAW for. I mix tracks for folks mainly in Pro Tools and record in PT and when I make a beat I make them in FL. With Reapers workflow and the way I like to work I can do both inside Reaper. It is very flexible so I can set it up to work a lot like PT (shortcut keys and all) and for tracking it is the best. Plus it accepts Rex files (like Reason) and you can change thousands of rex files to .wav in a batch with one button!

I think a lot of folks have changed from Sonar to Reaper, so much so that there is a Sonar to Reaper user change over guide on the Reaper site to make it easier. I don't see that with other DAW's over on their site. I have never used Sonar so I don't really know if it is easier or better or what. Plus we ALL know that BETTER is just subjective and everybody will have their own BETTER.

Not trying to sound like a commercial or a fanboy...lol..but I like their forums over there too.....lots of support.

I think out the box it is just okay, but when you make a few changes to the GUI and personalize it then you really have some thing!

Sadly you may be right and maybe if they sold it for $299 (well worth that price) and no fully functioning trial, people would take it more seriously. IMHO this DAW vs. price logic is dumb and would mean that SAW Studio at $2,500 a pop must be the best DAW based on it's selling price.

Those in the Reaper know are well aware of what a great program it is. I won't say I have made the jump from Pro Tools to Reaper completely, but I will say that I am a fan now after trying it out and using it for awhile.

[Xabiton]

Never really tried Reaper, I am kind of in stick to one daw mode. Aside from cubase I may try logic only because the included instruments are supposed to be top notch. The halion sonic vst did not really speak to me so I am not sure I would be satisfied with cubase and no other sounds. I'm still chilling hardware with software to record to, buy I think either logic or cubase/komplete may be in my future, but the motif is still putting in work!

The main difference imo between hardware and software workstations is that with software most of the onboard fx imo are not that great. So its a good idea to get 3rd party fx and use those on the sounds. Before throwing out Halion Sonic (and if u do decide its not for you feel free to mail it to me) I would go to Nativeinstruments.com and download the free version of guitar rig. That will give u a good collection of high quality fx for free and work those with Halion Sonic and see if you still dislike it. I am assuming you are like most and just pull up this or that sound on your motif and play it kuz it already sounds good.

---------- Post added at 10:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 AM ----------

I got Reaper last summer and am really glad I made the jump, at least for what I use a DAW for. I mix tracks for folks mainly in Pro Tools and record in PT and when I make a beat I make them in FL. With Reapers workflow and the way I like to work I can do both inside Reaper. It is very flexible so I can set it up to work a lot like PT (shortcut keys and all) and for tracking it is the best. Plus it accepts Rex files (like Reason) and you can change thousands of rex files to .wav in a batch with one button!

I think a lot of folks have changed from Sonar to Reaper, so much so that there is a Sonar to Reaper user change over guide on the Reaper site to make it easier. I don't see that with other DAW's over on their site. I have never used Sonar so I don't really know if it is easier or better or what. Plus we ALL know that BETTER is just subjective and everybody will have their own BETTER.

Not trying to sound like a commercial or a fanboy...lol..but I like their forums over there too.....lots of support.

I think out the box it is just okay, but when you make a few changes to the GUI and personalize it then you really have some thing!

Sadly you may be right and maybe if they sold it for $299 (well worth that price) and no fully functioning trial, people would take it more seriously. IMHO this DAW vs. price logic is dumb and would mean that SAW Studio at $2,500 a pop must be the best DAW based on it's selling price.

Those in the Reaper know are well aware of what a great program it is. I won't say I have made the jump from Pro Tools to Reaper completely, but I will say that I am a fan now after trying it out and using it for awhile.

Something I have noticed from most Sonar users is that most of them are doing quite a bit of audio recording. Lots of guitarists, drummers, ect. vs the midi stuff I have always done so it makes sense for them to go to Reaper. Reaper is great when doing audio work. I think that's where it really thrives. I just do not like its midi workflow especially when it comes to rewire. If they could make their midi stuff more intuitive I might jump back on. Sonar has its problems but I love its workflow. I think its a good jack of all trades that handles everything you want to do in a fast easy way. Very set it and forget it attitude. That said Cakewalk does often time ignore bugs and will upgrade to newer versions even if prior versions are still messed up. I don't like that. Great example of this is Cakewalk has known for years that when using rewire you cannot use their count in metronome or it will throw everything out of sync. Rather than fix it they give you a work around. I am a long time Reason user though I am used to work arounds but it annoys me that they are well aware of the problem and rather than fixing it they are just pushing forward like nothing is wrong.

[youngjboy]

The main difference imo between hardware and software workstations is that with software most of the onboard fx imo are not that great. So its a good idea to get 3rd party fx and use those on the sounds. Before throwing out Halion Sonic (and if u do decide its not for you feel free to mail it to me) I would go to Nativeinstruments.com and download the free version of guitar rig. That will give u a good collection of high quality fx for free and work those with Halion Sonic and see if you still dislike it. I am assuming you are like most and just pull up this or that sound on your motif and play it kuz it already sounds good.

---------- Post added at 10:17 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:08 AM ----------



Something I have noticed from most Sonar users is that most of them are doing quite a bit of audio recording. Lots of guitarists, drummers, ect. vs the midi stuff I have always done so it makes sense for them to go to Reaper. Reaper is great when doing audio work. I think that's where it really thrives. I just do not like its midi workflow especially when it comes to rewire. If they could make their midi stuff more intuitive I might jump back on. Sonar has its problems but I love its workflow. I think its a good jack of all trades that handles everything you want to do in a fast easy way. Very set it and forget it attitude. That said Cakewalk does often time ignore bugs and will upgrade to newer versions even if prior versions are still messed up. I don't like that. Great example of this is Cakewalk has known for years that when using rewire you cannot use their count in metronome or it will throw everything out of sync. Rather than fix it they give you a work around. I am a long time Reason user though I am used to work arounds but it annoys me that they are well aware of the problem and rather than fixing it they are just pushing forward like nothing is wrong.

Yeah, i didn't buy Halion Sonic, i am just going off the demo sounds and online reviews. Cubase Ai comes with some Halion sounds and again, they are alright, but the demos didn't wow me. As far as hardware, yes, I use presets and am fine doing so. I do a little tweaking, but i don't try to recreate the wheel. Now on my synths i tweak a little more because of the knobs.

[Xabiton]

Yeah, i didn't buy Halion Sonic, i am just going off the demo sounds and online reviews. Cubase Ai comes with some Halion sounds and again, they are alright, but the demos didn't wow me. As far as hardware, yes, I use presets and am fine doing so. I do a little tweaking, but i don't try to recreate the wheel. Now on my synths i tweak a little more because of the knobs.

But recreating the wheel is fun lol. No really though I think getting to know your fx in the software world is where its at. I can understand why some choose not to but for me a lot of my sounds happen from scratch.

[youngjboy]

But recreating the wheel is fun lol. No really though I think getting to know your fx in the software world is where its at. I can understand why some choose not to but for me a lot of my sounds happen from scratch.

Maybe so. I think the included sounds that came with the AI version are okay, but the online demos didn't pop out at me.....of course, Steinberg also has very wack demos, so that could be a factor also. Really, the Ableton Live demos of their vst's didn't do it for me either. I think Reason has good sounds, Logic, and Maschine when i played it at GC. Can't vouch for Sonar as i really haven't checked their stuff lately.

[Xabiton]

Maybe so. I think the included sounds that came with the AI version are okay, but the online demos didn't pop out at me.....of course, Steinberg also has very wack demos, so that could be a factor also. Really, the Ableton Live demos of their vst's didn't do it for me either. I think Reason has good sounds, Logic, and Maschine when i played it at GC. Can't vouch for Sonar as i really haven't checked their stuff lately.

Yeah most Steinberg audio demos suck I hear. I haven't heard a demo of theirs worth talking about. Also the thing with DAWs as well as its rarely a good idea to buy it or any software really based on what sounds come with it and more so on what it can do with sounds. That is the beauty of a tool like Reason. The sounds are so raw and flexible and versatile but on the flip side you have to know what you want from them. I have recently realized that the best part of using plug ins are the plug in fx out there to alter your sounds into just about anything.

[The Beat Pharmacy]

Your missing Reaper and Maschine is not really a Daw

[thunderkyss]

I "grew up" on Cakewalk, before it was Sonar. Made the progression through Sonar 5 (I think).

Then I decided to go straight hardware, an AW4416, FantomX, my Guitars & basses. I then added an MV-8800.

I decided to get back into computers & software, this time I bought an old Mac off eBAy, an mBox Pro 2..... then a little more powerful, not as old Mac.

The mBox Pro 2 came with a version of Ableton Lite, which was upgradeable to the latest lite version (for free) & I'm really digging Ableton. Haven't messed around with it much, or Pro Tools 7.4.2; haven't had a lot of time.

But I think I'll probably be going down the Ableton path if I decide to do any more upgrading (which was the reason for going all hardware, got tired of new stuff coming out every day).

[protoolswiz]

Pro Tools 9...Best software.

[macbeat]

The best DAW is the one you're the most comfortable with. You name any DAW and I'll give you a list of producers making hot shit with it. Some can do some cool stuff the others can't, but the main difference is workflow. YOU are the best DAW, meaning the end result will depend on your creativity. The software is just a tool to get your ideas into a fixed form.

You can close this thread now.