CK
Offline
CA, USA

I know DAW questions get asked a lot, but with this thread I wanted to ask you how your experience with the DAW that you use on a regular basis was. Things you like about it in comparison to the stuff you've tried that for some reason didn't work out for you.

The reason I asked is because I've been trying out the latest demos to Ableton and Reaper, kind of comparing them to FL Studio which is what I've been using forever. I think the DSP/VST engine in Ableton and Reaper is better (less cpu load, less glitches) than FL Studio, but with Ableton I'm not too thrilled with the MIDI editor. With Reaper I love everything about it so far except how it handles recording audio into clips that have dedicated mixer channels in the arrangement window. With FL Studio the arrangement is abstracted so that you can move anything around anywhere and mute / unmute things without effecting the mixer. Its also frustrating with Reaper trying to record in different instrument parts through the same input, say you have one good external preamp, you have to add a new mixer channel and setup the recording inputs and everything every time you record a new external instrument. With FL Studio the mixer settings and the actual recorded takes are separate so you don't have to mess with the mixer input settings, you just record the input then give it the new instrument recording its new name and your ready to record another instrument through the same input.

Its kind of a shame because I'm really impressed by Reaper, I'm impressed with all the details that have been put into it.

Another thing I have problems with in FL Studio is its latency and recording. Firstly its MIDI latency is tied to the audio driver latency, at least in 10, I'm pretty sure 11 is the same. So I usually use ASIO at 7ms, thats the norm for my work. But still I find that I have to nudge audio recordings over a little to get it relined with the grid. This latency also causes problems when trying to use internal samples or recorded tracks, then having external drum machines play along. I end up having to push forward the MIDI sequence for the external drum machine to get it to line up to the recorded audio when monitoring.

I've been trying to work with Reaper to get a feel for how it handles recording and latency and it seems pretty good so far, but I know the buffers and everything in Reaper are adjustable so I'll have to learn more about the options related to get the best MIDI out / recording in performance.

Another thing thats kind of annoying with FLS is that when you load a project it doesn't draw all the waveforms, you have to manually scroll through the project, look at all the waveforms, FLS stumbles a little and then after thats all buffered, then the track will playback without stuttering.

One last thing I really appreciate about Reaper is its like way less straining on the eyes. I was disappointed when FLS started limiting the colors you could select, and some of FLS plugins like the directwave, while a really awesome sampler, is almost impossible to use because of the GUI and small as possible pixel fonts used. I kind of feel the same way about FLS grid and numbering, I prefer a sequencer to look like a traditional PC application rather than a demoscene flyer.

fc
Offline
Melbourne, Australia

Wow. What a post.

I use Live, but I'm not a chiptune person or anything like that, so take from this what you will.

Live has, in my experience, the most flexible everything, ever. Particularly for what I do. I've not used FLS since about 2001 or something, so have no opinion on it.

The mixing/routing thing in Reaper seems weird. I used Reaper quite a lot a couple of years ago and don't recall such a problem. Have you tried just routing internally? Set an input that is always the input for that physical input, and then just modify where it gets sent to create your extra tracks without having to make a new input track?

Also, Live is what, $800+? Reaper is what, $50? Heh…

I used Logic almost exclusively until about midway through last year, when I switched to Live 8 (and early this year purchased Live 9). I changed to Live due to the performative aspect of it, which by and large didn't exist at the time (and I don't like FL at all). BitWig Studio seems to be a potential Live alternative though. The potential for flexible sound design in Live is, in my opinion, better than anything else I've used out of the box, though Logic comes with some really great stock instruments and effects. Some of the best, especially synths. I found the audio editing in Logic quite clunky, and was worried for a while that I would need to have both Logic and Live. But I've found Live delivers on everything I need it to. I also use Max4Live occasionally, but generally just use Max (for the moment, anyway).

Reaper was good for when I didn't have anything else (and ran Windows); in some ways superior to Logic. But I've not used it for a long time now. Will likely buy it soon though, just to have.

Last edited by fc (December 31, 2013 2:20 am)

CK
Offline
CA, USA

Ya I agree about Live and its stock plugins. There are quite a few plugins that I really love that Live comes with that you can't find else where, like the vinyl distortion simulator is genius. And the Corpus Kick Tight setting is amazing on the low end. Also I like how in Ableton I noticed that the wet/dry controls on the compressors correctly work for parallel compression. The quality of all the DSP on average is great.

Chainsaw Police
Offline
Internet, Australia

I've used Renoise, Ableton, Reason, and FL Studio in the past. I've been using FL since I was 13 and messing with loops and drums, and I still use it because of how much I know it. I'm still learning stuff about it even now.

Reason is a synthesis brute. You can get some really nice sounds out of it. The sequencer is shit, though. I'll usually just rewire Reason's synths into FL.

Ableton Live is really prim and proper and has knobs that do everything. The macro feature was awesome when I used it. But it never really stuck with me like FL did. The whole process never really clicked.

Renoise was good, but I get tired of trackers quickly, and I'm a visual learner - if the automation clip says "make this knob turn up to 90% over three bars", FL shows that in a nice graphical format.

FL Studio does everything I need it to; the pros of it far outweigh the pros of any other DAW I've used. I just wish it had Reason's synths and Ableton's automation features.

Devieus
Offline
NL

And here I am with LMMS, boy am I a cheap bastard.

Unfortunately it's unstable with VSTs and I can't use my physical keyboard as much; I use Psycle for that, but trackers just somehow rub me the wrong way.

an0va
Offline
Saturn

I love Live because it's insanely modular. I've used it for making standard rock tracks, made electronic beats, used it for sound design and sample mangling, recorded live bands with it, and most recently used it for live performance. i've seen people score videos with it, do live visuals, and even control physical robots with it - it's not even a music software for me anymore than it is an interface for creativity. and i know that sounds like i'm fanboying, but i'm trying to be as genuine as possible as somebody who came from working extensively with everything before including but not limited to: ProTools, Logic, Cubase, Reaper, ACID, FL Studio

I can't thing of any other software that has its flexibility. And now that it's partnered with Max, it's even exponentially more flexible. There's hasn't been a single situation where I couldn't do something that I wanted to do with Live. In fact, there are a plethora of things I still WANT to do with Live that I haven't even done yet and that inspires me greatly

Last edited by an0va (January 1, 2014 7:21 am)

Saskrotch
Offline
Chicago

I used to write in Reason and mostly rewire Live as a mastering suite (cause I always hated the way Reason rendered songs), but as time went on I started writing more and more in Live. Now it's just all Live. I miss certain things about Reason (being able to set pitch bend lengths on everything, instead of hoping a VST has that option), but mostly I'm happy with it.

Hallam Smith
Offline
Cambridge, UK

Longtime Reaper user, also use Live (and Pro Tools when I'm doing post production rather than music). I find Reaper is fantastic for the price, easily in the same league as top DAWs. Only problem is the relatively sparse set of plugins that come with it, but you can use the money you save on some VSTs of your choice!

george bowles
Offline
St Louis

back in the mid 90s I used Impulse Tracker to begin with, then in the early aughts I switched to FL Studio and have been using that ever since. Recently have been learning Reaper and Ableton. I know Protools too but I don't have that program. have dabbled in other softwares like fractal music programs and stuff like that.

Mark
Offline
Scotland

Long time Cubase user (since V2.4 now using 7.5) and i have never found anything it cant do.

Its midi is second to none, its audio editing supreme, its mixer best out there (even better than logics) and its VST implementation, well of-course its the best they invented the damn thing.

But all said and done who cares? As long as your tools do what you want them to do then its all good smile

Create don't debate smile

Mark

cTrix
Offline
AU

Reaper.  heart

Best thing I ever bought!  The MIDI / VST support on it has come along way too and it makes a great host.  That said - I don't have any VSTi's other than one acoustic drum VSTi and a freeware orchestral thingo.  I do everything else on the Triton / Prophet / DX7 / MC909 as I like actually making my tunes by manipulating raw waveforms and pitching the odd thing around if it's out. (which is why Reaper!)

squeakyneb
Offline
Canberra, AU

I use Ableton Live for most sound-related things (I prefer Traktor for DJing though).

I've been learning Renoise lately, though only parts of it. I've been using it with Clinkster to produce music for 4k demos.

EDIT: O hai there cTrix big_smile

Last edited by squeakyneb (January 5, 2014 4:08 pm)

phesago
Offline

There's some good content here. I am a sucker, and I use pro tools, LOL It's fairly easy and intuitive. I do not need it for anything other than a glorified "8 track" of sorts. I have tried ableton, but I didn't really use it as much as I would have hoped(especially for the cost, ouch). In fact, I think I use my machindrum more like a control surface than I actually use a daw for. It is a heavy duty work horse for sure.

Techmonkey
Offline
Chicago

Started with Reason and it just never clicked for me. Picked up a demo of Live and started making short clip loops and composing that way. Really clicked for me be cause it was immediately accessible and fun. Been using Live for a little over a year now and exclusively in arrangement view shortly after purchasing the full program. I also picked up Reaper with the intent to learn since it's so highly praised on sites like KVR, IDM, and Gearslutz, but haven't gotten too far into it because I'm still learning something new every time I work in Live. That "Learn one well and use it well." mindset. Bottom line is fun factor and initial ease of use really made the choice for me. smile

Last edited by Techmonkey (January 5, 2014 5:12 pm)

jiffypop23
Offline
Riverside, CA

It's not a DAW, but I discovered Protrekkr last year. It's the perfect tracker if you want to make 90's house/trance. Linux support too!

preciouskindred
Offline
rochester ny

ableton head since version 5. amazing how it's matured since then. i have a push now, and routing the midi from it's sequencer to my various synths provides hours of fun.