Too Many DAWs!

[Disastrous]

Does anyone else suffer from this?

I started with Pro Tools LE ages ago and my Audio Engineering training took place on Pro Tools HD, so it's the system I know best.

Then I bought Reason to Rewire in as a rack of soft synths.

Then I bought Ableton Live as I liked the speedy workflow.

Then Reason introduced audio tracks and I felt that maybe I should do it all 'in the box'

Then Live introduced lots of soft synths and I though that maybe I should do it all in Live instead.

So now, I have three pretty capable DAWs, and I find myself totally unsure of what one I should open for what job and why.

Interested to hear from anyone who uses either some or all of the three and how you combine them (if at all).

I just hate the feeling like I've got a load of redundant software sitting around so would like to find a use for it all if I can...

[Jazzy Jefferson]

Nope
I use Cubase. That's all I've ever used. Of course a few choice plug ins but its all I need.

[MitchT]

No. I had Cubase on the Atari ST and now I have Logic Pro on the Mac. Listening through one of my compositions as a type this.

[craste]

I think now that reason has rack extensions it has the sound and effects of the best plugins without the downsides and its the most fun to use too.

Didn't it win future music or sound on sound daw of the year recently?

[Disastrous]

Yeah, I think that's part of the problem. I have a sneaking suspicion that Reason is actually the best and most comprehensive of the three, and Live definitely the quickest and easiest to use but my knowledge of PT makes me feel like it's somehow more 'pro' when I know it isn't really.

I think I may miss out the next paid upgrade of PT and see if I miss it...

[Justin Cyder]

Just to join in, I'm using reason as a first time DAW user & it's doing my nut in. Photoshop was easier to pick up than this! Getting there but lordy you have to get your head around things.

Anyway, back to you expert chaps.

[craste]

I originally purchased cubase as my first daw and when I fired it up it was just so un intuitive that I took it back to the shop.

At least with Reason you can actually see the devices how they would look in real life and you want to fiddle with the knobs and play around and have fun.

I also hear that logic and cubase have so many menus that its just so overly complicated, Reason is so simple to use for a beginner but then it can also cater for geeks who can use the cv out/inputs etc on the back and create monster devices/ effects and combine them in the combinaters etc.

I have so many tracks I have started but have not finished, I have recently purchased sample magics the secrets of house music production for the ipad and it was only £13 and its really good with sound files embedded into it so you can actually listen to examples.

What music are you guys trying to make?

Here is a link to my sound cloud page with a track called cracking up I'm working on, just need to keep it more interesting later on as it gets a bit Samey Samey

There are also some mixes I have done so feel free to download.


https://soundcloud.com/dj-craig-stevens

[anonymous-user]

I've gone from Garage Band to Logic on my mac. Like being back at school - every day a learning day

[Disastrous]

They was I used to work was perfect. I ran Pro Tools as my main DAW but would pull Reason synths/samplers in through rewire but since they added audio to reason, it seems silly to go through the rewire hassle when it's all 'in the box'.

I think I'll make an effort to use Reason for everything fo a while and see how I get on, maybe using PT for mastering/working to picture etc.

Live...I dunno! It's just good fun so will see how I get on with it.

[GetCarter]

I've been using MOTU Performer (now DP) for 28 years. There is no way on earth I'm going to change now. Changing my brain would be an easier transition! Just upgraded to v.8. The manual is 992 pages long in 9 point text. I pity anyone who starts fresh with software this extensive!

[Disastrous]

GetCarter said:

I've been using MOTU Performer (now DP) for 28 years. There is no way on earth I'm going to change now. Changing my brain would be an easier transition! Just upgraded to v.8. The manual is 992 pages long in 9 point text. I pity anyone who starts fresh with software this extensive!

Agree with that!

I was perfectly happy with PT = Audio, Reason = Soft synths I could pull in as and when.

It's bloody unsporting when they go and add updates to make them compete with each other!!!

[Hoofy]

I do know one thing - I can have all the kit in the world and the people I look up to can have 1% of it and still make music that pisses on mine from a great height.

[LDN]

Reason for sketching the original ideas and skeleton and then rewire to ProTools for the final audio and mix / arrangement. That's my current process.

[qube_TA]

The trick IMO is to pick one you get on with then stick to it and master it.

I use Logic Pro, have been using it for about 5 years now and have produced 4 albums with it, I feel fairly competent with it and can achieve what I want to do quickly and without fuss. That said I'm still learn a lot about how to use it and music production every time I write a new piece.

Sure there maybe features on other DAW's that are different or arguably done better than Logic's but to have to learn a new interface, maybe have to re-install my plugins isn't worth the hassle for me, I know I'd end up wanting to do something that I know how to do in Logic and have to mess about getting work done.

The software is not inexpensive either so would rather put my pennies towards plugs than additional DAW's. Maybe if I was working on someone else's project and needed the correct DAW to import the data then perhaps.

[Disastrous]

LDN said:

Reason for sketching the original ideas and skeleton and then rewire to ProTools for the final audio and mix / arrangement. That's my current process.

Agreed - I've been messing about over the last couple of days and this seems to be the best way forward. Reason has really good (better than PT I think) Timestretch and I quite like the speedy comping process.

A question for you, if you don't mind?

How do the direct outs in Reason work? It's easy enough to bus the main mix into a PT channel, but assuming I've built up a song in Reason and now want to bring it in and mix in PT, I guess I'll be looking to use direct outs and bring each source into a track of it's own? If I do this, is there a quicker way than manually dragging each cable across? And do the direct outs skip the Reason mixer completely, or are the PFL? I'd like to retain some of the Reason mixer's sound if I could, but overall this seems to be the way to go.

As for Live, I guess that'll be a toy for now

[LDN]

Disastrous said:

How do the direct outs in Reason work? It's easy enough to bus the main mix into a PT channel, but assuming I've built up a song in Reason and now want to bring it in and mix in PT, I guess I'll be looking to use direct outs and bring each source into a track of it's own? If I do this, is there a quicker way than manually dragging each cable across? And do the direct outs skip the Reason mixer completely, or are the PFL? I'd like to retain some of the Reason mixer's sound if I could, but overall this seems to be the way to go.

To be honest, I simply solo each part inside Reason and render inside PT on an individual track, not the quickest process and you've inspired me to look up how other people do it... with the way I do it, you retain the Reason stamp on the audio. It's funny as Reason used to be famed for the way it somehow muted audio and was able to take a punchy kick drum, for instance, and suck the punch out. But with the newer versions of Reason, the opposite is true; Reason adds a subtle sheen to things. Everyone agrees that PropellerHeads must have overhauled the audio engine in these later versions.

[Disastrous]

LDN said:

Disastrous said:

How do the direct outs in Reason work? It's easy enough to bus the main mix into a PT channel, but assuming I've built up a song in Reason and now want to bring it in and mix in PT, I guess I'll be looking to use direct outs and bring each source into a track of it's own? If I do this, is there a quicker way than manually dragging each cable across? And do the direct outs skip the Reason mixer completely, or are the PFL? I'd like to retain some of the Reason mixer's sound if I could, but overall this seems to be the way to go.

To be honest, I simply solo each part inside Reason and render inside PT on an individual track, not the quickest process and you've inspired me to look up how other people do it... with the way I do it, you retain the Reason stamp on the audio. It's funny as Reason used to be famed for the way it somehow muted audio and was able to take a punchy kick drum, for instance, and suck the punch out. But with the newer versions of Reason, the opposite is true; Reason adds a subtle sheen to things. Everyone agrees that PropellerHeads must have overhauled the audio engine in these later versions.

Agree. It sounds really good to my ears. I think the Record update helped a lot.

My fear of rendering is that I'm terrified of finding myself wanting to go back and change something down the line, and it'd be nice to simply Apple+tab back to Reason and adjust a knob and bingo. I'm 90% sure that wiring the direct outs from each channel strip (in the rack, not the mixer, I mean) into a PT channel retains the mixer setting albeit PFL (It'd have to be, I assume)...

[Disastrous]

LDN, about 1.40 in has a pretty good explanation of the Direct Out options:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22f8IiwxNhA&fea...

Looks ideal actually. You can compose, sketch and edit in Reason, and by the time you get to PT, you can direct wire your sounds in, and STILL get all the treatment of the Reason mixer and FX. Perfect.

[LDN]

Disastrous said:

LDN, about 1.40 in has a pretty good explanation of the Direct Out options:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22f8IiwxNhA&fea...

Looks ideal actually. You can compose, sketch and edit in Reason, and by the time you get to PT, you can direct wire your sounds in, and STILL get all the treatment of the Reason mixer and FX. Perfect.

AH brilliant! I've just given this a go and I must say; it's a nicer way to work. It's funny how we get used to working one way and even if it's not that efficient, we stick with it. Time to evolve!

[Disastrous]

LDN said:

Disastrous said:

LDN, about 1.40 in has a pretty good explanation of the Direct Out options:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22f8IiwxNhA&fea...

Looks ideal actually. You can compose, sketch and edit in Reason, and by the time you get to PT, you can direct wire your sounds in, and STILL get all the treatment of the Reason mixer and FX. Perfect.

AH brilliant! I've just given this a go and I must say; it's a nicer way to work. It's funny how we get used to working one way and even if it's not that efficient, we stick with it. Time to evolve!

True enough, but I think I sometimes shoot myself in the foot by spending so long worrying that I'm not using things 'properly' that could be better spent not caring and getting on with it!