Favourite recording software?

Re: Favourite recording software?

I did my album in Cakewalk's Guitar Tracks Pro. Really easy to use, cheap, and intuitive. The only downside is that it has no native peak indicator that lets you know when the signal clips, so I used Adobe Audition for level-checking and mastering. My PC could only handle 16-bit, though, but click in my sig to hear the results. FWIW, I used to work professionally in multimedia with ProTools, and it is somewhat overrated.
 
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In all honesty, I learned on Audition/CEP - I found it to be extremely limited, especially when it came to the mixing aspect of things.
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

ratherdashing said:
What was the last version of SONAR that you used? I have 6 and love the interface.

ProTools is the devil. It's a hold-over from the days when computers couldn't handle the processing power needed to do recording on their own - an approach that only makes things more difficult nowadays.
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I own Sonar 7. However, I found out the way I like to make music, which is mostly live takes, one at a time. I rarely use midi- even playing midi guitar, I will trigger soft/hardware synths live and record them as audio, not midi. I used Sonar from the first versions of Cakewalk (mid 90s), and I think it is slanted more toward manipulation of beats in dance music than what I like to do. Not that you have to use all that stuff, but it gets in the way for me- it takes me longer to do what I want to do.

I am happy with Tracktion though, it is fast, elegant, and logical. I export the wavs in Wavelab for further editing.
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

I'm glad you started this thread. I've been out of the recording game for ~10 years, so I am really out of touch with what is available nowadays and I appreciate the info.

wahwah said:
Logic Pro 8.

Cheers.............................wahwah
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I see that Apple offers two versions...Logic Express 8 and Logic Pro 8, and that upgrading from Express to Pro costs about the same (actually $1 less!) than purchasing Pro outright.

I am having trouble understanding the differences between Express and Pro (some features are listed, but since I don't use the software yet, I don't actually know what they do...).

For basic home recording (just me...not a band situation), would Express work well, or does Pro have some features one cannot live without?

I could use the $$ I save on Express to put towards getting a better mic pre/interface. The Metric Halo ULN-2 looks awesome, but it is pricey...but I also know the I/O is not a place to skimp.
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

Anyone tried Reason? Think that was it...friend of mine said it's really good, but I've never used it / seen it being used.
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

Reason is more of a sampler/virtual instrument than an actual piece of recording software. I love it in tandem with a proper host, though.
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

Loyal Cubase user here (SE, SL), done just fine with me, good sound quality, easy to learn and doesn't have all the gratuitous overkill of Pro-Tools (sorry folks, I'm just NOT sold on the whole Pro-Tools thing).

If I was using Mac exclusively, I'd go with Logic Pro, I got to record with it once and I must say I was VERY impressed with it for recording quality and ease of use.
 
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Re: Favourite recording software?

Virtual Kevorkian said:
Reason is more of a sampler/virtual instrument than an actual piece of recording software. I love it in tandem with a proper host, though.
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Yup, Reason fantastic for laying down anything MIDI. Many of the samples are very realistic -- the electric guitar samples suck, but that's why we exist :) -- and the synthesizer units are highly customizable. Plus, there are some great effects, including (in the latest release) an arpeggiator that at first seems like a novelty, but can come in very handy if you really learn how to use it.

Use Reason with Cubase or Logic Pro, along with something like Drums From Hell, and you've got a hefty arsenal with loads of power, control and versatility. Just lay down your own guitar and bass tracks.

- Keith
 
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I am by no means "comfortable" with recording yet. Still learning, but about 3 months agao I bought an MBox Mini which cam with pro tools LE, and I am using a Mac laptop which has Garage band. For what I am doing so far Garage band is what I prefer. Its simple and works well. Pro Tools is much more complicated, but in defense of it in most cases it needs to be due to what some people need to do with the files. I have also done some basic recording in Audacity, and as a free program it was not bad. The logic that I use is if you are going to do some home recording and then bring those files to a recording studio for whatever reason, the likely program that all studios will use is Pro Tools.
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

I use Cubase SX3 too.

But Johnny, if you're looking for the iPod of recording software, Cubase 4 (curent version) would be overkill. You might look at Cubase Studio 4.

Or on a smaller scale yet, I have also heard good things about Adobe Audition.

A real iPod of studio recording is Mackie Tracktion. Cheap, stripped down, simplified. They've expanded it some since it was introduced, but I think they've stuck with the keep-it-simple approach a lot.
 
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Re: Favourite recording software?

FAC said:
I'm glad you started this thread. I've been out of the recording game for ~10 years, so I am really out of touch with what is available nowadays and I appreciate the info.
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:nervous: I was still using Dr T's Omega running on an Atari ST, and a blackface ADAT for recording audio tracks, and a Mackie CR-1604 and 1604-VLZ Pro combined through a Mackie Mixer Mixer to do the mixdown until 2003.

I'm glad I waited to upgrade to PC and Cubase. PC recording is really just starting to come into its own.
 
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AUDACITY is an awesome place to start. It is easy and you can download it for FREE off the net.
 
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Haven't tried protools, but like VK I also learned on Audition and can't recommend it. I used cubase for years and it's a great program, but recently switched to logic 8 pro and am quite pleased with the sound quality and ease of use. Tough call between those two but if you're on pc you should probably go cubase.
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

I'm a big fan of Tracktion, I use Tracktion 2, haven't had a reason to upgrade to 3. It was $150 new with lots of plug-ins, I also have the last version of Logic for PC, 5.1 or something, I've barely touched it since I got Tracktion, it's not even installed on my new laptop.

< $0.02...
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

no one has mentioned reaper???

http://reaper.fm/

it does just about everything pro tools does and more. dirt cheap, and programed by a genius (the guy that made winamp). a whopping 3mb file to install.

great community/forum, great business model, great product, nearly weekly updates, huge amounts of included plugins, and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
 
Re: Favourite recording software?

Logic Studio (with Logic Pro 8). Hands down, nothing better. Pro Tools compares but the interface isn't as simple or organized and it's too hardware specific.
 
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