Mixing on a PC?
- Thread starter Wattage
- Start date
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supernosher
Guest
Re: Mixing on a PC?
REAPER is by far the best, and believe it or not it's shareware. I hate ProTools LE, HD is fine... Cubase is good, but REAPER is better, and you can try it for as long as you wish for FREE. It is really the best program out there right now. It's been getting heavy praise from RE's all over the world. Most of the kids here have probably never heard of it.
REAPER is by far the best, and believe it or not it's shareware. I hate ProTools LE, HD is fine... Cubase is good, but REAPER is better, and you can try it for as long as you wish for FREE. It is really the best program out there right now. It's been getting heavy praise from RE's all over the world. Most of the kids here have probably never heard of it.
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ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: Mixing on a PC?
Cakewalk SONAR 6. I have very few complaints with it, and they are mostly just nitpicking.
Cakewalk SONAR 6. I have very few complaints with it, and they are mostly just nitpicking.
Virtual Kevorkian
New member
Re: Mixing on a PC?
I'd go with Cubase, since it's what I'm used to. Really, just try a few and see what comes easiest!
I'd go with Cubase, since it's what I'm used to. Really, just try a few and see what comes easiest!
Wattage
High Voltologist
Re: Mixing on a PC?
I've used PT on a Mac and I liked it well enough but I haven't used it on a PC yet. What is bad about LE?
Biggest thing I have to handle is about 20 tracks but obviously I'll need to run some plug-ins and what not.
I have Cubase and for some reason it just didn't work right for me, I have to see what version it is but it choked on a lot of stuff I was doing, that was a couple of years ago though I am sure newer versions are a little cleaner, well I would hope anyway.
I'll have to look at Reaper, thanks for the tip.
I'll check SOnar out too, been a long time since I used any Cakewalk software.
I've used PT on a Mac and I liked it well enough but I haven't used it on a PC yet. What is bad about LE?
Biggest thing I have to handle is about 20 tracks but obviously I'll need to run some plug-ins and what not.
I have Cubase and for some reason it just didn't work right for me, I have to see what version it is but it choked on a lot of stuff I was doing, that was a couple of years ago though I am sure newer versions are a little cleaner, well I would hope anyway.
I'll have to look at Reaper, thanks for the tip.
I'll check SOnar out too, been a long time since I used any Cakewalk software.
Virtual Kevorkian
New member
Re: Mixing on a PC?
LE limits tracks to 32 (I think 48 in PT8LE), doesn't have beat detective, and limits the amount of simultaneous tracks you can record with to 18.
LE limits tracks to 32 (I think 48 in PT8LE), doesn't have beat detective, and limits the amount of simultaneous tracks you can record with to 18.
ratherdashing
Kablamminator
Re: Mixing on a PC?
Sure, but how many people are actually going to ever find that to be a problem?
PTLE has a lot more issues than just that. It's an antiquated, bloated piece of software that is in dire need of an overhaul.
Sure, but how many people are actually going to ever find that to be a problem?
PTLE has a lot more issues than just that. It's an antiquated, bloated piece of software that is in dire need of an overhaul.
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supernosher
Guest
Re: Mixing on a PC?
The way it handles plug-ins is terrible (if I remember correctly you can't run plug-ins in real-time) and lack of VST support kills even more of that for me.
The way it handles plug-ins is terrible (if I remember correctly you can't run plug-ins in real-time) and lack of VST support kills even more of that for me.
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: Mixing on a PC?
I use Audacity.
It is super basic, you have a Level slider and a Pan slider.
It's got good plugins, and it's easy to use.
I seem to remember Reaper chopping everything up into separate wavs all on its own for no reason, so I stopped using it.
I use Audacity.
It is super basic, you have a Level slider and a Pan slider.
It's got good plugins, and it's easy to use.
I seem to remember Reaper chopping everything up into separate wavs all on its own for no reason, so I stopped using it.
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ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: Mixing on a PC?
I just looked at Reaper's site --- looks like they have come along way since I used it last.
It looks like it's got a lot of good features lifted from Logic.
I just looked at Reaper's site --- looks like they have come along way since I used it last.
It looks like it's got a lot of good features lifted from Logic.
Virtual Kevorkian
New member
Re: Mixing on a PC?
Me, and just about everyone else I know, in all honesty.
Kick
Kick trig
Snr top
Snr bttm
Snr trig
Tom1
Tom1 trig
Tom2
Tom2 trig
Tom3
Tom3 trig
Tom4
Tom4 trig
Tom5
Tom5 trig
HH
Ride
OH L
OH R
Room L
Room R
That's 21 tracks, without a 2nd kick drum, and without another set of OH's or a mono room mic, which would be ideal. That's beyond the input limits they give... but for track limits, that leaves me with 8 tracks left for:
1-3 bass tracks
2-4 rhythm guitars + their DI's
1-3 lead tracks + their DI's
0-4 clean tracks
4-6 vocal tracks
0-4 strings/synth tracks
Not to mention the group tracks I need for:
Kick
Snare
Toms
OH
Rooms (you could bounce the two mono tracks to one stereo to track, sure, but that's only saving 2 tracks)
Drum bus
Parallel comp bus for drums
Bass
Rhythm gtrs
Lead gtrs
Clean gtrs
Lead vox
Bckgrnd vox
Strings/synths (if applicable)
If you knock off triggers and DI's, we're looking at about 32 tracks. If you include the triggers, DI's, and the full range of tracks I listed, which I normally do, that's 68 tracks. That doesn't even include odd tracks for modulated guitars, distorted/echo'd/modulated vocals, a radio style intro or outro, bass drops, cymbal swells, etc, etc...
Me, and just about everyone else I know, in all honesty.
Kick
Kick trig
Snr top
Snr bttm
Snr trig
Tom1
Tom1 trig
Tom2
Tom2 trig
Tom3
Tom3 trig
Tom4
Tom4 trig
Tom5
Tom5 trig
HH
Ride
OH L
OH R
Room L
Room R
That's 21 tracks, without a 2nd kick drum, and without another set of OH's or a mono room mic, which would be ideal. That's beyond the input limits they give... but for track limits, that leaves me with 8 tracks left for:
1-3 bass tracks
2-4 rhythm guitars + their DI's
1-3 lead tracks + their DI's
0-4 clean tracks
4-6 vocal tracks
0-4 strings/synth tracks
Not to mention the group tracks I need for:
Kick
Snare
Toms
OH
Rooms (you could bounce the two mono tracks to one stereo to track, sure, but that's only saving 2 tracks)
Drum bus
Parallel comp bus for drums
Bass
Rhythm gtrs
Lead gtrs
Clean gtrs
Lead vox
Bckgrnd vox
Strings/synths (if applicable)
If you knock off triggers and DI's, we're looking at about 32 tracks. If you include the triggers, DI's, and the full range of tracks I listed, which I normally do, that's 68 tracks. That doesn't even include odd tracks for modulated guitars, distorted/echo'd/modulated vocals, a radio style intro or outro, bass drops, cymbal swells, etc, etc...
Bludave
New member
Re: Mixing on a PC?
Scott,
In all honesty you should be using Pro tools. Sooner or later you will need to bring those audio files into a studio for editing/mastering or whatever. All the studios today are using pro tools. Why fight it. This will simply make it easier when you need to bring the files into the system at the studio.
I have LE, but for what I do (maybe 3 or 4 tracks) I just use Garageband. Its very easy to use and it works fine for what I want to do. But for what you guys are doing I think Pro tools is going to be a bit easier to edit and move from one system to another.
Scott,
In all honesty you should be using Pro tools. Sooner or later you will need to bring those audio files into a studio for editing/mastering or whatever. All the studios today are using pro tools. Why fight it. This will simply make it easier when you need to bring the files into the system at the studio.
I have LE, but for what I do (maybe 3 or 4 tracks) I just use Garageband. Its very easy to use and it works fine for what I want to do. But for what you guys are doing I think Pro tools is going to be a bit easier to edit and move from one system to another.
Virtual Kevorkian
New member
Re: Mixing on a PC?
Reaper is highly overrated, IMO, as is ProTools unless you go HD.
Check out Sonar and re-check out Cubase. Those two are your best bet without going Mac + Logic or Digital Performer.
Reaper is highly overrated, IMO, as is ProTools unless you go HD.
Check out Sonar and re-check out Cubase. Those two are your best bet without going Mac + Logic or Digital Performer.
Virtual Kevorkian
New member
Re: Mixing on a PC?
I'm sorry, but this logic is the exact line of thinking that keeps Digidesign on top of the industry and from any real chance of expanding beyond that software.
It is not hard at all to consolidate the tracks so they start at 0, and send those to the engineer. He can import those just fine into PT, Logic, or whatever he uses, and will probably start fresh via that method rather than using your project, seeing as the people recording at home studios are going to have an entirely different workflow and basic setup than someone in a PTHD studio. Hell, they probably have templates set up with their bus's, groups, and aux's all set up ready to have raw WAV's dropped in!
I'm sorry, but this logic is the exact line of thinking that keeps Digidesign on top of the industry and from any real chance of expanding beyond that software.
It is not hard at all to consolidate the tracks so they start at 0, and send those to the engineer. He can import those just fine into PT, Logic, or whatever he uses, and will probably start fresh via that method rather than using your project, seeing as the people recording at home studios are going to have an entirely different workflow and basic setup than someone in a PTHD studio. Hell, they probably have templates set up with their bus's, groups, and aux's all set up ready to have raw WAV's dropped in!
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supernosher
Guest
Re: Mixing on a PC?
How is REAPER overrated? It's utilizes very little resources, it doesn't have the limitations LE has, and it's virtually free! Not to mention all the tweaks available in the options.
I haven't spent alot of time with it, but the only aspect I don't like is that you need an external editor.
How is REAPER overrated? It's utilizes very little resources, it doesn't have the limitations LE has, and it's virtually free! Not to mention all the tweaks available in the options.
I haven't spent alot of time with it, but the only aspect I don't like is that you need an external editor.
S
supernosher
Guest
Re: Mixing on a PC?
I agree with you there, despite us not seeing eye-to-eye about REAPER.
I agree with you there, despite us not seeing eye-to-eye about REAPER.
Virtual Kevorkian
New member
Re: Mixing on a PC?
It feels like a Playskool version of a DAW. It's not fully stable on OS X yet, it doesn't have the midi editing features I need from Cubase (apparently it has the drum map, but that's not in the OS X version). I don't like the way the program is arranged and how 'clunky' it feels to work in, and I don't like the summing engine nearly as much as Cubase or Logic.
It feels like a Playskool version of a DAW. It's not fully stable on OS X yet, it doesn't have the midi editing features I need from Cubase (apparently it has the drum map, but that's not in the OS X version). I don't like the way the program is arranged and how 'clunky' it feels to work in, and I don't like the summing engine nearly as much as Cubase or Logic.
ImmortalSix
John Mayer's Mankini
Re: Mixing on a PC?
1) Does Reaper still chop up wavs?
2) Why? That drives me nuts!
1) Does Reaper still chop up wavs?
2) Why? That drives me nuts!
S
supernosher
Guest
Re: Mixing on a PC?
Hmmm... You just have to be better at balancing in REAPER because of the summing engine. For me it is worth the trade-off to have a better rendering engine in REAPER than easier mixing.
Why are you even talking about the OSX version? The OP asked about PC's... **** macs! **** yo' couch! ****!
REAPER no longer chops up wavs.
Hmmm... You just have to be better at balancing in REAPER because of the summing engine. For me it is worth the trade-off to have a better rendering engine in REAPER than easier mixing.
Why are you even talking about the OSX version? The OP asked about PC's... **** macs! **** yo' couch! ****!
REAPER no longer chops up wavs.
