The Digital Audio Workstation Megathread V1 - For all of us too lazy to play instruments ourselves - General

[B]Notice:[/B] I didn't know whether to post this in the Musicians Gig Room, Creationism Corner or here. If I'm in the wrong spot, sue me. Better yet, if it is in the wrong spot, mods, please move this topic. Onwards to the main subject. Digital Audio Workstation. Sounds fancy, right? Well... they usually are. Before we get to that, lets answer a few questions: [B]Q: What is a Digital Audio Workstation?[/B] [I]A: A Digital Audio Workstation, or [B]DAW[/B], allows someone to create music either out of pre-made sounds, such as MP3s or MIDI files, or out of preset sounds in the program.[/I] [B]Q: Sounds cool. Where do I get one?[/B] [I]A: Unless you're willing to drop some serious cash, you probably won't be able to get one, unless you want to try [URL="http://www.reaper.fm/"]Reaper.[/URL](Which isn't actually free, but will prod you with a nag screen.)[/I] [B]Q: But I am! Give me some examples.[/B] [I]A: Well then the musical world is your oyster, there are many choices to pick from. My recommendations include [URL="http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/acidpro"]Sony ACID Pro 7[/URL] if you've already got sounds to work with, or [URL="http://www.image-line.com/documents/flstudio.html"]FL Studio 10[/URL] for loads of pre-made sounds built right in.[/I] [B]Q: Cool! How much do they cost?[/B] [I]A: Sony Acid Pro, 300$, FL Studio, about 80$ (For the crappy Express edition, 300$ for Producer)[/I] [B]Q: THREE HUNDRED FUCKING DOLLARS?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?![/B] [I]A: You heard me.[/I] [B]Q: Alright, I can pay that much. Is it hard?[/B] [I]A: Depends on the program you use. I would recommend ACID Pro 7 for the more experienced, and FL Studio to beginner-intermediate level users. You'll still need a good deal of know-how, though, this ain't pickin strawberries.[/I] [B]Q: Am I finally done reading this shit now?[/B] [I]A: Yep. Take a look at the screenshots, drop some dough and make some music.[/I] [B]Screenshots:[/B] [I]Sony ACID Pro 7[/I] [IMG]http://www.hitsquad.com/news/images/screenshots/acidpro7_screenshot.jpg[/IMG] [I]FL Studio 10[/I] [IMG]http://createdigitalmusic.com/files/2011/03/GiantFL10ScreenshotNoText.jpg[/IMG] [I]Reaper[/I] [IMG]http://reaper.fm/screenshots3/Shredders-Titanium-Theme-Rpr-v3.0_2.png[/IMG] (Yes I know ACID Pro 7 looks easier then FL Studio. Trust me: It isn't.)

funny, just yesterday was i getting a bit of interesting in messing around with DAWs, any thoughts or experience with Reason?

[QUOTE=Systema;34685767]funny, just yesterday was i getting a bit of interesting in messing around with DAWs, any thoughts or experience with Reason?[/QUOTE] Afraid not, I've never used it. Reading from the description of it though, it doesn't sound like anything that good (No offense to anyone using Reason).

[QUOTE=Systema;34685767]funny, just yesterday was i getting a bit of interesting in messing around with DAWs, any thoughts or experience with Reason?[/QUOTE] what do you want to know

i just want to know the general consensus on if reason is good or not from people who've used it, it's kind of interesting... i don't know much about DAWs overall, though

the biggest problem I have with it is the lack of vst support but reason's modular design lets you do almost anything you can think of if you're clever enough every clever thing ever done in reason is here [url]http://www.reason101.net/[/url] [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] basically if you're an engineer type and you like to fiddle with things reason is the daw for you

[QUOTE=absinthe;34687277]the biggest problem I have with it is the lack of vst support but reason's modular design lets you do almost anything you can think of if you're clever enough every clever thing ever done in reason is here [url]http://www.reason101.net/[/url] [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] basically if you're an engineer type and you like to fiddle with things reason is the daw for you[/QUOTE] Run Reason with Rewire, always, through Cubase, Pro Tools or Logic which gives you access to both reason modules and VST

I do that pretty often with cubase but it's just too cluttered

I do it with Logic, and it works really well, but you have to set up an aux track for fucking everything I think its worth it for me though, the default logic synths are pretty weak and stuff like Malstrom is lovely so it combines the best of Logic's Recording tools with the best of Reason's electro composition stuff' Also I could not live without the combinator

yeah if anyone knows of a superlight (read: 1 window) daw that's rewire capable I'd really like to know cause I only want to run vsts with it actually what I want is a midi sequencer that's vst and rewire capable as it is now I'd rather run guitar rig as a psuedo vst with patch cables through my audio interface than run all of cubase every time I just want to fiddle with some filters

[QUOTE=absinthe;34687277]the biggest problem I have with it is the lack of vst support but reason's modular design lets you do almost anything you can think of if you're clever enough every clever thing ever done in reason is here [url]http://www.reason101.net/[/url] [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] basically if you're an engineer type and you like to fiddle with things reason is the daw for you[/QUOTE] i use reason alot and i can safely say, unless you go at it every day and learn thor inside out its pretty useless. i own logic as well, and if i could be arsed to practice more with it i'd say its way more open (though making your own synths from pretty much scratch and it sounding nice in reason is really rewarding)

[QUOTE=Bobie;34688184]i use reason alot and i can safely say, unless you go at it every day and learn thor inside out its pretty useless. i own logic as well, and if i could be arsed to practice more with it i'd say its way more open (though making your own synths from pretty much scratch and it sounding nice in reason is really rewarding)[/QUOTE] I wouldn't say it's useless at all I have a hard time choosing between protools and logic though, we use protools at uni and I use logic at home, and its hard to decide which is better. Logic's UI is a lot nicer, easy to see etc and it has some great features like flexing and varispeed, but I like Pro Tools for its default EQ's compressors and effects

it is kind of polarizing it's pretty easy to pick up and bang out a couple songs for something like a school film project where you need music but it isn't the focal point and in the opposite aspect there is a lot of potential within each rack piece that increases almost exponentially when you add another piece to that, but that does take hours and hours of constant fiddling so there isn't really a middle ground for the casual 'hey check out this dubstep tune I made' crowd [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=killerteacup;34688318]I wouldn't say it's useless at all I have a hard time choosing between protools and logic though, we use protools at uni and I use logic at home, and its hard to decide which is better. Logic's UI is a lot nicer, easy to see etc and it has some great features like flexing and varispeed, but I like Pro Tools for its default EQ's compressors and effects[/QUOTE] I assume the flexing and varispeed is something like timestretching audio I haven't tried it yet but I guess reason 6 has decent live sample handling since they just mashed everything from record into it

[QUOTE=absinthe;34688362]it is kind of polarizing it's pretty easy to pick up and bang out a couple songs for something like a school film project where you need music but it isn't the focal point and in the opposite aspect there is a lot of potential within each rack piece that increases almost exponentially when you add another piece to that, but that does take hours and hours of constant fiddling so there isn't really a middle ground for the casual 'hey check out this dubstep tune I made' crowd [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] [/QUOTE] I'm sticking to Reason 5, inconvenient as it may be Its similar, but more sophisticated then stretching it out, I think flexing separates it into rhythmic phrases and then you can move them from one to another, it can work really well if done right I assume the flexing and varispeed is something like timestretching audio I haven't tried it yet but I guess reason 6 has decent live sample handling since they just mashed everything from record into it

that was confusing as hell to read but I think I got it I'll probably get reason 6 sometime this spring considering I've become to lazy to go look for any 'alternative' to buying it [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] still $449 is a lot

[QUOTE=absinthe;34688877]that was confusing as hell to read but I think I got it I'll probably get reason 6 sometime this spring considering I've become to lazy to go look for any 'alternative' to buying it [editline]13th February 2012[/editline] still $449 is a lot[/QUOTE] Lol, whoops

FL Studio is most certainly NOT $80 unless you want to lull people into believing that the $80 "Express" edition is a full DAW. The only package of FL that is actually useful because it includes actual tracks instead of pattern blocks is the Producer edition, or the $300 one. [editline]15th February 2012[/editline] In hindsight, I guess the Express edition would be a good introduction to DAWs for someone who's never made music before. It doesn't even allow you to use the piano roll though :(

This belongs in MGR.

[QUOTE=Pal13;34716181]This belongs in MGR.[/QUOTE] One of the least alive sections known to man

[QUOTE=KarloMcMarlo;34685696] [B]Q: Sounds cool. Where do I get one?[/B] [I]A: Unless you're willing to drop some serious cash, you probably won't be able to get one.[/I] [/QUOTE] Well, there's Reaper, which has an unlimited trial. [editline]15th February 2012[/editline] Although there is a nag screen, but it's a minor inconvenience for a decent DAW.

[QUOTE=FFStudios;34715590]FL Studio is most certainly NOT $80 unless you want to lull people into believing that the $80 "Express" edition is a full DAW. The only package of FL that is actually useful because it includes actual tracks instead of pattern blocks is the Producer edition, or the $300 one. [editline]15th February 2012[/editline] In hindsight, I guess the Express edition would be a good introduction to DAWs for someone who's never made music before. It doesn't even allow you to use the piano roll though :([/QUOTE] I have Producer, I never really took a look at Express editions features, so yeah, the piano roll does come in handy, I'll edit the OP. [editline]16th February 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=Mr._N;34716861]Well, there's Reaper, which has an unlimited trial. [editline]15th February 2012[/editline] Although there is a nag screen, but it's a minor inconvenience for a decent DAW.[/QUOTE] Will add Reaper to the OP.