SonicSynthesis Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 I'm doing music in college and part of my course is MIDI Sequencing. We use Cubase but i don't know if that's the best software to use. I'd like to do my coursework at home and i'd also like to become a fellow remixer in my spare time. I'm good at music, infact it's my whole life, but i've had almost no experience with music software. My lecturer is so useless i reckon i could learn things here much faster. So can you give your opinions on which is the best software so i can download it please. I'll be checking out tutorials in the meantime. Kthx <3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moseph Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 These programs all basically do the same thing. The reason to choose one over another is because the interface works for you. Some have demo versions or trial licenses (FL Studio, Sonar, Reaper, and Live come to mind). Download some demos, spend some time with each program, compare them to your experiences with Cubase, and use the one you like the most. If you want compatibility with school stuff, though, Cubase is probably the best bet. Be sure to check academic pricing before you buy anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Souliarc Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 That's a BIG question my friend. The response I've gotten over time is that it really depends on your own specific needs and your own workflow I would check out Sweetwater's DAW Guide and I would check out this thread from their forums. I personally use Sonar. I really can't remember what ultimately determined my decision for it, but I haven't looked back since. It's been very good to me. High learning curve, but once you get it, it flow likah watah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonicSynthesis Posted December 12, 2009 Author Share Posted December 12, 2009 They were saying Tracktion2 would be recommended if you're looking to get into computer based composing with minimum hassle. What are your views on that? What about Fruityloops, Reaper and Reason? Edit: I'm going to try out Reaper. It's said to be easier to get into than the others. Sonar is apparently really difficult to set up and use if you don't have much experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Souliarc Posted December 12, 2009 Share Posted December 12, 2009 I'm not versed in Tracktion, but I do know that that's one of the key points they try to make, the ease of use. The same thing can be said about Fruityloops as well though. Please note that the videos a bit old as Tracktion 3 is already out. Never used Reaper, but some people around here really like it. I used Reason a little (up to version 3) and really liked it. Love the rack-mounted style and the MIDI sequencing. It had no recording support (though now they have Record, which is a separate buy). The main reason I sold it though is because, for the sake of simplicity, I just wanted to deal with one DAW (Sonar). Not to mention, Kontakt 2 is my main sampler and to expand Reason's sounds, I needed to buy Refills which would not load into Kontakt 2. It just didn't help my work flow within Reason, but alone, it's wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoozer Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 What about Fruityloops, Reaper and Reason? Add Ableton Live to that. Thing is - all of 'm have trial versions. Why not give them a try? All the time you're worrying about what's easier is better spent on reading documentation. No audio applications are easy in the sense that they require you to think in a certain way. Reaper's just got the big advantage of a proper wiki. "What's the best X" is in almost all cases the wrong question to ask. It depends on your budget, your needs, and your experience. Without saying what you've already got, what you've already tried, and how much cash you can spend (as a number, not as "lol not too expensive" - because "expensive" means something different to everyone here) the question is useless, too. Besides, any of those pieces of software is going to need a proper soundcard if you want to get the most out of it and record anything, so don't blow your cash on the Ultra Mega Super Happy Schoolgirl Limited Extreme Edition of whatever, because there's a big chance that you're not going to use all those options anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 People new to this sort of thing often just want to know what's the best so they can go buy it, if it was that easy, then the best software would monopolize the market and everything else would either be way cheaper or out of business. People also like to take out a feature checklist and go down the list, then they count up the checks and use it as a basis to decide how "good" the software is. It's like a car, it may look great and have all the options, but if you don't take it for a drive you won't realize that you actually hate how it handles. Try them out, find which one you like, and learn how to use it. They might not all have all the options, but you definitely won't need all the options to start anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonicSynthesis Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 Yeah i'll try FruityLoops because a few of my mates use it and they can give me a cracked version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Souliarc Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Yeah i'll try FruityLoops because a few of my mates use it and they can give me a cracked version. *sigh* Just so you know, pirating software is really looked down upon here. Nothing is wrong with trying to find out about the software, but when you mention warez, somebody is gonna cloud up and rain all over you. If you aren't committed to music enough to buy the product to create it and support the company that makes it, then don't use the product. It's simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 That's not exactly the best argument you can make there, Soliarc my friend. Having been on both sides of the fence, I can tell you that people who do that don't do it because they 'aren't committed enough' or they 'don't want to support the company.' No, the truth actually is much less villifying. But that's not the point of the topic. That's the point of butthurt internet arguments. As for software.... People who take the college music classes (I'm only in theory, so I wouldn't know enough about them... YET) say that Logic and Reason are what you want to go far, seeing as they are the most 'professional' tools out there, and some of the more versatile (I hear that quite literally, the pros in the music industry use Logic and Reason, like the film score people). I want Logic pretty badly, and when I get the money, probably over the summer, I'm going to upgrade from my current Fruity Loops setup. Fruity Loops is the most user-friendly of the softwares, and i'm willing to believe it, considering a hack like Soulja Boi can use the demo of the program to make his 'music' and get famous from it. It has enough going on for it so that an amatuer can pick up the ropes of music-making pretty quickly, and it's the DAW of choice for a lot of people, mostly the cheap, seeing as the demo is free and fully functional, and as far as prices go, it's the cheapest of the DAWs on the market. I'd recommend it for beginners. Also, those that master the program make it rival the best of the high-end DAWs have to offer. I have not used programs like Ableton or Reaper, but I am intrigued by the latter, due to the things I hear about it. I wonder if anyone can post me an example of a song done in Reaper... Basically, Reaper is, from what I hear, the freeware version of FL, kinda, but it's a little harder to use, but about the same in terms of functionality. Cubase is another program that gets a lot of praise in the music-making crowd, again, due to its versatility. I'd recommend it, but I would recommend Logic or Reason first. Finally, for the guy who loves classical music (raises hand), if you want to make music scores, the program that does not have an equal is Sibelius. A new version came out not too long ago, and it really looks sweet. This is not, I repeat, NOT for music-making like stuff on here. It's for the making of musical scores first and foremost, with all of its notes and what-not. Also, stuff like Finale are useable, but i think they suck, myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avaris Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 The best DAW is the one that works best for you! Best thing is to demo like crazy over an extended period of time. Depending on what type of music you make that might narrow down your choices some. The best piano rolls are by far: Sonar FL Logic Cubase Other programs are really strong when it comes to working with audio on the fly: Pro Tools Ableton Cubase etc... It'd be pointless throwing down $500 on Logic or Cubase at this point. Check out the cheap or free ones such as EnergyXT or Reaper. Learn what your type of workflow is then choose wether or not its worth throwing down $500 on something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Souliarc Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 That's not exactly the best argument you can make there, Soliarc my friend. Having been on both sides of the fence, I can tell you that people who do that don't do it because they 'aren't committed enough' or they 'don't want to support the company.' No, the truth actually is much less villifying. The point I'm trying to make is that if you were committed enough to want to put your music in digital/analog form for the world to hear, using a certain hardware/software product, you would save up your money to pay for it. Maybe it isn't an issue of how committed you are to "music", per se, but how committed you are to want to record it. It IS an issue of how committed you are to music though, if the music you want to make requires software. People getting what they want as soon as they want is a product of the "microwave generation", as the virtue of patience is long gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 "Son, do you really want to make music?" "Yes, daddy!" "Well, I won't get you what you want for 7 years. If you presevere in your dedication and do not lose your desire to make music these seven years, then your patience will be rewarded, for I'll see that you truly WANTED it enough!" "Hurray!" Again, these arguments aren't exactly the best; the one's you're making, that is. Saying something like "damn kids have no patience" is not really looking at anything from an objective point of view at all, and a little short-sighted. When I was using a free program years back, I wasn't so concerned that 'ha ha! My impetuous impatience payed off perfectly!', as much as I was "yes! I finally get to start refining and honing my musical technique!" Some people want to pursue their hobby, and saying something like they're impatient ungrateful bastards is just generalizing and kinda dumb. I want Logic, but I want to own Logic, as well. Which brings me back on topic! avaris, you are right that sometimes, these DAWs are very overpriced. However, you can't think of it as buying a video-game; rather, you have to think about it in terms of making an investment. Buying something like Logic or Sibelius is an investment to your musical career, or your musical hobby. Considering buying such products usually allows you to get free updates to the software from the official sites, you usually DO have your money's worth by buying the real thing. Though trying out a bunch of demos and seeing what you like is always good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moseph Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 ... the most 'professional' tools out there, and some of the more versatile (I hear that quite literally, the pros in the music industry use Logic and Reason, like the film score people)...I have not used programs like Ableton or Reaper, but I am intrigued by the latter, due to the things I hear about it. I wonder if anyone can post me an example of a song done in Reaper... Just listen to any song and pretend it was done in Reaper. DAWs don't really sound different, unless you count differences in bundled VSTs. Also, don't choose your software based on what "professionals" use unless you plan on touting your familiarity with specific software as a resume bulletpoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Souliarc Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 They are no need for insults. I know rationalizing a conversation is hard over the internet, but at least try. "Son, do you really want to make music?""Yes, daddy!" "Well, I won't get you what you want for 7 years. If you presevere in your dedication and do not lose your desire to make music these seven years, then your patience will be rewarded, for I'll see that you truly WANTED it enough!" "Hurray!" So by this conversation, you believe that just because someone really WANTS to do something that they should just take whatever they need to do it without having to be patient about it and save up for it? I really wanted a Nintendo 64 when I was younger, so I mowed lawns for a year until I could save up for it. I didn't steal it. It's called perseverance. Again, these arguments aren't exactly the best; the one's you're making, that is. Saying something like "damn kids have no patience" is not really looking at anything from an objective point of view at all, and a little short-sighted.When I was using a free program years back, I wasn't so concerned that 'ha ha! My impetuous impatience payed off perfectly!', as much as I was "yes! I finally get to start refining and honing my musical technique!" Some people want to pursue their hobby, and saying something like they're impatient ungrateful bastards is just generalizing and kinda dumb. It actually is a simple as "damn kids have no patience". Like I said before, you want something in this world, you have to earn it. It is REAL simple. I never said they were "ungrateful bastards" either, just impatient. Putting words in my mouth doesn't help your case. Some people do want to pursue their hobby, and like you, many others, and me have done, they used free/inexpensive things. I don't see how saying people who steal music software aren't patient, is dumb either. I know the exact feeling these people have when they come to this site, and it's a very impulsive feeling when you hear this music, and then want to ReMix yourself. You have to just take a breather and a step back and see what you have to do to get what you need and if you really want to do it. Or if you think stealing is worth it, then by all means, we all have a choice. As far as the topic goes Linux Multimedia Studio is an UNBELIEVABLY wonderful program (not just for Linux) that has close roots to FL Studio. Comes with many sounds and instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I don't necessarily equate "Wanting to take the quicker path" with "I have absolutely no patience GIMME GIMME GIMME" I'm glad you mowed lawns; I love saving money too to buy what I want, but you can't spread money everywhere. As much as our dads love the "You have to earn what you want" mantra, I think few people turn down something free when offered to them in an easy and accessible manner. Hell, my old man sometimes takes things that people leave in the alleys, like spare lumber, metal, etc. It's idealistic but not necessarily realistic. Again, I don't attach "being allowed to pursue your hobby/interest" the prerequisite of "you have to earn the right to be able to enter this field." I don't, nor do I see it as necessarily a matter of impatience. But I digress. As far as professionality is concerned, if you DO want to go into the professional music world, knowledge of those programs IS a big plus (another forum I go to has a guy who is a 'professional' saying that knowledge of Logic or Reason is a very good thing to have on your resume), but I don't tout its professional status as merely an end in and of itself, but rather, I merely tout it because of the availability of many features and techniques present on the programs. I would suppose you're right, in that a song done on FL will sound the same done on Reaper, sort of. However, the different interfaces and the ability to use them is ultimately what makes or breaks a DAW for a person. For the DnB crowd, I know a break-core/DnB/etc. guy who uses the program ReNoise (which I believe is free; can't remember), and he loves it very much. For those into that type of music, check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skrypnyk Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 For the DnB crowd, I know a break-core/DnB/etc. guy who uses the program ReNoise (which I believe is free; can't remember), and he loves it very much. For those into that type of music, check it out. It isn't as far as I know. At least I'm pretty sure soc paid for it. and I'll back up the notion of if you like breakcore/jungle/dnb and want to spend the rest of your life figuring out how to track, renoise is probably your go-to program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Souliarc Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 I don't necessarily equate "Wanting to take the quicker path" with "I have absolutely no patience GIMME GIMME GIMME"I'm glad you mowed lawns; I love saving money too to buy what I want, but you can't spread money everywhere. As much as our dads love the "You have to earn what you want" mantra, I think few people turn down something free when offered to them in an easy and accessible manner. Hell, my old man sometimes takes things that people leave in the alleys, like spare lumber, metal, etc. It's idealistic but not necessarily realistic. Again, I don't attach "being allowed to pursue your hobby/interest" the prerequisite of "you have to earn the right to be able to enter this field." I don't, nor do I see it as necessarily a matter of impatience. Everything you are saying is invoking that just because you don't have the money, it's okay to steal, and regardless if you know it or not, it mocks peoples hard work. In that, we will forever differ. Aside from people stealing for food and water and necessities. Music software is a luxury no matter how you spin it. You can't spread money everywhere, no, and not everybody's rich, but where and how you spread your money will lead you ultimately to what you need/want without having to result to stealing, if you have patience and drive. I don't attach "being allowed" to do anything to... anything. There is no "earning" involved, only honest hard work to get where you want. I quote Henry David Thoreau: "I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate himself by conscious endeavor." If you think it, you can do it. Everything will fall in place. For this, you have to have patience. It's a law of life. For the DnB crowd, I know a break-core/DnB/etc. guy who uses the program ReNoise (which I believe is free; can't remember), and he loves it very much. For those into that type of music, check it out. I talked to Zwitra a while a go. He said he paid around $45 for the full version. You can use the trial as long as you want, but you can't export audio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EC2151 Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Guess i fail at life. Sorry, bro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonicSynthesis Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 Ok first of all, Wow! Didn't mean to cause arguments. I take advantage of anything i can get for free because i'm a typical student who barely makes enough to pay rent for his apartment, and seeing as the countries going through this fucked up recession i can't find a job anywhere. This doesn't mean i won't eventually support the software when i can. I'll always download a bands album and make sure i like it before i actually considering buying it. It's it's not that i don't have patience. It's the fact that i need to know this shit for my course by May next year. Now i came on here to ask for advice, not to cause problems. But seriously if you have a problem, then that's your problem, not mine! I appreciate all the advice people have given and i'm still open for more. Kthx <3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion303 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 That's not exactly the best argument you can make there, Soliarc my friend. Having been on both sides of the fence, I can tell you that people who do that don't do it because they 'aren't committed enough' or they 'don't want to support the company.' The kid said he wanted to "try" FLS, which he can do without getting a pirated version. If he really meant "I'm going to use this from now on as my main DAW," he would have said that. And in that case, it's worth the money. -steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonicSynthesis Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 Well do you get get all the features in the trial version? Btw stop calling me kid please. I'm 20 years old... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuketheXjesse Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 http://www.reaper.fm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion303 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 Well do you get get all the features in the trial version? Yes. You just can't save your work, but you're free to use all the synths and features it comes with and export to mp3. Btw stop calling me kid please. I'm 20 years old... I'm 38. -steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonicSynthesis Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 Yes. You just can't save your work, but you're free to use all the synths and features it comes with and export to mp3. Ugh well because it's for college and it will take a while to work on it is pretty essential that i can save my work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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