Sonar, Logic or Cubase??

[soulidstate]

I've been a hardware sequencer user for so long using Korg WS. I started off with Karma, then Extreme and now M3. I wish to slowly migrate to software sequencer and I am wondering which of the 3 will run smoothly with the TI. I use Acid loops too. My objective is probably to choose one which is not too complicated to use for someone who's a beginner like me.Which model and version would you recommend.

I would appreciate your inputs guys.Thanks.

[fgimian]

Hey there mate, I run Cubase flawlessly with the Virus TI. In terms of workflow, I really think it's between Logic, Cubase and Ableton Live (Sonar for me, is very badly designed).

If I had a Mac, I'd be going for Logic (traditional DAW) OR Live (more cutting edge but less features)
If I had a PC, I'd be going for Cubase (traditional DAW) OR Live (more cutting edge but less features)

However, I can only vouch for the Virus TI in Cubase personally :)

Good luck
Fots

[jamie8286]

I used cubase on pc for years as soon as i went to mac and got logic my tracks and production seemed to get alot better. Thats just my personal view but i think its just a case of knowing you gear inside and out thats the real key i think. Logic just seems to work for me. It does take some learning though but when you've got the hang of it its great!! i wouldnt go back to cubase now i love logic its ace :D .

My virus TI works fine in logic usually i tune the synth with VC but when iv got a sound a like i switch to external instrument on logic and control the virus with midi and record the signal out the main outs. People say its no different but i like the sound of it and that way of working.

cheers Jamie

[ionvortex]

why not ableton live? :> I love its interface, plus it supports vst's better than logic

[boborulz]

If you want something that is intuitive and easy to use, plus extremely powerful I'd recommend Ableton Live. It has the best documentation I've seen. I made the transition from ProTools to Ableton a couple of months back and I was producing full songs in it extremely quickly...so yea, thats my vote :)

[fgimian]

I respect and love Live too, but I never ended up going with it due to several limitations:

Just things like:
- Really powerful and detailed editing of automation
- Multi-take audio recording and comping
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
.etc

Beware of the 8.1x release also, it's been a big fiasco in terms of bugs and crashes. Although, the company has acknowledged this and are working towards a proper release.

In comparison to Logic, it's also significantly less value for money.

On the other hand, Live offers some features that are simply not in other DAWs:

- Extremely well integrated sampler
- Max for Live
- This new Serato collaboration
- Session view
- Crossfader for DJing ability
- Re-pitch mode for changing tempo of a clip (very good for DJs)
and a few more things

At the end of the day, all 3 DAWs can lead to professional results, so it comes down to taste, workflow and platform requirements. e.g. Only Cubase and Live are multi-platform, perhaps you need to collab with someone?

Some people are saying that SONAR 8.5 is quite good, but assuming the workflow hasn't changed drastically, I personally wouldn't consider it at all.

:)

[feedingear]

I've heard and seen nothing but bad things in regards to Sonar. I am using Cubase 5 on PC and really enjoying it now I have learnt it a bit better.

Starting uni soon and a lot of it is maxMSP stuff so I guess I will be getting involved with Ableton so that should be interesting too.

[///OSS]

Definitely Cubase for PC. I was never a logic fan but used it in the past as there was nothing logical about it (LOL) but everyone is different and what works for me might not for you. how about you try them both and see what you like :D

Sonar blows

Live is cool but its no DAW

[maelstrom808]

With Cubase, just keep in mind you will be missing out on a few things like the sidechaining and such due to some of the limitations of Steinberg's software. To a degree, there are some ghetto work arounds, but it's not going to work 100% as advertised. That being said, I still use and over all love it.

[TheHobbit]

Personally for the better of all the evils I use Cubase, for all the whines that people make it is a well developed platform amd every DAW has it's pros and cons. As for Abletons Live I have made several attempt to try and make tracks on it and not really gotto grips with it, but that's personal.

As mentioned your tools are what YOU get used to. All DAWs do pretty much the same thing and it is really down to the features and workflow that is good for you. Hence I have used Cubase for 14 years and do not 'choose' to learn another DAW.

I have tried most on the market Sonar, Traction, Protools (hardware reliant you must have a protools audio interface or for LE M-audio soundcard), Logic (which is Mac only).
Reaper is probably a good one to try as it's cheap and is making massive headway for user support a basic verion costs £30 or you can go pro for more.
Fruity loops and Reason i would say are not great for sequencing or capturing audio, however, both are excellent for creating loops and phrases which I do and then drop into Cubase. Propellarheads do now have Record which is a sequencer for reason - not convinced myself.

As for Virus TI support, Access do not yet officiallyy support Reaper unless that has changed (but that doesn't mean you shouldnt consider it).

Cubase5 does support sidechain and is easilty implemented in a channel with the included compressors.
Cubase does not however support VST Instrument input which will probably change on the next release/upgrade (Cubase6).

Hope this is of help PM if you need some advice.

Useful links (Im in a helpful mood today) :

CUBASE
http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/musicproduction/cubase5_product/cubase5_trialversion.html (You need an elicenser dongle!!!)

REAPER
http://www.cockos.com/reaper/ (Again demo version on download)

SONAR
http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Sonar8-5-Producer-8-5-Studio.aspx?Prod=SR8.5 (I do not rate this but is very popular in the US)

Propellardheads Reason and Record
http://www.propellerheads.se/products/

Logic
http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/ (Mac only loads of plugins for the money. This will take you down the Mac or Win OS platform debate!)

Traction
http://www.mackie.com/products/tracktion3/ (Limited features but good for guitarists may suit you)

Protools
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=100&navid=507&itemid=35911&ref=pt8-hpb (The alledged professional of the lot - expensive interfaces)

Fruit Loops
http://flstudio.image-line.com/ (It has it's place ;) )

Peace out

[sdrr00]

try Presonus Studio One demo, see if you like it

http://www.presonus.com/products/SoftwareDetail.aspx?SoftwareId=11

its PC and MAC

[fgimian]

I have demoed REAPER many times and tried so so hard to like it. The app is very well priced and has a decent feature-set, but I feel that it is very poorly designed. This probably comes down to the fact that they add a heap of tiny features with extremely quick, un-planned updates.

REAPER now is a pretty big mess when it comes to menus, preferences, general workflow and usability, at least that's how I feel about it. In addition, it lacks good MIDI editing, elastic audio and a few other very important features.

Studio One is a breath of fresh air, and pretty much works just like Cubase in many aspects. Though, it's still a pretty new program and lacks things like Elastic Audio, which are really REALLY useful for music production. I think that this DAW could be a true contender in the near future.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts on these 2 DAWs.

I still personally believe that the biggest contenders are Cubase, Logic and possibly Live :)

[///OSS]

With Cubase, just keep in mind you will be missing out on a few things like the sidechaining and such due to some of the limitations of Steinberg's software. To a degree, there are some ghetto work arounds, but it's not going to work 100% as advertised. That being said, I still use and over all love it.


Cubase 5 has Sidechaining :D

[boborulz]

So what does live lack?

[enossified]

So what does live lack?

If you look at the full version of Cubase 5 you get convolution reverb, auto-tune, a huge number of plugins including synths and samplers, notation editing/printing, far more powerful MIDI editing (Cubase started 25 years ago as a MIDI-only sequencer for the Mac), multicore support (maybe Live 8 has this? Live 7 does not). And it only costs $100 more than Live!

Live excels at real-time rearrangements of short snippets of audio and MIDI...it's a great tool for sketching things out. You can actually jam with Live, recording everything you are doing as you go along. It's still the best DAW to use for live performances (as opposed to studio recording).

I'd say if your needs involve recording lots of audio tracks as well as complex MIDI sequencing, Cubase is definitely worth it.

[feedingear]

I tend to agree that Live lacks the depth and ease that Cubase provides for linear sequencing, especially if you are the type to get really deep into automation and editing things to the nth degree.

I picked my copy up as a student so it was 50 percent discount - 500AUD, not a bad score - if you are a student it's definitely worth it.

[pwm]

You can download free trials of Sonar and Live (why not try them) but not Cubase. They've all got aspects that make them better at some things than others. I've got all three programs and its sonar I find has the best workflow for me overall. Nevertheless i'd probably recommend Cubase if you only wanted one program. Live is fantastic at what it does but has less features for traditional tracking of songs but more features for loop triggering

[infraction]

So what does live lack?

Dual/multi screen support for one :-x

[PaPi]

Go with Cubase 5. IMHO it's the best. For a time, I used Sonar besides Cubase because the latter wasn't 64-bit yet. But then I experienced problems with 32-bit VST's. Tried to use the Cakewalk forum to ask for help and I was tarred and feathered not only by the fanboys but also by the Cakewalk people, unable to admit their software was buggy. Obviously it could only have been my fault: yeah, that's how they treat you. Now that Cubase is fully 64 bit, they can really have their buggy cake and eat it too, for all I care. I won't give them a single penny of my money ever again.

[TheHobbit]

fruity loops forever mfuckers xd


Must demonstrate the general IQ required to use this software I guess!?

[feedingear]

Concord Dawn did at least one of their records within FL - all depends on your skill and knowhow... staying away from the FL plugins is a good start to get some original sounds though.

[suzzymackenzie]

try Presonus Studio One demo, see if you like it

http://www.presonus.com/products/SoftwareDetail.aspx?SoftwareId=11

its PC and MAC

...reviewed very favourably in this month's SOS :)

[synthfiend]

I've been tossing up whether to move from Live to Cubase 5 and have come to the conclusion that all DAW's are good enough to get your musical ideas down, and thats what is really important....:-)