GarageSpin

I do miss, for instance, Ableton Live in this list. And indeed, as you mentioned, quite a few free/OS software.

Yup, Ableton is a great example. N-tracks is worth comparing, as well as numerous open sources options such as Audacity (the most well known). ...I'm more of a Sonar/Reason man myself...

I am a SONAR user, but I was advised that ProTools is a "Studio Standard". The analysis provided is not very encouraging to ProTools users and potential users.

Sheng,

Yeah, I've received a lot of conflicting advice as well. At a basic level, it seems to always boil down to, "If you plan only to record for personal purposes, stick to Cubase or Sonar. If you hope to one day to work a pro recording studio, use Pro Tools."

All that said, most users use less than 30% of the features in any software application anyway, so perhaps it's not too big a deal either way. ;)

-MikeB

Trust me, if you use SONAR or Cubase, you can teach yourself ProTools in 30 minutes - TOPS! It only took me that long because I had to get acclimated with the G4 OS-X at my University's studio (I'm a PC man).
With SONAR and Cubase being every bit as professional (more?) as ProTools until you hit the Mammoth ProTools HD192 setups, I'll bet there will be more SONAR and Cubase setups in mid-level professional studios in the very near future.

Trust me, if you use SONAR or Cubase, you can teach yourself ProTools in 30 minutes - TOPS! It only took me that long because I had to get acclimated with the G4 OS-X at my University's studio (I'm a PC man).
With SONAR and Cubase being every bit as professional (more?) as ProTools until you hit the mammoth ProTools HD192 setups, I'll bet there will be more SONAR and Cubase setups in mid-level professional studios in the very near future due to their not needing to use proprietary hardware.

Mike B - your site is wigging out. Either that or we just did a psychic version of the monkeys-typing-shakespeare thing!

I use Cubase SX 3 with a Motu 828 MK II and have been very happy with the results. I have used Pro Tools and worked with studios using Pro Tools and so far am enjoying the features and plugins that Cubase has to offer over the Pro Tools. Even though the industry uses Pro Tools, I believe that will change with time unless MAC Intel machines make a MAC come back. Hard to say.
I like both but my personal studio is Cubase

what about capture algorythms...? I was told the highest version of pro tools (HD) has the best capture quality, I can't tell because it cost about 16 thousands or more.... check my web site and hear me. I'm a sonar fan so far

It makes no difference what so ever. The functions are similar, sound quality comes out of your sound card. It's how you use it.

Just started to learn cubase......I've been singing in other people's studios for years, I find it very difficult, not what I would expect. I guess to go from zero to recording what's in my head will take many months. Hmmmmm

It makes no difference what so ever. The functions are similar, sound quality comes out of your sound card. It's how you use it. SORRY RICKY THATS CRAP...IT MATTERS MOST - THE ENGINE MAKES THE SOUND, NOT THE SOUNCARD.. THE SOUNCARD JUST PLAYS IT!!! THATS TECH BASICS MAN!

I'm a PT LE 6.4 user on a non-dedicated computer -- XP, 2.4GHZ, 1024, etc., though I have separate BIOS for ProTools. What I wonder about is the comparative resource/CPU appetites of the 2 programs. I get maybe 3 or 4 RTAS effects, then it crashes and a CPU overload window opens. Any difference in efficiency/capacity in the programs?

SORRY RICKY THATS CRAP...IT MATTERS MOST - THE ENGINE MAKES THE SOUND, NOT THE SOUNCARD.. THE SOUNCARD JUST PLAYS IT!!! THATS TECH BASICS MAN!
What an insanely misinformed reply that is the most improtant thing is the da/ad converters which ARE in the sound card!

Yes I have a coment on the guy whose computer crashed using pro tools...

I purchased PTLE and am using a HP media center 3400 AMD athlon with i.5 gig of ram plenet of spped and power to run most programs NO problem...Spent a day loading the protools software and bundle onto my computer.Spent 2 hrs on hold waiting for a tech on my dime to get support for the new set up...found out that even though using windows XP on a blazing fast computer ! Digidesign was incompatible with my SIS chipset...The tech basically said get a new Motherboard.I went to their support site and you would belive the items they have under both windows and mac that make a great deal to the performance of the LE product...Thats possibly why your computer crashed luke...So even though it says it will run on XP or Mac first see what your computer has in it...and call protools...its the fine print that allways comes back and gives a little nibble on the leg...
Im going to look into cube base or buy a mac I guess..

hope this helps

I operate a small film post production studio and pro tools is every where... everywhere else! when I found out that in order to use pro tools, not only you have to buy their gear (mbox is caca by the way...), but you also have to pay a 900$ 3mo plugin in order to be able to import OMFs.. i just gave up on them crooks. When we go for mixes outside, i send a Cubase made OMF. had issue once but it was fixable.

Cubase 4 will be the new industry standard. Just try it. I was a protools and logic user. No More!

The studio I work in is industry standard, and we record many mainstream commercial music / where all of us engineers use protools & cubase for multitrack recording. I have encouraged the studio to set up a rig with SONAR on many occasions, but the owners are brainless caught up in a "Industry Standard" bubble. I also do work at home with my personal setup where I use nothing else besides SONAR. And everytime I share one of my tracks from home recordings with the boss he says "Why don't you produce this level of quality here?". It is because the fools force me to use ProTools and Cubase, which beleive it or not can not top SONAR (with the right DX plugins SONAR kills everything). I have been doing this for 15 years, and im tired of protools and cubase. They are subpar.

Well I am trying to see which is the better way to go, Pro-Tools or Sonar? but with Pro-Tools all my friends are using it and with the MBOX2 we can exchange tracks so we can collabirate with each other. Does Sonar have anything like this?

this is to Sonar users i am new to this and looking to make incredible music what interface or other equip is BEST to get that clear pristine sound

I use Reason, Cubase, Adobe Audition and fl studio 7.... everyone for different things!

First off, most professional studios use Pro Tools that is the TDM systems, not the LE. LE is for consumer grade.

How come Logic wasn't mentioned?

check out the new Logic Pro Studio. $499.

i use sonar 6....but the problem i receiveed in the recording is cpu usage dropout.....can i handle sonar smoothly as cubase without any latency....?

hey everyone, right now I'm using audacity to record/edit my tracks and FL Studio 6 to do all my mixing. I want to get into something heavier but I'm 100% self-taught as it is and I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of features and stuff in the programs I use as it is. I'm also just using the mic input on my computer to do my recording. I heard I need something like an "audio interface" or something like that to get better recording. obviously I don't know much about recording hardware. my questoin to everyone is this this: does anybody know any good websites/books/instructionals for a beginner in recording?

is there a mixing board designed for the cubase 4 system, I don't like using the mouse all the time, if there is a good mixing board, I would love to get the information, thank you, ROY

Hey guys, this is highly interesting.

Personally, from what I have discussed with other engineers, pro tools LE has a pathetic audio engine, Nuendo is fat better, non the less I am an avid Sonar 7 fan, primaruly because I feel it is the bets layout and has a good audio engine, maybe not the best but ive had no complaints. I lime how the mixer is set out like a propoer mixer being able to use sends to busses and busses to busses, so you can make numerous routes for submixes for band members et al. It jsut has more of a grip for me. I have each DAW and have used them all, from adobe audition, cubase, sonar, nuendo, logic, pro tools, but I always feel a bit intimatde by most stating pro tools is the industry standard, again thi is correct if you have the amazing HD system, but the LE version is bascially empty, Cubase Nuendo and Sonar dont strip any faciltiy away so surely this make them better for medium engineers?

goddddddddd

sonar it's the best, pro tools it's dead, the only thing it's that you should lear how to use sonar in a full way, and then tell me, what's better, mmmmmmmmm

sonarrrr

im a cubase user and i've tryed pro tools and all that. with cubase you can have as much quality as you have with pro tools, i really think that people allways think that pro tools is the BIG boss of production softwares. i dont think so, cubase offers me every possibilities of VST compatibilaty and great quality. im a psy/dark trance and electronic producer and i've been playin with productions i made on cubase and it never failed me. And more.. i have a cousin that is a sound engineer and he has Nuendo on his studio. he says that pro tools is the greatest way to spend money. pro tools is a great app indeed but you can do the same with cubase for your productions. Cheers

The reason pro tools is the industry standard is really because it was the first practical DAW to use at the professional level. The interface is very familar to to the high end consoles on analog desks that mixers used prior to the digital revolution. Digital mixing is way easier, faster, more forgiving on mistakes, and cost efficient than its analog counter part as we all know, so the switch to pro tools just made sense. Fast forward about 15 years later, and there is an arsenal of high end DAWs to choose from. I suspect that more sophisticated routing of newer DAWs (particularly Sonar, which i use in my studio) will one day win over pro tools, as mixers of the newer generation being to emerge. As for sound quality, the difference, if any, is negligible. As aforementioned, the quality of your sound is as good as your D/A converters. And if you're doing soley midi, there is no difference.

Best

Anyone use a projectmix I/O? ive been thinking of getting one with sonar 7 or pro tools with 003 rack,any help?

I don't know anything. Should i learn pro tools first before i try anything else? or if you think sonar or cubase is going to take over should i go straight to learning one of those? i suspect they're all pretty similar...

hey

hey

Whats up, u guys sound pretty smart.I am an oilfield hand on a rig so i have more of a strong back than i do a mind.I got a question 4 yall.I want 2 make some hip hop tracks and sing on them as well,what would yall recomend that i could teach myself 2 use thats simple without loosing 2 much quality.My brother in law has a keyboard,speakers,small beat machine,and mic.I live in a small town in Tx. and there is not much 2 do so we're just trying 2 get started.Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

are yall there?