n-track or Cakewalk?

[dawilco]

Hi all - I've been poking around the Home Recording website for a few years but am new to the boards.
Question: I record tunes for CD distribution on my own label - acoustic stuff, usually 6 - 8 tracks per song.
I've been using an old Cakewalk program, Guitar Tracks, for tracking and CoolEdit 2000 for post work.
Are there any advantages to using the basic n-track program or am I best to stay with what I know?
Thanks!

[fraserhutch]

There is no one answer for this. Try them both - I bel.ieve they both have demos.

[Matheon]

there is a huge advantage to using n-track!!

it costs $50

as far as being better than what you have though.. shrug.. try it. the demo is almost fully functional. i haven't used cakewalk in a long long time as i've been hooked on ACID for almost a decade.. i downloaded the n-track demo and i think it really gives the bigger name bigger price softwares a run for their money.

[BMG_SKULK_MUSIC]

I tried Cakewalk 12 months ago, when I discovered music again on my PC.

At the time...very un-intuitive for the novice. Playback quality was not bad.

Bought n-Track because I didn't feel as though I had to read a 90 page manual
to open a file. Over the past months, n-track has steadily become a decent
program for the hobbyist player. Most of this due to updates and some timely
and compatible VST plug-ins, EQ's...Compressors...Master Limiters, etc.

I have a "version" of Samplitude which is a bit less GUI friendly, but has a nice
play-back and mixing quality to it.

I tried the demo of Sony's latest Soundforge...amazing playback and lots of
options, though some were not idiot proof.

[notbradsohner]

n-track or sure. So much easier to use.
























im glad manning isnt here

[tdukex]

Did anybody read this part?

Originally Posted by dawilco

I've been using an old Cakewalk program, Guitar Tracks, for tracking and CoolEdit 2000 for post work.

You already have two very good programs (with a total value of about $500). There is absolutely no reason to spend another $50 on N-Track.

Save your money and buy some nice mics.

[DaveO]

Originally Posted by tdukex

You already have two very good programs (with a total value of about $500). There is absolutely no reason to spend another $50 on N-Track.

Save your money and buy some nice mics.

I've bought, used, and liked both. I've gotta agree with tdukex here - why buy another program if you know one well and are productive with it? I can think of reasons to switch but if none of these or other similar conditions don't exist then I think it's a good idea to put the money toward other tools that will help make you more productive or improve the quality of your work.

Some of those reasons might be:
- There are features you want in the other package.
- Compatibility issues with your hardware or with other software you use.
- You need software compatibility with other people you're working with (my reason for buying SONAR even though I was already productive with n-Track).
- You have some reason to hate the company making the software you use now (awful tech support experiences, for example).
- You want to try something new to see if it will work better for you AND you have the money to burn to do it (hey, it's a legitimate reason).
- Probably a thousand others I didn't think of off the top of my head.

Anyway, I think they're both good products and either way you should be able to do what you need to do very well. Definitely try the demos, and if you do decide to go with n-Track for God's sake do NOT use a cracked version. That package is too good a value for what it is and Falvio is a hell of a guy to rip him off like that. I got great support from him while I was an n-Track user and he makes a mighty fine product, so I think he deserves all the honest support he can get.

[lexdrummer]

One compatability benefit from n-track is the .wav proprietary format, interchangeable with just about every program under the sun. It is more intuitive than most, giving more creative focus as opposed to proprietary program logic structure. It is compact, carries well on CDR, and installs quickly, making it very portable and reliable from rig to rig. A great tool, even if you own others. It is well worth the totally reasonable investment. Excellent support too. Would recommend to all levels of users. Good Stuff.