Whats the real difference?

[Hiduk]

I am getting ready to take the home studio plunge. What is the REAL difference between Cakewalk PA9 and Cubase VST24, other than the fact that Cubase costs $200 more?

[Emeric]

This is a tough one. Without sounding biased and slanted (which I am anyways):

I tried Cakewalk for awhile, but found it too buggy for audio recording. Too many random stops while playing or recording. This was the main thing that set me off Cakewalk. That and too many memory leaks ala GPF's/illegal operations.

Cakewalk works for many people, and I have no doubt it's a great program. I've heard many times that Cakewalk is easier to learn than Cubase, but I don't really find that.

Cubase is not perfect either. Far from it. It has its share of bugs, but not as many, and not quite as annoying as the ones I encountered in Cakewalk.

The other reason I use Cubase is its support for ASIO. This allows faster response within the program, move a fader it adjusts the volume almost instantly etc.

Try the demo's of both and base your decision on your own experiences before you plunk down any cash.

Emeric

[CMiller]

If I may chime in here...

One of the things that instantly turned me on to Cubase was that the program looks like recording gear. It's interface is styled to look like a mixing console, recorder and effects rack. Even the peak leds look like the real thing. Cakewalk (some fine software as well) looks more like a program which I feel is a little more intimidating to someone making the switch (many times reluctantly) to a computer environment.

As Emeric said, try them both out and if you can, catch the Cubase tour that stops in from time to time at your nearest Guitar Center. I did and it made a world of difference to me.