pro 9 vs. sonar 2

[iamaTripp]

I am a newbie and I just bought a Q10 which comes with pro 9.
I want to record vocals and guitar mostly. I would like to add syn drums, bass, keyboards and a few other sounds. Will I be happy with pro 9 or should i upgrade to Sonar 2.

Thanks

[lapieuvre]

Of course Pro 9 will do the job, but honnestly when you do the move to sonar 2, you just don't want to go back to pro 9. It's like driving a gm car and switching to a porsche.

Thierry

[iamaTripp]

Thanks Thierry,

Since the Q10 comes with the pro 9 (GM) should I try it, or should I just go to the Sonar2 (porsche?) I think GM are ok, they get you where you need to go, but a porsche gets you where you need to with class, speed and pinache.

Thanks again

[moskus]

Go for Sonar 2 if you can afford it and you have a computer that can handle it.

[brzilian]

Originally posted by iamaTripp
Thanks Thierry,

Since the Q10 comes with the pro 9 (GM) should I try it, or should I just go to the Sonar2 (porsche?) I think GM are ok, they get you where you need to go, but a porsche gets you where you need to with class, speed and pinache.

Thanks again

Using any pre-Sonar program would be a waste on a newer system running 2000 or XP. You are not making use of the newer technologies built into Sonar (WDM, ASIO, DXi plugins...) and supported by 2000/XP.

The only reason PA9 was bundled with your Q10 is because Aardvark pretty much got for free from Cakewalk since it has been discontinued for a couple of years.

[pennylink]

As a registered Cakewalk user you can upgrade from Pro Audio 9 to Sonar 2.2 for about $150 I believe, which is what I did.

I run a PIII 800 / 512 RAM in Windows 98SE with dual hard drives (one dedicated to audio data), and Sonar in combination with a Q10 has been running great for me. Admittedly I haven't used more than 16 tracks with 8-10 plugins at a time, but I haven't come even close to maxing out.

Sonar has many advantages/improvements over PA9. One of my favorites is the ability to use Acid-type loops easily in combination with audio.

Having said that, PA9 is pretty powerful and may well be all you need. I would read all the reviews that you can find on the web, and then decide if you need the upgrade.

In the meantime, go ahead and use PA9. They're similar enough that anything you learn in Pro Audio won't be wasted knowledge, and if you decide to upgrade at a later date, you can import anything you did from PA9 into Sonar without hassles.

[iamaTripp]

Thanks to all who have offered their valuable opinions.

[bgavin]

Aardvark is now bundling MAGIX instead of PA9. My brand new Q10 box came with MAGIX, which is a bummer, because I wanted PA9 specifically for the upgrade path to Sonar.

[iamaTripp]

bgavin,

If my Q10 comes with Magix I think I should send it back. Don't you?

Somebody else selling Q10's must still have the CW pro 9 package.

Mine is due here Tuedsay.


I was wanting to upgrade to Sonar, myself.

[moskus]

I just did a quick search for Q10 with PA9. Apparently someone still has it avaiable on eBay.

Look here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=41784

and here: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/DirectProQ10/ (look at the blue box to the right).

[bgavin]

I bought mine from eBay seller NewSoundCard. The guy is 100% great to deal with, but he drop ships new equipment directly from Aardvark.

Somebody suggested buying a student copy of Sonar. I have kids in college, so a student body card isn't hard to come by.