Best DAW for orchestra recording?

WaxedKankles

New member
So I’m getting a desktop computer to use for orchestra composing and I’m just wondering if there’s a good DAW for orchestra. I’m used to using Pro Tools and Logic Pro X. Since it’s gonna be a windows computer Logic is out. I’m used to Pro Tools 10 but I’m not sure if I like their subscription pricing now. Can anyone that has the sub tell me if it’s worth it and if you have to keep buying updates or just work with a version without upgrading? The software for orchestra recording will be Spitfire Albion One if anyone has used that with a DAW that would be super helpful! Thanks!
 
I use Spitfire Albion, and some of their other products on Cubase - and I still think that for MIDI editing, Cubase beats Pro Tools. Midi was Cubase's origin, and audio was added later - Protools started with audio and added MIDI. Cubase's MIDI tools section is really good. For Spitfire you also need a master keyboard with easy access to octave up/down, decent touch sensitivity and faders that can access controller 7 and 11 at the very least in addition to modulation as some of the patches really need to be played. I've never used this kind of app on Protools, so I don't know how well integrated it is. Albion is a little weak on solo woodwind for some reason, so that's one area you may need to look at. You essentially have woods low, middle and high, but when you 'inlayer' them to reveal the individual patches, some are better than others. I can't find a clarinet I like, for example.
 
Is Cubase pretty easy to learn? I have an 88 key Roland RD700NX that I’ve used for midi and modulation I’m just not sure what controller 7 and 11 do.
 
You need modulation, pitch bend, expression and volume really - Cubase is not the easiest to be honest, but with perseverance, it's really good for this kind of thing. Lots of very useful musical features, and some scoring capabilities too. The 88 keys come in handy, because the Spitfire sounds uses key switching to select the appropriate sounds as you play. So the very bottom C might set a staccato string, while the E a legato sound, so as you play, you change the character, and also use the mod wheel to add expression, and a bit of glass from the pitch bend - so it gets interesting. Feel free to send me a direct message and I'll try to help with specifics. Also investigate British Drama Toolkit.
Try this and you can hear how you can play so quietly you can get the strings to chatter - all the sounds on this short clip I did from Spitfire's products.
 
Best is subjective... Or dependent on your needs. The orchestra thing is throwing me. That's not really relevant - is it? You'll need something with a LOT of ports/inputs... A real Orchestra, or midi orchestra.

Regardless, I use ARDOUR as my DAW. Cross-platform and really lite.
 
Definitely a midi orchestra. Just asking if there’s one that’s better for workflow as far as midi. Or just one that someone who has done midi orchestra recording likes better than another. I’m sure most are fine.
 
Your first post made me think you were going to record orchestras, then we settled on sampled orchestras. Albion, and the other Spitfire things I have runs on a number of platforms, and the playability of the sounds is really down to your manipulation. I doubt that there is a 'best' - and any of the popular heavyweight platforms will work for you, if you put the effort in. The trouble with MIDI is it's edit heavy. For orchestral work, the killer thing is being able to edit pitchbend, aftertouch, controllers, and then note by note editing - so you need to shift notes in time, pitch and of course velocity. How exactly these things get done, in Cubase which I'm happy with, are by different types of edit screens. I currently use the normal old fashioned key based screen most, followed by the list editor, then the score editor and occasionally the drum editor. Others will be quite different. Cubase does these thing pretty well I think. I can work quickly and pretty effectively. you need to have some dexterity with the mouse, but it works. after all these years I'm still not quite fluid with drawing in curves - to do expression as a second pass usually means pressing record and using the fader on my keyboard. This and things like pitchbend can be draw in with the mouse, but I cannot work the mouse the way I can with a real knob or wheel. I bet Protools now can do this kind of stuff as well - I don't know, because when I started with Cubase seriously for work, protools was a leader in audio recording, but very weak in MIDI. I don't know it's status now. I'd hope its now good. Other can comment probably.
 
Sorry if it was confusing. I should’ve gone into more detail. Yeah I’ve always had trouble with Pro Tools and Midi so I’ve used Logic Pro X instead. The computer I’m getting is windows so unfortunately I can’t use that. So I’ll probably try with Cubase since it came with my Podfarm for my guitar and upgrade if I need to.
 
Elements or Artist I guess? I'd certainly give it a shot and see if you can take to it. However, it's a bit of a risk to spend Albion money on something you may not like. My colleague and I collaborate a lot and both have Albion it works well on Artist 9.5 he has. Not sure if it will work on elements.
 
It says Cubase LE AI Elements 6. Looks like an older version. So I guess I’ll see. How much is Cubase Artist if I had to upgrade?
 
At the risk of further confusing things!!

I strongly suggest you download the latest version of Samplitude Pro X (4now?) Not perhaps in the Cubase class for MIDI but pretty good. The trial last 30 days, is fully functioning and there is an optional samples and "tools" download of around 3G (takes a while!)

Samplitude always seemed much lighter on the PC than even my grot version of Cubase Essential 6.

Dave.
 
A lot of the movie composers that use midi orchestra VSTIs, use Digital Performer, it’s got a bit of a learning curve. It’s sequence, and chunk systems, and excellent scoring ability, make it ideal for composers doing big movie scores. Usually they’ll write and arrange in DIgital Performer, after making sure it all fits, print the scores. Hire the live orchestra and record the audio into Protools.
 
Reaper. Cubase. Nuendo. Reason. Fruity Loops. You name it... notta lotta diff.

Notta lotta diff, that is, because it's the Plug-In that does all the work. You want strings? You might wanna load up Vienna Strings. Now, which program makes that sound more like strings? They all sound alike and can all handle plenty of midi - or at least all you're gonna want.

(I use an ancient program and do orchestral work with great big samples triggered from it.)

These midi DAWs are simply software versions of an old midi sequencer. It didn't actually sound like anything until you hooked it up to a synth. Today, instead of a big hardware synth, we just get a software title that plugs. in.

Now, that said, some of them come with some fairly decent sample banks and synth plugs as defaults. Some come with almost nothing.

As is often the case, this thread is evolving into "what i like to use". Okay, fine. But it's possible you may wish to re-phrase your question.
"When I buy a DAW package, which one comes with the best orchestral plugs?"
or
"Which package comes with the most realistic orchestral variety?" or something like that.
And then,
"Once I get a DAW, where's my best source for additional orchestral plugs? - because you'll never be satisfied, really.

Which, from what I've read, might be your more useful approach to this.
 
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