DAW choices aka too many!

[Joemexistrat]

Looking for a DAW for recording guitar/bass, with eventual keyboard. I've looked at the choices etc, but want more personal opinions. I'm not a total nooblet when it comes to recording (well video) that is. So I get the basic premises of the function. I've used Sony Vegas/Adobe Premiere for some video projects in the past. For me I think the items listed as follows.

1. PC or Mac - Doesn't matter, 20 years in IT so hardware won't conquer me.

2.Stability - I'm guessing most DAW's are fairly stable whether on Windows or OSX (I know some DAWs are OS specific).

3.Visual/GUI - What DAW isn't going to want me to put my fist through my monitors? ?

4.Hardware/Interfaces - Driver dependant I know, loaded question. I've read on some interfaces with crap drivers
.
5.Workflow - Will any one DAWs workflow be better vs another or is it all subjective to ones own abilities of basic fundamentals and understanding?

6.Support - They all seem to have decent forums etc, but will anyone have better support via the developer? Aka slow ass ticket resolution?

7.Price - Seems some DAWs are quite expensive, many will fit into my budget so no worries there.

Anything I'm leaving out? Gimme some feedback guys. Way to many options and I'm not looking to demo multiple DAWs over days of fiddling lol...

Joe W

 

[helloradio]

I have the following setup.

1. Apollo Twin from Universal Audio for recording guitar and bass. Super easy to use and there are tons of videos on Youtube from connection to setups. Their plugins are also killer!
2. Pro Tools Cloud Subscription

 

[Deleted member 196982]

If you have a good computer for dedicated audio use, that's what I'd start with, and not choose a platform for the DAW. Most can run on either, except Logic Pro, which is Apple/OS X only. (LPX is a bargain for $200, but you likely will pay more for the computer if you don't already have a Mac.)

Whatever platform you start with will often be the one you stick with because changing is time consuming, and true migration of projects a rare option, never mind the mind-shift usually required to develop a new workflow. The good news is that if you have a dedicated system, you will probably get a lot of use from them. My newest computer is a 2012 Mac Mini, and I still use a 2010 MacBook Pro for some things.

Reaper is probably the cheapest full-featured DAW and it has a large support community. I'd certainly give it a trial run if I was starting out.

Once you get used to a DAW, you'll develop your own workflow, but spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos to see if one or the other makes more sense to you. You have to realize it's just a different kind of medium and there's a learning curve that you have to climb.

I use a Focusrite interface right now, with a Behringer ADAT add-on for 8 extra mic pres. You can spend a lot or a little on interfaces, but for most home recorders, the extra money is not really going to pay off audibly, since we usually have less than ideal recording spaces. Durability is something I cannot really comment on. My first Roland (25 something or other) is still alive in a friend's basement, while the M-Audio (4ch) that replaced it cooked itself after 4 years. My only recommendation is that if it has a separate power supply you confirm it will sleep with the computer cycle, or make sure it has a power switch to turn it off. (Bus powered interfaces should always sleep when the computer does, but some might not - 24x7 heat will catch up with those little boxes sooner or later IME.)

Good luck.

 

[TAE]

Ya know Keith The turn it off suggestion may not be a bad one....I have a bad habit of leaving my stuff on...I had a very nice line 6 UX8 go haywire on me after about 3 years. I think I'm going to add shutting the outboard equipment off to my"best practices" list.

My Brother-in-law did IT for a large police department he observed with PC's he had more problems with the ones that were getting shut down and restarted every day ...but that's one guys observation that was made about 15 years ago now...

I do leave my computer on and just let it sleep...but all the outboard gear doesn't sleep when it does.......good suggestion! AND +1 for REAPER

 

[Joemexistrat]

If you have a good computer for dedicated audio use, that's what I'd start with, and not choose a platform for the DAW. Most can run on either, except Logic Pro, which is Apple/OS X only. (LPX is a bargain for $200, but you likely will pay more for the computer if you don't already have a Mac.)

Whatever platform you start with will often be the one you stick with because changing is time consuming, and true migration of projects a rare option, never mind the mind-shift usually required to develop a new workflow. The good news is that if you have a dedicated system, you will probably get a lot of use from them. My newest computer is a 2012 Mac Mini, and I still use a 2010 MacBook Pro for some things.

Reaper is probably the cheapest full-featured DAW and it has a large support community. I'd certainly give it a trial run if I was starting out.

Once you get used to a DAW, you'll develop your own workflow, but spend a lot of time watching YouTube videos to see if one or the other makes more sense to you. You have to realize it's just a different kind of medium and there's a learning curve that you have to climb.

I use a Focusrite interface right now, with a Behringer ADAT add-on for 8 extra mic pres. You can spend a lot or a little on interfaces, but for most home recorders, the extra money is not really going to pay off audibly, since we usually have less than ideal recording spaces. Durability is something I cannot really comment on. My first Roland (25 something or other) is still alive in a friend's basement, while the M-Audio (4ch) that replaced it cooked itself after 4 years. My only recommendation is that if it has a separate power supply you confirm it will sleep with the computer cycle, or make sure it has a power switch to turn it off. (Bus powered interfaces should always sleep when the computer does, but some might not - 24x7 heat will catch up with those little boxes sooner or later IME.)

Good luck.

@kieth.rogers

Hey buddy, Not worried platform wise. I have a pretty decent Mac Book Pro which I got off a customer who splurged for one of the new Mac Book Minus Normal Usb Ports Laptops Plus I have a beast mode gaming rig based off a I7-6700/32 gigs DDR4 off a Asus Rampage Hero VIII. Still have a couple years before I build a new beast machine. By then maybe Apple might fix some of these road map blunders they're doing on the computer line and I'll just get a upper end Mac. I've used this current PC to do some Video editing with no worries about it handling audio. So if I need to go Windows no issues really

In the end I'm going with Studio One on the Mac, seems pretty good so far. My Tascam 16x8 Interface seems to be playing nice so far on High Sierra. Plus I don't really plan on pushing the software like you pros do lol. Not loading all kinds of VST's etc to start. Really appreciate all the info though guys.

 

[sirenvy]

Ya know Keith The turn it off suggestion may not be a bad one....I have a bad habit of leaving my stuff on...I had a very nice line 6 UX8 go haywire on me after about 3 years. I think I'm going to add shutting the outboard equipment off to my"best practices" list.

My Brother-in-law did IT for a large police department he observed with PC's he had more problems with the ones that were getting shut down and restarted every day ...but that's one guys observation that was made about 15 years ago now...

I do leave my computer on and just let it sleep...but all the outboard gear doesn't sleep when it does.......good suggestion! AND +1 for REAPER

Never shut down your computer, and just do an occasional restart to work out and kinks that may develop. Computers are made to stay on and run, and "sleep". I spent about 1200 bucks on my PC with liquid cooling and have 0 problems with heat. Add the 4 fans as well.

 

[Deleted member 196982]

Never shut down your computer, and just do an occasional restart to work out and kinks that may develop. Computers are made to stay on and run, and "sleep". I spent about 1200 bucks on my PC with liquid cooling and have 0 problems with heat. Add the 4 fans as well.

The only time I shut down my systems is if we're going away on a long-ish vacation/holiday. But, as I mentioned, you should check that your non-bus powered devices also sleep, or at least have adequate ventilation if they don't. Heat kills electronics, sooner or later.

But, on the fan issue, that was sometimes the loudest noise in the room when I was recording. (I don't have a "studio" so my mix/music room has to do double duty for my experiments.) The MacBook Pro and Mini, both upgraded to SSDs, are so quiet I had to get a 15ft USB cable and put the external project mirror set in the closet, because they were making the most noise! Now, it's just a matter of dodging the hobby pilots and occasional corporate jet from the local, small airport that buzz around, and lawn equipment, which will make extended recording dicey for the next several months...

 

[Joemexistrat]

Never shut down your computer, and just do an occasional restart to work out and kinks that may develop. Computers are made to stay on and run, and "sleep". I spent about 1200 bucks on my PC with liquid cooling and have 0 problems with heat. Add the 4 fans as well.

That's the funniest thing I've heard in awhile Absolutely nothing wrong with shutting down or restarting a computer, this isn't 15 years ago when restarting a Windows NT 4 server might not come back up.