Best Sequencer to Start With?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dalius
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Dalius

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Hello, I am looking for a good sequencer to start recording with audio and MIDI, any suggestions? So far, I'm considering only Cubase SE
 
If you want to try a freeware program called JAZZ++ from www.jazzware.com
It even works on a 486 with 32 Meg of RAM

Check it out, if it's what you're looking for
works for me. EZ to learn, and has a lot of features.

I do most of my drums via mouse clicks on the drum grid window.
Make a few bars, then copy and paste.

What can I say, this program is my drum machine.
I'll add some bass, strings, piano where necessary.
Been using it for over 4 years.

********************************************************
Features and Highlights
JAZZ++ features summary (version 4.0):
Support for GM, GS and XG midi standards
2 main windows displaying tracks and single midi events
Record/Play
Powerful and easy event editing
Volume, pan, chorus, reverb, program, name, .. per track
Trackstatus: mute, solo, play
Quantize (groove), velocity, notelength, transpose, copy, replicate, erase, merge, move, meterchange, ...
Load/save midi standard files, format 1
Multiple undo
'Install-shield' installation for Windows
Context specific help on all windows and dialogs
Graphic toolbars in both trackwin and pianowin
Audio/midi integration: simple insert of audio samples into your midi song by the concept of audio tracks
Audio/midi synchronization
Audio sample editor/processor
Audio effects (equalizer, reverb, delay, pitch-shift, time-stretch, distortion, reverse, etc.)
Random Rhythm Generator with file load/save
Harmony browser with file load/save
Melody generator
Arpeggio generator
Metronome
Graphical edit of pitch, velocity, modulation, controllers, tempo
Sysex editor; insert/edit any sysex event
Event list editor
Mapper dialog - a tool for editing events from some user-defined pattern (can be random-controlled). Allows for interesting functionality like e.g. "humanization" of quantized tracks
Built-in support for 128 GM sounds, 317 GS sounds and 480 XG sounds; instrument list can be customized further by user
Mixer window (slider control of volume, pan, chorus, reverb)
GS and XG altering of sounds (cutoff frequency, resonance...), vibrato, pitch wheel sensivity/actions, modulation depth/actions, after touch actions....
Setting of part mode (normal vs. drums)
GS partial reserve editing
GM, GS and XG Reset
Individual drum instrument parameter editing (reverb, pan, chorus, pitch)
Support for MTC and Midi songpointer synchronization (Windows)
Load/save of patterns (e.g. a drum groove)

JAZZ++ highlights (version 4.0):
GM, GS and XG support
Fast and powerful event editing
Audio / MIDI integration
Audio sample editor/processor
Sophisticated drum groove generator
Harmony browser/generator
Melody generator
Arpeggio generator
Mixer settings saved into midi file
GS and XG sound editing
Graphical edit of pitch and other controllers
External sync support
Sysex editor
Event list editor
 
Freeware = GOOD!

But if you've got $80, I'd recommend Sonar Home Studio for midi and audio.

https//www.cakewalk.com
 
I'd rather not use freeware...free is good and all, but you get what you pay for and I'm pretty sure most freeware doesn't support VST, and a bunch of other features.

Right now, it's looking like it's between Cubase SE and Sonar Home....unless I'm forgetting another retail sequencer...any pros/cons I should know about before buying either?
 
Yeah. Download the Tracktion demo HERE. I've used it for almost two years - it's stable, easy to learn and use, sounds great and supports VST plugins. In fact, the boxed version comes with a whole bunch of VSTfx and VST instruments and a fistfull of Mackie compressors that are still among the best I've used...
 
johnnymegabyte said:
Been using it for over 4 years.
Click to expand...
Are you using one of the older Windows OS's like 98 or NT?

I clicked thru to the Jazz++ site and that's all they have --- unless I'm missing something...
 
Right now, it's looking like it's between Cubase SE and Sonar Home....unless I'm forgetting another retail sequencer...
Click to expand...

N-tracks should be mentioned. I messed with the demo a few years back, seems good and afforfable.

Cakewalk HS would be a good choice. If you outgrow it and need Sonar, you will have already learned the basics of the software. The more I work with SONAR,the more I am impressed with it.
 
This sounds stupid and probably is but also has some amount of truth to it.

Twelve-Tone Systems = Cakewalk = Sonar, based in the USA, and seems to have a western mentality/user interface to it.

Steinberg = Cubase, originates from West Germany and might be aimed at pro level users making it less intuitive to (some, read "me") users.


Ok, I know this is horse-hockey, but the first sequencer software I ever bought was Steinberg. I was so confused by it, I traded up to an analog machine just to get started. A year later I discovered Cakewalk and it just clicked, for me at least.
 
Oh, oh, oh, what about Audacity1.2.3. ? I downloaded a copy, it's free, but I haven't used it.
 
ssscientist said:
Are you using one of the older Windows OS's like 98 or NT?

I clicked thru to the Jazz++ site and that's all they have --- unless I'm missing something...
Click to expand...
Windows 98SE with a Pentium II works fine for my sequencing needs
Their windows verson should work on all versions of windows
If I get a newer PC, I'll probably go XP and then look into new software that can handle everything like Cubase etc.
 
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