Line6 UX1 vs UA-25EX and GT pro 4 vs Sonar X1... need help please!

[nalooti]

Hi,
Here is what I want to do:
- connect my guitar (by USB) to my PC
- play guitar along a song played out of PC (so I have to hear the song on my amp)
- record guitar only (without the actual song on which I'm playing) + a drum beat and bass line that I want to write entirely (not presets, but I need real drum and bass sound not fabricated and synthesized)

Here is what I have:
- Guitar Tracks pro 3 (it doesn't have any piano roll view, so I can't write my own patterns)
- LMMS (while I can write my own patterns for anything thus bass and drum, the sounds are not good in my taste)

Here are what I plan to buy:
- Line 6 UX1 or Edirol UA-25EX Guitar USB interface
- Sonar X1 soft (because GT pro 3 doesn't have piano roll view and I like very much the sound of virtual Instruments from Sonar i.e. drum, bass, piano, strings).

Questions:
1/ My preference on USB interface goes to UA-25EX (one reason is UX1 doesn't support XP SP1, another is that UA25-EX has some effects in-the-box meaning they work even without the provided software while all UX1 effects are in the POD soft)
Which one should I buy ?

2/ As you understood with GT Pro 3 I have neither piano roll view nor any virtual Instruments (mentioned above) so I'm gonna buy another DAW software. However any DAW has many effects in it, so which effects should I use, those from my USB interface or from the DAW ?

3/ Should I buy the Sonar X1 or the Guitar Tracks Pro 4 ?
Actually I don't know the real differences between them, not even if they are on the same category to compare. I mean Sonar X1 is a DAW. Is GT pro 4 also a DAW letting me do what I described above ?
What is the advantage of Sonar X1 vs GT Pro 4 ? does the latter have -guitar- effects not in the Sonar X1 ?

thanks in advance for your lights
nalooti

 

[Muzzaman]

1/ Why not upgrade your service pack to SP3?? easy done and instant problem solving of device support.

2/ REAPER? it's very cost effective, easy to use and comes bundles with effect? Also has Piano roll.

3/ UX-1 will give you all the guitar effects / amps / cabs you need.

Cheers, Muzza.

 

[Washburn100]

Here's another suggesion, why don't you look at the vs-20 from Cakewalk: Cakewalk V-Studio - Record Your Guitar and Vocals with Incredible Tones
I mention it because you seem to like Sonar/Cakewalk products and this thing would be an all in 1 solution for what you are looking for.

 

[nalooti]

Thanks for your suggestions. I'll take a look at them (except SP3, I have no time to spend on my old XP system).

Yet, I need to understand what is it that someone having bought a guitar USB interface like UA25-EX or UX1 which come with lots of softs, still may need to buy a general DAW like Reaper, Sonar X1, etc. ?

Do this general DAW have features lacking on softs bundled with hardwares ? like what ? are they able for example to deal with video clips meaning mixing sound with a video clip and synchronize with it ?

nalooti
P.S. I was wrong UA25-EX doesn't have any in-the-box effect. Those are within the software bundled with the hardware

 

[kcearl]

Sonar X-1 sucks at the moment...read the forums, for guitar stuff Id suggest Reaper by a mile....