Looking for basic recording software for PC

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pvanscherpe

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I have a MOTU 896 and I am looking for a very basic software recording program to use on my PC with the firewire MOTU. I am not interested in all the extra bells and whistles that come with many programs. This is just for recording on location. I will work with the recorded audio later in ProTools.

Thanks for any suggestions.
 
Simple and free: Audacity

More full featured with free dowload and can be purchased: Reaper

Inexpensive and good: Cubase SE3, Cakewalk Home Studio, N-track, etc.
 
N-Track

Great software, great price, great support, great product. I can't preach it enough. For your basic needs, it's the best. But if it's REALLY basic that you are looking for the free Audacity is muy bueno.
 
I know this Program isn"t Free (For most Poeple) but it is one of the Simplest and easiest to understand Programs available and can do much of what the More expensive programs can do.....

Mackie Traction v2.1..........
 
another vote for n-track. I competely replaced my $500 sonar software with $50 n-track software and havn't looked back.
 
I would recommend that you consider Reaper.

It's still in beta but coming along fast and the designer is VERY receptive to input from the user base...


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+ 1 for reaper. by far the most sophisticated shareware daw out there for windows.
 
minofifa said:
another vote for n-track. I competely replaced my $500 sonar software with $50 n-track software and havn't looked back.
Click to expand...

Why did you get rid of Sonar?

And what made you go for ntrack?

GVDV in Toronto
 
the last sonar i bought was sonar3 producer ($500 with an academic discount). I felt it was time for a software upgrade but there was no way i was paying $300+ for the sonar upgrade. i looked at n-track's features and realized that sonar does't do much that n-track can't. In fact, i can't think of anything off of the top of my head. I'm not trying to be a fan-boy of n-track though either, it has some things i don't like. The GUI looks old and outdated to me, and there is a problem with routing to group channels that is bugging me right now. Finally, i like the idea of a small user-base and a single program designer (flavio of n-track) rather than a corporation and team of developers like cakewalk. Have you seen the bug list for sonar5? its massive!
 
Stripped down recording programs.

Thank you all for some Great suggestions!
 
Reaper is free but from looking at their forum, it doesn't like VST's very much. I currently have cubase, traction, and Sonar 5PE. All are useable but I prefer Sonar 5PE. For free and basic, it looks like Audacity is it.
 
SteveE9C6 said:
it doesn't like VST's very much
Click to expand...
I been taxing it lately and in my experience there's not many VST's that it 'doesn't like'.

Have you tried it or are you just going by the bug reporting forum?

If you haven't tried it, I would strongly suggest you do. It doesn't handle VSTfx and VSTi's quite as deftly as Cubase but it easily competes with Tracktion - and I have both too...


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ssscientist said:
I been taxing it lately and in my experience there's not many VST's that it 'doesn't like'.

Have you tried it or are you just going by the bug reporting forum?

If you haven't tried it, I would strongly suggest you do. It doesn't handle VSTfx and VSTi's quite as deftly as Cubase but it easily competes with Tracktion - and I have both too...


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Click to expand...

I've never used it. I just read thru all of the lengthy listing of VST failures listed in a sticky at their site. I'm sure it is a good program but it really doesn't do well with convolution reverbs for some reason according to the products own database. I was going to download it just to check it out, but I use convolution reverbs quite a bit, so I just passed. The developer seems pretty proactive so this will probably get fixed at some point. It's free so I guess ya can't complain too much!
 
hey ssscientist, and others.
why do you go through so many software packages? Can you not find a piece of software that fits your needs? I was a long time sonar user, but couldn't afford the upgrades, so i recently switched to n-track. I like it, but i hate the learning-curve adn time of learning a new piece of software. I guess i can see learning a few different progs to see what one suits your needs best, but to mess around beta's and to suggest them to nuew users seems counter-productive. They are beta's for a reason. Then again, i guess somebody has to test them.
 
apologies if reaper isn't in beta status anymore. and my above post wasn't a burn on anybody, just wondering why people dabble a bit in lots of programs, rather than learn one inside-out.
 
hey ssscientist, and others.
why do you go through so many software packages?
Click to expand...

I've been using Cakewalk since the beginning of Sonar. I have every upgrade and am now on 5PE. I know it pretty well. The other programs I mentioned I got for free bundled with products. I really don't have any issues with Sonar5PE. In fact, the upgrade for S4PE was only $190. This included "Perfect Space" and a software synth. Well worth it from my perspective. I find also that the large user base helps when it comes to doing projects. Everyone is different. Everyone has their own needs and price points. Don't worry... be happy!
 
minofifa said:
hey ssscientist, and others. why do you go through so many software packages?
Click to expand...
Ah, to be young again.

The answer is that before Cubase was Cubase it was Pro 24 and before Pro 24 is was Pro 12 and that's about when I started using it. Master Tracks Pro was a fave too, and these were Atari 520/1040ST apps. If I could find an Atari 1040ST that still worked, I'd use it in a New York minute. It was the tightest midi computer that I've ever used.

All software packages treat audio and midi in basically the same way, and every software package has it's advantages and disadvantages. I will admit that using Ableton's Live took some getting used to and that I have settled into using mostly Reason 3.0 and Live - sometimes Rewired, often not - to do most of my composing and remix work. I'm looking forward to Live 6 big time...


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