old timer looking for the right program

[idseer]

my background is professional musician (guitar & vocal) for 17 years. the catch is it was from 1968 to 1985. i never had much experience with recording (hands on) but am now trying to find the right program to make private recordings. what i'm looking for is to record almost totally digitally ... even guitar.

i want control over such things as note by note (at least 1/64 note capable) play for each instrument and virtually unlimited tracks. i have an old roland juno 106 with midi capability that i want to be able to hook up and to have speed control so i can include things i ordinarily couldn't play at normal speed. i also intend to do some vocals (yes, i can still sing). i'd also like to have good a quality string sound. all these properties plus i want to end up with excellent quality my music will no doubt have an 'older' sound to it. not looking to do any hip hop etc.

so far i'm considering acid pro 6, but after reading some things here i'm thinking it's not what it's cracked up to be.. i've read a little about others (sonar, pro tools etc) but frankly a lot of the verbiage is confusing (ease of use would be nice). i'm looking to keep my expenditures below $500. i'm an xp user if it matters.

can i get some recommendations here? Thanks!

 

[jmorris]

I think Sonar would be good for you, unlimited trackes. It really isnt hard.Maybe buy an older version cheap!
Jim

 

[pipelineaudio]

so many great choices right now for you. Sonar will work. Acid will-sort of- depending on how you work.

Of course I'd reccomend the 2 minutes it will take to install and run REAPER

http://reaper.fm/download.php

 

[idseer]

so many great choices right now for you. Sonar will work. Acid will-sort of- depending on how you work.

Of course I'd reccomend the 2 minutes it will take to install and run REAPER

http://reaper.fm/download.php

looks good! i've read the 'reaper' thread and it seems highly thought of. i like the fact there's tons of help and info both here (mainly your videos etc) and at the reaper site. i'm tech-handicapped and will need all the help i can muster. i've just removed my trial acid pro and am preparing to dl reaper. will it really do all the things i mentioned in my initial post?
anyway, thanks so much for the suggestion. it would seem if i can't use reaper i should probably give up anyway.

 

[brzilian]

my background is professional musician (guitar & vocal) for 17 years. the catch is it was from 1968 to 1985. i never had much experience with recording (hands on) but am now trying to find the right program to make private recordings. what i'm looking for is to record almost totally digitally ... even guitar.

i want control over such things as note by note (at least 1/64 note capable) play for each instrument and virtually unlimited tracks. i have an old roland juno 106 with midi capability that i want to be able to hook up and to have speed control so i can include things i ordinarily couldn't play at normal speed. i also intend to do some vocals (yes, i can still sing). i'd also like to have good a quality string sound. all these properties plus i want to end up with excellent quality my music will no doubt have an 'older' sound to it. not looking to do any hip hop etc.

so far i'm considering acid pro 6, but after reading some things here i'm thinking it's not what it's cracked up to be.. i've read a little about others (sonar, pro tools etc) but frankly a lot of the verbiage is confusing (ease of use would be nice). i'm looking to keep my expenditures below $500. i'm an xp user if it matters.

can i get some recommendations here? Thanks!

Cakewalk just released Sonar Home Studio 6:

http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/HomeStudio/

$139.99 MSRP - most likely it will be under $100 at retail.

Light years ahead of Reaper. Its basically the full Sonar without features you probably would never use.

 

[Ford Van]

Reaper is still not very strong in the MIDI department, but it is improving, and I am sure within a year or less will be VERY strong in the MIDI department.

At the $40 price tag, you really can't beat it!

I cannot tell you if the MIDI is up to snuff compared to your needs, but I can assure you that it will be soon!

Sonar is something like $600!!! I used Sonar for years, and still have projects in it. But, audio wise, I prefer Reaper!!!

 

[beezelbubba]

Is the midi stuff a new feature?I don't remember it in the early version I had.
I d/l'd the latest version to check out the midi features.I don't have the patience at the moment to figure out how to set up a VSTI.At a glance though, the midi don't look too bad.
I'll probably be using reaper before too long.I've heard so much great stuff about it from people whos opinions I respect.I've got it and have played around a little, but I'm a stick in the mud who's been using NTrack for 7 years.
I think I'll start my next song in reaper.

 

[pipelineaudio]

Light years ahead of Reaper. Its basically the full Sonar without features you probably would never use.

In MIDI, and not light years, at Justin's speed of development

Audiowise? Sonar, like cubase and logic, started life as a midi sequencer and added audio later on.

REAPER was from the start made to handle audio, by audio engineers, who are a bit MIDI challenged, but audiowise, sonar will never again be in the same league as reaper

 

[travelin travis]

I don't have the patience at the moment to figure out how to set up a VSTI.

Click on the track's fx button, add, vsti, choose your plugin. To use your MIDI controller right click the track's record button, midi input, choose your controller.

 

[Ford Van]

Click on the track's fx button, add, vsti, choose your plugin. To use your MIDI controller right click the track's record button, midi input, choose your controller.

Weird, I was having problems getting Fruity Loops to work in Reaper until just now.

I discovered that you have to make the track a "Folder" before you can hear anything play.

 

[beezelbubba]

Weird, I was having problems getting Fruity Loops to work in Reaper until just now.

I discovered that you have to make the track a "Folder" before you can hear anything play.

How does one go about doing this?

 

[mixmkr]

but audiowise, sonar will never again be in the same league as reaper

Not that my ears are capable of hear subtle differences at this point in my lifespan, but you technically explain why?

Personally I can't hear the differences at this point (but I haven't really made detailed comparisions either within Sonar), but with Sonar's 64 bit internal float, wouldn't that be a sonic improvement over the 32 bit most programs are still using? LIke I said, I can't really hear the difference between 32 and 64, but it seems like a good way to crumble my CPU!

Also Ed, I realize Sonar is some $$, but have you tried the newest producer's edition, version 6 with newer features over Sonar5?

 

[Ford Van]

Not that my ears are capable of hear subtle differences at this point in my lifespan, but you technically explain why?

Personally I can't hear the differences at this point (but I haven't really made detailed comparisions either within Sonar), but with Sonar's 64 bit internal float, wouldn't that be a sonic improvement over the 32 bit most programs are still using? LIke I said, I can't really hear the difference between 32 and 64, but it seems like a good way to crumble my CPU!

Also Ed, I realize Sonar is some $$, but have you tried the newest producer's edition, version 6 with newer features over Sonar5?

No, I am not paying for anymore Sonar upgrades. I will stay at 5 for the projects that I already have. I am in the Reaper camp now.

Reaper has more features, and makes it easier to do the things I do most. It is FAR more configurable than Sonar is.

We where asking for features in Sonar 4 and 5 that were stock in Reaper's vs.1, such as scroll wheel zoom, and a more configurable interface. Sonar largely ignored this stuff until Reaper released. Is that a company that is reacting to it's customers wants? I remember when Reaper was in it's v. .6 or .7 stage and we asked for TRUE input monitoring. Withing a week it was there, and Justin asked for professionals input about how that should work!

Sonar as far as I know still does not have true input monitoring.

I don't need a whole lot of midi crap. I need something that can record tracks, edit tracks quickly (and there lies the beauty of Reaper!), and mixes audio with awesome features that address real life mixing needs, such as being able to sidechain compressors, and do ducking compressors! Reaper allows this easily, and Sonar has fallen behind in these kinds of professional features. Reaper offers it at a $200 price tag for the professional and $40 for a home user! Cakewalk offers a stripped down version of Sonar for $200.

Had Sonar kept up and offered truly professional features that were asked for by professionals early on, I would have stayed true to them. I love the interface of Sonar, and think it looks much better than Reaper. I like how the track control window is laid out MUCH MUCH MUCH better in Sonar than Reaper, but you know what? I can get used to Reaper, and I am sure that the skin and configurations of the layouts will continue evolve and allow the user to create a work space THEY want, not what some coder geek thinks I should have.

I am on board with Reaper. While it may lack a bit right now, it is only about a year and a half old, and already it is a viable solution for my needs. Imagine what the next year will bring!

 

[brzilian]

I can't believe people are honestly comparing Sonar to Reaper. Its like comparing a BMW to a Ford Focus...

Ford, you should actually take a closer look at Sonar 6 first. It is quite different from both S4 and S5.

And for the record, Sonar Home Studio 6 is more like $99 at retail, not $200.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/pr...ecording-Software?full_sku=700936&src=4WFRWXX

 

[Newbie-Doo]

Audacity is FREE recording software. You can download it here: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/.

 

[pipelineaudio]

I can't believe people are honestly comparing Sonar to Reaper. Its like comparing a BMW to a Ford Focus...

Ford, you should actually take a closer look at Sonar 6 first. It is quite different from both S4 and S5.

And for the record, Sonar Home Studio 6 is more like $99 at retail, not $200.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/shop/pr...ecording-Software?full_sku=700936&src=4WFRWXX

Sonar, is an midi sequencer with audio thrown in as an afterthought

REAPER from the ground up was an audio app

Still, I dont think its fair to call sonar a ford focus, thats for something truly dismal, like babya logic

 

[travelin travis]

Weird, I was having problems getting Fruity Loops to work in Reaper until just now.

I discovered that you have to make the track a "Folder" before you can hear anything play.

When setting up a normal track (non folder) to use fruity loops, did you arm the track? I think the default monitoring option is set for auto tape style so arming the track will allow you hear the vsti when the track is armed.

 

[brzilian]

Sonar, is an midi sequencer with audio thrown in as an afterthought

REAPER from the ground up was an audio app

Still, I dont think its fair to call sonar a ford focus, thats for something truly dismal, like babya logic

Really? How long have you been using Sonar? That "informed" opinion must most certainly come from someone who actually has experience with the program...

 

[TragikRemix]

sonar is a very strong app IMO. i never have used reaper though.

sonar's midi fuctionality is wonderful. i wish pro tools would implement things like the different midi views, ie, staff view, piano roll etc...

 

[pipelineaudio]

Really? How long have you been using Sonar? That "informed" opinion must most certainly come from someone who actually has experience with the program...

I think people around here will vouch that, I have given all DAW's more than a fair shake. I have PLENTY of experience with sonar all the way back to its roots when it was only a midi sequencer.

I watched Sonar 4 add some SERIOUS functionality that would allow me to use the program happily but for a few small quibbles

Still Sonar was not made by an audio engineer who has to use the app in front of customers.

This app was about TEN YEARS OLD without having a sensible monitoring solution. Now computers are fast enough that software monitoring is acceptable, but ten years????
An audio engineer would have had that figured FIRST, before worrying about anything else besides playback.

Of course if it were a MIDI sequencer, which it was, then no problem

How bout the DX format, which cake users brag cake had sooo much to do with the development of?

Ohhh a stereo LOCKED input set?

WHAT???

SO the send streams are arranged in stereo pairs, and no real way to send to one input from one stream set and the other input from another independant stream set, withous some really whacky panning schemes

AN audio engineer would have wanted his patchbay duplicated as REAPER has. But for a MIDI sequencer, which it was then no problem.