should i even bother with free sonar x1 bundled with interface?

junplugged

junplugged

Taking the slow road
getting sonar x1 free bundled with roland quadcapture usb, i haven't used it, don't know anything about it, is is seriously handicapped?

it's Sonar LE, not sure now if it's also x1, i think it was in the past but that may have changed...
 
The versions of DAWs included with hardware is always pretty limited...it's designed so you go through the learning curve and then buy the full version because you don't want to go back to square one.

As for Sonar, it's a darn clever bit of software but (and I'm sure other users will jump on me for this) it's more of a MIDI sequencer that can also do multitrack audio than a DAW that can do MIDI...if you see what I mean. Whether it's the choice for you will depend on the mix of things you want to do. FYI, I have an older version of Sonar that I use for MIDI duties alongside the present version of Audition which does no MIDI at all. No...I'm not advocating that for others--it just happens to suit the things I do.
 
What Bobbsy said.

I started with the cheapest version of Sonar and just upgraded bit by bit as I could afford it. Great program. I don't do much midi or sequencing stuff, which I hear is what makes it stand out from a lot of other DAW's.

Sooo, yeah, I'd install the freebie, see how you like it and maybe upgrade a bit if you do.
 
Bobbsy said:
The versions of DAWs included with hardware is always pretty limited...it's designed so you go through the learning curve and then buy the full version because you don't want to go back to square one.

As for Sonar, it's a darn clever bit of software but (and I'm sure other users will jump on me for this) it's more of a MIDI sequencer that can also do multitrack audio than a DAW that can do MIDI...if you see what I mean. Whether it's the choice for you will depend on the mix of things you want to do. FYI, I have an older version of Sonar that I use for MIDI duties alongside the present version of Audition which does no MIDI at all. No...I'm not advocating that for others--it just happens to suit the things I do.
Click to expand...

I don't really see your point at all.

Does Sonar do Midi? Yes
Does Sonar do Audio? Yes

And it does them both with consumate ease and with a fabulous set of bundled Fx plugins & soft synths

Yep, I'm biased and not ashamed to admit it, but Sonar has never let me down in the 6/7 years I've been using it.
 
It's all personal opinion but...

Does Sonar do MIDI? Yup, better than any other sequencer I know.

Does Sonar do Audio? Yup, but not nearly so well and with not nearly as good a User Interface as a bunch of other programmes.

If my main need was MIDI Sonar would be my first choice. If my main need was live audio, Sonar drops well down the list behind a bunch of other software. As for the bundled effects, I find them so-so at best compared to the competition.

As I say, I'm not a Sonar basher--I use it myself. Just not for live audio. I render my MIDI tracks to wave and mix them elsewhere by choice.
 
I like the LE versions for a couple purposes.

One, it gives me a feel for the workflow and big picture capabilities of the DAW, without orphan registry changes after a trial demo expires.

Two, as a bare bones tracking transport on a mobile PC, or in a tracking only room.

I have yet to regret installing any LE versions, tho I rarely use them, and every once in a while, some odd task comes up that makes me glad I have them around.

I run 3 DAWs here, Tracking room, Control room, and a Mobile/Remote unit on a laptop. The Remote runs X2 LE as the primary DAW, no problems or regrets.
 
Bobbsy said:
Does Sonar do Audio? Yup, but not nearly so well and with not nearly as good a User Interface as a bunch of other programmes.
Click to expand...

Just an opinion, and one that I really do disagree with. I love the way Sonar works with Audio. It is as good as any and better than most in my book.

Glen
 
gcolbert said:
Just an opinion, and one that I really do disagree with. I love the way Sonar works with Audio. It is as good as any and better than most in my book.

Glen
Click to expand...

Totes agree. I use Sonar X1 and have no reason to change it. Never any problems. If there is something obviously wrong with Sonar's audio, then I seem to be missing it. Some kind of comparo would be good to hear
 
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