Software?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Majordis
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Majordis

New member
Hello All..

I am new to home recording & need some help choosing the easiest software to use. I am trying to record my rock band & have the output of my Behringer PMP4000 board going into a Motu 828mkII (firewire). The software I have is Cakewalk Sonar X3, but I am finding Sonar to be very difficult to figure out! It is defiantly overkill for what I want to do. I don't need any MIDI functions, drum machines, etc. All I want to do is record what we are playing (on separate tracks, of course), adjust the volumes & EQ of each track & mix them down to stereo.
Is there any simple (and cheep) programs that are simpler than Sonar X3?

Thanks in advance...Majordis
 
That's a downside with stuff that does everything. But you're $xxx into it Sonar, just need ignore what you don't need zero in on what you do. Once you get the sound card routing and a few tracks laid out, you save it as a template. Starting a new proj is easy with that in place. Then as you go, you find more improvements refinements, save it as a new one and build on it.
In fact I'm Shure it comes with at least a few audio only templates.
 
+1 what mixsit stated, focus on getting audio to the software and then just tracking. Pay attention that it doesn't clip.

Learn how to save a project so if youa re doing multiple takes or songs, you can move in an out easy. Once you are done recording, you can worry about the mix later.

Source is the most important step, so just focus on that part for now. You can learn later how to get the mix correct and l learn the other parts of the software. When I am recording a whole band, all I do is track, no mixing, nothing, just capture all of the instruments, focus on the levels. When I am done, then I start working on the other parts and the mix down.
 
If you're finding Sonar hard to work out, download Reaper as a free trial and give that a go. If you want to keep it it's $60. There's usually something out there that will work for you. If you stumble with a few of them, then you probably just have to get head down and learn one of them properly.
 
Thanks, mixsit. I do have a template created, but it still seems to be more than I need!
 
Majordis said:
Thanks, mixsit. I do have a template created, but it still seems to be more than I need!
Click to expand...

These programs are more than than about any one person could need.
The thing is you whittle it down to what you want. For example I have some smaller templates for specific gigs (like '10 Track' straight dump from the live recorder' that has been built' from one of my std 16 track recording set ups. Some of the stuff not needed is actually just hiding (the 'Show/Hide Tracks and Busses 'M' shortcut..). Busses with FX's inserted and bypassed and muted, the previous dedicated tracks, etc. available but not seen in the stripped down ver.
 
I have an old copy of Sonar that I use (or used to use) when I needed MIDI. I have to say that I'm with the OP--I found it really awkward to use for recording and mixing audio tracks.

I concur with the suggestion to try Reaper--and give it long enough to get past the initial learning curve. However, what suits in terms of a user interface can be different from person to person so, if you don't get on with that one, try another free trial!
 
I'm a big fan of sonar, I used to use it around 10 years ago and thought it was ahead of its time back then and very easy to use. For cheap though you won't beat reaper
 
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