What is the prettiest DAW?

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lockesilver

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I can't find a separate section for software in general so I'm asking here.

As in the title, what is the prettiest DAW?

BG story:

I was always an Ableton Live lover because you can do ANYTHING with it in a simple way. Recently, however, I've installed Magix Music Maker just for fun and immediately loved it.

The problem with Ableton Live is that the simplicity and unification of the interface actually restrict my creativity... every instrument etc. look the same as a set of controls on the bottom bar. It kills imagination.
In MMM, in turn, you can insert e.g. an effect processor and it appears as a separate, eye-candy style box with shiny knobs that you can turn and experiment and have fun:)
I also generally like stylish and nicely designed drum machines and pattern generators etc. more than just changing presets in a single grey colored instrument in Ableton.

On the other hand, MMM is totally based on pre-made samples and I hate that. Need more versatility and features in the midi, audio editing and sample creation departments.

Any suggestions?
 
If you want eye candy, then Reason with its SSL mixer is the DAW you will like.


Also, anything made by Apple - Logic or Garageband.
 
There is no such thing as the "prettiest DAW", nor the prettiest anything or best anything.You have to find something that suits your needs and is able to provide you with everything you need. I'm pretty sure you can just google up DAW and get a load of results varying from A-Z or something like that. Hope you understand.

Cheers,
Darren.
 
DarrenVocal said:
There is no such thing as the "prettiest DAW", nor the prettiest anything or best anything.You have to find something that suits your needs and is able to provide you with everything you need. I'm pretty sure you can just google up DAW and get a load of results varying from A-Z or something like that. Hope you understand.

Cheers,
Darren.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's subjective, but there is a somewhat general agreement in eye candy. Ableton looks ugly! Reason looks pretty. It's not a matter of workflow here, it's a matter of how it looks.
 
lockesilver said:
The problem with Ableton Live is that the simplicity and unification of the interface actually restrict my creativity... every instrument etc. look the same as a set of controls on the bottom bar. It kills imagination.
Click to expand...
Some might cynically argue that an imagination that can be killed by the way an interface looks isn't an imagination at all.
Fortunately, I'm a gentleman..........:cursing:
 
grimtraveller said:
Fortunately, I'm a gentleman..........:cursing:
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... and a scholar... :)

I actually am finding sometimes that the pretty GUIs that plug ins come with quite annoying... because things are always in different places and operate differently.

And this is all about ears, not eyes....
 
If I can't find the colors that I want with my DAWs (Reaper or Pro Tools) ..... I just break out the colored sharpies! :p

You should see my computer screen! :facepalm:
 
grimtraveller said:
I wonder what Stevie Wonder thinks......
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:laughings:

Reminds me of this .....

At a celebrity party, Stevie Wonder meets golf champ Tiger Woods and mentions that he, too, is an excellent golfer. Tiger is a bit skeptical that the blind musician can play golf well, but he's too polite to say anything. "When I tee off, " the singer explains, "I have a guy call to me from the green. My sharp sense of hearing lets me aim." Tiger is impressed, and Stevie suggests that they play a round. When Tiger agrees, Stevie asks, "How about if we play for $10,000 a hole?" Tiger insists he couldn't possibly play him for money because of his sight handicap. But Stevie argues and badgers Tiger until Tiger finally relents Stevie says, "You pick the place and I'll pick the time?" Tiger says, "Fine. Pebble Beach" Stevie replies, "Midnight!"
 
Thanks for the answers. I will check out Reason and Cubase.

I should probably have mentioned that making music is just a sort of a hobby for me. It will never be professional or commercial so I only want something to have fun with (but more "advanced" fun than a toy like MMM).

I'm still going to use Ableton for work, as in podcasts, jingles and VO recordings because in this case the sterile interface is desirable. Doesn't get in the way.
 
lockesilver said:
I'm still going to use Ableton for work, as in podcasts, jingles and VO recordings because in this case the sterile interface is desirable. Doesn't get in the way.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that.
I prefer to use Cubase for podcasts and more serious work. Since I feel comfortable with it and is easier to stare at for hours.

Ableton I use when I'm not being serious and just want to sketch out ideas or have fun. That way I don't get lost in the interface and wanting to try things out.
 
That clearly shows how subjective is this. Perhaps the key idea here is "use what you are familiar with for work and anything else for fun". :)
 
An ugly DAW kills creativity? I've heardit all now.

Now I see why there was no good music made until about the year 2000. All that shit music that came out of the 60's and 70's was the result of people having to stare at tape machines.

:eek:
 
@RAMI
Now that's reductio ad absurdum :cool:

I'm pretty sure they didn't use Ableton Live in the 60's. Rather than that they had loads of bad *ss hardware to play with.

I'm not saying you can't make music with an ugly daw (DOS trackers anyone?), just lookin for something casual to explore by discovery and blah blah. Have fun. :listeningmusic:
 
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