maybe buying cubase vs. protools

J

jackstpaulUHS

New member
Getting new computer so I'll be getting new software. I've used Cool Edit Pro for years, but have been dormant for a while.

Of the pluses re: Cubase, I gather that it's better for me because of:

The audio tracks available--I'm low-end, low-tech, audio track heavy.

It has far fewer problems with Vista, though I just heard that PT came out with a much cleaner version/fix for Vista Home Premium.

Cubase comes with a whole suite of effects--was told that PT home doesn't? Is that true?

It's easier to get plugins for Cubase because they use VST's and there are gazillions of them out there.

You have more interfaces to choose from vs. PT which must use a ? can't recall the brand. M---?

Been talking to someone at guitar center. He said they sell PT with interface for about $450. The Cubase rough equivalent would be about $700 because you have to buy the interface separately, but with more options to choose from.

Then it sounds like it'll cost some real coin to get decent effects for PT, making the product price difference less of an issue.

Is it easy enough to import my existing wav. files into PT, or is that a hassle?

Thanks.
 
Keep in mind the PT your talking about is LE not an HD system and it's limited to 32 tracks, which probably won't be a problem for you.

Do you need the full blown Cubase 4? You could always start with Cubase essentials for much less and move up later.

Be careful about getting any advice from GC. They are motivated to sell what their manager wants them to sell.

I export .wav files out of Sonar into Cubase so I don't know any reason why you can't do that with PT.

Do you like the PT interface? I tried out PT with my Delta 1010 and didn't like it at all. It's all centered around the Mac universe so I could not relate to it all using a PC. I thought the workflow (as in things like commands that are more simple in Cubase) was horrendous compared to Sonar and I'm now using Cubase and like it's workflow better than Sonar. If I were going to use PT I would buy a Mac and control surface.
 
thank you therage!

I was going to write that the guy at GC seemed pretty above board and not pushing one or the other and pointing our drawbacks of each, until I checked into Essentials after your post.

I knew Cubase had a cheaper version in the past, which turns out to be SE--but I couldn't recall the name. He didn’t mention Essentials--said 4 was the lowest end they had. He might’ve said SE wasn’t around anymore. I didn’t question it further. I told him about the basic level of use I need/have been doing. MF'er.

I've been using CoolEdit Pro 2.1a for years. I've been running WinME so I couldn't upgrade to A Audition.

Essentials looks like it might be what I should start with. Audition 3 might do me just nearly as well, but it seems Essentials gives me more options and the oppty to upgrade without getting into a new program. What I'm looking to do is start getting into midi.

The most tracks I've done to this point is 23--all audio. Guitars, vocals, drum machine/virtual, bass, and minimal keyboard/synth.

I use a lot of tracks for vocals. I double everything, and then I use 3 copies of each in the final mixing: Dry, + chorus, and +chours+reverb. That gives me a lot of options of balancing the level of effects vs. dry rather than making one version of each to use in final mix. With future stuff, I'm going to add more b-round vocals and harmony so I want more than 32 tracks (which had been a consideration point that I didn't mention).

Thing about .wav files was in reference to PT, not Cubase. I've heard that PT uses some proprietary file format that isn't compatible with any other program, so you have to go thru conversion. I've read negative comments about that re: problems and losing some sound quality of the track, as with any conversion.

I can only find one user review of Essentials, but it seems that the big problem for him/her was that they wanted something more sophisticated.

I didn't plan on buying at GC, just using them as info source, but I'm really pissed now. I bought a Gibson acoustic there last year, and that guy was great. I think he was there to fill in between since he'd just moved to town, but he quickly left.

I haven't found another music store to get info for such a range of products. It's not a small town--Twin CIties = 3 million people, but options are very limited. There's a great guitar store--Willie's in St. Paul--but they don't seem to know much about things other than guitars & related stuff. What's in the on-line forums is usu. a bit more advanced than where I'm at.

It's really great that people here who are more sophsticiated offer advice to those of us who are more primitive in our use of equipment and knowledge.

Anyway, thanks a ton. If you read about a GC in MN being fire-bombed…
 
the problem with both of those daw's is no demos for you to try(non that i've found on the web.......quick disclamer)
i went to night school at the local music collage and tried them both and ended up buying cubase 4 .
audio interface ? you could always buy an m-audio which would run with both of the daws but only the m powered in pt.(limited to 32 tracks unless you buy an upgrade i belive)
but i would advise you check out their drivers ,they were having problems with the vista drivers but that might be sorted now.

personly if it was me i would buy the best sound card i could with the amount of money you have and use reaper for the daw ,alot of people rave about it and its very cheap . and has a try before you buy.
 
how much money are you thinkg of spending ?
how many channels do you need to record at once
do you have mic pre's if so how many and what ?
do you have any monitor speakers or a mixer ?

just a few questions so people will know what you have and how you will connect everything up to narrow the sound card field down
 
axeman_ukl said:
how much money are you thinkg of spending ?
how many channels do you need to record at once
do you have mic pre's if so how many and what ?
do you have any monitor speakers or a mixer ?

just a few questions so people will know what you have and how you will connect everything up to narrow the sound card field down
Click to expand...

I knew after I posted that it was something of a stupid question without specs.

All I've done to this point is 1 input at a time of audio. Looking to get into midi. I'll be using an interface no matter what, so I thought that works interactively decision-wise with a soundcard--get a soundcard to work in combo with an interface, get a certain interface considering what the soundcard is....

I can't imagine using more than two inputs at once. As I said, I just shot from the hip in response, and I haven't looked into any of the parameters involved, cost (particularly clueless and budget is open) or otherwise.
 
does not always matter if the sound card has midi on it you can always buy a midi box that pugs in your usb slot and will allow one or multiple midi in's and outs.
as to the sound card you would be better off posting this question in the computer recording sound cards section to get up to the minute advise of all the new sound cards available ,i havn't looked at them for a while.but RME were a solid manufacture with good drivers , makie onyx have good pre's in them .
post this question with how many channels you want and how much you are willing to spend and if you want internal ,usb ,firewire,also mention you dont have a daw because some might come with one in the bundle.
 
If you haven't used either Cubase or PT, then I would HIGHLY suggest using Reaper. It's free to try, and only $50 if you decide to keep using it......
 
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