DAWs
- Thread starter Harry Klippton
- Start date
Bricksnbeatles
Member known well
Currently just GarageBand because I’m cheap and it came free on my very expensive MacBook 
I’ve tried ableton many times over the years, and I’ve never been able to understand the hype. It’s confusing and has disgustingly bad UI design
I’ve tried ableton many times over the years, and I’ve never been able to understand the hype. It’s confusing and has disgustingly bad UI design
Coda
Well-known member
I use Audacity because it’s cheaper than anything, is super simple (that’s also one of its flaws: it don’t do much), and I have been using it for like 10 years. It’s like tape, though. Once it’s done it’s done. Want to take that reverb you added to that backup vocal? Only if you undo everything you’ve done in the meantime. I need to upgrade, but I don’t really feel like learning a new program at the moment…
Bricksnbeatles
Member known well
I used audacity for a while. It was an interesting workflow to say the least, especially since I wasn’t using any plugins to make it work better.
All of this was recorded in audacity with a cheap single channel interface.
No amp sims, though I did use a line 6 spider IV with the preamp bypassed as an outboard reverb unit, and there’s one track where I ran the infamous insane channel into the interface with the levels set so it was completely clipping in the interface to get a nasty digital clipping sound for a few small overdubs. Otherwise it’s all just my Les Paul into either a Hendrix fuzz face mini (all the drive tones are the fuzz face with the volume rolled back, and occasionally set to just slightly overload the interface for just a tad bit of janky clipping), a bass whammy, or a cheapo looper pedal. Only one pedal at a time though, as a fun little limitation. The only part that isn’t my Les Paul on any of it is the 8 string bass part.
Audacity is far from what I would call my tool of choice, but it’s huge limitations are a fun creative aid.
benny_profane
Well-known member
Didn’t audacity have a potential spyware threat scare a bit ago?
Coda
Well-known member
I used audacity for a while. It was an interesting workflow to say the least, especially since I wasn’t using any plugins to make it work better.
All of this was recorded in audacity with a cheap single channel interface.
No amp sims, though I did use a line 6 spider IV with the preamp bypassed as an outboard reverb unit, and there’s one track where I ran the infamous insane channel into the interface with the levels set so it was completely clipping in the interface to get a nasty digital clipping sound for a few small overdubs. Otherwise it’s all just my Les Paul into either a Hendrix fuzz face mini (all the drive tones are the fuzz face with the volume rolled back, and occasionally set to just slightly overload the interface for just a tad bit of janky clipping), a bass whammy, or a cheapo looper pedal. Only one pedal at a time though, as a fun little limitation. The only part that isn’t my Les Paul on any of it is the 8 string bass part.
Audacity is far from what I would call my tool of choice, but it’s huge limitations are a fun creative aid.
I got my first interface a few weeks ago. Before then, all I used was a usb mic. My first foray into recording was a $99 Tascam 4 track. This was around 2002, cause there was an anniversary SgT Pepper’s issue of Guitar World with an interview with Geoff Emerick. He described how they would bounce tracks…and soon I was bouncing tracks. I’d run everything through the reverb in my Marshall MG30, and then hook the output to a friends computer, and he would record them as the masters. Then I ended up with a digital 8-track, which was fun till the headphone jack died. The next logical step was Audacity…though this was like 2010 or so…
I have Cakewalk downloaded, but I haven’t figured it out. I feel like my recording heritage causes me to be overwhelmed by all the bells and whistles…
Passinwind
Well-known member
I use a wide variety, but Cakewalk is my current favorite by quite a bit. BandLab is doing a nice job with regular upgrades and the feature set is pretty danged rich. And it's completely free beyond having to jump through some easy registration hoops.
PunchySunshine
Well-known member
These days it's Reaper. Just because it works on literally every comp (Mac and PC) I've ever used it on. For tracking a band there is nothing better IMO. It just runs! I enjoy Garageband and Logic but I HATE being limited to specific hardware. I first heard of Reaper while I was working on 360 video back in 2018 and needed a proper DAW instead of Adobe Audition (which used to be Cool Edit Pro!) that I had been hobbling along on since I started working in video back around '05. Before that it was Sony Vegas and Sony Acid as they were the only apps I could get to run on my cheap ass, low end hardware. I ran Cool Edit Pro 2.0 as my first DAW back in the 90s. Mang, comps where TERRIBLE back then! Recording a couple tracks, no problem...more than four?!?...major problems (for us anyways). It still blows my mind how easy it is and the selection we have these days!
Coda
Well-known member
Cool Edit Pro…now there’s a throwback. I used it on an old laptop I rigged up with Linux. It was pretty good…for what it was.
Harry Klippton
Not Interested
Does Reaper have a vst instrument for programming midi drums?
Robert
Reverse Engineer
It has a MIDI editor and VST support, not sure that it has an included instrument though. (Aside from ReaSynDr, but I think that's quite primitive)
The one thing I miss about Cool Edit Pro is how easy it was to select multiple tracks and mix them into a single track. I know Reaper has all sorts of non-destructive methods intentionally, and the "Render" option, but with CEP it was a matter of two clicks and the tracks were mixed together in-place, as-is, forever. There are times I want that kind of simplicity.
Looking back at screenshots, however, shows how much that software has aged.
The one thing I miss about Cool Edit Pro is how easy it was to select multiple tracks and mix them into a single track. I know Reaper has all sorts of non-destructive methods intentionally, and the "Render" option, but with CEP it was a matter of two clicks and the tracks were mixed together in-place, as-is, forever. There are times I want that kind of simplicity.
Looking back at screenshots, however, shows how much that software has aged.
mdc
Well-known member
Not outside of the midi scroll afaik, but I do all of that stuff in Reason. Lots of folks seem to like this free VST instrument for basic stuff:
www.pro-tools-expert.com
Free Plugin - Steven Slate SSD 5.5 Free | Production Expert
We are featuring SSD 5.5 Free from Steven Slate, a free version of the Slate’s full SSD 5.5 virtual drum plugin, consisting of a drum sampler and an instrument sample library.
www.pro-tools-expert.com
mdc
Well-known member
Cool Edit Pro became Adobe Audition, and that ability to switch between destructive and non-destructive editing is still there (and still extemely useful). It's a terrible piece of software for trying to make music but it works a treat for other kinds of audio work.It has a MIDI editor and VST support, not sure that it has an included instrument though.
The one thing I miss about Cool Edit Pro is how easy it was to select multiple tracks and mix them into a single track. I know Reaper has all sorts of non-destructive methods intentionally, and the "Render" option, but with CEP it was a matter of two clicks and the tracks were mixed together in-place, as-is, forever. There are times I want that kind of simplicity.
Looking back at screenshots, however, shows how much that software has aged.
Coda
Well-known member
But that’s where the tone comes from…
benny_profane
Well-known member
How many Simoleons are you willing to pay for the tone?
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