Producers, are you faithful to your DAW?

[Robmobius]

The real question is, is your DAW loyal to you?

I started on Logic on Windows - look what happened to that

Moved to Tracktion - that got dumped by Mackie

Moved to Project 5 and it got abandoned by Cakewalk

Tried various other hosts - eventually moved to Mac and back to Logic but now Tracktion is back too (although not always reliable)

Now this is a post I can relate to.

Loyalty works both ways!

[ghettosynth]

The real question is, is your DAW loyal to you?

I started on Logic on Windows - look what happened to that

I still have one of those serial port dongles somewhere. My god though what a piece of shit that thing was. I wanted to like it, I tried to like it, it made me just give up on computers as a sequencing tool for a few years and I switched completely to hardware.

Before that Cakewalk for Windows left scars that still haven't healed. Have they worked out how to keep two audio tracks playing in time with each other?

To be clear, I don't switch, I use them all for different reasons. It's like having many wives, not serial monogamy.

I had kind of left Cubase to get her own ride home until recently when the old gal showed me a few new tricks. Why yes cuby dear, I do like those sexy curves that you can apply to sample fades and, well, I see you have nice reverb, and well, I've always been a reverb man myself. And, well, I've always preferred mixing in Cubase, I've just found it irritating in other ways and preferred Reaper for the most part. I still use Reaper, but, I'm finding I'm preferring Cubase for most compositional tasks.

The new girl for me is mulab. She's got moves that my other DAWs can't even imagine. When I want to work with Reaktor midi machines she's my first choice for building up complex machines that aren't just in Reaktor, but also make use of my other plugins. She's a little light on the audio editing side of things, but I don't ask her to stay until morning to make me breakfast, I just let her share her charms as she likes, the other DAWS will be there in the morning to make breakfast, even if they're not too happy about it.

I use Ableton and Reason for live jamming and dance music, which I'm not doing much of these days, so they haven't got a whole lot of love lately.

[Aliens]

the free version of Reaper

There is no free version, just a sixty day demo you should un-install after the trial period or buy for sixty dollars.

[chk071]

There actually is a free version of Reaper, v0.99. I suggest rather to not use that one though, last time i tried it didn't really want to load any of my VST's... and the GUI is like Windows 3.1.

[Shangsean]

I use Reaper because I know how to use it. I do like it, but I'm not loyal to it. If I found something better for my needs I'd use that.

[masterhiggins]

The real question is, is your DAW loyal to you?

I started on Logic on Windows - look what happened to that

Moved to Tracktion - that got dumped by Mackie

Moved to Project 5 and it got abandoned by Cakewalk

Tried various other hosts - eventually moved to Mac and back to Logic but now Tracktion is back too (although not always reliable)

Now this is a post I can relate to.

Loyalty works both ways!

I was furious when it was moved to mac-only. After I bought my first PowerBook I loved OSX. The only thing that still annoys me is the screen redrawing. It used to be lightning-fast on my shitty Matrox video card and now no matter which Mac I've used it's slow as hell.

[incubus]

The real question is, is your DAW loyal to you?

I started on Logic on Windows - look what happened to that

Moved to Tracktion - that got dumped by Mackie

Moved to Project 5 and it got abandoned by Cakewalk

Tried various other hosts - eventually moved to Mac and back to Logic but now Tracktion is back too (although not always reliable)

Now this is a post I can relate to.

Loyalty works both ways!

Not at KVR

At KVR, you are a troll, a troublemaker and a shill if you switch OR stay the same

[neverwhere2410]

The first "real" DAW I owned was Pro Tools way back... I can't remember the version. Then shortly after that picked up Logic Pro 6 right after it was acquired by Apple. Switched back and forth between that and PT for a little bit then kicked Digidesign to the curb. I used Logic for years, then stopped making music for years, then eventually eased back into things trying out Reaper. Reaper was nice for tinkering, re-igniting the fire, but then I ran across Sonar. I'm pleased as hell with this DAW and keep finding new ways of working in it lately that are thoroughly satisfying. I don't expect to change unless Cakewalk implodes.

[Astralp]

Used Cubase mostly since the Atari ST days and tried many other DAWs and the Cubase way of working is like a tattoo on my forehead. I wish it could be removed, I love it and hate it, the workflow always leads me down the same roads but I know it well enough to just get on with working. I've sold it at times to force me to use something else and end up buying it again, although it's the best it's ever been these days.

In recent years I've moved more towards a hardware setup with Octatracks and Analog 4 etc... which has been a lot of fun, but this year I've been bringing the 2 worlds together to see if they can get along. I also bought Bitwig a few months ago after messing about with the 8 track version and I intend to try and persevere with it at some point, but it might just end up in my DAW graveyard

[seamoss]

I've cheated a little on Cubase a few times over the last 15 years but it just further confirmed my true love will always be Cubase.

Ableton is kind of kinky and fun to be around for a night or two but when I need a real woman, it's Cubase all the way.

[LawrenceF]

[ghettosynth]

My breakup with Cakewalk was bitter.

[keyman_sam]

I was a begrudging and unwilling Reaperite. How many hours I've spent trying mods upon mods, themes upon themes, trying to make her look passable and barely workable. Trying to make her look like X and work like Y. I was tired - never truly understanding who she was and not being able to accept her for all her flaws. She always kept me wanting.

Then I stumbled upon Cubase. My, my what a beauty she was. I had her in my mind while playing with Reaper. But how could I? All those years of knowing just what buttons to push to make her work...how could I just give that up? It first started with just a sub-section of a project. I was hooked. The beauty, the elegance, the simplicity. I wanted all of it NOW! She didn't show her age at all, and looked much better than young Reaper. And the workflow - oh GAWD the workflow! Finally one could see the audio output of a multi-timbral synth in the same MIDI track and not have to guess what was connected to what. Enough of dealing with scripts and a bunch of menu nonsense to do the simplest of menial tasks.

It took a lot of courage for me to make the move but I finally DID IT. Boy was it a relief! Cubase is now my everyday DAW and Reaper is only there to test a new synth or perform some errand.

[Studio Saturn]

I have no attachment with DAW. I keep changing if I get something better. I will use them and thank them while they are perfect for me. Attachment clouds judgement. The developer is not my brother or anything. I'm a costumer. Nothing more nothing less. Everything evolves and I would love to be part of that. I had Reason around 2000 something until 7 that is the longest I stayed with one DAW. Reason was too slow to evolve, that is why I stopped using it. Then FL,Studio one,Logic Pro,Harrison MIxbus, Reaper,Bitwig. Now I use Bitwig and Logic Regularly Harrison for mixing. Reaper when I get bored.

[Robmobius]

Attachment clouds judgement.

Absolutely... I try to be as logical as I can in these matters. You're not doing yourself any favours in the long run.