POLL: Which DAW would you choose if all things were equal?

[machinesworking]

What I mean by "all things equal" is . . . same cost (lets say $100), cross-platform (PC/Mac/Linux), and you have ZERO prior experience/investment with any any of them (but you do have your eMusic experience/not a total beginner).

1. Vote/Choose (two per for those conflicted, and you can change your vote)
2. Please explain your reason. Why?

I'm gonna be that person I guess?
This is a pretty silly poll. Unless you're a kid living at home, or a person living in a country with deflated wages, the price of the DAW should not matter one single bit. Especially since we're talking the difference of $60-500. If there's something my $60 DAW cannot do well that I do all the time, it takes no brain power at all to figure out that repeatedly doing a task that takes 10 minutes longer per day you use the DAW over the course of say a 4 days a week use, 40 minutes x 50, 2,000 minutes over say a typical three year upgrade cycle. 100 hours lost, because you don't want to spend $440. Is your time worth $4.40 an hour?

Same answer really to using other DAWs. I like and use Reaper, the price is cool, it's a feel good thing, but it's not at all the deciding factor on using it.

If the question was, "What DAW do you currently not use that you want the features of think about using etc.?" That would make sense. I currently own 4 DAWs, and I still sometimes look at Cubase for example.

[Michael L]

I use MuLab because the intuitive workflow lets me freely develop my musical ideas.

[enroe]

If Logic was cross platform, it would fit my major criterion of 'all things being equal.' It isn't, nor will it likely ever be again. Sadly.

Yes, it would be clearly the best DAW.

But now there is space for all the other DAWs!

[SoundPorn]

Yeah I disagree I think StudioOne would still give them comp for an all arounder and that's besides the fact everybody I know who has a Mac uses Ableton despite Logic costing a fraction the price lol

If Logic was cross platform, it would fit my major criterion of 'all things being equal.' It isn't, nor will it likely ever be again. Sadly.

Yes, it would be clearly the best DAW.

But now there is space for all the other DAWs!

[enroe]

... same cost (lets say $100), cross-platform (PC/Mac/Linux), and you have ZERO prior experience/investment with any any of them

... the price of the DAW should not matter one single bit. Especially since we're talking the difference of $60-500. If there's something my $60 DAW cannot do well that I do all the time, it takes no brain power at all to figure out that repeatedly doing a task that takes 10 minutes longer per day you use the DAW over the course of say a 4 days a week use, 40 minutes x 50, 2,000 minutes over say a typical three year upgrade cycle. 100 hours lost, because you don't want to spend $440. Is your time worth $4.40 an hour?

You exactly tell us why this poll is meaningful and wise.

The reason if - if I may paraphrase it - that in the end you 'll always
use that DAW which fits your workflow best, no matter what it costs.

[machinesworking]

You exactly tell us why this poll is meaningful and wise.

The reason if - if I may paraphrase it - that in the end you 'll always
use that DAW which fits your workflow best, no matter what it costs.

If that is true, then really it's just the same as if the poll didn't exist. How can something be meaningful and wise if it's obvious? Rhetorical question I know, but it's like pointing out that the sky is blue.

Mostly it points out that bragging about your DAW or computer being cheap is a pointless exercise.

[whannel]

Lifetime free updates, several really nice synths, built in editor, clever/modular effects and a mastering suite on all of those?

Might as well stick with the one they'd be evening up to...

[Ploki]

Another reason for me is Note Expression.

i do miss that in Logic.

[AdvancedFollower]

Things are not all equal, so the poll doesn't really serve any purpose...If all things were equal you'd just close your eyes and pick one at random. You probably chose your DAW based on things that are important to you which sets it apart from other DAWs. This might be price, update policy, included effects and instruments, platform compatibility, some specific feature, tutorial availability, popularity of the DAW in your genre, the user interface, workflow, collaborations, prior experience or any number of other reasons. No one else can tell you what's most important to you, so "My DAW is better than yours" is a pretty silly game

[Michael L]

Rundgren. He's a big Reason user

So is Steve Reich. He uses the sampler to mockup his compositions.

[telecode]

... same cost (lets say $100), cross-platform (PC/Mac/Linux), and you have ZERO prior experience/investment with any any of them

... the price of the DAW should not matter one single bit. Especially since we're talking the difference of $60-500. If there's something my $60 DAW cannot do well that I do all the time, it takes no brain power at all to figure out that repeatedly doing a task that takes 10 minutes longer per day you use the DAW over the course of say a 4 days a week use, 40 minutes x 50, 2,000 minutes over say a typical three year upgrade cycle. 100 hours lost, because you don't want to spend $440. Is your time worth $4.40 an hour?

You exactly tell us why this poll is meaningful and wise.

The reason if - if I may paraphrase it - that in the end you 'll always
use that DAW which fits your workflow best, no matter what it costs.

In my case, I am with the DAW that I committed into the vendors ecosystem. I stick with it because a) i can be bother to keep switching DAW and relearning them, b) I take advantage of upgrade sales and pricing

If I were to switch, I might switch to Reaper. If NI were to go out and make a DAW I would probabaly switch to that because I am a heavy user of their products and ecosystem and things *should* integrate nicely together.

[Gamma-UT]

No Babya Logic? Son, I am disappoint. If all things were equal, Babya Logic would still be way out in front.

[LawrenceF]

Interesting read. If they all cost the same and you have no experience with any of them, wouldn't you have to literally use them all just to see which one you preferred?

Good luck with that. If there's anyone here who's actually "used" (not just "cursory demoed") them all in real world situations, I'd sure like to hear about it.

While you're at it, make sure to also test drive every car on the planet that cost 25k before you buy one.

[mtelesha]

#1 is Waveform 10 by Tracktion. It is the best composition tool out there. I can get an idea out and sounding like a song 4 times faster than any other DAW. + It runs on Linux If I didn't perform live no other DAW needed. ++ They open sourced their DAW engine.

#2 is Bitwig. I need an advance clip launcher AKA a advance sequencer. I feel like there is going to be a killer sequencer that does what Live and Bitwig do but just focusing on sequencing AND it is going to do it better soon. + It runs on Linux

Pieces I like of other DAWS -

Studio One 4 Pro = The ability to right click to audio to get chords and then copy to chord track.

Cubase = The general feel (Feels like it just fits together for me personally it is just a smooth product). I started my little studio based on Nuendo 1 and I really feel most comfortable there. It is the best all things to all people. If they had a better midi generator built in like Waveform I "might" jump ship. Things definitely take longer in Cubase than Waveform.

Reaper = Community and openness. + Runs on Linux


WANTS

#1 Organized by a Chord Track (Waveform Style)

#2 Uses Lyrics

WHY - I grew up performing with cheat sheets and to have the lyrics and chords is the best way to organize a song. Heck even have a melody track (I do every time I can I make a lead sheet)

USES - Generate MIDI and pitch correct and time stretch (Studio One doesn't do MIDI generation)

#3 Notation a good enough Notation system so we can make lead sheets of our music and read it in music notation and not just MIDI.

[jonljacobi]

But ... there is one disadvantage: Logic comes with the biggest
dongle you can imagine: The whole Mac is the dongle! And
you are forced to buy a new dongle every two years if you
wanna be up to date.

LOL. Just found out my 2011 is locked out of Mojave. By locked out I mean Apple just occasionally decides to axe older drivers for no other reason than to force users to upgrade if they want the latest OS. No doubt they’ll tie the next version of LPX to Mojave or some such.

I love LPX though it’s methodology is sometimes awkward and the learning curve is steep; it does just about everything and does it well, it’s highly configurable, with a easy interface. (Mostly) But Apple? Money grubbers with attitude.