T2 vs. Sonar4: Got any "hands-on" experience?

[koolkeys]

I'm not a software engineer and get a lot more pleasure out of making music than software tweaks

That, my friend, is one of the main reasons that Tracktion was created in the first place. And if that's what you're looking for, then T is the best on the market for that. Not that other apps aren't good, because they can be, but with most of them, it's just not as simple as Tracktion. And you get a ton of power also. Plus a little extra cash to spend on sample libraries or whatever. Good luck!

Koolkeys

[Sidhu]

I feel for any serious work with video scrub ro video is very essential. And if all you are doing is scoring music. then the wrap functionality that Cubase/Nuendo 2.0 introduced is killer.

Then again, all of this was being done way before in the linear world as well.

Sidhu

[headquest]

Tracktion is easy to use and has some great features. Sonar costs more and is more complex to learn, but offers far more in the way of features.

You can do the following in Sonar, but not in Tracktion:

1. MIDI event list editing
2. Full screen piano roll MIDI editing
3. Notation editor for MIDI
4. Freeze instruments and effects (in Tracktion if you do this the program will also freeze the level and pan so you are unable to mix - strange, but true!)
5. Audio timestretch (Tracktion claims to do this, but even small tempo changes introduce awful artefacts)
6. Surround mixing, which may be important as you mention film work
7. Mixing using a traditional console view with bilt in fx slots, eq, busses, etc
8. OMF export for project sharing with users of other applications such as ProTools, Cubase, Logic, etc
9. WIder range of file formats recognised, including mp3, Acidised wav, etc
10. Video thumbnail view to match your film to the timeline of the music. Combined with Sonar's audio editing and timestretch tools, this means you can match up your audio to film with very little effort.
11. Controller support - for MIDI work, this is much more developed in Sonar, although it has been introduced in rudimentary form in T2
12. lots more...

If you plan to invest in T2, it is only fair to warn you that there are several known bugs at present, mostly relating to MIDI notes being dropped, getting stuck, rewire not working properly, and rendering issues. Tracktioneers have complained about these bugs and issues for many months, and it is hoped that they will eventually be sorted.

Sonar also has the truly wonderful Sonitus fx Suite in Producer Edition, as well as the new Roland sound module which is very nice indeed.

Sonar overall has a much more solid feel, and is clearly a more mature product at this stage. But it does cost more, and you should definitely try the demos of both to make up your own mind.

[stash98]

phz,

i don't need a lot of the features in Sonar. what i do need is solid VST support, and not a buggy DXI wrapper. so after sonar crashed on me the thousandth time on a brand new athlon 939 DAw w/ 2 megs I found tracktion. It is just more suited for what I do.

[braj]

I also don't like the DXI wrapper. Or even the thought of it.

[Shazbot]

I haven't used T2 all that much yet, but comparing T1 to Sonar 4, I think Sonar 4 is quite a lot better in most respects, and has many more features (including proper loop functioning, which I don't think has been mentioned yet). And even in terms of "workflow", I prefer Sonar 4 to T1. But of course, it depends on what you become familiar with as far as what you find easiest to work with.

Just in terms of fairness and diversity of responses, I would ask this same question on the Sonar forum.

[FoxV]

Why Sonar and T2? What about other programs? Not to complicate matters, in which case I'd say, go with T2 for now, see how it works. Then upgrade to Sonar (or other SW) later if you need more...you'd only be out $150 at most, a pittance really, and worth it anyway, for what you'd learn in the meantime. Plus, you'd always have T2 around to use, which you will love, believe me. So get it, and even if you end up needing Sonar (or whatever) later, I'm betting you'll continue using T2 whenever you get the chance!

Have fun!!!!

(Oh...I do know that JazAddict compared Sonar to T2 and decided on Sonar, but that was because he needed advanced midi functions, and he needed them now.)

[FoxV]

I should also add that I considered the Sonar track, and bought Sonar's entry level product: HomeStudio 2004. I also regularly use Cakewalk Pro 3.0. HS 2004 was a nightmare in my view. I could never figure it out. I gave up too soon and just went crawling back to my Roland VS1680 (which is till my primary recorder). But when I tried Tracktion 1, it just sucked me in. It was totally awesome, so intuitive. I fell in love.

Peace,
Fox

[semiquaver]

For full-on pro film work I would suggest DP4 - expensive and depp, and the vi implementation is dumb but it has great tempo finding, markers and other help for film folks.

For making music by youself with a lot of vstis there is nothing like Tracktion - its like the difference between work and play. You just look forward to starting new projects.

[Cabinfever]

you get what you pay for. i use sonar 4 and also tried the t1 demo. if you need something absolutely basic then i'd say t1. you want serious production go for sonar. my opinion folks nothing more.

get something you will grow into, not grow out of. otherwise you'll be like some of the traktion crowd and always hoping certain things will be included in the *next* release, rather than concentrating on making music with whats available now.

really though, asking this on the traktion forum what sort of answers are you expecting ?

even this reply will, i expect, get flamed.

[valley]

download the demos, try them out, make your own mind up.

There's no right or wrong sequencer, just one that works the best for you. Only way to find that is to try them.

[braj]

you get what you pay for

If that were really true The world doesn't really work that way, no matter how many times it's repeated.

[Lunch Money]

Yep, it's in no way a tried and true law. That's why there are other terms around like "value for money".

Higher price does NOT equal better quality. Never has, and never will.

[braj]

NFR T1, for example. Those people got way more than they paid for

[Cabinfever]

you get what you pay for

If that were really true The world doesn't really work that way, no matter how many times it's repeated.

you get what you pay for
you get what you pay for
you get what you pay for
you get what you pay for
you get what you pay for
you get what you pay for
you get what you pay for *
you get what you pay for **

* sometimes you will get ripped off, sometimes find a bargain, and sometimes you will get more than you bargained for


** this saying is well known because it is (mostly) true