KVR Audio

woodenboy · Post by **woodenboy** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 11:40 am

Hi all

I'm setting up my first home studio setup on a PC, a very simple affair but quite effective. I have the option to use either Sonar 2 or Logic 5, and I'm wondering what would be the best option. I'm going to be recording audio but also using MIDI quite extensively, so I guess the question is - of the two hosts, which is the best for software synths and other plugins, which is the best for MIDI editing, and which is the best for audio editing. I've had a look at Sonar and seen that the MIDI editing is quite nice with the Piano roll and the stave views, does Logic do this?

Not having much experience of either host, some pros or cons would be really helpful to me. Thanks!

kevink · Post by **kevink** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 11:56 am

I was a Logic user on Mac before I migrated to a PC (and on the Atari before I migrated to a Mac), and only went to Sonar because Apple had put a stop to Logic development for non-Mac platforms. I personally think that particularly from the standpoint of MIDI use (looping, layering, etc.) Logic was better than Sonar 2. Sonar 3 and 4 improved things quite a bit, but if your choice is really between Sonar 2 and Logic 5, I'd be tempted to recommend Logic. Except for one thing. Sonar 2 gives you an upgrade path. Logic on the PC is, sadly, a dead end.

woodenboy · Post by **woodenboy** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:04 pm

That's a good point, I hadn't realised Logic was only Apple based now. That would put me in favour of Sonar I think.

Would you say that plugins and synths etcc are just as usable in both hosts? I'm just getting into this so I don't know much about the different formats and all that. Am I right in saying that DXi and VST are the most common types, and do they both work in Sonar and in Logic?

daverich · Post by **daverich** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:04 pm

sonar2 also has fast bounce which is always handy.

Personally I'd recommend logic5 though.

Kind regards

Dave Rich

Stupid American Pig · Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:08 pm

if you go with sonar 2 you need to buy the vst-dxi wrapper either from cakewalk or directxizer from rayzoon to use vst synths/efx in sonar 2. I would go with sonar 2 because of the upgrade path.

Rabid · Post by **Rabid** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:00 pm

As a registered Sonar 2 owner you get a discount on Project 5 which includes the VSTi/DXi wrapper.

original flipper · Post by **original flipper** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 6:20 pm

HI

They are both hosts that are a few years old - Logic will never be up-dated and Sonar V2 has long been surpassed by V4, I personally used Logic and found it quite easy to get into (although others have the opposite experience!) - I found Sonar quite unintuitive!

I think Project5 V2 is more up to date and IMO a more stable improvement on both the other two.

Perhaps price is an issue?

Energy XT is another good buy at a ridiculous price (Cheap - I mean) ... I would sooner go for a current program than an ageing host that will certainly run into more problems as time goes by.

Flipper.

woodenboy · Post by **woodenboy** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 8:40 pm

Well, price is only an issue if it's unnecessary spending

, although I see what you mean about aging hosts. I've had to spend a bit on a new PC and an audio interface etc so I might wait a bit before upgrading my host.

I just checked out the Project5 video and I don't think it's really geared towards the sort of music I'm going to be doing, it looks more like a live performance tool with loads of looping for dance music types, not really my bag. And it costs the same amount for me to upgrade Sonar 2 to Project5 as it does for Sonar 4.

So just to be clear - if I had something like Sonar 4, I would quite easily be able to use the majority of software synths and that sort of stuff with it, without any compatability issues?

Stupid American Pig · Post by **Stupid American Pig** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 8:48 pm

sonar 4 works with every vst synth/plug I have...

woodenboy · Post by **woodenboy** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:16 pm

Hmmmm, I've just seen that I could upgrade to Sonar 4 for just £79, although that's just for the studio version rather than the producer. Very tempting. No doubt you guys would tell me to go for the producer version, right? Since I'm not into all that surround sound stuff, any serious reason I should be thinking about the Producer version over the Studio version?

tranceglobal · Post by **tranceglobal** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:22 pm

woodenboy wrote:any serious reason I should be thinking about the Producer version over the Studio version?

Not unless you need per track built in eq (built in spot for it in the GUI) or the extra effects supplied with it. And the surround bit you mentioned....

I use Sonar Studio edition as I wanted to pick and choose my own effects, not pay for ones I might not like.

Dave

woodenboy · Post by **woodenboy** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 10:29 pm

Excellent, I think you've sold me on the studio edition. Thanks for all your help, folks. Now, I've just got to wade through all the hundreds of vst and dxi synths available to work out which ones I like! A beginner like me has far too much choice, I hardly know where to begin to look.

Sonar 2 or Logic 5?