Is Project5 v2 Better Than Live 4 or Reason 3 (IYHO)?

[FaX]

May I just say though that Dimension is the proverbial dogs bollocks - it sounds f**king amazing ...

[headquest]

Also, I think Orion Platinum is an underrated product. It's content is excellent and it's capable of recording live which the others don't do.

Can you explain what you mean there?

It is certainly possible to use Ableton Live for multitrack audio recording...

and I thought you could in P5 too, though I'm not very familiar with that one...

please explain what recording you can do in orion but not the others discussed?

[braj]

Also, I think Orion Platinum is an underrated product. It's content is excellent and it's capable of recording live which the others don't do.

I'm not sure what you are talking about here. Reason doesn't do audio, but they all will record 'live' entry, Live and P5 doing audio as well.

[headquest]

For anyone who hasn't explored Live 4's multitrack recording, it's very easy. There's a tutorial that you can download for free, here:

http://www.courseptr.com/downloads/rela ... mplate.exe

...which opens inside Live (as a right hand panel, just like Ableton's own starter tutorials...). It inclues a Live template for recording 24 tracks, plus a full walk-through.

It should also work fine in the Live 4 demo.

[luxgud]

Project 5 v2 and Live 4 (and 5 to come)are both excellent programs with their own strengths and weaknesses. Competition ultimately benefits us (the users)and we should always appreciate this.

We should not be making critial comparisions but rather evaluating both and then making your own person choice. If you are lucky enough, you might even purchase both.

However, if I was forced to make a 'sound bite' statement about each it would be this:

Ableton Live: Technologically brilliant

Project 5 v2 Friendly and so easy to use.


Thank you.

[Solarfall]

maybe I'm dumb and this question doesnt belong here...but anyway...I am not able to setup ds864 properly...is ds864 I have rhodes patch on midi 1 output 1 and bird patch on midi 2 and output 2. I have layers for each midi port and it plays patterns for each instrument ok but both use only output 1...

but how can I assign lanes to different outputs? I can only select output on mother track and two kids use the same output.

how can I control volume and pan for each instrument?I can control these functions only in ds864 not directly in P5

how can I assign fx to different output?

according to your post all this should be possible...

[René]

I think you're confusing lanes with outputs. Project 5 will allow you to use multi-output synthesizers, and naving each output with its own main volume, pan and the four effect send busses. Also, you can apply a different effect chain to each output.

On the other hand, there's the concept of 'layer'. A layer is not related to the outputs in any way: it is a mean to send MIDI data and automation data to the synthesizer in an atomized, flexible and organized way. Every layer can have its own MFX chain, and you can have as many layers as you wish, even multiple layers for each MIDI channel.

To adjust the parameters for each output, and to construct the output effect chains, you use the 'Active output' menu at the bottom of the Instrument component in the track inspector. To adjust just the basic volume and pan, you can select the output via the spinner in the track as well.

Multiple layers can be set to the same MIDI channel, and you still get a MFX for each layer, acting in parallel.

Hope this helps.

-René

[billybk1]

but how can I assign lanes to different outputs? I can only select output on mother track and two kids use the same output.

If you already have the parent and child tracks created, in the track view, make sure to select and highlight the parent track (when you click on each parent/child track you will see, to the right the selected track become un-ghosted. With the parent track selected, press i, on your keyboard to expose the Track Inspector, if not already active.
The Track Inspector works with child tracks, as well. That is why it is importnat to have the parent track selected, to allow you to selectively enable additional outputs. From the Track Inspector, you should see the DS864 softsynth above the Add FX icon.
Click the small upside down triangle icon to the right side, of the "Active Output" box. You should have "Active" & "Bypass" options viewable from the drop down menu, select "Bypass" and make your selections from it's drop down menu. Unselecting outputs makes them active. Try unchecking outputs 1 & 2. Now when you click on the box, to the left, of the volume slider, you can move your mouse to select an output to control. Inactive outputs are greyed out. Now from your softsynth, you assign each patch to one of it's synth outputs. With the DS864, once you select your patch, to the right you select your MIDI channels and outputs. I would assign patch 1 to MIDI channel 1 and output 1 and then patch 2 to MIDI channel 2 and output 2, to keep it simple, at first. These will then be reflected in the Track Layers. As you click on each track layer you should be able to auditon, play & record each one separately. By changing the output assignments, from the output box, next to the volume slider, you should be able to adjust volume and pan/width, for each one.

Edit: Once important thing I forgot to add:

Once you click on each track and layer, change the Send To in the Track Inspector (for each "layer") from None to [MIDI] Chan 1-2 or whatever, up to Chan 16.
This will get your track layers; each on a different MIDI channel. Add more layers if desired.

how can I control volume and pan for each instrument?I can control these functions only in ds864 not directly in P5

By changing the output channel (next to the parent volume slider)to the one you assigned, from the softsynth.

how can I assign fx to different output?

Once you have everything configured correctly, when you change the outputs on the parent the Track Inspector changes and only those outputs that have FX added, with have them. You can add and delete FX, as needed, for each selected output. The child outputs are assigned from the particular multitimbral synth. Once you have your synth outputs, MIDI channel assignments, parent/child relationships the way you want them, save it all, as a Device Chain. So you can easily recall, in a matter of seconds, very intricate routings, assigments, patches, fx, etc., with just a mouse click. Learn to use Device Chains, it can be a real time saver.

[Solarfall]

thanx.
I undestand now....so its possible but I think its pretty awkward and confusing for mixing that its impossible to see volume and pan sliders for each output at the same time...

[Leslie]

"Topic: Is Project5 v2 Better Than Live 4 or Reason 3"

Not for me since it is Windows ONLY application... I use Cubase, Live and Reason and LOVE them all But than again - who cares... Use whatever You feel comfortable with and makes Your creative juices flow...