I'm looking at picking up a reasonably priced but still capable sequencer and so far the best deals I've found locally are Cubase SE ($144) and Sonar Home Studio ($114). If anyone has some first hand experience with either (or both) of these I'd be interested to hear how they stack up.
I do mostly MIDI/VSTi stuff (so the VST adapter for HS would be an added expense) and a little bit of recording (guitar via POD). Stability would be a big plus.
Thanks!
Big boy's budget versions: opinions?
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- KVRAF
- 3723 posts since 17 Apr, 2002 from Scotland
I've been using SE3 for about a month now.
*Pros*
Audio and Midi recording/editors are top notch.
Drag to timestretch feature is a joy.
Audio hitpoints.
Solid as a rock
Direct import of wav / rex files to audio tracks.
macros !
It's cubase.
Steinberg offer a cheaper upgrade to SE3 if you have an old Cubasis lying around. (I did)
*Cons*
Workflow is a bit more fiddly than EXT (my only other host). Time will fix this.
Uses a bit more CPU than EXT.
No track routing - so I can't send a bunch of individual drum tracks to a single compressor, for example. Senderella would fix this, but I haven't found the need to do it yet. This is an SE3 limitation, SL and SX have track routing.
I don't have any experience with Sonar, but VSTi support in cubase is not an issue. DX fx are supported too.
*Pros*
Audio and Midi recording/editors are top notch.
Drag to timestretch feature is a joy.
Audio hitpoints.
Solid as a rock
Direct import of wav / rex files to audio tracks.
macros !
It's cubase.
Steinberg offer a cheaper upgrade to SE3 if you have an old Cubasis lying around. (I did)
*Cons*
Workflow is a bit more fiddly than EXT (my only other host). Time will fix this.
Uses a bit more CPU than EXT.
No track routing - so I can't send a bunch of individual drum tracks to a single compressor, for example. Senderella would fix this, but I haven't found the need to do it yet. This is an SE3 limitation, SL and SX have track routing.
I don't have any experience with Sonar, but VSTi support in cubase is not an issue. DX fx are supported too.
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- KVRAF
- 9064 posts since 1 Aug, 2003
I like both SX2 and eXT. I use the latter as subhost, and laptop DAW (to avoid dongle switching).
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- KVRAF
- 3627 posts since 5 Jan, 2006 from UK
I just wrote a review for Sonar Home Studio (and sent some updated screenshots/info) a couple of days ago. I'm using it at the moment. (had an opportunity to pick up a box really cheap, so my feelings towards it may be more biased and forgiving due to that 
)
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/271.html
First thing to do on getting it is to get red of that silly 'toy' transport bar at the top and then add all the toolbars you're used to in Sonar (which are still there).
I really like it, and plan to upgrade to Sonar 5 when I can, but things that might dissapoint are:
1. The piano roll. It's good enough, but constant switching of tools is annoying. Other apps have shown it can all be done with a mouse button and a mixture of Ctrl,Shift,Alt. No note slicing. No group selection velocity editing or direct lengthening.
2. Track view. Adding a synth, you'll need 2 tracks, a midi track to control it and at least 1 ( or up to 8 ) audio output tracks. You can hide these independantly for track view and mixer view, but it's somewhat frustrating. Synths are routed through a standard 'audio' track, just like regular audio clips.
By the way, Home Studio 4 comes with the VST adapter? Well, mine does, anyway.
There's some confusion (not helped by Cakewalk) with older versions. Home Studio 2002, Home Studio 2004 and Home Studio 2 are all old. The latest one is Home Studio 4.
Alas, if Cakewalk and Steinberg would only make demos available, you wouldn't have to risk our (sometimes incorrect) interpretations of these packages when making your decisions.
Ultimately, you may find something like energyXT is all you need, a full sequencing environment, GREAT midi editing, audio recording, etc.
)http://www.kvraudio.com/get/271.html
First thing to do on getting it is to get red of that silly 'toy' transport bar at the top and then add all the toolbars you're used to in Sonar (which are still there).
I really like it, and plan to upgrade to Sonar 5 when I can, but things that might dissapoint are:
1. The piano roll. It's good enough, but constant switching of tools is annoying. Other apps have shown it can all be done with a mouse button and a mixture of Ctrl,Shift,Alt. No note slicing. No group selection velocity editing or direct lengthening.
2. Track view. Adding a synth, you'll need 2 tracks, a midi track to control it and at least 1 ( or up to 8 ) audio output tracks. You can hide these independantly for track view and mixer view, but it's somewhat frustrating. Synths are routed through a standard 'audio' track, just like regular audio clips.
By the way, Home Studio 4 comes with the VST adapter? Well, mine does, anyway.
There's some confusion (not helped by Cakewalk) with older versions. Home Studio 2002, Home Studio 2004 and Home Studio 2 are all old. The latest one is Home Studio 4.
Alas, if Cakewalk and Steinberg would only make demos available, you wouldn't have to risk our (sometimes incorrect) interpretations of these packages when making your decisions.
Ultimately, you may find something like energyXT is all you need, a full sequencing environment, GREAT midi editing, audio recording, etc.
