KVR Audio

cowby · Post by **cowby** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 11:53 am

Hi,

Am using Win7 64bit Cubase 7 and Studio one (Main). I write dance tunes with most of the main stream soft synths. Just wondering if you guys have any recommendation on any other DAWs (except Sonar) which best for Midi editing and hummmm... Arranging

Thanks!
Cowby

anomandaris1 · Post by **anomandaris1** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 12:23 pm

Cubase is the standard in MIDI... (Samplitude, Sonar etc are close, but still behind)
Check Sagan technology's Metro for some deep midi editing (it looks like Digital Performer, but it's uglier and has better midi options ).
There are programs just for composing with midi, but they are often ugly, buggy or not user friendly - check Synfire, Rapid composer and Band in a box.

Michael L · Post by **Michael L** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 1:06 pm

Try Helio. Pretty amazing. May be just what you need.
http://www.kvraudio.com/product/helio-w ... ko/details

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 1:23 pm

anomandaris1 wrote:Cubase is the standard in MIDI... (Samplitude, Sonar etc are close, but still behind)
Check Sagan technology's Metro for some deep midi editing (it looks like Digital Performer, but it's uglier and has better midi options ).
There are programs just for composing with midi, but they are often ugly, buggy or not user friendly - check Synfire, Rapid composer and Band in a box.

Metro has more midi options than DP? That's not even close to true. DP also doesn't look anything like metro. DP is pretty well ahead of Samplitude in the midi department as well.

Cubase and Sonar are probably the best options on windows right now though.

5Lives · Post by **5Lives** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 3:34 pm

This video might help you:

aMUSEd · Post by **aMUSEd** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 3:40 pm

Stick with what you've got. Can't get much better than those unless you move to Mac and get Logic.

LawrenceF · Post by **LawrenceF** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:15 pm

Off topic, but a general question...

If a person is "using" (which I assume means "owns and uses") two sequencers that collectively cost almost $1000, why would that person need the Internet to tell them which is better for midi and arranging for them? Wouldn't they kinda learn that naturally by just "using" them?

I admit, some of the thread questions here baffle me.

Robert Randolph · Post by **Robert Randolph** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:16 pm

5Lives wrote:This video might help you:

This is just a video of someone who is familiar with Logic trying to make 3 other DAWs work like Logic.

5Lives · Post by **5Lives** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:41 pm

Robert Randolph wrote:
5Lives wrote:This video might help you:

This is just a video of someone who is familiar with Logic trying to make 3 other DAWs work like Logic.

Strange since he seems to like Cubase best and Logic worst...

Mister Gibson · Post by **Mister Gibson** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:56 pm

Fruity Loops
Orion
Reason
MPC
Cubase
Acid

LawrenceF · Post by **LawrenceF** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 5:01 pm

5Lives wrote:
Robert Randolph wrote:
5Lives wrote:This video might help you:

This is just a video of someone who is familiar with Logic trying to make 3 other DAWs work like Logic.
Strange since he seems to like Cubase best and Logic worst...

The video is way too cursory to be of much practical value. Cubase and Logic's midi is way deeper than can be covered in a few minutes.

That's YouTube though... a lot of daw comparisons out there and very few are really well done... probably because very few people know 3-4 daws well enough.

Regnas · Post by **Regnas** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 5:09 pm

By midi editing you mean editing the notes in piano roll, right?

If yes, the answer is simple: FL Studio.
Why?: Because it has the best piano roll ever made, best workflow, faster as hell and all the tools that you'll ever need....

Now, if it was a vst plugin it would be a dream............

5Lives · Post by **5Lives** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 5:21 pm

LawrenceF wrote:The video is way too cursory to be of much practical value. Cubase and Logic's midi is way deeper than can be covered in a few minutes.

That's YouTube though... a lot of daw comparisons out there and very few are really well done... probably because very few people know 3-4 daws well enough.

Even most of the dedicated videos on Youtube, Groove3, or MacProVideo don't really go deeper though. Perhaps the DAWs are deeper, but how much of that is needed for 90% of scenarios? For example, how often are folks using Cubase's logical editor in day to day work?

Sounds like you should work on some videos since you seem to know better. I'm sure many people will find them helpful.

LawrenceF · Post by **LawrenceF** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 5:36 pm

Not saying "I know better".

You appear to be taking my comments personally like I criticized a video you personally did or something.

All I'm saying is that there are tons of tutorial videos on YT showing stuff that's already in the user manual, like how to transpose midi notes? The more effective videos go much deeper than all that and, granted, it takes patience and time.

If people who own Cubase aren't using Midi Logical Editor scripts on a regular basis it's probably because they're just intimidated by it, and/or don't really understand it's value.

And I have done some in-depth videos before, like a 2-part video on Studio One's macro system, from how to install it and how to use it. Took a long time, the recording and editing. I wouldn't do very much of that unless I was being paid for it.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Sun Jul 12, 2015 5:36 pm

I own several DAWs for plugin testing purposes. I use Cubase primarily. I too think as an end to end tool, it has the best workflow for me. However, Sonar, Reaper, Samplitude, Logic and Studio 1 all have features I wish Cubase had. Reaper for as bad as it gets beat on for its MIDI, has some awesome tools in the ME now. It still looks like shit and is fiddly/cumbersome to get all the switches to work the way you want. But, still people need to go see the updates before throwing it under the bus these days. Sonar probably has the best integrated MIDI editing environment that I've used. But again, there are so many little WTF things that it's hard to like it. Especially when it comes to editing multiple regions. What's funny is that for many, FL Studio seems to be the ME of choice. I find it virtually unusable. So, clearly there is no answer other than what works for you.

I could say things about all of these DAWs. But, in the end all of the major DAWs and some of the minor ones have incredible MIDI editing capabilities these days. Your best bet is to quit worrying about which one is "best", and learn to use all the editing functions of any one of them.

Which of the following DAWs best for heavy MIDI editing & arranging?