Can your host do THIS?

[spaceman]

wash your mouth out with soup?

soap ok
rant typing

[spaceman]

I'm shocked to hear you're selling yours .

How much?

let's not go into that

remember, cakewalk doesn't do license transfers, although they do allow you to sell on your software (I'm not going to repeat why that is not so bad as it seems but I'll get the famous license transfer gestapo on my neck again)

[CypherOne]

BEN!!!!!!!

[spaceman]

BEN!!!!!!!

[Rabid]

In Cakewalk's defense about license transfer, they are also the only major host that does not implement restrictive copy protection. While they do not allow me to sell or transfer license so that the new person can buy upgrades, they do allow me to put it on multiple computers. I can install Sonar 3 on my DAW, my laptop, and even my workplace PC. I will always support companies like that with my dollars.

Robert

[headquest]

[well.. there's a few reasons why I have all three (and FL )

1. I like to treat myself to a new tool from time to time (where 'to' stands for quite a short time span )

2. when I started getting into this computer music business I was convinced that the new tool would make me a better composer/musician/mixing engineer.. I know better now

3. no one host is perfect, I like to have all functionality available, for when I need it

4. it's only money

I first bought S2 because it was cheaper than cubase and it seemed to do everything I wanted it to do. But then I learnt a lot more about making music on the puter and soon realised it wasn't perfect. The S3 release looked very very nice..
so I upgraded

S3 was perfect for me (and the plugs I used) until new plugs I bought didn't seem to behave very well in S3.. and the lack of some automation possibilities (VST,etc.) made me go to Cubase. But to answer your question:

S3 pro's: mixer, midi handling/tools, lot's of neat functionality
con's: automation of some plugs, instability (more to do with the plugs, but who cares)

Cubase pro's: stable, great vst support, good automation, great audio tools
Cubase con's: minor issues, nothing much worth mentioning

Tracktion was cheap and different, so I got me a copy too. I use it to quickly lay down ideas, or sometimes just to get away from the usual sequencer suspects. Same for FL but I use FL a lot now, rewired into sonar or cubase.

Tracktion is ok but the midi functionality is rather limited and although it has this nice workflow, there's too many little annoyances to make it a main sequencer

Thanks - that's all interesting.

I was using Cubase SX1 (and teaching it) and liked lots about it as a muso, but found that my students struggled to make links between the various windows, not being used to "the hardware paradigm".

So I tried out Tracktion demo and thought to myself - this will suit my students better . ANd then I can teach them Cubase later

But later never came, because I got heavily into Reason as a Rewire slave within Tracktion... and so did my students...

Recently I realised that I stopped using SX at all and that I was carrying round a dongle for nothing

So I uninstalled it...

I agree pretty much with your verdict on Tracktion - good workflow, but certainly a few issues yet to be ironed out. I think the balance - for me, anyway - is in Tracktion's favour though, and the proof is that I choose to use it, not SX.

Being Laptop based, I love having a Freeze function, but couldn't justify the upgrade cost to SX2 (which only feezes VSTi instruments anyway, and noteffects, which is where my CPU mostly goes...).

MIDI can be a bit of a pain in Tracktion (and is far from perfect in Reason, too. And I will be upgrading my Live 2 to Live4, but again the beta version shows its' not going to be a cure all.

Hence my open-minded interest in seeing what other sequencers (i.e. Sonar, Samplitude) are like.

Verdict - I will wait and see what Tracktion 2 is like, and if MIDI is still a bit clunky I may take a look at Sonar 4 when it appears.

Cheers.

[CypherOne]

I've tried the Tracktion demo twice now and both times deleted it in utter frustration. I'm amazed anyone can do anything with it, altho it does look nice. Still, to each their own etc...

Not sure I added any value to the discussion, but err thanks

[spaceman]

But later never came, because I got heavily into Reason as a Rewire slave within Tracktion... and so did my students...

I think that's one of the mayor contributions of the rewire protocol.. it enables you to combine two products so that you can replace the 'bad' functionality from one app with functionality of the other app thus building, in my eyes, a new and improved application

like what shane mentioned in a post today, using the good parts of FL (the synths etc..) while using the midi tools from Sonar.. same goes for tracktion + reason.. very powerful combinations and there's enough of them to suit your way of working

[spaceman]

Not sure I added any value to the discussion, but err thanks

you would have been the first

[donkey tugger]

I've tried the Tracktion demo twice now and both times deleted it in utter frustration. I'm amazed anyone can do anything with it, altho it does look nice. Still, to each their own etc...

Not sure I added any value to the discussion, but err thanks

Quick, stone the unbeliever! Steal his paradigm!

Me too, I couldn't tell what the f**k was going on either, that and abletones liver as well.

[bluedad]

I've tried the Tracktion demo twice now and both times deleted it in utter frustration. I'm amazed anyone can do anything with it, altho it does look nice. Still, to each their own etc...

Not sure I added any value to the discussion, but err thanks

Quick, stone the unbeliever! Steal his paradigm!

Me too, I couldn't tell what the f**k was going on either, that and abletones liver as well.

put me in that list as well.
and that f**king tone in the demo made sure i wouldn't use it long enough to figure it out.

[Lunatique]

Hahhahahaha, if you guys think having a few sequencing hosts is unthinkable, I hope for your sake you never get into serious photography. Photogs are notorious for having SEVERAL lenses that costs upwards of $1,000~$5,000 that they hardly ever use, or tripods/tripod heads that cost more than their camera that they hardly ever use. These are what I call "gearwhores."

I was thinking of something interesting--a parallel, if you will. In the CG (computer graphics) industry, there are all kinds of specialist manufacturers. You have companies that only make rendering software, Compositing software, modeller, animation software, texturing software, painting software..and so on (although there are the all-in-one softwares too). We kind of have that in music as well with various VST makers. BUT, what if you actually take apart the sequencing host itself and have various software developers make standalone mixers, audio engines, midi editors, tracking editors..etc. That way, you can mix n' match the parts you like from different companies and "make your own sequencing host." Would that be a cool idea?

[cold c]

BUT, what if you actually take apart the sequencing host itself and have various software developers make standalone mixers, audio engines, midi editors, tracking editors..etc. That way, you can mix n' match the parts you like from different companies and "make your own sequencing host." Would that be a cool idea?

It's called a modular host, energyXT already does this.

[Sicklecell666]

Can't we all just get along? I mean look how easy this guy makes it look..

[spaceman]

Can't we all just get along? I mean look how easy this guy makes it look..

aaaaaaaaaaah how cute