How much money have you wasted buying DAWS you should have demoed properly?

[mgiambro]

In my case too much! I'm not having a go at any particular product. They are all impressive. However, I've bought plenty of DAWs on impulse without demoing them properly and only later and after using them thoroughly discovered that they don't fit my preferred way of working. Hands up. My fault entirely. I'm on the verge of switching again. The last one I bought doesn't allow transfers - you can probably guess which one it is. I knew the deal when I bought it, so no complaints. I'm curious. Am I the only one who's paid for software, only to later regret buying it?

[chk071]

Not much. In fact, as much money as is involved in the big versions of the major DAW's, i can't say that i did one misjudgment. Well, Reaper perhaps, but then, it took a while to figure out that it isn't for me, and that i prefer other environments. Not disappointed with either Cubase or Studio One. They're both great. Apart from those, i only have smaller versions of Ableton, Cubase and Bitwig which came with my hardware. No loss there.

[mgiambro]

Not much. In fact, as much money as is involved in the big versions of the major DAW's, i can't say that i did one misjudgment. Well, Reaper perhaps, but then, it took a while to figure out that it isn't for me, and that i prefer other environments. Not disappointed with either Cubase or Studio One. They're both great. Apart from those, i only have smaller versions of Ableton, Cubase and Bitwig which came with my hardware. No loss there.

If Reaper is your biggest/only misjudgement .. I'd say you've been very sensible . And you could sell it if you chose to. The small comfort I take for my impulsiveness in buying software is that I now have a much clearer idea of what I want of a DAW.

[chk071]

I did sell it. And, you're right, even if i hadn't, it wouldn't have been a big loss, financially.

The small comfort I take for my impulsiveness in buying software is that I now have a much clearer idea of what I want of a DAW.

That's a good thing too.

[harryupbabble]

I've spent zero money. I've never bought anything via the internet. But I am going to buy REAPER 6.0 when it arrives. REAPER is going to be my DAW for life because after I buy REAPER I am never going to buy anything via the internet again. That's why I really need to buy REAPER at version 6.0 because if I buy REAPER now at version 5.94, I will only get 106 updates while if I buy it at version 6.0, I will get 200 updates.

I am only buying REAPER because I owe it now. It has let me edit 20,000 MIDI items. It might have taken me weeks editing those 20,000 midi files using my MIDI editor of choice, the freeware Anvil Studio. Okay, maybe macro recorders/players might have shortened weeks to days, but still.

Besides, REAPER might have a bunch of other capabilities that other DAWs don't have. Batch exporting 20,000 MIDI files in 2 minutes on my computer (6 seconds on Guenon's computer), for one example of "special" REAPER capability. But I don't know, maybe other DAWs could do that too. But in my other thread, nobody stated "My DAW could do that easily."

[pdxindy]

Some tracktion updates after I stopped using it... they were so cheap

Everything else I had enough use from before moving on that it was worth the cost. Live -> Logic -> Bitwig. Still using Logic and Bitwig

[thecontrolcentre]

Not a lot fortunately ... I discovered Live 5 shortly before moving from Cubase on the Atari, and I'm happily using Live 10 now.

[jancivil]

$0.00

I bought Digital Performer only to never really use it, but I don't call that a waste. I sold it. It isn't about demoing it, I bought it and Logic in 2009 behind Cubase (v 5 then) and too much latency on Mac OS. Then VE Pro changed that, and DP was not real friendly to VE Pro, nor was Logic. I learned a little of Logic, no waste. At that time it was useful because film people typically use it and it meant project compatibility automatically.

I wouldn't buy like that with my current economy. I had money then. Mistakes, in a sense but whatev.
I bought Cubase SX 1 in 2003, seems like I'd never heard of it. I was hanging out at Guitar Center asking questions and somebody moved me off of Pro Tools consideration. It worked for me, still using it,

[low_low]

I'm too lazy to learn another DAW

[woggle]

I've been with Reaper since about a week after it launched but there have been times I have looked elsewhere through frustration with bugs or shitty workflow or other things. I have bought other DAWs to try but I don't see that as a waste. I keep them to see if they upgrade to something I'd like more eg FL Studio with good audio editing would have me switching probably
The worst DAW related purchase I made was OTR for Reaper - which is actually a pretty good product but pricey, not resellable and not much use to me. On the other hand OTR got me taking a much more active role with customising Reaper again - which I had not done for years - and that has paid off. So even OTR worked out well for me.
VST's and VSTi's is another matter - I've got some for sale at the moment but they are good ones I've got no use for - the truly bad ones can't be sold.

[risome]

None. I started on Cubase on my Atari ST moved to Mac when DAWs and computers became powerful enough to be close to convincing of hardware and then switched to Ableton.I think its important to choose a DAW you feel comfortable with and then develop your own workflow with it.IMHO your workflow is part of your signature sound. As you gain better and more advanced skills with your particular DAW (and this only comes with perseverance and practice ) so will your own unique sound develop .I don't think its a good idea to keep switching environments in the goal for musical success.

[KBSoundSmith]

Didn't waste any, I think. I've probably spent too much, but I had good reasons for each I got, when I got them. Some of them I learned over time didn't really suit me, but that's about the worst of it. Some I still have use at times, others I've sold.

DAWs I've used previously:
Ableton 8
Cubase 5
Reason 4-6
Renoise 2
Logic 8 or 9, don't remember (not my computer, teacher's)

I switched to Samplitude Pro X a few years back and am now on Samplitude Pro X3 Suite. If I was ever going to switch, it would be to Cubase again. But I'm quite happy with Samplitude.

[Silaris]

I cannot recall how much I paid for it on sale, but I never used Bigwig Studio 1 in a serious capacity after purchase. At this time, the software is deleted from my computer hard drives and I do not see myself becoming a repeated customer in the future.

With that said, I am not losing sleep over the situation.

[THE INTRANCER]

In all the years I've been using Daws since the 1990's, none..because I properly test them beforehand... but right now, buying or upgrading to Presonus studio One 4.0 in the current state it's in would be stupid...( as a 3.5.6 user) primarily because they have royally screwed up the Hi-DPI / Non Hi-DPI support options on the PC platform...
https://www.gearslutz.com/board/presonu ... ntrol.html

[Aloysius]

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