A small exploration of the DAW landscape

[phazer99]

I'm trying to find my optimal PC software/hardware setup for electronic music creation, so recently I've done a minor evaluation of some (most?) suitable DAW's. The results can be read on my blog. Feedback and suggestions are welcome

[xbitz]

to the Bitwig part, I'm using Bitwig and Reason as a plugin and this part "Doesn't support linked/ghost clips natively, but I think it will be possible to create a plugin that adds basic support for it in the clip launcher (but not arrangement view)" can be solved with Reason and different sequencers like https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... sequences/ of it

I've got the same problem ...

found a video

[antic604]

I'm trying to find my optimal PC software/hardware setup for electronic music creation, so recently I've done a minor evaluation of some (most?) suitable DAW's. The results can be read on my blog. Feedback and suggestions are welcome

Thanks, but that's not gonna end well - the conclusion should've been Bitwig + Reaper

[phazer99]

to the Bitwig part, I'm using Bitwig and Reason as a plugin and this part "Doesn't support linked/ghost clips natively, but I think it will be possible to create a plugin that adds basic support for it in the clip launcher (but not arrangement view)" can be solved with Reason and different sequencers like https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... sequences/ of it

Ok, I've thought about using a MIDI sequencer plugin like that, but there is a perfectly fine MIDI editor in Bitwig so I would prefer to use that. It should be possible to write a plugin that copies all note data to clips with the same name in the clip launcher, which would be a decent work around for the lack of linked clips IMHO. However, it won't work for clips in the arrangement view as they are not accessible from the Java API (a really stupid limitation)

As for automatic transposition of notes in clips it can be solved with a simple MIDI VST plugin placed first in the device rack. You can then have a dedicated track for the root key of the song and tracks with bass, pads etc. can use this track as input and follow the root key.

[xbitz]

^^^ Nora VST chord chopper quite good for this, it only needs some chord as a source and it can chop it/them multiple ways (out goes to different MIDI channels) in the same time



--
anyway I would definitely wait for Bitwig 3.2 before any final decision

[phazer99]

^^^ Nora VST chord chopper quite good for this, it only needs some chord as a source and it can chop it/them multiple ways (out goes to different MIDI channels) in the same time

Nora definitely looks nice! That's basically the functionality I want in my DAW

anyway I would definitely wait for Bitwig 3.2 before any final decision

Any pre-release info available on what new features will come in that version?

[Eclectrophonic]

Think I'd give FL Studio another chance if you're only gonna be using it for electronic stuff. Guitar recording is lacking a lot of features. Audio is ok for vocals or samples and it has the best midi editor of all the daw's imo.

[dr zeus]

I'm trying to find my optimal PC software/hardware setup for electronic music creation, so recently I've done a minor evaluation of some (most?) suitable DAW's. The results can be read on my blog. Feedback and suggestions are welcome

Behringer will be changing the landscape in a year or so.

[phazer99]

Think I'd give FL Studio another chance if you're only gonna be using it for electronic stuff. Guitar recording is lacking a lot of features. Audio is ok for vocals or samples and it has the best midi editor of all the daw's imo.

Yes, I should test it a bit more. A problem is the lack of OSC controller support or any controller API really. There is FL Remote which looks kinda useful.

[phazer99]

Behringer will be changing the landscape in a year or so.

I thought they were mostly just doing clones of old analog synths (which is great of course!). Or are you refering to something else DAW related?

[antic604]

I'm trying to find my optimal PC software/hardware setup for electronic music creation, so recently I've done a minor evaluation of some (most?) suitable DAW's.

Re-reading your blog post again, I really think you should have a look at Reason, too. It should appeal to you as a fan of hardware synths with its 'virtual hardware studio' paradigm and the way you describe your music and music creation process you'd have a lot of fun with multitude of its players, sequencers, CV routing, generative stuff, etc. It's a bit dated in terms of sequencer workflow, but has several features that I really like - blocks mode (a bit like pooled clips, but for vertical slices of arrangement), automation clips, multiple MIDI lanes per track, pattern sequencers. For a "simple" electronic music (as opposed to orchestral arrangements, for example) the sequencer is more than adequate.

Also, you have to have a look at Renoise, even if only to see how modern tracker can look like

[Steve Bolivar]

You can check out MuLab DAW
https://www.mutools.com/mulab-product.html
Its MUX Modular is available as a VST plugin for use in other DAWs.

[phazer99]

You can check out MuLab DAW
https://www.mutools.com/mulab-product.html
Its MUX Modular is available as a VST plugin for use in other DAWs.

I've played around with it a bit. I really like the MUX Modular engine, it's really powerful and intuitive (but it doesn't seem to be possible to map for example a MUX LFO to a VST parameter?). However, there doesn't seem to be any controller API or OSC support in MuLab which rules it out as a DAW for me. Maybe a combination of Bitwig + MUX Modular could be an option.

[phazer99]

Re-reading your blog post again, I really think you should have a look at Reason, too. It should appeal to you as a fan of hardware synths with its 'virtual hardware studio' paradigm and the way you describe your music and music creation process you'd have a lot of fun with multitude of its players, sequencers, CV routing, generative stuff, etc. It's a bit dated in terms of sequencer workflow, but has several features that I really like - blocks mode (a bit like pooled clips, but for vertical slices of arrangement), automation clips, multiple MIDI lanes per track, pattern sequencers. For a "simple" electronic music (as opposed to orchestral arrangements, for example) the sequencer is more than adequate.

I've tried Reason a few years ago, and didn't like the UI much. I very much prefer the compact device rack UI of Bitwig/Ableton to the rack view in Reason. Also, having pattern functionality in plugins is a stupid idea, it's much better to have a common pattern/clip editor that works for all tracks/instruments. The block mode is kinda cool though, although if I had linked clips I don't think I would need that functionality.

Also, you have to have a look at Renoise, even if only to see how modern tracker can look like

I used some trackers in the eighties, but I much prefer a normal piano roll/step sequencer view to the tracker UI.

[phazer99]

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