Why do people use multiple DAWs?

[EnGee]

My own experience
Checking other DAWs is a big trap. You start to like certain features exclusive to each and then you go mental before you know it and jump from one to the other all day
I am at the edge of uninstalling all and sticking to Cubase Pro no matter what

Good experience and good conclusion In my case I installed all for some time and kept switching till I found the best overall, but and this is important, not according to logic only! It is mostly according to the feel. Which one I really feel comfortable working with that keeps me return to it and feel "Yes! This is the one!". The only challenge now is to resist seductions from other DAWs Maybe just like women! Stick with one and don't look at others! However, be always ready for a sudden change in plans! Just in case she stabs you in the back, but in general DAWs are more stable than women

I know right? If I go all Cubase I will itch for Live for sure

Yes! Seriously, if you are not sure yet, keep them both till you know. Otherwise you will keep selling and buying (like me)

[UltimateOutsider]

I use live for warping audio and exporting it to Cubase where I do everything else. Live's beat detection and warping are hard to beat. Am currently on Cubase 9.5 and don't currently have a reason to upgrade... although I think I've heard the newer versions have some functionality similar to Revoice Pro, which would def. speed up my workflow with harmonized parts. I'd better not look into it too deeply; really trying to use what I have rather than stay on the upgrade treadmill.

[Michael L]

Hans Zimmer owns just a few synths.

Ehhmm.. not really.

I meant software synths, being in a software thread.
In a video, Hans demonstrated that by deeply mastering only a few synths (using Zebra in this case) he can more efficiently get the sound he was looking for.

[Passing Bye]

Zebra is awesome!

[fuzzlightyear]

take two bottles in to the shower?


yes, im an alcoholic!

Not always lucky with two...

[BONES]

there's always going to be workarounds and missing features anyways, there's no perfect fit, most important thing is to get the job done, if I ever change the DAW again, it will be my only one too.

I doubt I use 10% of the features of Cubase so I find it hard to fathom how anyone might think it has missing features. I still use Orion, too, and while it probably only has 20% of the features Cubase has, I still don't think of it as having any missing features, just a different way of getting things done. A missing feature to me is something that stops you dead in your tracks, like if a DAW's mixer didn't have mute and solo buttons, but if the mixer has room for inserts and sends, as well as solo and mute buttons, plus level and pan controls, then it's not missing any features because it will do what mixers are supposed to do. Yes, it's nice to have EQ but not really essential and the absurd "channel strip" krap that Cubase has is completely unnecessary (although I do use it because it's there).

It took me long enough to try to learn one (still only know the basics), I can't imagine going through all that again with a different one.

That is certainly the risk, becoming a jack of all trades, master of none. However, the principles apply across the board so if you know your craft, you will always be able to do good work, regardless of which application you end up in front of. It will just be faster on tools you know better.

For me making music is gaming in the first place. So i just like gamification side of it. Would you play the same and only one game the whole life?

So what you're saying is that making music for you is nothing more than a way to fill your days? You have nothing that you want to achieve, you just need something to do with your hands? Knitting or crochet might be a better way to do that.

One of the ones I had kept an eye on were Reason. I always liked the playfulness and intuitive workflow. But it never felt like a complete solution, there were always something major lacking. When they announced the plugin (and automatic upgrade to 11) it didn't take long to jump for Intro, and I later upgraded to full version.

Can you record in Reason? Or even play back things like multiple vocal takes or guitar parts or something? Just wondering if it qualifies as a DAW or if it's still just a rack full of stuff with a sequencer.

[antic604]

I doubt I use 10% of the features of Cubase so I find it hard to fathom how anyone might think it has missing features

This is so flawed logiclly that I can't believe one would type it and decide to click "submit"

[beltrom]

Can you record in Reason? Or even play back things like multiple vocal takes or guitar parts or something? Just wondering if it qualifies as a DAW or if it's still just a rack full of stuff with a sequencer.

Yes, Reason is very much a DAW nowadays, they basically combined their audio-application Record and Reason. It's not as full featured as for example Cubase, but there's nothing major lacking anymore, with the possible exception of VST3-support. But it's really fun and easy to work with.
All my own opinions of course...

[antic604]

For me making music is gaming in the first place. So i just like gamification side of it. Would you play the same and only one game the whole life?

So what you're saying is that making music for you is nothing more than a way to fill your days? You have nothing that you want to achieve, you just need something to do with your hands? Knitting or crochet might be a better way to do that.

Man, I "love" reading your comments! You do realize that making music can be a past-time activity and a hobby, right? It's not only available to those that want to live off it, release records & play to the crowds? People realize themselves and make a living in different ways and not everyone making music is "serious" about it, for the lack of a better word.

Either your world-view is really self-centered and one-dimensional; in which case I pity you. Or you're a genuine troll.

[recursive one]

I have a question to those who make arrangements in one DAW and mix or master in another, what are the reasons behind that? Is it becuase the "compostion" DAW msises some mixing functionality, or the workflow is better in another DAW specifically when it comes to mixing? I'm asking because for me the propcess of composing/arragnging/creating or tweaking synth patches can't be separated from mixing (and mastering I do is very basic).

Aslo people who use a separate DAW for sketching and experimentation, what do you do with the results of these experiments? Export the stems and MIDI and use them in your main DAW, or rewire or what?

[pdxindy]

I have a question to those who make arrangements in one DAW and mix or master in another, what are the reasons behind that? Is it becuase the "compostion" DAW msises some mixing functionality, or the workflow is better in another DAW specifically when it comes to mixing? I'm asking because for me the propcess of composing/arragnging/creating or tweaking synth patches can't be separated from mixing (and mastering I do is very basic).

Aslo people who use a separate DAW for sketching and experimentation, what do you do with the results of these experiments? Export the stems and MIDI and use them in your main DAW, or rewire or what?

I use 2 DAW's but basically one per project. I do use my iPad Pro these days cause the granular app Borderlands is my favorite granular synth I have used. I don't try to use it realtime. I record in the iPad and then bring the audio to my laptop/desktop to use in the current project.

[ShawnG]

I have a question to those who make arrangements in one DAW and mix or master in another, what are the reasons behind that? Is it becuase the "compostion" DAW msises some mixing functionality, or the workflow is better in another DAW specifically when it comes to mixing? I'm asking because for me the propcess of composing/arragnging/creating or tweaking synth patches can't be separated from mixing (and mastering I do is very basic).

Aslo people who use a separate DAW for sketching and experimentation, what do you do with the results of these experiments? Export the stems and MIDI and use them in your main DAW, or rewire or what?

I often purposely do mixing in a separate daw than I record in to formally separate the processes of creating/writing/tracking and mixing. Constantly tweaking sounds to me stands in the way of making a composition, conversely, once a song is written arranged and finished, I feel you should avoid the temptation to constantly “rewrite” it while you are mixing. Even if I do some basic mixing in the creation stage, I redo it all in the mixing stage. This is fairly old studio practice, and I am more rock/pop/traditional composition than I am EDM (Where specific sounds are more important to the whole). Obviously not speaking for everybody, but the mixing rabbit hole is not one I like to go into while writing a song.

[dellboy]

I doubt I use 10% of the features of Cubase so I find it hard to fathom how anyone might think it has missing features

This is so flawed logiclly that I can't believe one would type it and decide to click "submit"

Nothing wrong with Bones logic, I feel the same after owning Cubase for about a year.

Your logic seems to be that the whole world of music is EDM and nothing else. And then you add to that by assuming that everyone inputs music data with a mouse.

In my case my music tastes are varied but does not include EDM or Rap or hip hop or whatever, but can include electronic music. And definitely no imported loop material.

I am fortunate to have my own music room with a desktop computer and a number of keyboards - guitars - violins etc which I play in live.

So give me the most basic functions in Cubase and maybe just Kontakt and Reactor and I am done.

Editing if needed probably consists of deleting and replaying until I get it right. Never use comping - too complicated.

One thing I am certain of though is if I need a function its usually in Cubase somewhere.

And as I use Cubase more and more I am realizing how brilliant this DAW is.

[antic604]

I doubt I use 10% of the features of Cubase so I find it hard to fathom how anyone might think it has missing features

This is so flawed logiclly that I can't believe one would type it and decide to click "submit"

Nothing wrong with Bones logic, I feel the same after owning Cubase for about a year.

Your logic seems to be that the whole world of music is EDM and nothing else. And then you add to that by assuming that everyone inputs music data with a mouse.

Yes, it's wrong and I've never said the things you're implying

Logically, you can't infer from one person using 10% of something that the 100% covers everyone lse's needs. I might be using 5% of it and I still be missing some features! I'm just talking about LOGIC of his statement, irrespective of the DAW or how and to what extent certain person uses it.

So actually what you're claiming I do, is what @Bones is doing - he thinks that everyone work like he does and if he doesn't need more than 10%, no one does or it's included in that remaining 90%

[NERF_PROTOSS]

if someone is used to being able to duplicate an area selection in the MIDI editor, then yeah they'll run into missing features pretty quickly lol

(there are workarounds, of course, and MIDI in Cubase is pretty awesome in general, but still)