Anyone else leave Cubase for Ableton?

[pixel85]

Oh disabling and freezing tracks... Ableton suuuux at saving resources brutally.
I wish Live could do bounce to audio + new track + (effects/no effects/groups/master settings) under 1 shortcut + disable with two mouse clicks.

For me freezing tracks doesn't even free resources. If projects is already too big for CPU, I can freeze all tracks and project is still sleazy and super lazy. It's like after reaching some point, there's no return except deleting tracks.

[Trancit]

Oh disabling and freezing tracks... Ableton suuuux at saving resources brutally.
I wish Live could do bounce to audio + new track + (effects/no effects/groups/master settings) under 1 shortcut + disable with two mouse clicks.

For me freezing tracks doesn't even free resources. If projects is already too big for CPU, I can freeze all tracks and project is still sleazy and super lazy. It's like after reaching some point, there's no return except deleting tracks.

It doesn´t do it automatically but:
1. for all tracks you are sure you don´t need to touch again don´t forget to flatten it!!
2. for all tracks you might have to touch later, grab the track header and drag it into your project folder... this saves the track as a session which recalls everything if you drag it back into the project...(works with a complete group or groups in groups too)
Now freeze and flatten without fearing to loose anything...

It´s not as easy as in some other DAWs but at least a managable way...

[pixel85]

Oh disabling and freezing tracks... Ableton suuuux at saving resources brutally.
I wish Live could do bounce to audio + new track + (effects/no effects/groups/master settings) under 1 shortcut + disable with two mouse clicks.

For me freezing tracks doesn't even free resources. If projects is already too big for CPU, I can freeze all tracks and project is still sleazy and super lazy. It's like after reaching some point, there's no return except deleting tracks.

It doesn´t do it automatically but:
1. for all tracks you are sure you don´t need to touch again don´t forget to flatten it!!
2. for all tracks you might have to touch later, grab the track header and drag it into your project folder... this saves the track as a session which recalls everything if you drag it back into the project...(works with a complete group or groups in groups too)
Now freeze and flatten without fearing to loose anything...

It´s not as easy as in some other DAWs but at least a managable way...

Yeah it's some kind of solution but ultra inefficient forbig projects. Especially if you want to archive projects. Flattening for me is not an option. I always may have a need to come back to the project after a year or two and use the source track.
In Cubase I can keep hundreds of source tracks in the project (I have projects with hundreds of multilayered sfx for games). All I need is to unzip old project and run it: everything is right in the place, no need to remember what was where, no need to import anything.
For this one thing I can't simply replace Cubase.

[antic604]

...Flattening for me is not an option. I always may have a need to come back to the project after a year or two and use the source track. In Cubase I can keep hundreds of source tracks in the project (I have projects with hundreds of multilayered sfx for games). All I need is to unzip old project and run it: everything is right in the place, no need to remember what was where, no need to import anything. For this one thing I can't simply replace Cubase.

Sounds like you might want to look at "the other Ableton"

There, Ctrl+Shift+B* will bounce to new audio track and Alt+A* on the source track will:
1) unload the devices from RAM,
2) disable any CPU load,
3) hide the track from view (if you set it up that way).

It's like the source track is not there anymore, so the DAW works faster and loads faster, but of course another Alt+A brings it all back ready for tweaking

* not sure anymore they're defaut keyboard shortcuts - it's fully customisable unlike "the real Ableton")

[ReleaseCandidate]

For this one thing I can't simply replace Cubase.

Of course you could with DP or Logic (or Reaper, I guess).

[pixel85]

...Flattening for me is not an option. I always may have a need to come back to the project after a year or two and use the source track. In Cubase I can keep hundreds of source tracks in the project (I have projects with hundreds of multilayered sfx for games). All I need is to unzip old project and run it: everything is right in the place, no need to remember what was where, no need to import anything. For this one thing I can't simply replace Cubase.

Sounds like you might want to look at "the other Ableton"

There, Ctrl+Shift+B* will bounce to new audio track and Alt+A* on the source track will:
1) unload the devices from RAM,
2) disable any CPU load,
3) hide the track from view (if you set it up that way).

It's like the source track is not there anymore, so the DAW works faster and loads faster, but of course another Alt+A brings it all back ready for tweaking

* not sure anymore they're defaut keyboard shortcuts - it's fully customisable unlike "the real Ableton")

At some point I'll definitely look into Bitwig. StudioOne seems interesting to (faster workflow than Cubase and better midi than Live).
Unfortunately now I'm half alive thanks to covid and dealing with new DAW feels like dealing with quantum mechanics I'll spend some times reading reviews and tutorials to see what's inside

[antic604]

Unfortunately now I'm half alive thanks to covid and dealing with new DAW feels like dealing with quantum mechanics

Wow! Get well soon, then!

At some point I'll definitely look into Bitwig. StudioOne seems interesting to (faster workflow than Cubase and better midi than Live).

Both great ideas! SoS does pretty comprehensive and fair reviews, so I'd recommend starting there

[Trancit]

Yeah it's some kind of solution but ultra inefficient forbig projects.

It´s a bit of work but manageable if you have the right workflow for that...

Especially if you want to archive projects. Flattening for me is not an option. I always may have a need to come back to the project after a year or two and use the source track.
In Cubase I can keep hundreds of source tracks in the project (I have projects with hundreds of multilayered sfx for games). All I need is to unzip old project and run it: everything is right in the place, no need to remember what was where, no need to import anything.
For this one thing I can't simply replace Cubase.

I think you misunderstood what I meant...

Especially when you drag tracks or whole groups into your project folder and they get saved as .als files in the state BEFORE freezing/flattening it´s perfect for archiving as i.e. you are able to drag single tracks or groups into other projects too without having to import everything...

Second again especially this method is meant to be able to simply drag the track back into the arrangement with the state before you froze/flattened it... so you can come back all the time to single tracks and edit them as they would have been all the time present... just drag them back into your project and everything is again as they would have never been frozen/flattened...

The only difference to what you wrote about Cubase is that you drag the track into the project folder before freezing it and do flattening instead of disabling the track...

And about the "remembering" topic... it´s not that hard if you ´ve got an audio track in Ableton named i.e. "SFX 1" and you find an .als in project folder named "SFX 1.als"...
I think everybody would know what it is and what it does...

It´s different workflow... but the result is more or less the same... perhaps a bit more work but more flexible, powerful and save too!!

[pixel85]

Yeah it's some kind of solution but ultra inefficient forbig projects.

It´s a bit of work but manageable if you have the right workflow for that...

Especially if you want to archive projects. Flattening for me is not an option. I always may have a need to come back to the project after a year or two and use the source track.
In Cubase I can keep hundreds of source tracks in the project (I have projects with hundreds of multilayered sfx for games). All I need is to unzip old project and run it: everything is right in the place, no need to remember what was where, no need to import anything.
For this one thing I can't simply replace Cubase.

I think you misunderstood what I meant...

Especially when you drag tracks or whole groups into your project folder and they get saved as .als files in the state BEFORE freezing/flattening it´s perfect for archiving as i.e. you are able to drag single tracks or groups into other projects too without having to import everything...

Second again especially this method is meant to be able to simply drag the track back into the arrangement with the state before you froze/flattened it... so you can come back all the time to single tracks and edit them as they would have been all the time present... just drag them back into your project and everything is again as they would have never been frozen/flattened...

The only difference to what you wrote about Cubase is that you drag the track into the project folder before freezing it and do flattening instead of disabling the track...

And about the "remembering" topic... it´s not that hard if you ´ve got an audio track in Ableton named i.e. "SFX 1" and you find an .als in project folder named "SFX 1.als"...
I think everybody would know what it is and what it does...

It´s different workflow... but the result is more or less the same... perhaps a bit more work but more flexible, powerful and save too!!

I'm not talking about music sfx here but about sfx for games which have a lot of folder structure (Live doesn't even have folders). So I don't have "sfx01", for me it's more like PlayerCharacter folder, Weapons folder, Guns folder, GunX folder: Top layer folder: and then inside this folder I have several layers of instruments and audio tracks.
Once again, in Cubase I'm opening 1 project where all of this is on place. Now if I would have to use hundreds of separate tracks, each as separated .als file, to import back to the project... I would go insane very quickly. Just imagine how cluttered would be project folderfolder (and redoing all the file folder structure from the Cubase project, for those .als files would be counter productive and huge waste of time). In no way you can convince me that doing it your way would be even a bit easy as opening the project where entire structure is already on place.

[Trancit]

I'm not talking about music sfx here but about sfx for games which have a lot of folder structure (Live doesn't even have folders). So I don't have "sfx01", for me it's more like PlayerCharacter folder, Weapons folder, Guns folder, GunX folder: Top layer folder: and then inside this folder I have several layers of instruments and audio tracks.
Once again, in Cubase I'm opening 1 project where all of this is on place. Now if I would have to use hundreds of separate tracks, each as separated .als file, to import back to the project... I would go insane very quickly. Just imagine how cluttered would be project folderfolder (and redoing all the file folder structure from the Cubase project, for those .als files would be counter productive and huge waste of time). In no way you can convince me that doing it your way would be even a bit easy as opening the project where entire structure is already on place.

Nothing you wrote here would be more difficult than disabling tracks in Cubase...

It doesn´t f*cking matter how deep your folder structure is and how many layers it got... one drag and everything is saved for this group (what is the same like folder + bus in Cubase)... not 100 .als (other that you want 100) but 1... one simple file to represent your complete folder/group/whatever...
And 1 simple drag and everything is restored... this is really difficult!!
Therefore your arguments are nonsense...

But what can I say... if somebody simply doesn´t want to make something work there is no way to argue against...
Nevertheless it´s just that you doesn´t want that it works... not that it doesn´t work in reality!!

[clipnotic]

I tested different versions of them and don't like them both, but if I had only to choose between Cubase and Ableton, I would easily pick Cubase, because it has a much better workflow, compatibility and "overall tightness". Ableton is a typical "marketing" product ...

[antic604]

...but if I had only to choose between Cubase and Ableton, I would easily pick Cubase, because it has a much better workflow, compatibility and "overall tightness". Ableton is a typical "marketing" product ...

Said an FL user

[pixel85]

I'm not talking about music sfx here but about sfx for games which have a lot of folder structure (Live doesn't even have folders). So I don't have "sfx01", for me it's more like PlayerCharacter folder, Weapons folder, Guns folder, GunX folder: Top layer folder: and then inside this folder I have several layers of instruments and audio tracks.
Once again, in Cubase I'm opening 1 project where all of this is on place. Now if I would have to use hundreds of separate tracks, each as separated .als file, to import back to the project... I would go insane very quickly. Just imagine how cluttered would be project folderfolder (and redoing all the file folder structure from the Cubase project, for those .als files would be counter productive and huge waste of time). In no way you can convince me that doing it your way would be even a bit easy as opening the project where entire structure is already on place.

Nothing you wrote here would be more difficult than disabling tracks in Cubase...

It doesn´t f*cking matter how deep your folder structure is and how many layers it got... one drag and everything is saved for this group (what is the same like folder + bus in Cubase)... not 100 .als (other that you want 100) but 1... one simple file to represent your complete folder/group/whatever...
And 1 simple drag and everything is restored... this is really difficult!!
Therefore your arguments are nonsense...

But what can I say... if somebody simply doesn´t want to make something work there is no way to argue against...
Nevertheless it´s just that you doesn´t want that it works... not that it doesn´t work in reality!!

I feel that you never worked in Cubase (andon audio for games) if you say that your solution is equal to the one in Cubase.

Enjoy your life with Live. I prefer solution in Cubase which doesn't require from me to export or import anything. If it makes you angry then well... It's your problem not mine. EOT

[macmuse]

It doesn´t do it automatically but:
1. for all tracks you are sure you don´t need to touch again don´t forget to flatten it!!
2. for all tracks you might have to touch later, grab the track header and drag it into your project folder... this saves the track as a session which recalls everything if you drag it back into the project...(works with a complete group or groups in groups too)
Now freeze and flatten without fearing to loose anything...

It´s not as easy as in some other DAWs but at least a managable way...

All I need is to unzip old project and run it: everything is right in the place, no need to remember what was where, no need to import anything.
For this one thing I can't simply replace Cubase.

I have a question on these 2 comments above. I don’t do anything to old projects and have always left them as they are, either finished or not. I can always go back to them at any time by just opening them. The only issue I may face is if a plugin is out of date and missing. What I do though is export the tracks as the original MIDI and as the rendered audio just in the event I don’t use that DAW anymore and need to revisit the track.

What is the reason for dragging the track header to the project folder?

What is the reason for zipping a project (where it is unzipped later as stated) versus just leaving the project as-is like I do?

I am just wanting to know the benefits of these methods that may be something I was unaware of. And the benefit of archiving versus just leaving it as a normal project on the hard drive. Thank you!

[Trancit]

What is the reason for dragging the track header to the project folder?

What is the reason for zipping a project (where it is unzipped later as stated) versus just leaving the project as-is like I do?

I am just wanting to know the benefits of these methods that may be something I was unaware of. And the benefit of archiving versus just leaving it as a normal project on the hard drive. Thank you!

I didn´t said anything you quoted under my name but to answer your questions...

The reason for dragging the track header to the project folder is a very neat way to save entire tracks or groups (folders) in their complete state...
This way you can simply drag this saved .als file back into the project after having flattened the track or having deleted the track...

Ableton has no way of truely disabling tracks to save system resources apart from flattening a freezed track but this means the original track as it was before is deleted... if you have saved it the before mentioned way you can easily drag it back if you need to edit it again...

Next a complete project contains often hundreds or perhaps thousands of different files and zipping in this case has just the one function to store everything into one file for backup... easier to handle than a folder of subfolders and many many single files