Most CPU efficient DAW with VST support and recording

[DollyNipples]

So you don't want most cpu efficient DAW! You want the most "pocket" efficient DAW! You should have said that

In that case, just download Cakewalk and be done with it

I already have Cakewalk, but I'm also starting to earn more money and I may start splurging once my cash-flow improves. Besides, it would be awesome to have one of those better programs, because while free DAWs are nice, they are all missing something. Even LMMS is missing quite a few things FL Studio has. I just want to get something more advanced, and these free DAWs still don't quite cut it. I want something more user-friendly and more CPU-efficient than even the freebies.

You need to explain more. Like what exactly you need in a DAW? What are you missing in Cakewalk? What kind of music and what kind of tools you have (software or hardware)?

The answers will help to know which DAW might suite you better. If you know exactly what those advanced things you are after, then tell us what are they. Every DAW has an edge over the other in some specs and workflow.

I also suggest to look at the "intro" versions. You can save a lot of money this way, but sure you are sacrificing some specs in the "Pro" or full version. The best so far of those "cut" versions, IMO, is the Artist version of Studio One. You can find it really cheap in the 2nd hand and it only miss few things from the Pro version.
There are others as well:
Cubase Elements, Live intro and Bitwig 16. FL Studio Producer is also a great DAW (little bit more than an intro version, but it is a full + Sytrus synth). Reaper 6 is a great one as well. You can use some free great tools and synths to fill the gaps.

Demo all of them first and take your time. Then choose the most inspiring you. Don't care about CPU, they are mostly all very similar if you don't use heavy CPU plugins.

Oh ok. I kind of understand that. The thing is, there has to be a reason why people buy these expensive DAWs, and I want to know which one would be the best. I just don't want to spend a bunch of money on a brand name just because it's a brand name. I've seen in other threads that DAWs like Reaper aren't that great, and lists of reasons why. I'd probably go for FL Studio since it has a lot of nice plugins and drum generators, which I like, and you can record your voice, send signals to different channels and such, and it's almost like a less-cluttered Buzz. I really like the automations too. Studio One also looks good. Might just go for something with an interface that isn't confusing as heck, and some of the big-name expensive programs look very confusing.

[THE INTRANCER]

Oh ok. I kind of understand that. The thing is, there has to be a reason why people buy these expensive DAWs, and I want to know which one would be the best. I just don't want to spend a bunch of money on a brand name just because it's a brand name. I've seen in other threads that DAWs like Reaper aren't that great, and lists of reasons why. I'd probably go for FL Studio since it has a lot of nice plugins and drum generators, which I like, and you can record your voice, send signals to different channels and such, and it's almost like a less-cluttered Buzz. I really like the automations too. Studio One also looks good. Might just go for something with an interface that isn't confusing as heck, and some of the big-name expensive programs look very confusing.

People buy DAW's for any number of reasons, but ultimately it comes down to what you want to achieve for yourself in the needs and desire to create music, either as a form of musical therapy / enjoyment or way in which to improve your own skills and experience in which you can use to take what may be a hobby to something more serious and professional. So if you take your venture in music more seriously than just having a bit of fun now and then, then you'll be looking for something you can grow with and is actively being developed. It's not really a brand name thing, it's really more about reputation and confidence in developers to produce and sell products that are worth having and using. It's when these DAW's excel and provide what producers need for them that they buy them, regardless of what they cost. You are either on a train sitting in the station or on a train that is moving through the countryside... but if you want to get your feet wet and jump in the puddles on the cheap to see if creating music is for you once again, then you can enter at a lower bar.

I started way back in the 1980's in knowing that I wanted to use computers to create music. I did that on an Atari 800 XL. My first keyboard was a Casio SK1 Sampling synth back then which I got back in 1986. I used Atari Mega ST's and Sequencer One which was primitive to trackers on the Amiga 500 / 1200, Playstation and Music 2000, through various programs on the PC. My first complete PC daw was Magix Music Midi Studio Generation 6 for 30 quid. A logic clone essentially, then Reason 1.0 in May of 2001. And there I stayed with Reason till 2014 where I moved to Studio One Professional 2 and later 3 and 4. I outgrew Reason and it wasn't providing the features I wanted at that time. I wanted something like Cubase for film score type music creation, but Cubase didn't gel with me GUI wise / a bit Frankenstein and a bridge too far in expense and upgrading. Studio One Pro was similar but far more streamlined and intuitive. It's for that reason, that it's very popular and because Presonus are taking elements from other programs and adapting them to work in Studio One.

If you are working in a professional environment such as a commercial studio, then you would probably be forced to use Pro Tools but much of the knowledge you learn in one DAW is transferable. Additionally, people use expensive DAWs because the more knowledge they have in specific one's, they better the chance they have in getting a job or to find someone to join up with as part of a band or DJ group.

Daws are just like a tool box, you're not going to need all the tools in there to achieve what you want to create.

This might interest you to get started...

https://www.humblebundle.com/software/m ... edium=link

[EnGee]

Oh ok. I kind of understand that. The thing is, there has to be a reason why people buy these expensive DAWs, and I want to know which one would be the best. I just don't want to spend a bunch of money on a brand name just because it's a brand name. I've seen in other threads that DAWs like Reaper aren't that great, and lists of reasons why. I'd probably go for FL Studio since it has a lot of nice plugins and drum generators, which I like, and you can record your voice, send signals to different channels and such, and it's almost like a less-cluttered Buzz. I really like the automations too. Studio One also looks good. Might just go for something with an interface that isn't confusing as heck, and some of the big-name expensive programs look very confusing.

Well, I wouldn't think of DAWs like cheap and brand names! Many of those using Reaper is not because it's cheap! There are some specs and features you can't find in the most expensive DAW!

I have several DAWs, but not all of them are the latest ones. Also, I'm not wealthy or rich so, my point is, don't look at them this way. They are all equal citizens in Music Republic

Choosing the right DAW (or the right DAWs!) is not a simple task. Luckily the internet is available and demos are there for most DAWs. So make a list, watch videos and download demos. With time, you begin to know why this one chose FL Studio and why another chose Bitwig.

One thing to notice, is that, FL Studio Producer (for example) doesn't have all synths and devices. Most of them installed as demos, while DAWs like Bitwig Studio comes full with everything (but still Bitwig 16 or 8-track don't come with everything). So, it depends what edition you buy.

Last advice is "There are no rules"! You can use whatever you want to make Dance music, or a symphony! However, it's easier to follow what is common though

[DollyNipples]

I see. Well, I'm not planning on working for anyone. I just want to mix my own music and have a chance at winning some remixing contests, and perhaps release an independent album or EP. That said, I don't want to have this embarrassing experience again where I show someone a composition and they immediately recognize the drum samples and perhaps even the instruments from FL Studio. It felt as though I had shown off a picture and the person picked out the Photoshop leaf brush I used for the foliage. (and yes, that happened to me as well)

[Passing Bye]

Don't use DAW factory loops than, "problem" solved...

[EnGee]

I see. Well, I'm not planning on working for anyone. I just want to mix my own music and have a chance at winning some remixing contests, and perhaps release an independent album or EP. That said, I don't want to have this embarrassing experience again where I show someone a composition and they immediately recognize the drum samples and perhaps even the instruments from FL Studio. It felt as though I had shown off a picture and the person picked out the Photoshop leaf brush I used for the foliage. (and yes, that happened to me as well)

You are just complicating things! Why should you care if you are using presets or not! Most important thing is what sounds good to you.

Anyway, you will realise in the end that there is no "magic" about it. It is just a hard work and concentration with some learning of course. Good luck

[jancivil]

When I started, any interface was confusing. Good thing there are demos in, you know, modern times like this. I bought Reason, at v 2.5, its sample instruments seemed quite wanting, I wasn't gaga for the whole skeuomorphic cables thing, although it does things I can't do. Didn't get on with it.
I knew nothing. Some guy in Guitar Center advised me I didn't want the Pro Tools ecosystem, too costly, I wanted Cubase.
It was, donno, $349 or something. SX1.06. I started stupidly at it until I set to working. I'd checked out a book in the library for background (pre-SX) and printed the manual out. It was 700 pgs then. I'd also bought Cakewalk, for some background staring blankly at something for far too long. So it was the third DAW, or in the case of Reason, sequencer in modern terms.
Originally I'd always thought of recording music as contiguous and live, of course. Needing enough latency to run anything in the early oughts meant a new methodology, constructivist with a whole lot of editing.

In 1985 my Yamaha drum machine cost 9-something. An 8-bit sampler with so little memory any sustain came from a hand-made loop on a thumb-size display using hexadecimal, was $1699. The things we take for granted today cost millions.

[jancivil]

Your early efforts are going to sound like early efforts, you need a thick skin and take it for a while, you want people to notice and point out what needs work

[THE INTRANCER]

I see. Well, I'm not planning on working for anyone. I just want to mix my own music and have a chance at winning some remixing contests, and perhaps release an independent album or EP. That said, I don't want to have this embarrassing experience again where I show someone a composition and they immediately recognize the drum samples and perhaps even the instruments from FL Studio. It felt as though I had shown off a picture and the person picked out the Photoshop leaf brush I used for the foliage. (and yes, that happened to me as well)

Using raw drumloops and samples is fine, it's what you do with them that counts, because as an artist, the key thing is being creative and standing out. There's no rules, except those of copyright infringement in which vocal samples from copyright material is used and is recognisable as such. Thousands of people across the world will be using the samples provided with the DAWs they use, they paid for the licence to use them (or should have). Take kick drums and add distortion, change pitch, add chorus, EQ or slight delay, or phasers to a sample.

There's so many avenue's in the venture through the music arena, just pick a DAW and have fun with exploring it. Not everyone is interested in making music or prepared to go through the process and that's fine... just do what you want to do. You'll only make your best music when you are in a happy state of mind....

There's no rush to learn everything or know everything..

[DollyNipples]

Thank you for the advice! Been kind of reluctant to post a lot of compositions for years because I just didn't want people to recognize the samples too much, as it just felt so embarrassing. Been working on a remixing contest for Timbaland, and I've manipulated this keyboard sample with the frequency modulation LFO in FL Studio Mobile so it has this sort of old tape effect.

[ferez21]

Efficient? Acoustica Mixcraft. Also has the easiest controls and MIDI routing of every DAW I've tried lately. Doesn't have anything modular but just add a plugin like Mulabs MUX and you're set.

Mixcraft has some cool features of it's own, such as global modulators for every plugin (a la Bitwig, just more basic, mostly LFOs and Envelope followers), and a live sample browser that is connected to the internet and downloads bes samples on the spot (from free sources).

[THE INTRANCER]

Efficient? Acoustica Mixcraft. Also has the easiest controls and MIDI routing of every DAW I've tried lately. Doesn't have anything modular but just add a plugin like Mulabs MUX and you're set.

Mixcraft has some cool features of it's own, such as global modulators for every plugin (a la Bitwig, just more basic, mostly LFOs and Envelope followers), and a live sample browser that is connected to the internet and downloads bes samples on the spot (from free sources).

I've been giving Mixcraft 9 a workout tonight, but I'm experiencing some severe hanging of the GUI when using Parawaves Rapid VST. It's not the VST though because it works perfectly in other hosts. So with that being said, I think in where the OP is currently at in looking for a DAW to buy and really use... it would be Studio One 5 Artist for where he/she is at the moment. There's only a few key things that are different between the pro and the artist version. Much of what isn't there can be substituted for free or with commercial plugins and other key things are really more desirable than absolutely essential for anyone getting into music. You can always upgrade at some point later.

For under £100, it's worth it imop...(I didn't think it was prior to having no VST support which cost extra to get).

Compare it for yourself...

https://www.presonus.com/products/studi ... e-versions

[ferez21]

Efficient? Acoustica Mixcraft. Also has the easiest controls and MIDI routing of every DAW I've tried lately. Doesn't have anything modular but just add a plugin like Mulabs MUX and you're set.

Mixcraft has some cool features of it's own, such as global modulators for every plugin (a la Bitwig, just more basic, mostly LFOs and Envelope followers), and a live sample browser that is connected to the internet and downloads bes samples on the spot (from free sources).

I've been giving Mixcraft 9 a workout tonight, but I'm experiencing some severe hanging of the GUI when using Parawaves Rapid VST. It's not the VST though because it works perfectly in other hosts. So with that being said, I think in where the OP is currently at in looking for a DAW to buy and really use... it would be Studio One 5 Artist for where he/she is at the moment. There's only a few key things that are different between the pro and the artist version. Much of what isn't there can be substituted for free or with commercial plugins and other key things are really more desirable than absolutely essential for anyone getting into music. You can always upgrade at some point later.

For under £100, it's worth it imop...(I didn't think it was prior to having no VST support which cost extra to get).

Compare it for yourself...

https://www.presonus.com/products/studi ... e-versions

For me Mixcraft have been rock solid, sorry to hear and hope it gets fixed.

Studio One Artist is an unbelievable value indeed, i got it in the market here, an unregistered serial for about $20 and i couldn't believe how full featured it is, indeed not too far frim the Pro version, that i decided to sell the Pro i owned.

To the OP, i have an unused serial for Mixcraft 8 to giveaway if you want to try, i got it in the latest Humble Bundle and i have no use for it since i own Mixcraft 9 already.

[DollyNipples]

Global modulators? Like drawable automation, or LFOs? Gawd I feel like a total noob even though I've been mixing and composing for years XD

[ferez21]

Global modulators? Like drawable automation, or LFOs? Gawd I feel like a total noob even though I've been mixing and composing for years XD

Haha, well I've been composing for years and just recently discovered Bitwig's global modulation system - basically they have a handful of tools (LFO, Envelope followers etc.) that are easily accessible and can modify any parameter on any plugin, and i found this kind of system makes me very creative with sound design.

A quick video to demonstrate: