If you had to stick to one DAW, which one would it be?

[Michael L]

it solves most of my creative problems while every other program just solves practical ones.

What do you mean creative vs practical problems?
Can you give examples?

[Biscotto]

There is more than just choosing a DAW, thinking of its timeline of evolution.
You also change, and then your DAW is not longer your ideal tool for your evolved “you”.

Just make music now. You have no idea what’s coming in your life next.
The changes you’ll need to make will be there and, at the appropriate time, you’ll make the appropriate decisions.

F**k the excel mind game. Use your inner compass.

[xbitz]

you will gonna love it instantly after you will be able to finish your projects with it...

That's interesting because the whole reason I ditched Fruityloops was because I never finished anything in it (same as Bitwig for me).

for me the biggest time waster was Patcher, with Kore2 (which can be used as an instrument rack in AL even has preset snapshots/morphing between them ) FLS can be used as a traditionally DAW just it pattern-based (and makes the routing by itself)

+20.9 finally has a dedicated automation editor so automation sources<>targets can be tracked back without any time-wasting (dunno when introduced MIDI Controller Scripting is also very useful in it)

still not a postprocessing DAW, but can be used nicely for sketching out projects

[EnGee]

F**k the excel mind game. Use your inner compass.

Yes I agree. Just keep the one that inspires you and make you feel comfortable and satisfied.

For example, there some things that I like more in Live over Bitwig and although they are "small" things, but I use them frequently and it disturbs me that they are not so good implemented or absent in Bitwig.
1. Grooves.
2. Markers
3. Tab (to adjust the tempo).

Bitwig of course has advantages over Live, especially the Grid. However, for me Wavetable, Operator and Collision are more than enough (besides 3rd party synths and instruments). So, it is not what's missing really but what works better for you (or me here) in the end.

[voidhead23]

What do you mean creative vs practical problems?
Can you give examples?

Sure. So creative problems, for me, are expanding a song out from a central theme (i have one riff, okay, what next?), actually finishing songs, moving quickly in the DAW to get ideas down, and being able to fluidly experiment with the arrangement of the song and combination of different phrases, in different time signatures, before committing to the actual Arrangement. These are solved sometimes through concrete features of the program (Session View, pedal-board-like device panel, racks) and sometimes through much more subjective things, like the overall simplicity, uniformity and limitations of Live that just clicks with me and gets me working faster.

A practical problem is something relatively unrelated to creativity or the song itself that disrupts the creative process. This is usually something technical, so maybe i should have used that word instead of 'practical'. In Live, this turns out to be hating my oversampled amp sims and multi-sampled drum libraries, and its weird latency paradigm when recording and monitoring at the same time. I end up having to work around this, while a program like Reaper or Logic solves this problem for me by putting greater emphasis on resource allocation and audio processing (in Reaper this is even the top priority, along with Input FX which bypasses the problem almost entirely). A practical problem could also be load time, intrusive updates that change the program drastically, or even cost. Or Item FX! Probably won't make the song better or help finish it, but sure would make the technical process easier.

The two blur when it comes to crashes and program instability. That's a practical problem with real impact on creativity, and a great reason to abandon a DAW.

So a DAW like Reaper would make the most practical sense for me (with Logic in a close second), but i find it a chore to work in. And i it actually does turn into work in those programs. It's easier recording guitars and programming drums, but i make less music. Live is not the most practical choice, but i am always more creative inside it. Since my music is just an outlet and not income, fun and creativity is at the top of my value structure. So the creative problems have to be solved first. For an engineer, professional sound designer, or someone who creates outside the DAW and just needs a stable recording and editing platform, the practical problems might need much more attention.

Hopefully that made sense.

[antic604]

^^^ great post, thanks!

[dellboy]

So the question: "If you had to stick to one DAW, which one would it be?", does not say that you cannot have other DAWs installed. I currently have eight DAWs on my computer (4 full DAWS that I own) three lite 8 track DAWs, (Bitwig - Live - Reason), and of course, the ubiquitous Reaper, which I am demoing.

The question gives me anxiety. The reason being that I am quite incapable of sticking to decisions. A few months ago, when Windows 11 came out, I thought it would be a great opportunity to clean install it and knuckle down to just Cubase Pro. And here I am a few months later with 8 DAWs installed. I would like to blame KVR for my lack of self control, but that does not work, because many who frequent this forum just stick to the one DAW.

At the time of installing Windows 11 I did make a backup of a basic Cubase install which I could re-image and be back to the basics. But since then events have happened, and Cubase has lost its dongle, and Studio One has been bought, which changes things. I have been using Studio One Pro a lot recently, but since it has been bought I am re-evaluating that. So we are left with good old Reaper. Even if they stopped developing it today, it could still be used for a long time to come because its just a serial based DAW. So the answer is, ------------ where is the "fish" option in the poll?

[machinesworking]

So I was wondering which DAW you lot think would be enough to cover most - if not all - of your needs, if you could never touch any other?

I think you know my answer, Digital Performer. You didn't click with it though, and IMO the biggest thing I could add to maybe help you out is be my own bad example, of your exact behavior. I jump around DAWs every time one doesn't develop as quickly as I want it to, if it shows a bug I find to be a showstopper, is going in a direction I don't like etc. etc. I'm a quick learner and I don't find learning new DAWs that hard at all.

Thing is if I had stuck with Digital Performer the entire time (started on the "Digital" version at 2.11), I would have a much much larger arsenal of templates, key commands etc. I'm super confident in it, but I think it's one of those things, I see a toy and I want to play with it. I've also worked with Live since version 3. I just had an MPE bug really.

I really like Bitwig, if I was starting off I would jump on that one, the developers are doing cool things. You should probably stick with Bitwig, unless you're like me and have used Live forever, I see them going more in the direction you want than Live. Live does Jitter and movie hosting, you don't care for that. The bigger thing is, if you're correct and you get shit done in Live, then none of that matters. If Live is "dull" or not as exciting to you but you get work done in it, go with it. Same with Reason, if that one has you producing more music jump on it.

That's the way I focus, I love Live and Bitwig, and I do get work done in them, but realistically I do more complex arrangements in DP. That's the deciding factor, which DAW has you actually writing music?

Normally I'm inspired by breaking it up a bit so I've used Live and DP (Logic at one point as well), because DP can get a bit technical, and not as "fun" with simple material, but if I had a choice for me it's the editing in DP VS the other DAWs, getting the material in there, I can use any of them to do that, but where do I go from there? I love Live it's great, I hate mixing in it. I hate templates that are larger than 30 tracks in it. Everything is too simple automation wise, it's powerful but not so fun when you're at the final stages.

So yeah, if you really like Reason why not stick with it? I think it's just hard to not want to play with all the toys if you aren't setting hard goals like Bones was talking about with putting out an album.

I think Reason is pretty great, the GUI thing is way too old school in some ways but the whole enclosed environment approach is cool. Logic is sort of like that as well. I mean I think of any DAW besides Bitwig, you've spent the most time fawning over Reason. The company might be a PITA, but who the hell cares about that?

[antic604]

...I currently have eight DAWs on my computer (4 full DAWS that I own) three lite 8 track DAWs, (Bitwig - Live - Reason), and of course, the ubiquitous Reaper, which I am demoing.

What I find interesting in that statement is that in my case I have a hard time choosing between "creative" DAWs like Bitwig, Live or Reason, whereas the choice is very easy - for me, at least - when it comes to "workhorse" DAWs like Studio One, Cubase or Reaper

[xbitz]

what would be if would buy a mac with Logic and would forget all the win-based ones (and their mac versions)?

its has pretty good MIDI point https://www.admiralbumblebee.com/DAW-Chart.html Patcher has MIDI FX version

ps. aha Patchwork has MIDI FX version from 1.5
The Audio Unit can now be loaded as a MIDI FX in Logic Pro X. https://www.bluecataudio.com/Products/P ... PatchWork/ it's the weakest point of Logic (the non-exist inner track routing similarly to Cubase) but it can be solved with it

[antic604]

...The bigger thing is, if you're correct and you get shit done in Live, then none of that matters. If Live is "dull" or not as exciting to you but you get work done in it, go with it. Same with Reason, if that one has you producing more music jump on it...

Great post, all of it. You know me too well!

Anyway, regarding that particular bit I quoted - the problem with Ableton is that it's very hard to work in it after you've 'tasted' Bitwig. It just feel very constrained and rigid, for some reason: audio editing workflow is terrible, clip launcher feels like a separate part of the DAW, there's no mixer to speak of, LFO/Shapes/Envelope steal your device controls, browser is very inefficient (other than for searching samples - this is leagues better in Live!), they have some brilliant devices but using Racks is a chore compared to Layers, Selectors and Splitters, and so on... And its CPU use is ridiculous.

With Reason it's easier - I'm keeping it even if it won't be my main. I've sunk too much money in 3rd party REs and even if I'd never upgraded my 11 Suite it's got more than enough sounds and devices for a lifetime

[dellboy]

What I find interesting in that statement is that in my case I have a hard time choosing between "creative" DAWs like Bitwig, Live or Reason, whereas the choice is very easy - for me, at least - when it comes to "workhorse" DAWs like Studio One, Cubase or Reaper

The "creative" DAW question is an easy one for me - Bitwig.

The arrangement side has great potential to grow and become like Studio One if they so choose. But as no one knows the future, we have to take something as it exists today, and Bitwig currently has enough stuff to do both sides of the equation - creative and serious.

Whether it currently has enough inbuilt tools to finish songs off to a professional level I do not know. But in the olden days the answer to that scenario was the famous "workaround" method. If there is a will, there is a way.

[MurzimStem]

Comfortable, and productive, with Cakewalk. Im used to it and it has all I need.

[xbitz]

What I find interesting in that statement is that in my case I have a hard time choosing between "creative" DAWs like Bitwig, Live or Reason, whereas the choice is very easy - for me, at least - when it comes to "workhorse" DAWs like Studio One, Cubase or Reaper

The "creative" DAW question is an easy one for me - Bitwig.

The arrangement side has great potential to grow and become like Studio One if they so choose. But as no one knows the future, we have to take something as it exists today, and Bitwig currently has enough stuff to do both sides of the equation - creative and serious.

Whether it currently has enough inbuilt tools to finish songs off to a professional level I do not know. But in the olden days the answer to that scenario was the famous "workaround" method. If there is a will, there is a way.

but antic doesn't use Grid etc. from Bitwig so this is what he wants (new releases FLS 20.9.1RC just released / fun/craziness and creativity) / or this what he needs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxX_6THGozI
just he fights against it

[pdxindy]

What I find interesting in that statement is that in my case I have a hard time choosing between "creative" DAWs like Bitwig, Live or Reason, whereas the choice is very easy - for me, at least - when it comes to "workhorse" DAWs like Studio One, Cubase or Reaper

The "creative" DAW question is an easy one for me - Bitwig.

The arrangement side has great potential to grow and become like Studio One if they so choose. But as no one knows the future, we have to take something as it exists today, and Bitwig currently has enough stuff to do both sides of the equation - creative and serious.

Whether it currently has enough inbuilt tools to finish songs off to a professional level I do not know. But in the olden days the answer to that scenario was the famous "workaround" method. If there is a will, there is a way.

Bitwig is the easy choice for me too. Having the Clip Launcher and Arrange side by side and oriented the same makes it easy/natural to work in both.

I also value the plug-in sandboxing. Bitwig is by far the most stable DAW I have used. I forget to save and sometimes have a project going for a week or two before even saving for the first time!

The Bitwig modulation system is unmatched by any DAW... especially in ease of use. The various container devices are constantly useful. I also like being able to have multiple projects open at once. I also always liked the device panel in Live and Bitwig does the same thing making it easy to work with native devices and plugins set-up with macros.

I also really like the way Bitwig handles midi and routing. I can do so much on one track that would take multiple tracks in other DAW's.

Regarding finishing songs off to a professional level, I would say every DAW can do that. It is only a difference of how fast they are and for me, speed is not critical as I am not in a high speed production work environment.