What is your FrankenDAW? (i.e. what do you like about every DAW more than others?)

[BKSchatzki]

I've searched the term "FrankenDAW" and there are some threads that use this term, but I haven't found a thread dedicated to this idea. If you could take the different elements of a DAW, and even combine aspects from multiple DAWs to implement things a certain way, what would it be like for you? This is not an exhaustive list, and it might evolve, but these are some for me:

Track controls:
Pro Tools: Inserts on the track control panel mean that you never have to open the mixer until you are mixing. Some might say that the inspector of many DAWs allows this too, but it's not quite the same. The inspector only shows the selected track. Seeing the plugins on the track also makes it easier to see where you are in the project.

Arrange window:
Logic: I really like the look of Logic's arrange view, and I like the transport controls and record options of Logic as well.

Arrange view editing:
Studio One: The way most things can be done with the main tool is really slick. Being able to manipulate clips without needing a special tool is really strong.

MIDI editing:
Cubase: Need I say more? The tools for editing MIDI in Cubase are second-to-none, although I think FL Studio has an interesting implementation as well. I also like Bitwig's note-specific editing.

Event effects:
Studio One: There is no special menu-diving you need to do to apply effects to individual events. You just hold a modifier key and drag the plugin to the event, or directly into the inspector. And you can do ARA editing directly in the edit panel!

Envelopes:
Pro Tools: The way envelopes can sit under a track is very elegant in ProTools, and it's very easy to keep them organized. It's not the easiest to select them, but once they're there, they're there.

I might add more as I think of more, but these are some things I think these DAWs do particularly well. Feel free to say your own, or disagree with mine. And yes, Reaper can be a FrankenDAW, but part of my FrankenDAW requirement is that it just works this way out of the box, haha.

[El°HYM]

MUBLETON

[Dogbert]

..

[Fornicras]

I just need FL Studio One. FL's browser, channel rack, and piano roll, Studio One for everything else.

[andypryce]

Digital Performer"s Chunks
Logic"s plugins, content and elegance
Cubase"s Control Room, Visibility Agent, Track&Plugin Search
Ableton"s Racks, Audio manipulation options
Bitwig"s Modulators
Studio One's Macros, Workflow
FL Studio's Piano Roll Tools and Slide

[chk071]

This thread demonstrates the problem with DAW hopping.

[andypryce]

This thread demonstrates the problem with DAW hopping.

[kimearo]

Logic Pro with:
* inserts in the track control panel as in PT
* better track colors
* ability to fully colorize tracks/mixer channels
* nicer colors for tracks/channels
* racks like in Reason/Ableton
* search of plugins like in Cubase/Studio One/Ableton
* modulation like in Bitwig

Someting like that perhaps

[vurt]

bidules ability to be used as a plugin in other hosts.
imagine opening a host within a host within a host (recurring)

[vurt]

also, how is this not an intrancer thread? it feels like it should be.

[ralfrobert]

ReapNoise, stability of both, everything from Reaper, plus the functional GUI that I really like from Renoise, and the tracker added to Reaper. Oh my!

[mothra]

Logic Pro's mixer (I like having my inserts and sends and everything on the same page), Logic Pro's sampler/quick sampler, and Ableton's handling of audio/MIDI as clips, tacked onto Cubase 12 and I'd be perfect. The rest of Cubase, leave it exactly how it is. I do love the way stuff is input into Renoise, maybe give me an optional 'tracker interface' when I want to work the old school Jungle way too hah.

Although Cubase's sampler tracks are pretty nice, I miss having the big sampler in Logic. Luckily I have an MPC and an EMU to tide me over for that.

[BKSchatzki]

Digital Performer"s Chunks
Cubase"s Control Room, Visibility Agent, Track&Plugin Search
Ableton"s Racks, Audio manipulation options
Bitwig"s Modulators

Gotta thumbs-up these in particular. I forgot about the chunks in DP; I only used it once in university because my professor swore by it, and I could never wrap my head around it. I came to appreciate chunks for sure. And yeah, I really like Cubase's implementation of the Control Room. As for Ableton and Bitwig, absolutely, those are their respective unique selling points. I've never used either so I don't know how it feels to have them, but I can imagine.

This thread demonstrates the problem with DAW hopping.

Yeah. I wish I had just had a Mac when I first started and was broke in uni, bought Logic and just forgot about it. But alas, I was using a stripped-down version of Cubase that came with my interface and it just couldn't cut it. Off I went and I could never unsee things from other DAWs lol.

Logic Pro with:
* inserts in the track control panel as in PT
* better track colors
* ability to fully colorize tracks/mixer channels
* nicer colors for tracks/channels
* racks like in Reason/Ableton
* search of plugins like in Cubase/Studio One/Ableton
* modulation like in Bitwig

Someting like that perhaps

I only want one column of colors added to Logic: greyscale. But colors is a very subjective thing, so I feel ya. As for plugin search, there's Plugsearch which is a paid add-on. The only thing keeping me from it is wondering whether it'll just get implemented when the next major version of Logic comes out lol.

[apoclypse]

I just need FL Studio One. FL's browser, channel rack, and piano roll, Studio One for everything else.

Is FL Studio's Browser really that good? I've always found it kind of rudimentary even compared to S1's. My favorite browser is Bitwig's just because it's so powerful and has imo one of the most complete search, collections and tagging systems I've seen in a DAW browser (I haven't used Cubase but I heard it's media bay thingy was good too). Bitwig is the only DAW I use where I don't feel like I need to use a sample manager (I use ADSR Sample Manager). I just add the folder and it automatically puts stuff into my smart collections.

Agree with the Channel Rack, S1 has something like it but's nowhere near as nice to use. Piano Roll. I like the tools in FL, but I personally like the feel of S1's better.

[apoclypse]

Why FrankenDAW would be S1's workflow, Racks like Ableton or FLStudio, All the effects and instruments from Logic.The MIDI Tools from FLStudio, Bitwig's fuzzy search and browser. Ableton's or Logic Simpler/QSampler (I like Logic's a bit more).

Hardware integration like Ableton no other DAW has the level of integration like Ableton from 3rd parties.