Which DAW for: dealing with audiofiles => with NO Grid at all ? free stitchwork with audio (solved, id say)

[Funky40]

Heya,
(edited: misspelling: "Raster" is now correct english: "Grid" )

i have now many DAWs at my disposal,*
what i "have to do" to get into tracks production becomes clear now.

One approach "i have" to follow is:
stitch audio files freely together, without any Grid involved !
....i think, might prefer to not see any grid at all.

i´m freshest to Cubase, while it also looks best suited for me overall, i think.
From what i gather is: much depends on the user, to know shortcuts/keycommands, etc.**
( So, sorry, to not just hunt down manuals and YT vids for the next 12 months.
I´ll do, but i´d like to have some upfront idea, on which tools to focus, and: for what )

** lets try to leave "this" out, and imagine a total noob, who wants a fool proof access to audio stitchwork with NO beats, NO Grid, NO tempo involved.
which DAW do you think is best suited for that ? (has to be a DAW, not Wavelab)


to notes: i have WaveLab pro. I never managed to make friend with the audioMontage window. plus, there are other reasons i want to be in a DAW.


*( i have: Cubase, Live, Studio1, BW, Logic / newest version each)
( can´t gel with any DAW. Cubase is very fresh, but looks best so far for certain things / others look also best for other certain things......the one i finally can operate is Live11. the one i totally can´t operate is Logic)

which to pick ? free audio stitchwork only ! NO RAster

[whyterabbyt]

which to pick ? free audio stitchwork only ! NO RAster

You're going to have to explain what you mean by those terms, they're not really words that relate to DAWs.

[vurt]

you could try any of the hosts i use, none of them have raster, whatever it is.

[Funky40]

You're going to have to explain what you mean by those terms, they're not really words that relate to DAWs.

well,
i want to place audio files on tracks.
i want to place these without any time- ,beat- or BPM- signature "active" on any track.
I just want to move the audio files freely around, and "stitchwork" these files,... on that base -no "Raster"- .....freely together.

Like if somebody takes a kickdrum sample, and would put it on any downbeat.
Thats in that sense also allready "stitchworking". Just based on having a Raster.
I´d like to have no raster "active".

i wonder which DAW is best suited for such a workflow.
I don´t know if any DAW is perfectly well capable to do so.
I´ve not checked yet.

i have not the health to check 100 things, cycling thru any DAW. sorry for that.
I´m hoping for some upfront idea, where to look first.
...bevore i even start to search on tutos.

[lfm]

I think any daw works for that
- set time base "time" instead of musical, will anchor any audio in time instead of tempo grid
- daw that allow to anchor markers in time instead of tempo grid
- turn off any snapping of clips, they are mostly for tempo grid like quaternote and such, so they will land where you put them turning that off
- turn grid lines off
- set ruler to time so you don't get those grid markers

I think markers are essential to navigating on timeline, jump to next/previous and such.

I've been thinking of doing similar, just sit and play around on an instrument and record and then afterwords pick parts that I like and stitch together as an embryo for an idea. More free creation process, kind of.

[vurt]

ah yeah, just turn off snap to grid. job done.

[whyterabbyt]

ah yeah, just turn off snap to grid. job done.

Yup. In ProTools, you'd select 'Slip Mode'. And I never use any form of time quantization in PT (which would be 'Grid Mode')

[Funky40]

I think any daw works for that

ok, i begin to understand !
Thank you very much for your explanations @lfm
That makes it all clear for me, for now.

I think markers are essential to navigating on timeline, jump to next/previous and such.

yes, "i think" this will "then" become a point.

[Funky40]

off topic:

I've been thinking of doing similar, just sit and play around on an instrument and record and then afterwords pick parts that I like and stitch together as an embryo for an idea. More free creation process, kind of.

here might i be from help for you:
i switched over to GigPerformer, plugin Host.
Take my word on it: its the best one, and supereasy to learn.
....and allows for things, NO other Host, and NO DAW delivers.
( one small hurdle, one has to understand, is, what "Widgets" are, and how they work.
its a 3min video to watch......then things are clear / its a inbeween layer between your HW controllers and the parameters of the plugins)

latencys are way better than most DAWs !
stability is way better than with DAWs.
You´d take this host for the sole purpose to "perform plugin Instruments by hand".
For this usecase, GP, wins......especially when its about to create more complex, or *very* complex patches ( modern cPU required !.....and its initself: one core only ! though, not hindering single plugins as such to go multicore)

things win on Mac, when it is about to connect GP with a DAW.
there is a freeware virtual audio cable, Blackhole.

there are many many small patchtricks doable with GP, not possible within DAWs, or then with way more hassle, or way less overlookability.


To me, the workflow of the future vs. "perform + record" szenarios, will be, to load plugins -at least to some nice degree- within a dedicated Host ( GP it is),....and "perform" your stuff from there.