DAW Journey thoughts and opinions

[jens]

I get tons of music and audio work done with Bitwig. I’m often under a tight deadline as well, so if it had a flaw that prevented me from working quickly, I’d have discarded it long ago.

I don't doubt any of that - but then again Bitwig is one of those hosts without ARA, so for those who use a lot of audio... (it has a Grid though... )

[zerocrossing]

I get tons of music and audio work done with Bitwig. I’m often under a tight deadline as well, so if it had a flaw that prevented me from working quickly, I’d have discarded it long ago.

I don't doubt any of that - but then again Bitwig is one of those hosts without ARA, so for those who use a lot of audio... (it has a Grid though... )

You seem to be one of those people who make up constraints to keep yourself angry. Lot’s of great music has been made prior to ARA.

[JustBoots]

@bilrobins Can you give some context by talking about your requirements for a DAW.

[jens]

I get tons of music and audio work done with Bitwig. I’m often under a tight deadline as well, so if it had a flaw that prevented me from working quickly, I’d have discarded it long ago.

I don't doubt any of that - but then again Bitwig is one of those hosts without ARA, so for those who use a lot of audio... (it has a Grid though... )

You seem to be one of those people who make up constraints to keep yourself angry. Lot’s of great music has been made prior to ARA.

Huh? That makes absolutely zero sense! I have made music using a stereo cassette-deck plus Notator on Atari and some cheap MIDI instruments before PCs were capable of recording even just a single audio-track... but what could be your point?

Going by your unbelievably thought- and brainless argument Bitwig could have two single buttons "play/stop" and "record" and be perfectly fine like that.

And of course the same could be said about anything. Before they invented the wheel people managed to get from A to B by walking just fine as well...

Some people...


(I really wonder when people will finally stop repeating that same centuries old painfully dumb argument... )

[TheMaestro]

I get tons of music and audio work done with Bitwig. I’m often under a tight deadline as well, so if it had a flaw that prevented me from working quickly, I’d have discarded it long ago.

I don't doubt any of that - but then again Bitwig is one of those hosts without ARA, so for those who use a lot of audio... (it has a Grid though... )

You seem to be one of those people who make up constraints to keep yourself angry. Lot’s of great music has been made prior to ARA.

Huh? That makes absolutely zero sense! I have made music using a stereo cassette-deck plus Notator on Atari and some cheap MIDI instruments before PCs were capable of recording even just a single audio-track... but what could be your point?

Going by your unbelievably thought- and brainless argument Bitwig could have two single buttons "play/stop" and "record" and be perfectly fine like that.

And of course the same could be said about anything. Before they invented the wheel people managed to get from A to B by walking just fine as well...

Some people...


(I really wonder when people will finally stop repeating that same centuries old painfully dumb argument... )

So what the h*ll did you comment like that about ARA then?!
That's the nonsensical comment here, in the context.

[jens]

well, It's obvious that the context went past you high up in the sky...

[machinesworking]

I've used about 7 DAWs, mostly I stick to one main DAW, then bounce around for features and collaboration to the others. I don't think there's anything that hard about learning the basics in any DAW, 90% of what I do is going to be the same in any of them, and the other 10% is a couple minutes of reading or internet searching to find out.

So Digital Performer, then Logic with Reason rewired, back to DP, with Live as a secondary, recently Bitwig and Reaper for MPE, but it's looking like I'm probably sticking to DP and Live for now. Oh, and MPC Live II is becoming the main secondary DAW, because it can run as a VSTi in DP and Live, and it's just more fun to write in, forces me to think about drums more.

One thing, IMO in many ways Bitwig and Reaper are my favorites for just flexibility, but I seem to get more done in DP and the MPC, the limitations of the workflow seem to produce more for me.

[Jafo]

Hi, my name is Mike and I'm an idiot when it comes to DAWs. I can understand Tracktion, because everything is right there, but nothing else makes any sense to me. I can't even find the master track in Sonar, Cakewalk, Reaper, Live, whatnot. Trying to set up an audio input or a midi input, or even applying a plugin, is a major ordeal. (I said I was an idiot...) Why these DAWs have the exact same information presented horizontally as vertically is beyond me; is it some sort of masochism?

I mean no disrespect; I'm just confessing that I can't understand other DAWs and why they make it so hard to do something. Most of you like that, so there's clearly a benefit.

But all this changes with Tracktion. Everything is right there; you just assign an input and you're ready to go. Plugins are trivial to handle; you put them on the track. This is something I can understand: everything is right there, not hidden behind pages and menu interfaces. But again, I know there has to be a benefit to all those barriers, so I'm not condemning.

Ultimately, Tracktion makes it possible for me to do music, and I can't figure out how to in any other DAW. But hey, I'm an idiot with DAWs. Cheers and best wishes to everybody.

[jens]

I can understand Tracktion, because This is something I can understand: everything is right there, not hidden behind pages and menu interfaces. But again, I know there has to be a benefit to all those barriers, so I'm not condemning.

These "barriers" as you call them don't exist - everything is right there in other DAWs too.

[TheMaestro]

well, It's obvious that the context went past you high up in the sky...

Not at all. Your desperate jabs doesn't go past anyone.

[TheMaestro]

Hi, my name is Mike and I'm an idiot when it comes to DAWs. I can understand Tracktion, because everything is right there, but nothing else makes any sense to me. I can't even find the master track in Sonar, Cakewalk, Reaper, Live, whatnot. Trying to set up an audio input or a midi input, or even applying a plugin, is a major ordeal. (I said I was an idiot...) Why these DAWs have the exact same information presented horizontally as vertically is beyond me; is it some sort of masochism?

I mean no disrespect; I'm just confessing that I can't understand other DAWs and why they make it so hard to do something. Most of you like that, so there's clearly a benefit.

But all this changes with Tracktion. Everything is right there; you just assign an input and you're ready to go. Plugins are trivial to handle; you put them on the track. This is something I can understand: everything is right there, not hidden behind pages and menu interfaces. But again, I know there has to be a benefit to all those barriers, so I'm not condemning.

Ultimately, Tracktion makes it possible for me to do music, and I can't figure out how to in any other DAW. But hey, I'm an idiot with DAWs. Cheers and best wishes to everybody.

Every (major) DAW is capable of doing the exact same thing, more or less.
Finding the DAW that clicks with you and fits your workflow is where it's at.

[Jac459]

I keep changing DAWs like I was getting paid for it and I complain all the time (because all of them in my opinion have unbelievably thoughtless and even outright stupid flaws) and I am convinced that those who don't complain are the ones who get very little done (because many flaws tend to only reveal themselves once you create more than just a few bars of music).

Also my assumption is that I am amongst the most productive folks on here, so there's that... and by the way - as most DAW talk on here and also in other places - this thread is a lot of noise and very little signal. I could be wrong, but I think not a single actual feature has been mentioned so far. (Which makes me even more convinced that none of you guys actually get a lot done ).

Tell me you are an idiot without telling me you are an idiot.

Lol.

I usually respect all opinions but this concept that there is a correlation between people complaining about their DAW and the amount they a achieved must be the dumbest thing of the month in KVR (and it says a lot).

Hope you are smarter producing because if not, I am not very hopeful for the things you "achieve a lot".

[? ? ?]

this concept that there is a correlation between people complaining about their DAW and the amount they a achieved must be the dumbest thing of the month in KVR (and it says a lot).

Yeah, agreed. I use Reaper and that f**king DAW gives me enough to complain about even before pressing the play button. But I'll buy another license when the time comes. It's like any relationship, you learn to live with the flaws because nothing is ever 100% perfect.

[vitocorleone123]

DAWs are a bit like a computer OS: you get used to it and get productive. Unless it's literally keeping you from getting done what you want to get done, there's usually more cost (not just financial) in switching than downside to continuing to use it.

My journey was/is
* ScreamTracker 3
* FastTracker 2
* Cakewalk 5
* Cubase VST
* Tracktion
* Tracktion + Mixbus 32C
* Studio One Pro + Mixbus 32C + Tracktion
* Studio One Pro + Waveform
* Studio One Pro (w/a bit of Waveform)

I've tried Ableton and Reaper. I dislike Albleton and very much can't stand Reaper.

Once I started getting hardware, I found Tracktion/Waveform more limiting overall (though Studio One Pro has some stupid limitations here and there, too).

[? ? ?]

Once I started getting hardware, I found Tracktion/Waveform more limiting overall (though Studio One Pro has some stupid limitations here and there, too).

Out of curiosity, what hardware do you use that surpasses what a DAW could do?