What DAWs Are You Using Nowadays?

[crimsonwarlock]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Reason yet.

As mentioned in my sig below, Reason is my main DAW. I actually moved from Reaper to Reason when I found that I enjoyed working in a composer-oriented DAW more than constantly trying to bend a DAW to a usable workflow for me.

The current incarnation of my studio is completely built around the rack-paradigm that sets Reason apart from everything else on the market. I'm running three screens, one each for the mixer, sequencer, and rack. The screen with the rack navigates automatically to the relevant rack devices, based on where I am in either the mixer or the sequencer. It is an incredibly powerful workflow.

As much as I like the concept of Reason (I now think Bitwig is way better where modularity is concerned),

Bitwig HAS a modular environment, while Reason IS a modular environment. There's a big difference. For example, the big SSL console emulation is, in fact, a modular component, same as the audio outputs. This means that I don't need a hardware monitor-station because I have a monitor-station made as a combinator that sits between my mixer outputs and the hardware outputs. I'm not aware of any other DAW, including Bitwig, that can do that.

when a company fails to offer a demo of their product, the question I have is what are you afraid of that a potential customer will find that will get them not to buy?

There is a Reason demo! You can download the full installer, and it will run in demo-mode when not registered. The actual download is a bit hidden because their website is undoubtadly a mess, but it is there if you look around.

The DAW aspect and the sound quality of the instruments (which imo sound ok but a bit thin for lack of a better term).

Most Reason native instruments can go up against anything out there. It comes across clueless to call them 'a bit thin'.

Besides that, there are some Reason instruments that don't even have an equivalent outside of Reason. The same goes for a whole host of Rack Extensions.

[ChanceB]

Bitwig. I have FL Studio which was main DAW previously and Logic,and a Live lite license but I got Bitwig at the beginning of the year and haven’t touched the others since.

[Lerian]

Reaper midi can be improved with scripts, but I agree that it needs some redesign and improvement. Go to the forums (please) and add your thoughts to the midi editor thread in the feature requests forum. Justin started recently to work on the consistence of the overall UI, and hopefully he will start working on the midi editor next.

Thanks for this helpful info.
I tend to get either too much or not enough attention on that forum.
But I will go over there and find out about the MIDI scripting. I had no idea such a thing existed.
I had thought it was only a developer thing.

Check this out.

You can find more on reapack.

[duanosforde]

Bitwig and Studio One, they complement each other and my workflow pretty well.

[Chris Hawkins]

Got tired of paying for updates and wanted something different so I recently switched to FL Studio All Plugins from Tracktion Waveform. So far so good.

Tracktion Waveform has always been something that has peaked my interest but never took a serious look at.

[Chris Hawkins]

I wrote a book on Reason back when it was on version 2.5 (Reason 2.5 Ignite) - it was such a fun program to play around with, but I only used it as a supplement to Cubase (I actually had it MTC locked to slave machine running just Reason as an instrument). But I have not looked at it in years.

[VOODOO U]

I actually moved from Reaper to Reason when I found that I enjoyed working in a composer-oriented DAW more than constantly trying to bend a DAW to a usable workflow for me.

Yes Reason is probably the best design for dummies who have some kind of attention disorder and can't comprehend anything outside transport functions and that doesn't mean other DAWs aren't "composer oriented". Each have their functions implemented differently.
If you are "constantly" bending a DAW to your workflow that's all due to your personal preferences and has nothing to do with the DAW.
Reason works for your kind of workflow, Reaper works for others' workflow.

The current incarnation of my studio is completely built around the rack-paradigm that sets Reason apart from everything else on the market. I'm running three screens, one each for the mixer, sequencer, and rack. The screen with the rack navigates automatically to the relevant rack devices, based on where I am in either the mixer or the sequencer. It is an incredibly powerful workflow.

Sounds good. I'm willing to sacrifice that for better sounding synths because last I checked a navigating rack doesn't get people packing the dance floor.
I won't get into Reason's sequencing and song arrangement features because I sold my license YEARS ago so have no idea how much that aspect has improved. But I'll be rest assured it does not compare to what other DAWs like Reaper can do and no navigating rack is going to convince me to shell out subscription money (if I want all the devices).

Bitwig HAS a modular environment, while Reason IS a modular environment. There's a big difference.

No there isn't. Christ almighty cut the wankery. Either there's a modular environment or there isn't. And yes, some.modular environments will have capabilities others don't.

For example, the big SSL console emulation is, in fact, a modular component, same as the audio outputs. This means that I don't need a hardware monitor-station because I have a monitor-station made as a combinator that sits between my mixer outputs and the hardware outputs. I'm not aware of any other DAW, including Bitwig, that can do that.

I'm unsure if Bitwig can be setup to implement
something similar but I'm willing to bet it could be done with Max for Live. Maybe even Usine Hollyhock.

The actual download is a bit hidden because their website is undoubtadly a mess, but it is there if you look around.

The actual download is hidden (if there actually is a demo DL) because they want potentials to subscribe in order to demo Reason.
You know that saying "There's a sucker born every minute?" Well I was born 2 minutes ago so I'm just that little bit much smartur.

Most Reason native instruments can go up against anything out there. It comes across clueless to call them 'a bit thin'.

Ok so I'm clueless. A clueless idiot that trusts my ears and knows what I like. But hey that navigating rack sure sounds great!

Besides that, there are some Reason instruments that don't even have an equivalent outside of Reason. The same goes for a whole host of Rack Extensions.

Probably and so what? That's the beauty of diversity. It would be damn.boring if everything sounded like Subtractor and Maelstrom.

Anyhow, I do like the concept of Reason. If I had one choice on a stranded island it would be my pick strictly for it's spectacle aspect. Well that and it's modularity and ease of use.
I just f**king hate the Reason Studios approach with the need to subscribe to get the full package or having to be online every so often if one buys a full license etc etc.
......and no demo.

[DrGonzo]

Since I learned you can import Live projects into Bitwig I am considering getting Bitwig as my secondary DAW. I love Live 12 to bits, especially now with all the incredible MIDI features, but not being able to have more than one project open in Live at the same time is so damn irritating for me.

[xbitz]

Bitwig, despite all its shortcomings, what the guys have put together is amazing, period




^^^ works with .claps too

[donkey tugger]

Teh frootyloops. No point in f**king about.

[_leras]

Since I learned you can import Live projects into Bitwig I am considering getting Bitwig as my secondary DAW. I love Live 12 to bits, especially now with all the incredible MIDI features, but not being able to have more than one project open in Live at the same time is so damn irritating for me.

Multiple project tabs in Bitwig is a really great feature.

I often have multiple projects open at a time and can skip between them, which has been really useful towards the end of projects.

Its also been really useful when I've over cooked things in a project to open an earlier version and copy over parts with their earlier.

Also if I want to get an instrument/FX chain from another project, I can open the project I want it from, and either copy it across, or just group all the FX with and save as a preset to open in the project I want it in. So handy.

[xbitz]

Screenshot 2024-11-24 at 10.45.50.png

^^^ The recent project can be found both in Live and in Bitwig, most of the time there's no need for a new tab ... for me, the subprojects in Reaper would be nice, where multiple tabs can be active, or you can bounce tabs into the main project, etc

[_leras]

Screenshot 2024-11-24 at 10.45.50.png^^^ The recent project can be found both in Live and in Bitwig, most of the time there's no need for a new tab ... for me, the subprojects in Reaper would be nice, where multiple tabs can be active, or you can bounce tabs into the main project, etc

For sure 95% of the time we're mainly going to be working on one project.

But that small part where it does help to have two projects open it's pretty useful. You don't need to keep reloading to switch. (The audio engine does take a few seconds to reload vsts etc, but it's very quick really).

[_leras]

Teh frootyloops. No point in f**king about.

Tons of people have made huge hits in fruity loops/FL Studio. It's pretty straightforward and has some nice workflow features and a great piano roll.

Not sure it can match some of the other DAWs when it comes to mixing, and 'pro audio' features, but it is a fun music creation tool.

[SLiC]

Mainly Live 12.1 again, with PUSH 3 its like using hardware (my first love) and the browser with sound-search is a joy. I still use Studio One for recording primarily with bands/live instruments and tinker in Bitwig. Reason is relegated to being a 'rack' for me in other DAWS (thay have some great instruments). I have all plugin version of FL Studio from some insane sale many years ago, but never seem to boot it up...I remember being impressed with it as a drum machine/pattern based sequencer but never really got in to it enough.