Hey, MuTools. (Why isn't MuLab more popular?)

[cjf1000]

My thoughts on the original question - I’m just an enthusiastic hobbyist and own both Reaper and MuTools, both are similar costs, and both are complex. For me, I particularly like the MuTools VST which can be used within host software such as Cantabile or Gig Performer.

I have read that some say Reaper is overly complex and impenetrable but it has the advantage that there are hundred of videos and articles, many of high quality (Kenny Gioia/ReaperMania, The Reaper Blog, Reapertips, etc) which mean I can typically quickly look up how to do anything, and there are countless videos which provide guidance for a beginner or occasional user.

While this quantity of video is not necessary, I believe MuTools would benefit from a few more 10 minutes feature and function guides and maybe some slightly longer ‘getting started’ guides (I know there are some on YouTube, but many are more than 5 years old and very few are less than two years, and it is not easy to know where to begin).

If I see plenty of video guides for a product it raises its profile in my mind, and if I was looking to buy a new product, knowing there are plenty of video guides would indicate a high level of support and highly influence my decision-making process.

I appreciate that making good videos is not easy, and is time intensive, but I would like to think the exposure it gives would benefit all and hopefully lead to an increased userbase who in turn would create more third-party videos.

[pekbro]

Urs heckman is a major plugin dev and is fully aware of Jo and Mulab, there may be others too.

I should have said, I never went looking for support from a major plugin dev about their plugins, who knew about MuLab. Of course some devs are familiar. Around here at least.

[bibz1st]

No worries, I only know this because Urs is mentioned in Mulabs credits (I think)

[dayvyg]

I have read that some say Reaper is overly complex and impenetrable but it has the advantage that there are hundred of videos and articles, many of high quality (Kenny Gioia/ReaperMania, The Reaper Blog, Reapertips, etc) which mean I can typically quickly look up how to do anything, and there are countless videos which provide guidance for a beginner or occasional user.

While this quantity of video is not necessary, I believe MuTools would benefit from a few more 10 minutes feature and function guides and maybe some slightly longer ‘getting started’ guides (I know there are some on YouTube, but many are more than 5 years old and very few are less than two years, and it is not easy to know where to begin).

If I see plenty of video guides for a product it raises its profile in my mind, and if I was looking to buy a new product, knowing there are plenty of video guides would indicate a high level of support and highly influence my decision-making process.

I appreciate that making good videos is not easy, and is time intensive, but I would like to think the exposure it gives would benefit all and hopefully lead to an increased userbase who in turn would create more third-party videos.

This is a very good point. I'm always baffled by the statements about Reaper being hard to use. There are a ton of high quality videos covering pretty much everything about Reaper. Plus it has an up to date and thorough user guide. Reaper is incredibly powerful so you may have to spend a bit of time digging in to the videos/user guide.

Mulab's manual is up to date and pretty thorough. It could definitely use more up to date tutorial videos though. Considering it's a one man show, some help from the community would be greatly appreciated, I'm sure.

[pekbro]

Maybe if it’s listed somewhere on the website as “Major DAW MuLab”.

[anonyme7]

Hello,

I have newly bought MuLab and subscribed to this forum. Some people think that, if a software is simple to use, it means that It is basic. But the fact is MuLab combine simplicity to use and lots of functionnality. The possibility to play clip in live with "Live matrix", the same way as Ableton Live, it's own modular synthesizer, it's internal arpegiator,etc etc... So very big compliment to its author who is doing this impressive job. And, as I use to think, "it is easy to do tricky things but hard to make it simple"...

[Grizzellda]

Well, If u-he & MuTools got together, I could imagine stuff...because we are on KVR and we should throw ideas around.

-Now u-he has got a ultra modern DAW.

-Now Jo has a support system.

-Zebra 2, being replaced by Zebra 3, could be simply included in MuLab. Like a native plug? Well tweaked and super stable!!!

-This would all be running under Linux, because I am just imagining stuff here, and I know that Linux can achieve incredible audio performance.

Alright, I will not bother you guys about this any longer!

[sl23]

I'm always baffled by the statements about Reaper being hard to use. There are a ton of high quality videos covering pretty much everything about Reaper.

Because I for one don't want to spend hours watching videos to learn how to start using a piece of software. It should be intuitive and reaper is far from from that.

Videos are necessary for learning a new skill, or one existing ones. You might want to watch a video about how to perform a specific function. You don't want, and shouldn't have to, wade through hours of footage just to start out!

[Grizzellda]

Well, Reaper is very ''configurable''.

And native on Linux, slow steady progress, rilly cool.

[CrystalWizard]

I'm always baffled by the statements about Reaper being hard to use. There are a ton of high quality videos covering pretty much everything about Reaper.

Because I for one don't want to spend hours watching videos to learn how to start using a piece of software. It should be intuitive and reaper is far from from that.

Videos are necessary for learning a new skill, or one existing ones. You might want to watch a video about how to perform a specific function. You don't want, and shouldn't have to, wade through hours of footage just to start out!

That's great thanks for your opinion. Some of us do want to watch tutorials (or read them in my case) on how to get the most out of our tools, DAWs included.

[Grizzellda]

Good tutorials are great, in my view. Very welcome. You guys are talking about Reaper, right...it could be daunting, intimidating, so yeah, sure some helpful vids would be like...

really helpful.

I am also such a geek that I love reading a well written manual!!!

[sl23]

I'm always baffled by the statements about Reaper being hard to use. There are a ton of high quality videos covering pretty much everything about Reaper.

Because I for one don't want to spend hours watching videos to learn how to start using a piece of software. It should be intuitive and reaper is far from from that.

Videos are necessary for learning a new skill, or one existing ones. You might want to watch a video about how to perform a specific function. You don't want, and shouldn't have to, wade through hours of footage just to start out!

That's great thanks for your opinion. Some of us do want to watch tutorials (or read them in my case) on how to get the most out of our tools, DAWs included.

It never ceases to amaze me how people always miss the point and twist what I write!

Would you put so much effort into using any other software? Not likely. Because software should be easy to pick up and use from the start. I agree, videos are useful for delving deeper, but from first contact it does nothing but put me off, and I'm likely not the only one seeing as many people complain about this!

[Michael L]

I find the most fun way to learn MuLab is just by playing with it.
Because MuLab has one developer, its design is logical and consistent. And, being modular it's transparent. For example, you can click the "Z" on a front panel and voilà, all the innards are visible!
Not everyone likes hands-on learning. You need to be comfortable with trial-and-error, but the benefit is you stay focused on realising your own ideas.
However, an easier way to learn MuLab is to take apart presets and Demo tracks, tweak them to learn what happens, and search the Docs when you get stuck

[Grizzellda]

Yep... I have always said that because MuLab is developed by one guy, it has a consistent flow through out, very nice!

[CrystalWizard]

I'm always baffled by the statements about Reaper being hard to use. There are a ton of high quality videos covering pretty much everything about Reaper.

Because I for one don't want to spend hours watching videos to learn how to start using a piece of software. It should be intuitive and reaper is far from from that.

Videos are necessary for learning a new skill, or one existing ones. You might want to watch a video about how to perform a specific function. You don't want, and shouldn't have to, wade through hours of footage just to start out!

That's great thanks for your opinion. Some of us do want to watch tutorials (or read them in my case) on how to get the most out of our tools, DAWs included.

It never ceases to amaze me how people always miss the point and twist what I write!

I wasn't trying to twist anything, i was directly addressing your comment and i only mentioned opinion because that's what it is, same as mine. Hence i didn't make any definite statements. I am also the not the only person whom approaches computer programs this way, either.

Would you put so much effort into using any other software? Not likely. Because software should be easy to pick up and use from the start. I agree, videos are useful for delving deeper, but from first contact it does nothing but put me off, and I'm likely not the only one seeing as many people complain about this!

I most definitely put that much effort into using other softwares. As an example DaVinci Resolve. or Affinity photo, or...
I treat virtual instruments like any other instruments, RTFM thoroughly once, if i want to-then read some background on the technology, Noodle around a good bit, refer the manual, then maybe for fun watch a tutorial. To be sure i much prefer the manual or other wriiten info (magazine, etc) and i, too, don't like wading through video tutorials much. This is all of course dependent on what it is that i am trying first the first time. A simple subtractive synth, then, yes, noodle first, then read the entire manual but if it's something like Myth, Sumu, Plasmonic, i read the manual first. All this not to say that i won't touch any piece of software until i've read the manual...