How Many Different DAWs Do You Use?

[LawrenceF]

How many guitar players have ONE guitar? Hmmmmmmmmm? Yeah, hosts......just like les pauls, you can't have too many!

The only point of any of it is to make music. If using 3 hosts at different times helps, fine. If someone else can always do it with only one, also fine.

[hibidy]

[Davias]

Never found a daw that can do everything I need OR in an easy way. And I don't know why but I don't want to go jbrige (maybe a big mistake) and I don't want to leave 32 bits world (but I want to use as many 64 bits plugs as I can)... So a few daws are left for me.

So for now it is Renoise (because I came from trackers and back to trackers), and it is rock stable but lacks many things and it is cpu intensive, so I think I will need Reaper and FL Studio to be fully featured. The demos behave buggy on my main comp, but they definitely have important features OR workflow that Renoise lacks (to me). The only thing that could prevent that in the few next months would be the release of Bitwig, that I still hope will be a can-do-it-all for me.

[Uncle E]

Hmmmm...sounds like we need a "Your next DAW?" thread.

LOL! 300 pages later...

[tibah]

I always dream about the multiple DAW thingie, usually after 2 beers into the evening. Hmm... do this in Live, that in Reason, then bring it all together in Studio One. Keep energyXT and Tracktion around just in case... and obviously Podium is neat too and what about Rea.... Something along those lines. Another weird thought that gets on me once in a while - what if I could work with multiple DAWs, really as multiple DAWs, meaning different computers, all synced and feeding into a "master" where everything ends up by some complex setup I probably wouldn't even like. Hm...

Well, I'm happy that I don't really do that. It's pretty much down to Studio One and keeping Reason Essentials, since my Balance interface won't react on different buffer settings made by Studio One.

I think I'm good with being close to "does most of what I like" with Studio One. Rewire is not for me and I probably get a bit lost in creating different parts in different DAWs or using only specific functions of it. Then again, I'm kinda avoiding to demo Live at the moment and rather stick to my 3 or so tryout experience with it, simply not clicking with me, instead of asking myself how to fund it.

I've used Reason for 10-12 years, so it feels more "natural" to me at times, but there are still so many workflow issues and contradictory aspects + the rancid taste in my mouth when thinking about Rack Extensions. I'm jumping between x86 and x64 versions of Studio One, since I don't like to bridge, but that's ok with me for some reason I can't explain, thinking about how many things I dislike about "outsourcing" stuff and jumping between programs.

[jancivil]

That's far too interesting for me. I don't chase after features, I guess it's a blissful ignorance. I don't notice what Cubase 5.5.3 won't do except for a couple of things later Cubase does that really don't have so much moment with me. I work linearly, I mean I don't rely on midi FX and sequencing tricks for ideas, it's more just recording, left to right and then I find ideas need more time in the middle or something.

I don't plug much into Cubase but host well over 90 percent of things in Vienna Ensemble Pro 5, which performs so far beyond a DAW. All of the parameters exposed to it are available in a single list, to map the automation for that instance, and as a matter of organization it's just such a straightforward workflow. I see all these remarks about bridges and troubles with 32 vs 64 bit hosts, it's obviated with this host, you simply run both and connect to them.

I can stick with the things that work for me and not have to keep up on compatibility.
I'll keep up with the VSL updates pretty closely as they come up with ways that make it perform better as a matter of course; but I'll stick with Cubase 5.5.3 until I die probably, who needs the worries with the stunts Steiny will pull.

[dickiefunk]

I mainly use one (Cubase 7) but for occasional mobile stuff I use Reaper one my laptop as I don't like taking the Cubase dongle out on location in case it gets lost or damaged.

[LawrenceF]

DAW's are like candy now because they're so affordable.

Back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and most DAW's cost $1000+, this conversation would never have taken place. I can't imagine guys in 1970 talking about their four different $30k 2" tape decks and their 3 large format consoles.

Software is so damn affordable now we can easily have 3 photo editors and 2-3 video editing apps and a bunch of different music production tools.

If PT, Sequoia, Nuendo, etc, etc were free (or $40 each) most of us would have them all installed, and would find a practical use for most of them, and we all know it.

[tibah]

If PT, Sequoia, Nuendo, etc, etc were free (or $40 each) most of us would have them all installed, and would find a practical use for most of them, and we all know it.

I actually own some DAWs that would fit to that description, but I don't have them installed or really found that one thing that would keep me getting back to them or as much as I like some aspects of them, they are too many things I don't like at the same time. Got Tracktion cheap with a magazine, bought energyXT cheap on KVR, tried to like REAPER for a year, playing with Podium Free for a while (which is the most functional free host out there I believe).

The only thing that keeps coming back into my mind is REAPER's outstanding performance. However it works (anticipated FX or something), it was just mindblowing back when I compared it to Cubase 5. But I don't want to get in "DAW trouble", competing the performance of my current DAW Studio One (which I like) to it again. Especially not, knowing I will only come up with some unreal benchmarks that never will happen in a real scenario (layering 30 pads or alike).

My point is just, making something cheap or even free won't let you be into it. At least not if you can handle the temptation. Just thinking about freeware-land in terms of instruments and plug-ins, its even better to avoid them. Or stuff that you just got into because there is a current deal and you find yourself not really using it 3 months later. Been there, done that.

[LawrenceF]

I don't recall a single circumstance where I ever listened to a great song on the radio and thought...

"I wonder how many different software applications was used to produce and complete this great song?"

Nobody really cares.

Maybe the rough production was done in Cubase. Maybe it was additionally produced in Logic. Maybe some electronic counter melody parts were added while it was rewired to Live. Maybe it was mixed in PT and mastered in Wavelab. Just because 7 different people did all that instead of one person, it's somehow different?

People only really care that the music is enjoyable. The processes are never more important than the result. I think (sometimes anyway) people just like to suggest that others who own and use multiple software packages just don't know any better or can't make up their minds. I often wonder why they even care.

But it's the net. Evaluating (and sometimes judging) others personal processes or motives is not just typical, it's actually the norm.

If you music is really good, nobody cares.

[hibidy]

I do this for me myself and I so I care

[LawrenceF]

I do this for me myself and I so I care

Very true Hibidy, I should have said "Nobody else cares?"

We'll exclude wives, they always care how expensive the boy toys are. Every new music toy is maybe a couple less pairs of new unnecessary wife shoes that only get worn twice a year.

Man Tips:

1. Never let your wife photograph your studio gear. That way you can always say the new thing you snuck in was there all along and she's just imagining it.

2. Always keep a pair of clean under-shorts in your car. They do, after all, examine them with a sub-atomic microscope while doing the laundry.

You're very welcome.

[hibidy]

Very true Hibidy, I should have said "Nobody else cares?"

lolz

[trimph1]

pppfffftt.

my desktop is a clutter of cubase, reaper, X2, Studio One, and what all else.

Hello, my name is Barry and I am a DAWholic!!!

[Vintage73]

I feel like a loser using only one host!