Update Live 6 to 9/10 or switch to Studio One?

[Philip_P]

Ok, I have been out of making music for a long time (pretty much since Live 6) and have slowly started to get back into it. With all the deals on right now, it's time to bite the bullet.

I can update to Live 9/10 or switch to Studio One with an artist to pro upgrade (actually for slightly less money).

I realise that this type of thread has been done a thousand times, so I am not looking for detailed feedback. Either DAW will ultimately work and I don't require any highly specialised tools, just the usual MIDI and audio editing. I don't really use Session View in live. Also, I have Maschine and other instrument/effect plugins. I use a Mac, FYI.

I guess the big question is: would I be making a mistake switching to Studio One?

Because I don't see anything that exciting in the Live 10 update.

***wildcard*** I got some promotion emails for Mixbus 4. It is ridiculously cheap. I don't see an awful lot on the forums about this: is it a viable alternative or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[sl1200mk2]

I really like S1 for tracking and mixing. It's decent for midi, but not the best (Cubase or Logic), but YMMV. Now is a very good time to buy with their 50% off sale, but you can also usually find 2nd hand copies for that price too. You should also consider giving Reaper a shot since that's also a more traditional DAW compared to Live and you can't argue with the price. Steinberg also has a very good crossgrade offer you might qualify for as well on Cubase 9.5 Pro for this week.

Now is an incredibly good time to DAW shop.

[thecontrolcentre]

If you're upgrading Live, I think the Suite offers the best value for money. The difference from v6 is immense ...
You could read this thread too viewtopic.php?f=7&t=495013 if you haven't already.

[pdxindy]

Since you use a Mac... I'd consider Logic

$200 and you get a great DAW, with solid FX and some world class synths and you are likely to get years of updates without further cost.

[Philip_P]

Thanks guys.

Reaper: I did look at this a while back and it seemed to need a lot of configuring. I guess once it is set up that's not an issue with saved templates. Re: price - the Studio One upgrade is just over $120 at JRR Shop, about double Reaper's price but I am happy to pay that much.

Live Suite: yeah it looks like the Suite has the best new features. But I only have Live 6 standard edition and I am not emotionally tied enough to Live to upgrade to the Suite.

[Philip_P]

Since you use a Mac... I'd consider Logic

$200 and you get a great DAW, with solid FX and some world class synths and you are likely to get years of updates without further cost.

Lol, yeah, it starts to get so complicated with all the great options we have these days. I tried Logic Express a long time ago, didn't really like it. But from what I understand it has had a major overhaul. It's definitely an option, but I am trying to narrow it down

Thanks

[fedexnman]

Buy which ever one you think you'll make more music with .

[pottering]

Ok, I have been out of making music for a long time (pretty much since Live 6) and have slowly started to get back into it. With all the deals on right now, it's time to bite the bullet.

I can update to Live 9/10 or switch to Studio One with an artist to pro upgrade (actually for slightly less money).

I realise that this type of thread has been done a thousand times, so I am not looking for detailed feedback. Either DAW will ultimately work and I don't require any highly specialised tools, just the usual MIDI and audio editing. I don't really use Session View in live. Also, I have Maschine and other instrument/effect plugins. I use a Mac, FYI.

I guess the big question is: would I be making a mistake switching to Studio One?

Because I don't see anything that exciting in the Live 10 update.

***wildcard*** I got some promotion emails for Mixbus 4. It is ridiculously cheap. I don't see an awful lot on the forums about this: is it a viable alternative or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Live 10 added the only thing I cared about in Studio One, the ability to "slide" the contents of a Clip directly in Arrangement View.

Also "I don't see anything that exciting in the Live 10 update" sounds weird to me as you have Live 6, and would get the benefits of Live 7 AND 8 AND 9 AND 10.

More than 10 years of development, hundreds if not thousands of improvements.

Maybe you should start from where you left:

Whats New In Live 7? (Nov 2007)
http://www.oldschooldaw.com/forums/inde ... ,56.0.html

(maybe check the manual in the link above)

https://www.ableton.com/en/pages/2007/l ... ouncement/

https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article ... ase-notes/

https://www.ableton.com/en/help/article ... ase-notes/

Live 10 Beta Release Notes only available in the beta site, main site has the broad new features, you must have seen it already:

https://www.ableton.com/en/live/


Wow, looking at some reviews of Live 7, Live 6 didn't even had Drum Racks (!). Seriously, just update to 9/10, wow.

https://www.macworld.com/article/113276 ... ive_7.html
https://modulatethis.com/2007/10/05/ableton-live-7-2/

[pdxindy]

Since you use a Mac... I'd consider Logic

$200 and you get a great DAW, with solid FX and some world class synths and you are likely to get years of updates without further cost.

Lol, yeah, it starts to get so complicated with all the great options we have these days. I tried Logic Express a long time ago, didn't really like it. But from what I understand it has had a major overhaul. It's definitely an option, but I am trying to narrow it down

Thanks

Don't narrow down... widen your perspectives!

Logic now comes with Alchemy 2... which used to sell for more than Logic costs... plus it includes some of the soundsets you used to have to pay for. Apple has been keeping a good pace of development in the past couple years. Lots of new functionality, redone GUI's etc. all in free updates.

[ATN69]

In general all DAWs these days seems pretty solid. None is perfect and all of them have their own benefits and drawbacks, but they all seems pretty good. I use FL Studio and Studio One Pro. I like Studio One. Just choose the DAW that makes you feel most at home and spend your time making music instead of learning the DAW

[deastman]

Apples and oranges. Do you like the Live clip launching workflow, or would you prefer to work strictly in a linear timeline?

[Philip_P]

Also "I don't see anything that exciting in the Live 10 update" sounds weird to me as you have Live 6, and would get the benefits of Live 7 AND 8 AND 9 AND 10.

More than 10 years of development, hundreds if not thousands of improvements.

You're right, of course: it's a lot of updates from what I have (Live 6). But I have being looking at Live 9 for a while, thinking 10 couldn't be that far off. When I saw it was announced it was a bit "meh" IMO, at least as far as the standard edition goes. I'm not interested in buying into suite, and I don't use Push (I have Maschine Studio).

Don't narrow down... widen your perspectives!

Ha, yes. I am all about having an open mind. But I have to choose one. This is where I am at, in order of preference ATM -

Studio One (upgrade from Artist), cost about $127
Live 9/10 (upgrade from 6), cost about $150
Logic, $200
Reaper, $60
Mixbus, $29 ***anyone using this as their DAW?***

As a few people have commented, any one of these (with the possible exception of Mixbus, I don't really know) will do the job. I just need to pick one and get on with it. So before I jump in, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't so far out of the loop I was unaware of something major.

Thanks again, all.

[koshal]

Ok, I have been out of making music for a long time (pretty much since Live 6) and have slowly started to get back into it. With all the deals on right now, it's time to bite the bullet.

I can update to Live 9/10 or switch to Studio One with an artist to pro upgrade (actually for slightly less money).

I realise that this type of thread has been done a thousand times, so I am not looking for detailed feedback. Either DAW will ultimately work and I don't require any highly specialised tools, just the usual MIDI and audio editing. I don't really use Session View in live. Also, I have Maschine and other instrument/effect plugins. I use a Mac, FYI.

I guess the big question is: would I be making a mistake switching to Studio One?

Because I don't see anything that exciting in the Live 10 update.

***wildcard*** I got some promotion emails for Mixbus 4. It is ridiculously cheap. I don't see an awful lot on the forums about this: is it a viable alternative or am I missing something?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Studio One 3.5 and Live 10 (beta) are my two primary DAWs at the moment. I also use Maschine for drums (and sometimes whole songs) and on a Mac.

Studio One I've owned since ver 2 and is my goto DAW. Live I've used on and off the past few years but have worked back into the rotation since the latest update and phased out Reason for the most part.

Both are great and each is better at certain things than the other. Live is a great creative environment (and live playing of course). It feels like one giant instrument with lots of flexibility (instruments racks, effects racks, drum rack, good automation / modulation, Max for live etc). Live also has better built-in samplers and instruments but if you have lots of VST plugins that's not as much of an issue.

Studio One has better workflow imo. Very intuitive DAW that's packed with features. Integrated pitch correction, awesome comping system (which Live doesn't have), dual hybrid audio engine for low-latency monitoring even in big sessions, better audio editing, better vocal editing, better mixing environment. What sets Studio One apart is that it's also a quite good creative environment too. (Arranger track is awesome, scratch pads, multi-instruments, Note FX). It takes the best of the linear DAW world and still makes it a legit environment to compose/arrange/sequence. Lots of people say S1 is not as good in MIDI department as Cubase but it MIDI editing is fine for the type of music I write. I probably actually like midi editing better in Studio One than Live.

I like Studio One because I can finish a full track in it including composing, arranging, lots of vocal editing comping and mixing (which Live is weaker at) and not have to switch DAWs. If you don't need a solid comping system then you certainly can finish full tracks in Live as many others have but I think it's not as strong in that department as S1. It really shines in the creation + performance aspect of things.

This is all just my opinion of course. FWIW I also own Logic and don't really like it. It's similar to S1 but for me not nearly as intuitive. But I know others who love and swear by it. So that's not to say you shouldn't consider it. It's an amazing bargain at $200.

I guess the big question is: would I be making a mistake switching to Studio One?

A DAW really is a personal choice. Anyone tells you use this DAW and not that one really is basing on what works *FOR THEM*. You want a daw that works for you. There is no best. My advice is to demo S1 and other DAWs thoroughly. And by thoroughly I mean try to finish actual tracks. S1 is great for me but there are some areas it could be improved. Ditto with Live. Go with the one/s that feels right and suit the type of music you're doing the most.

[pdxindy]

One last point... It is really hard to know what DAW you will actually get along well with. It is quite likely, if you really get into doing music stuff, that the DAW you are using a few years from now may not be the one you pick now.

I'd probably go with something really cheap just to see if I'm really gonna get into doing music again, or it is a passing thing. In that sense, Reaper is a great deal. You can use it for a couple months and then if it sticks, you only pay $60.

[Spencer Maddox]

I bought Mixbus 4 during that sale.
Planning to use it for processing Audio from my other daws (my two main daws are ableton and Bitwig and both are composition oriented and not as good for mixing)
Ive only tested it a bit but I actually really like it. It sounds fantastic, and the mixing board is really neat. For 30$ you aren’t really loosing much but that’s just me.

Worth noting the Midi editing is DREADFUL. But I suppose a good midi editor is not really what Mixbus attempts to be. Nor is it what I’m thinking of using it as.