If you had to stick to one DAW, which one would it be?

[antic604]

Due to some developments in my life I'll soon be getting rid of multiple DAWs, plugins & hardware to slim down my "collection" and focus my attention. I will likely make a spreadsheet for myself to help decide on the DAW I'll stick with going forward - realistically between Bitwig Studio 4, Ableton Live 11 Suite or Reason 11 Suite.

So I was wondering which DAW you lot think would be enough to cover most - if not all - of your needs, if you could never touch any other?

I hope I've not left out any important one

Obviously comments are welcome!

[chk071]

Due to some developments in my life I'll soon be getting rid of multiple DAWs, plugins & hardware to slim down my "collection" and focus my attention.

Good call. I don't use anything but Studio One. DAW hopping never did me anything good. The only thing I often left installed was Reaper, for birdging a 32-bit plugin. I don't do that anymore, so, I really don't have any more use for Reaper either.

The only other host I use is Savihost, for hosting VSTi's, whenever I don't want to boot a full blown DAW, but just play the VSTi.

[SLiC]

I never have and never will just use 1 DAW (I pretty much came in to computer recording with Cubase + Live) but if I had too then currently it would probably be S1 as it has good midi and audio editing and decent mixing.

[Michael L]

I will likely make a spreadsheet for myself to help decide on the DAW

Do you feel an affinity for any one?

[chk071]

Yeah, I think that's the main thing to consider. They all do the job, but, one or two simply are more suited to the personal workflow, or they "speak" to you, be it by the way they do things, or the GUI, or whatever.

Couldn't work with ACID Pro or Renoise, for example...

[GaryG]

I like a change of workflow occasionally to push past creative blocks, I use Reaper 99% of the time but will pull up Ableton Live (intro) occasionally just to jam with some loops, create beats in a different way etc. Though also have bitwig 8track, waveform pro and a free version of mulab (7) installed too...

[GaryG]

Yeah, I think that's the main thing to consider. They all do the job, but, one or two simply are more suited to the personal workflow, or they "speak" to you, be it by the way they do things, or the GUI, or whatever.

Exactly, I can't say why I like Reaper so much more than the others (well it was cheap) but now for me it just works and I know it. But I could work with S1 etc easily enough. I think the only ones I would struggle with are FL and Renoise/trackers, just not my workflow.

[antic604]

I will likely make a spreadsheet for myself to help decide on the DAW

Do you feel an affinity for any one?

My heart says Reason, my brain says Bitwig, so I'll probably end up with Ableton - go figure

As I can make the same music in any of them, big part of the decision is what I can expect from those DAWs going forward.

With Reason, it's quite possible they'll ditch the DAW completely and focus on Rack Plugin, sound-packs and devices for it. The current road-map suggestes as much and probably it's a good move business-wise.

With Bitwig, they're brilliant and innovative, but seem to be completely oblivious to wider user-base needs and thus neglect the basic workflow features, instead pandering to their experimental and quirky side which I love but at some point it gets in the way of getting things done (for me, obviously) and I end up obsessing over stuff I wouldn't even get to in other DAWs...

Live seems to be the most stable (in terms of direction, not software ) and predictable of the bunch and considering its market position it's unlikely they'd disappear or get bought up - unlike the other two. And even though it's painful to use some of its aspects coming from the flexibility of Bitwig, it does a lot of things just right or at least well enough. I'm really impressed with the momentum and trajectory they've taken with v10/11 and I hope Push3 is coming soon(ish), too.

It's really going to be a hard choice, but I'm committed to making it

[chk071]

Yeah, I think that's the main thing to consider. They all do the job, but, one or two simply are more suited to the personal workflow, or they "speak" to you, be it by the way they do things, or the GUI, or whatever.

Exactly, I can't say why I like Reaper so much more than the others (well it was cheap) but now for me it just works and I know it. But I could work with S1 etc easily enough.

If you're used to Cubase or Studio One, Reaper isn't a "far shot" either. Works very similar.

The issue I always had with Reaper is its uninspiring GUI, it's cramped menus full of options you can't really distinguish much, and its "Configure me to make me usable" approach. I don't expect the software to hold my hand the whole time, but, I expect at least a bit of user friendliness, and a bit contemporary interface, and that's something I don't think Reaper really offers.

Just my opinion. I can see how it could be attractive for someone who knows exactly what he wants, has a lot of experience, and is willing to tailor his software to his needs. Even though I don't think that is possible in every kind of direction with Reaper either.

[chk071]

With Reason, it's quite possible they'll ditch the DAW completely and focus on Rack Plugin, sound-packs and devices for it.

In all honesty, I wouldn't count that out either. IMO, they're in a difficult position at the moment. People criticize that the DAW lacks in the DAW feature department, and, as a rack plugin, the devices might not be able to compete with the top VST(i)'s.

I always argued against opening Reason for VST's. Then they introduced rack extensions, and, as the pressure obviously was too much, they opened Reason for VST's, which completely wrecked the rack extension landscape. The one thing Reason always had going for itself was a self contained software studio environment, and, they really diluted that concept.

I don't like to talk everything down, but, it's really questionable for me in which direction Reason will move in the future. I don't know about their sales figures, but, the way I see it, surely a lot of people have to have moved in the last few years.

[Jaxeto]

Cubase

[antic604]

I always argued against opening Reason for VST's. Then they introduced rack extensions, and, as the pressure obviously was too much, they opened Reason for VST's, which completely wrecked the rack extension landscape. The one thing Reason always had going for itself was a self contained software studio environment, and, they really diluted that concept.

When I'm in Reason, I don't even have VSTs enabled - I've enough REs to get things done. And I love that self-contained nature, indeed!

[xbitz]

Live hasn't got any mixer view so no (I've started to create the same project in all of them and the absence of the mixer view was highly PITA in it), based on your list I would say Bitwig with Reason Rack Plugin, "neglect the basic workflow features" yepp this is why FL Studio very good as a scratchpad it has only the basic features (but those have been implemented brilliantly) so just the opposite of BWS (has MIDI logger, step sequencer, patterns, multiple playlist editor, automation stuff can be added/edited easily etc.) but totally useless for mixing so that part(layering, extra modulations, generative kinds of stuff, replacing VSTis with hardware synths etc.) can be done in BWS after the importing, Reason Rack can be used in both of them so importing Reason related parts isn't a problem

DAWs are DAWs, antic604. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one DAWs and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.

[Serhii Kot]

oh, man… it is very hard. i decided to do exactly that in 2022. i have chose ableton, but already regret about it. i am still holding to my decision, but i am not happy with it))

Studio One or Cubase probably are better choices for me. I hope not to see some decent changes in cubase 12, because i will surrender to it

[chk071]

Studio One or Cubase probably are better choices for me. I hope not to see some decent changes in cubase 12, because i will surrender to it

There's a big change. It won't require a USB dongle anymore.