yet another "What's your host?" thread

[Lex Lucid]

I'm sure there's probably been dozens of threads like this but I'm trying to get a feel for what people around here use as their host in hopes of discovering something new about what’s out there.
Thanks

[herodotus]

Look here

And the "quick links" in the upper right hand corner of the main page get you to just about everything.

Welcome.

And remember to duck!

[nuisance sonore]

I use Vegas for recording, mixing and video work and Tracktion1 for midi stuff but I'm still shopping around for a midi sequencer.

[edit]

I find it extremely hard to find a host wih the features I need and a workflow I can get used to. Example:

Cubase: All the features I could ever want, absolutely hate the gui and workflow, not to mention the stupid dongle.

Logic: Only work on Macintosh.

Live: Nice features set, extremely unintuitive for me to use, nothin is where I expect it to be and nothing works like I expect.

Podium: lack a few features I absolutely need, don't really like the workflow (way too many tracks wasting screen-estate imo).

Sonar: Hate that company, I won't even try the demo.

EnergyXT: Nice add-on, lack some features which are indispensable to me; Not really intuitive for me either. I'm watching this one thought...

Tracktion: Love the workflow, very intuitive but lacking in a few features. Developement being extremely slow for this app I gave up and I'm bailing out, not too mention Mackie strange and insulting marketing scheme.

Magix music studio: I bought that, never used it. Unintuitive to the extreme, the most complicated app I have ever tried and extremely limited to top it off. Beuark.

Samplitude: Demoed version 7, too limited for me in the midi departement and I have Vegas for audio work. Ver.8 supposed to be better, maybe I'll give that a try.

Acid: Version 5 wouldn't work on my machine; Found version 4 somewhere to demo and didn't like the "one loop one track" workflow. Very limited midi also.

Muzy: I kind of took to it easyly enough, but it's unsupported...

Anybody else feel shopping for a host/midi-sequencer is a nightmare?

[scam_artist]

Zynewave Podium http://www.zynewave.com

A very polished, low priced sequencer. Some of it's best features are
- heirarchical mixer using "group tracks" (very powerful IMO)
- 32 bit or 64bit mixing engine
- unique way of handling plugin definitions and presets for both VSTs and external synths/hardware
- you can change the GUI colours
- nice automation curves
- fairly nice piano roll editing

At first it can be quite daunting to use, but it's really easy once you've used it for a while. I love it, it doesn't kill the creativity at all for me

[deggy]

hey, just for fun... Anyone remember "Making Waves"? I remember around 5 years ago, I knew a bunch of people who were totally into that one. Does anyone use that anymore. Is it still around? I remember at one point that it was being distributed by Joe Meek. WHat ever happenend to "Making Waves"?

[experimental.crow]

FLS ...

[Dazza66]

Don't worry about asking the same old questions - its the best way for newbies (and I count myself in that group) to chuck their 20 cents worth in....and now its my turn!

I use FL Studio 5 and am very happy with it. I got a copy of the demo with my soundcard (Audigy 2 Platinum - perfect for the keen amateur ) and within 10 minutes of loading it, I'd put together a great sounding loop (no, really). For me, that instant 'useability' was what made FL studio such a winner. Its a fun program to use and thats what promotes creativity: the host is actually like a musical instrument itself. I was very comfortable with the core way that FL Studio operates as a pattern-based sequencer (belies my heritage programming older Roland hardware) and, because I was used to that, I found it very intuitive to use. Also, it includes everything you need - a true, virtual studio.

Now, along with FL Studio, I also got a demo copy of Cubasis (which I believe is a 'lite' version of Cubase) and loaded this up too. I tried it for a while, but never went back to it. I found it dull and uninspiring - it stifled MY creativity (though obviously not that of Cubase users) and didn't promote exploration in the way that FL Studio does. The main difference seemed to be that in Cubasis (or Cubase too I guess), you had to have a song, or at least its structure, in mind already. With FL Studio, however, it promoted exploration - just dive in and start making music.

Now, I've no doubt that there are more 'professional' tracks produced on Cubase, because it contains a lot more features I imagine, than there are produced on FL Studio.....but FL Studio is just so much more fun to use that I don't care! After just a coupel of weeks using the demo, I wnet and purchased the FL Studio Producer Edition - that speaks a lot about how good it is (and its way cheaper too )

Probably strayed a little off-topic there, but Lex I'm glad you posed the question (and welcome to KVR too)

[cptgone]

CubaseSX2
energyXT

[bluedad]

cubase sx2
orion platinum
FLStudio
EnergyXT
acid 4
Reason 2.5 (not a host, but part of the arsenal)

[vurt]

orion platinum
ext
but remember it aint the host that counts its the person behind it
for instance i could take any host and any instrument and still turn out the same turgid shite i do with my host of choice

[Dazza66]

for instance i could take any host and any instrument and still turn out the same turgid shite i do with my host of choice

Nice one!!

[Klemperer]

EnergyXT (start with the "beginner's guide", you find it easily in the EnergyXT-forum here. That is rather a great start, after that you're ready to go! and you'll have many possibilities that other hosts don't get you).
Orion Platinum

I used Tracktion, but gave it up, whereas others say it's pretty easy.

I agree to vurt...you are the musician. But still EnergyXT gives you more playground for your creativity, I would say.

If you'd like to test it, look at the "Skins" thread in the forum too. Some very nice are there. I get inspired by putting a nice picture (a bmp-file) into EnergyXT, than your most beloved pic stares at you - and oops, ideas will come.

And stay away from TOOO many vsti-s at a time. That is what killed my creativity (well I killed it...) for a while. Moonove, a french composer, once told me, he got only THREE vst-instruments. BT the other way round says he got 600(0) and some plugins, so you might think you'd decide without my rant

[Kriminal]

OP 6

[Wopelka]

Sonar
FLS
Reason

[torhan]

Sonar 3P