A New DAW?

[Ed Viper]

So, I've decided I want to try out a new DAW. Maybe even learn it. Maybe even switch to it completely if I like it better than FL.

What would you guys suggest? I tried Reaper out today but I'm not so sure about it. It doesn't seem to be real friendly for folks without hardware (meaning me).

So, consider this: What DAW do you think is the best for someone without a whole lot of hardware? I've got a good sound card and anything, just no midi controllers or synths or anything that sits on your desk and has buttons that make noise when you push them.

(For mods): Also, I'm not entirely sure if this is the right board for a topic such as this, so please move it to wherever you feel it belongs. please don't hurt me

[CaptainFluffatun]

Cubase 5 forever.


But as has been said in other threads like this, there are other threads like this. I'm sure the mods will be all "stahp making these gosh."

It doesn't hurt to do a search for the topic you're about to create.

[Ed Viper]

It doesn't hurt to do a search for the topic you're about to create.

Ehhhhhhh good point...

I will now fade into obscurity, as will this topic.

[Ptepix]

Why do you want to leave FL? Why do people criticize it?

[Motivfs]

Why do you want to leave FL? Why do people criticize it?

Because it's the most popular DAW out there. (I use FL btw)

@ OP, if you really have gotten sick of FL, for whatever reason it may be, I would think Ableton would be the next best choice out there, I've given it a try, it's workflow isn't for me unfortunately, but it has so many tools that could be of use, especially for a hardware guy like yourself.

I'll leave the rest for 4th to expand on, since I don't really know jack about Ableton still and it's the only other DAW I've tried...

[the4thImpulse]

OP, if you still care about this topic, what kind of music do you make? (I cant listen to your youtube as I am out giging).

Why do you want to leave FL? Why do people criticize it?

Because some people need to know if the grass is really greener on the other side. Many people I know loved FL when they started but as time went by they grew out of it and switched to other DAWs, mainly Ableton and Cubase.

I'll leave the rest for 4th to expand on, since I don't really know jack about Ableton still and it's the only other DAW I've tried...

Thanks, now I feel like I must respond

I currently use Ableton, switched to it from FL. I also use cubase/nuendo and pro tools at school a bunch. I really dislike cubase, the stock plugins are cheap and the workflow is very slow coming from ableton. Nuendo has the same workflow as cubase but the plugins are absolutely awesome, I may get it when I need to do better mixing/mastering but for making music, no. Protools is fantastic for recording purposes but for midi stuff, I'll stick with ableton as, like cubase, the workflow is slow.

Ableton was made for electronic music, its acts different from any other DAW I've used which is both a good and a bad thing. Its means it will have a deeper learning curve if you come from a DAW that emulates the analog world of old. If you want to do any live performance stuff beyond regular 'djing' (whether it be turntables/cds or dj software) then ableton rises far far above the rest. I use it live and in the studio and love it. If you want to know anything specific about ableton I will tell you if you ask.




EDIT:

My favotite part about ableton, which no other DAW I've used does, is it keep everything in one window. No pop out piano rolls, mixers, audio routing, faders, inserts, sends, ect.. The only things that pop out are 3rd party plugins and the preferences window, everything else is neatly packed away and always easily accessible, even first party plugins.

[FlyingNinjaBannanas]

Here's a basic DAW list. I'll probably edit this more tomorrow, as I have about 5 more minutes online.

1. FL Studio
2. Ableton Live
3. Reaper
4. Reason
5. Cubase
6. Sony Acid Pro
7. Pro Tools
8. Studio One (I have heard nothing about this one besides the name)
9. Mixcraft
10. Sonar

This should give you a basic idea of what's out there. If anyone feels like adding more, please do. No DAW is best anyway. I'm personally learning FL Studio, but everyone is different. You're best trying out as many as you want and seeing what you like.

(Even if the OP doesn't care. I still think this could help someone, so I'm posting it.)

[vladnuke]

I could go on for days about everything I love about FL, from it's simple yet effective tools, extremly comfortable and powerful piano roll, familiar Windows-like UI, adaptability and flexibility, lack of compatability problems with external equipment, amazing array of very good new plugins and adventurous legacy plugins, pattern system, Slicex, Edison, granulizer synth, and of course, it's great functionality in automation.

But there are some things that other daws have that FL will most likely never have, things like session modes and instument racks. Things like notation and auto vocal mapping. And there are some things that FL does better than others, like it's piano roll, and some things it does worse at, like working with any sort of audio.

I'll leave you with this: you can have multiple projects open in ableton. And it records midi from an audio file.
However, more midi controllers work without any fuss in FL, and you can see all the note names in the piano roll.

[CaptainFluffatun]

As an FL user, I can tell you that the program does not handle CPU well. Cubase is a stable motherfucker and everyone should because niggas

[Mundius]

FL is garbage, but it's my garbage. (CPU issues and tends to hang a lot)

[vladnuke]

I pity your weak cpus. My computer will run all the FL like a champion, no cpu hang ups at all. Shit runs smooth for me.

(+20 pattern-using tracks, shitloads of automation, shitloads of fancy reverb, altered audio clips, and lotsa channels)

[bartekko]

I think you guys are getting a bit offtopic now.
Nothing is wrong with FLStudio, but OP wants to try a new DAW to, as 4thimpulse said, check if the grass is greener on the other side.
Ableton is not technically superior to FL, and in fact i know of at least one thing FL can natively do that Ableton can't (but i have no idea why would you put two of the same note at the same time when you could just adjust the volume and that's just a waste of time to me)
Ableton is different to FLStudio, and that is the main reason why so many people who use FL say that Ableton sucks and vice versa.
The main reasons Live is disliked are: Minimalistic design, Everything packed up in one window, Piano roll sucking, no per-note midi cc and verifying all VST plugins at startup (that causes crashes when you have a thousand vst plugins half of which you never used, i'm looking at you zorg)
The main reasons FL is disliked is the cluttered and slow interface.

Live is more suited for live performance and there are a few things to help that: it's easy to cut down heavily on amount of mixer tracks by using racks that can also be quickly imported from another project whenever needed, A lot of things are made rearrangeable by drag n drop, there is no limit to amount of effects in one chain which can be even split into multiple effect chains within one mixer track, and you can map virtually everything to MIDI or keyboard keys, and one of the main window's modes is basically a huge matrix of triggerable clips which can all be fine tuned live, with midi overdub.

I have little experience with FLS so i can't say what's it good at, except that it looks better than Live.

[vladnuke]

Bitwig looks like a serious contender, looks like it literally is every daw crammed into one, and you can have multiple people working on one project over the internet, and shit just looks so cool. I really wanna try it out.

[bartekko]

Bitwig looks like a serious contender, looks like it literally is every daw crammed into one, and you can have multiple people working on one project over the internet, and shit just looks so cool. I really wanna try it out.

But it's not out yet and online collaboration comes after 1.0.

[Dr_Dissonance]

But it's not out yet and online collaboration comes after 1.0.

Cubase 7 has online collaboration! I have yet to test it out though, so I don't know to what extent it works.

Anyway, on the subject of new DAW, I always recommend Cubase, as it's what I use and have gotten in depth with. It has everything you could possibly want and then some.

BUT, I always say to test each DAW out first. I believe most of the major DAWs have demo versions, so try them. I've found that there's no particular software that is the very best. It's more about which one you click with more, than which one is better than the other. Like choosing your new wand (if you're not some filthy muggle). You don't choose it. IT CHOOSES YOU.
So play with each and see which one speaks to you the most. That is my advice.

[itroitnyah]

FL is the popular all around, but it's incredibly messy, as you know. Ableton, like 4thImpulse said, is really clean and neat. Cubase is the same way, I think. Really clean and neat. Propellerhead Reason is also neat and clean and provides a light learning curve from what I've heard. Protools is a big no-no. But what most of the DAWs I listed have that make them different from FL are some functions that FL doesn't have (such as a freeze track feature, insta scale/melody thingy, etc.) and a lot of different sets of plugins that come with them. The biggest thing is to look at the plugins that come with each.

[ghelded_kultz]

Don't forget LMMS. It's free and while it's a huge pain to get running on a mac (so I haven't been to try it) but I've heard good (and bad) things about it.

[Ed Viper]

OP, if you still care about this topic, what kind of music do you make? (I cant listen to your youtube as I am out giging).

I currently don't have anything on my YouTube, but you can look at my Soundcloud if you want. I've put a couple of things up there.

To be honest, I haven't really found what I want to make yet. I haven't really found my niche.

And yeah, I'm not hating on FL or anything, I freakin' love it - I just want to see what other DAWs have to offer, and see if I like any of them better than FL. I mean, it's not impossible, right?

So I've tried a few more of them out, MuLab was painful, I couldn't get Sonar to work (I'll try again at a later time, though), and Acid Pro seems pretty reasonable, as it's kinda similar to Reaper, but there's just enough that's different to throw me off a little.

I've also played around with Reaper a bit more and it's starting to grow on me. The thing is, there are some aspects of it that are really intuitive, and some aspects that are just "...really?". It's weird.

I dl'd Ableton and Cubase free trials this morning, and I'll install and try them out when I can.

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone.

[Lavender_Harmony]

Don't forget LMMS. It's free and while it's a huge pain to get running on a mac (so I haven't been to try it) but I've heard good (and bad) things about it.

I do hope you're trolling. LMMS isn't a DAW, it's a trainwreck.

[Mundius]

Don't forget LMMS. It's free and while it's a huge pain to get running on a mac (so I haven't been to try it) but I've heard good (and bad) things about it.

I do hope you're trolling. LMMS isn't a DAW, it's a trainwreck.

Agreed. I tried moving to LMMS and it was so bad that I removed Linux.

[Ptepix]

I started on LMMS. It is a good intro into music but definitely not a steady DAW. I lacks many features and has terrible vst support

[itroitnyah]

I started on LMMS. It is a good intro into music but definitely not a steady DAW. I lacks many features and has terrible vst support

[bartekko]

I started on LMMS. It is a good intro into music but definitely not a steady DAW. I lacks many features and has terrible vst support

[CaptainFluffatun]

But what most of the DAWs I listed have that make them different from FL are some functions that FL doesn't have (such as a freeze track feature)

You can freeze tracks in FL. But yes, GO GET CUBASE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAa


srs doe try things