Here I am in a dilemma. A few years ago, after trying FL Studio, I was seduced by the aesthetic side and especially by the lifetime update (I suppose as long as the software exists).
Until now, I had Sonar 8 from Cakewalk, formerly distributed by Roland. Then taken over by BandLab and re-released under its old name.
Today I am changing for my DAW. I am not going to leave FL Studio for all that, but to make music on video media, I am mainly wondering about these two software: Cubase Artist and Studio One Pro 7.
It is above all a question of finance because there is more powerful software, but I am not a professional and a very modest musician.
The amount of both in the upgradeable version because I already have Studio One Artist 6 and Elements 14 from Cubase, although one of the two is much more affordable but may not be as efficient for composing music in video support, or even orchestral.
My question is on which DAW support you compose and what made your choice compared to another brand.
Very good question. And there is no definitive answer because the relationship between composers/producers and their tools is not objective itâs very subjective, just as it should be.
Originally I used physical synths and workstations, recording to tape. That worked for me very well. So when I eventually moved into digital recording during the early 2000âs in the Windows world, I really just used the computer as a replacement for my multitrack tape recorders. I was quite late to the VST party, first by using an âacquiredâ copy of Reason 4 in 2010. It was my first experience of using a DAW which produced sound by itself, and I found it mindblowing. Since transitioning to the Mac itâs been all about Logic Pro and its supporting apps. Logic itself already comes with an absolute swathe of built-in VSTs, including a sophisticated AI drummer, and has integration with Mac GarageBand (free) and iPad GarageBand (free), both of which have continued to evolve and are inspiring tools I use to kickstart ideas.
Hello @Jon_Vincent and thank you for your answer.
It is true that I meet during my visits to YouTube many musicians who end up using Logic Pro. But for me switching to Mac for musical investment is a luxury that would not be justified for me, although the quality and ease of use at Apple is no longer to be demonstrated
I started on a tape medium a Tascam 4-track cassette player more than 25 years ago. Besides, I still have a few 10-minute audio cassettes for the sounds recorded on the Ms20 and Dx7 .
My problem is to know if I become more of a collector of DAWs and VSTs rather than really composing, that is perhaps where the difficulty lies in distinguishing between the tool and inspiration.
Kind regards.
You might not like my answer, because I compose on FL Studio!
I also have Cubase Elements 14, Ableton Live 12 Standard and Reaper. Cubase and Reaper are better than FL Studio for recording, and Ableton is better for live, but FL Studioâs Piano Roll is the best.
Hello @Yearofthegoat , no, not at all, no problem because I also like FL Studio 2024 but to be honest, a lot of worries to deal with because I have Studio One Pro 7 as a demo for 1 month (I find the ease I had in Sonar_ more powerful).
I find it more likely to bring me certain elements in ease, even compared to Cubase Pro that I had for two months (I asked to go back to Elements because it is too complex for me at the moment).
To tell the truth, Elements 14 with unlimited tracks would be more than enough for me.
I donât really like Ableton Live Light, despite everything that I keep it up my sleeve.
Anyway, if I had to make a choice today, I would keep FL Studio and Studio One Pro 7, but you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Friendship.
I agree itâs not always true that âApple stuff just worksâ like it once did, but when it does work, no other ecosystem gives you the same degree of seamless integration between apps and devices. Photographers say the best camera is the one youâre always carrying, and to an extent the same is true for musicians. If inspiration strikes while Iâm on a train, I can literally open GarageBand on my phone wearing earbuds, fumble some ideas (maybe even a complete skelton of drums, bass, synths), save the project, and import it directly into Mac Logic Pro when I get to my studio, to flesh it out. Thatâs a level of inter-device inter-app integration which no one else offers, and depending on your circumstances and needs, it can definitely be a decision-swayer.
But like I said in my original response, this is a very subjective situation and no answer is the wrong one. Itâs great there is a wide variety of creative tools out there, all meeting slightly different (or even wildy different) needs.
If i should invest in a DAW today, then there mainly would be 5 things i would consider.
Can the DAW do what i need it to do.
Do i like itâs workflow, so itâs intuitive and not too complicated to use.
Does it have a good control system thatâs also prepared for midi 2.0 and work with high resolution control.
Does it support the plugin formats and the technologies and such that i want to use.
Is it CPU efficient.
Perhaps it doesânt have to do it all. But it would be best if so.
Some DAWâs do not have internal video. But they can perhaps work with video in other ways.
I prefer to use a single DAW only if possible.
At the time being my current DAW Studio One unfortunately canât live up to the above. Iâve used Studio One for many years. I I found the workflow to be much more simple and intuitive for me that other DAWâs at that time. That and the fact other options was much more expensive at that time i chose Studio One.
I actually do consider to change DAW. But i donât know yet, if i will.
One thing i wonder about is why Arturias controllers doânt have setup scripts for Studio One.
I use Cubase because it has the most advanced Piano roll editor and itâs the most intuitive of all DAWs that I tried.
They have a free 60 day trial that you can use for 60 days.
Bonjour Pascal,
I started with DOS based Voyetra at the end of the 80âs. I was then introduced to Cubase 1 on Windows 3.1.
Iâm now with Elements 14 and Reaper. I compared Artist to Elements and decided itâs not worth the price. I can get the tools that Artist offers elsewhere and I never ran out of space or computing power. It may matter if you compose orchestral pieces with many tracks.
Elements is largely sufficient to highlight certain compositions with the advantage of not having to go through Video Magix or Photo Magix in order to adjust videos or photographic viewing to the millimeter.
This is why, in addition to the fact that it will be more accessible to me to compose with unlimited tracks under Studio One Pro 7.
Moreover, what would be a condition for me to move towards Artist is to be aware of profiles on Youtube that accompany their tutorials with examples on Orchestral music and essentially on Cubase with in some cases more than 50 tracks, which is not the case under Elements.
This may be a good reason to cast off and take flight musically.
I started with Magix Music Studio (old version of Logic), progressed to Cubase, bought an iMac and have used Logic ever since. Reaper is good on a budget.
They are all incredibly capable pieces of software that can be used in a basic way or as deep as you want to go.
Just trial one, choose one and get to know it.
2 Likes
_Need help ?
When you can't find the answer online or in the product manual, the Technical Support Team is here!.
_Stay tuned
Follow us for the hottest sounds, fresh content, exclusive offers and Arturia news as it happens.
.