OFF TOPIC: so how is everyone liking their DAWs?

[alphajerk]

well i guess we dont discuss musical stuff here anymore so anything to do with recording is now considered off topic. so how is everyone getting along with their choice of DAW? im not looking to start a choice war... in fact quite the opposite. its a GOOD thing we all work on different platforms and applications. variety is a good thing. BUT working WITH each other, and interapplication can be quite of a bitch. we should demand some sort of standard for session xfer. also, is latency bothering anyone? its really bothering me. i read in Mix this month [last month] where they went over some DAWs and mantioned that manufacturers dont think latency is a problem at all. i disagree. anyone else? im about to say screw it all and go to a 2"/16 track and analog board again. yeah right. ;) i just love my instant recall too much.

[doug osborne]

2.2 ghz P4, 1 GB ram, two 80 Gb seagate hd, RME Multiface/PCI, Logic, Waves, Reason. 1.5 ms latency. I guess I could move back another 1.5 feet from the monitors and make that 3 ms latency. No Logic or OS crashes, no ASIO errors, lots 'o softsynths and plugins while creating, other CPU hog plugins while mixing. I think we're finally to the point where native can hold its own.

[KHAN]

I use DP3, and don't have any major gripes. To avoid latency probs I record drums by tapping the inserts on my Mackie 1604, and set up headphone mixes from the board. All overdubs are done using the pre's on my 828's monitoring through the cue mix. No latency, but no FX either. My next step is to get a RNP for Vocals and overdubs, and maybe use it for OH's when I track drums. For what little $$$ iI have invested, I am very happy with what I can do with it. :thu: It's only going to keep getting better folks. :D

[DJDM]

Hey AJ, I use Cubase VST 5.1r1 and I do like it quite well. It has been far more stable on XP, (as have all of my programs), and has not had a hiccup yet. I also run Vegas Video but that is only for video and for the odd mixing job where I need a break from Cubase. I Run Cubase with Reason a lot and while it does work it is a little tricky when slaved to the Reason Sequencer but it does work so no real complaints. I love being able to use an entire studio on my desktop! To be honest I don't really use VST synths much anymore as I can get everything I want from Reason. But the VST effects are cool and I do use those from time to time. As a side note I feel it is a good idea to use both ASIO and DX based audio engines for better response time and more productive workflow. I can't prove it and I may be wrong,(feel free to correct me), but not having my audio editor conflicting with my sequencing and mixing deck is very key to solid performance. I use SondForge 6.0 to this end and it works very well, even with both Reason and Cubase running. I have had problems with other audio editors that utilize ASIO in tandem with these programs. Again; this is based on my personal experiences. As for the latency issue, I average about 8ms which is fine but if I really need it I can zip it down to about 2ms. Honestly the difference is unnoticeable to me. I use a MAudio 2496 card and ASIO 2 to get this kind of responsiveness. Latency can be a pain and about a year ago I had to go through about two cards before this in my search for better response time. I am happy now but I will eventually need a multitrack solution. - DJDM PS I am "editing in" my computer system in case you were curious: PC running Windows XP Pro AMD 2100 XP 1 GB of DDR 333 RAM Asus A7V333 Main Board 120 gigs of storage (Dual IBM 60s) Nvidia Ti-4400 (for dual monitors) M-Audio 2496 Audio card (averages about 8ms latency) Midisport 8x8 (to plug in the hardware I never did) Propellerheads Reason 2.0 Steinberg's Cubase 5.1r1 Sonic Foundry's Vegas Video 2.0 Sound Forge 6.0 Acid, (I never use this but feel obligated to have it...) 4 gigs of audio samples and patches.

[rebonn]

I'm pretty happy with my DAW, a Nuendo 8 I/O and RME 9652 running Nuendo 1.6 and WaveLab with Waves Masters on a PC. I track and monitor on a Soundcraft Series 600 console to a HD24, so I don't deal much with latency. I kinda prefer mixing through the console into WaveLab rather than a lightpipe to Nuendo. It's amazing how much these type of setups cost a few years ago. Anyone remember the Otari D10 post production 2TK stereo editor that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars?

[Lee Flier]

I like my DAW pretty well. It's not a computer based DAW mind you - it's a Yamaha AW4416. I like it because I don't have to deal with sync issues, clock issues, latency, and all that crap -everything is internal. I like it because I wanted a real hardware interface with faders and knobs and transport controls - I don't like recording and mixing with a mouse. I like it because it runs on a dedicated OS that doesn't crash. The converters sound pretty darned good really. It's very portable - I can throw the whole thing in a briefcase sized road case and go to a club to do live recording, or any space I find that has killer acoustics, to track stuff. Its editing capabilities are not great compared to computer based DAW's, but I don't do much editing anyhow. Folks who do, have set up a lightpipe interface to fly stuff back and forth between the AW4416 and a computer. If you need to do MIDI stuff, its MIDI support ain't great either, but again, I don't do that, so no problem. I'm not 100% satisfied with the sound of the mixer and internal effects, but I can say the same thing about any DAW so far. I still prefer the sound of a good analog console, but hey, for the price I ain't complaining at all.

[soapbox]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Hank The Cave Peanut:[/i] Now, sound quality wise... I'm about to put my Delta 1010 up for sale on EBay... I think the converters sound quite nice on the 1010. It is a step down, sound quality-wise, to go from the 1010 to the 001. My first impression is that the 001 sounds rather bright/thin in comparison. But ease of use is more important to me.[/quote][b]Hank[/b], if the sound of your Digi 001 continues to bother you, I highly recommend the Apogee Rosetta AD. I've been using one as the front end for my Digi 001 for two and a half years, and I like it a lot! :thu: Best, Geoff

[Bunny Knutson]

I LOVE my DAW. I love Cakewalk. I love M-Audio. I am so happy That I do not Have to use ADATS any more. :D :D :D :D

[Jotown]

I have gone through a few systems in the last three years. A bunch of different sound cards and machines. The last year has been pretty sweet. 32 tracks of PTle. CubaseSX, Acid, Reason even Sonar and the Giga stuff. All on a couple of PC's that I built myself. The power to be able to do the things that I can now do at home is awesome. Things are not perfect, but man we are so lucky to be doing this now. The DAW situation is very cool right now, and on the verge of getting great.

[Ultravibe]

I'm a DP man. Very few softsynths or anything (Just B4 and a few free VSTi's.) but even so it is pretty crash resistant. I use it a lot for composition as well as recording, and I gotta say the new ACID and REX file import options make using drum tracks prepared for these formats is a breeze now. DP 3.11 rocks! I alos route almost everything through a board first, so latency is not a huge issue. Check the specs on the new PCI-424 card. It is supposed to reduce latency to 1.5 ms.

[bond1]

I am just amazed at what i can do now, AT HOME, that 5-10 years ago was unheard of. I'm running Sonar XL with Waves plugs, Sampletank with Sonic Synth, quite a few other soft synths, other numerous plugins. I'm also running Gigastudio with a nice variety of pianos in gigasampler format. Integrates seamlessly with Sonar with my Delta 1010 soundcard. Computer recording is awesome. When I build a smoking new dedicated DAW shortly, I can honestly say that I will be happy with my setup. I can really do anything I've ever wanted to do recording-wise.

[WFTurner]

I think we're coming to a time that if you can remember what it was like back before DAW's you probably can find alot to like about any DAW. I love this 1.2 GHz puter which probably ain't all that fast by todays standards and Cakewalk software and the DXi softsynth stuff. What a time to love music.

[Alndln]

[quote]Originally posted by alphajerk: [b]interapplication can be quite of a bitch. we should demand some sort of standard for session xfer. also, is latency bothering anyone? its really bothering me. i read in Mix this month [last month] where they went over some DAWs and mantioned that manufacturers dont think latency is a problem at all. i disagree. anyone else? .[/b][/quote]Well,we do have OMF obviously,but since there's no cross-plarform plugin standard or not everyone has the same plugs anyway you might as well just burn your folder files.Latencey,I get up to 1.5ms with high track counts with WDM/Sonar if I can take the CPU hit so I usually settle for 2.9ms(128 samples).I have Nuendo as well but it's now on another machine and reserved for future surround stuff.Going on a year now and Sonars been bullit-proff,especially in latencey compensation dept.,best app I've used to date as far as that's concerned.I use live input of plugs(inserts&sends) even after high track counts with no difference.Needless to say I'm happy.

[Dylan]

Like many others here I am using and loving Sonar 2.1 on my Athlon Rackmounted DAW. I hosed my network stack and recently had to reinstall the OS to fix it. I though, eh, what the hell and put my copy of XP home on it just to see how it stacks up to Win 2k SP3 now that XP SP1 is out. Besides my activation gripes this OS is smoking! The graphics are notably better than previous versions of Windows and looks much better overall with my LCD display. I'm using an Echo Mona interface that I love more each time I use it. The mic pre's are actually quite good and are worth the price of the unit alone. I had a Presonus Digimax with it previously and I'd say the Mona's pre's are every bit as good as the it's. Many pro audio cards like ones from Echo and Midiman feature zero-latency monitoring so I think the latency issue will be nill very soon. When I want to use software monitoring in Sonar I can do it with a very minimal CPU hit down to around 2.9 ms.

[KenElevenShadows]

I'm impressed with everything that Pro Tools LE can do. It's cheap, it's fast, it's efficient, it slices and dices, the reverbs are cool, the compression seems to work really well. I just miss recording analog, and I don't like recording on computers as much. It seemed easier. The Digi001 has awful converters, in my opinion, and I would probably be a lot more positive about recording on the thing if I had high-quality converters.

[henryrobinett]

I am very fond of my DAW. DP 3.11. I'm selling my Motu hardware rig: 1224/2408 plus 324 card. Know anybody? I'm favoring the MIO 2882+dsp (no dsp yet!). I'm going to get another and maybe spring for their new, yet to be released two channel high performance ULN-2 (mic pres), 96k, aes/ebu/spdif,adat giving me 18 mic/line I/O plus three AES/EBU and/or Spdif. The MIO console has direct outs so there's no perceivable latency. I love it. I'm not much of a soft synth or midi guy, but I have Halion, Battery and Rebirth and all of them I've used a little. I have Altiverb, Waves, Channel Strip, Spectrafoo, Vintage Warmer and other great plugs as well as some col outboard effect units I port into DP digitally. With MIO there's no latency when monitoring so overdubs are great with these outboard effects. I'm going to bring my main Mac home from the studio. My studio partner and I are splitting :( so I'm going to have fun linking these two computers together for more powerful fun. I'll probably adopt our UAD-1 card or buy another. Then when the MIO dsp gets activated I'll be in hog heaven. Now all I need is more mics, pres and an LA2A or 1176! I already have 8 channels of Millennia and the MIO pres.

[KenElevenShadows]

If one can overcome the tendency to cut-paste-cut-paste-edit-edit-edit-loop-loop-loop TOO MUCH, they are valuable things, these DAWs. A little of all that is fine, but *some* (not all) music should ebb and flow and breathe and interact and surge forward and pull back and be a thing of beauty , something that captures the synergy of musicians playing and intertwining together, creativity sparking, everyone dancing together as one. Sometimes, just sometimes, trying to achieve this beauty on a contraption that was made chiefly for secretaries to type memos on takes a little more effort.

[henryrobinett]

[quote]Originally posted by Ken/Eleven Shadows: [b]If one can overcome the tendency to cut-paste-cut-paste-edit-edit-edit-loop-loop-loop TOO MUCH, they are valuable things, these DAWs. [/b][/quote]Tell me about it. I'm working a on a jazz record for a client. She's a great singer but she comes from the pop/Nashville world. She wants to cut and paste, auto tune, overdub to death. Well I'm not only engineering this, but I'm producing it and wrote all of the arrangements as well. I've had to put my foot down to attempt to preserve the performaces. Plus going this way the project can last as long as we have breath. I keep telling her, "This is a [i]JAZZ[/i] record where this thing called performance, [i]real[/i] performance, is still not only acceptable but encouraged." I love my DAW but I still use it basically as a recorder with some magical dividends.

[Lee Flier]

Yeah I hear ya Ken and Henry. That's why I'm just as happy with my recorder not having the world's greatest editing capabilities. :D I use it pretty much like a glorified analog deck.

[alphajerk]

so everyone mentioned monitoring latency... what about plugin latency?

[Bobro]

Well my 70s Tesla 1/4" four-track is in the shop- the repair meister is slow, but loving. Realized that I LOVE analog noise, let it hum let it hiss, who cares? Lessee, DAW. Samplitude 6.04 on a PIII 1k/528 machine. Rackmount, TFT screen, it's two-guys portable. Latency no problem at this point, not using plugins, and using "zero latency monitoring". Samp 7 is coming out with ASIO, that'll be extremely low latency with my RME Hammerfall. For ADDA, SEK'D 2496S, which sounds very good. Also RME ADI-8 AE, which doesn't sound good to me. Makes everything sound a little bit like it's coming through a big aluminum pipe, but it was cheap and will have to do for the moment. The Hammerfall card as an interface, however, is excellent. I use the SEK'D ADDA as much as possible, and the ADAMs are coming out of that, too. As far as VST and DirectX plugins, just had to face the fact that I don't like them. Samplitude's native eq is very "clinical" but I do like it. Reverb- using Samplitude's convolution reverb, which will be realtime in version 7, yeah baby like a built-in Altiverb! Got some groovy impulses, always looking for more. My trip at this point in time is everything mic'd, writing out scores for acoustic and electric instruments. So much less work than working with synthesis or loops. Electronica is hard work- playing instruments is, well, playing. Come to think of it, the project I'm working on could just as well be entirely recorded to tape. But I like the sound I'm getting now, which is very dirty/dark acoustic and analog sounds going to a clean/bright digital environment. It's like an 8x10 glossy of a junkyard. -Bobro

[Alndln]

[quote]Originally posted by alphajerk: [b]so everyone mentioned monitoring latency... what about plugin latency?[/b][/quote]WDM drivers in Sonar/2K/XP take care of monitoring latencey,Sonar compensates for Dir-X plugin latencey but not VST.I use VST plugs/synths via an adapter but it doesn't seem to be a problem,at least that I can hear anyway.However.UAD users have been reporting latencey problems via the adapter though,so I'll wait for them to get DX drivers before I buy into that.Also the new version of Waves(3.5-3.6) have been somewhat of a problen in Sonar as well,but I don't use Waves Gold Bundle anymore(just the Masters in Wavelab) so I'm not really concerned anymore.

[ernest828]

Love DP3. Recorded a Rap album in January. A classical album in February. Mastered a Christmas CD in October. DP makes my clients happy, makes their fans happy and makes me happy. Love analog but automation and editing can not be beat. Ernest

[PBBPaul]

Man, I feel like a dinosaur... I still really like my Alesis ADAT decks. Since I suffer from a bit of ADD, I always have a number of ideas and projects in the works. Therefore I like easily removable media. Something I can store for a while and come back to when I want to finish it up. Or screw it up...

[alphajerk]

firewire not removable enough for you? the drives are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP now and can store a LOT of information.

[where02190]

We are 110% satisifed with out Mackie HDR running the latest Pro software, combined with a Protools 001 on a Mac dual 800 QS. they sync'd easily, giving us 56 tracks total audio, and the editing capabilites are infinite. With the Mackie HDR Pro version, we can save sessions as Protools sessions, and directly open Protools sessions on the HDR, making for speedy transfers for editing, archiving, track moving, etc. The HDR converters are excellent, and the analog style design of your control room, with a SoundTracs SoloLogic console (w/VCA and mute automation) allow simplified access to our vast array of analog and digital outboard dynamics and effects. We feel we made an excellent choice, and our clients do too. Hope this is helpful.

[alphajerk]

i wasnt aware of ANY company that compensated for plugin latency... can i get a list of known companies [and some sort of proof] that plugins inserted are auto delay compensated [to sample accuracy]? its really only noticable on drums to me.

[Mr Darling]

I always loved my DAW. I use to wave the steinberg flag, but I started hating the fact that I simply couldn't get it stable. Now I moved to Logic and lov it even more (not that I can explian way) I'm still totaly amazed by the quality that we can achive today using only the DAW. As for latency, I would much rather live in a world were it there was no latency but the workarounds...mm...works!! Logic's dely compenistate works very well on all plugin inserted on normal track or instruments - however it does not work on busses , which mean I can not use my excellent Powercore plugs on busses. I also stopped trying to software monitor my single - and went back to the old ways of using a mixing desk (remember those :D ). And sometimes I will play an actual synth, and only later replace the sound with a sound of a virtual one. So Latency is there - but it is very workable.

[EXAGON]

I married my DAW: No crashes, tons of plugins, soft synths, sampler, total recall (including sampler sounds and setups)... Yes, 1 click means a full studio setup, with Apogee inputs and Genelec monitors... Great Pro Tools Mix+ Apogee SSC Virus Altiverb ...

[doug osborne]

oooh, a thread without any controversy, flames, spam...everybody digging what they're doing, and what everyone else is doing! Next time a pc/mac, pt/nuendo, whatever/whatever thread comes up, let's remember that we all can make great music very easily with these new tools. It's the song that counts. This is from someone who was getting airplay with songs I recorded on my Tascam 234 in the 80's, and released crappy sounding albums recorded on 48 channels of digital. it's all good