Reaper is fantastic. It can be as simple and as complicated (to the point of literally running scripts for automation or building your own plugin) as you want. It's the engineers daw. Came from Cakewalk Sonar (which used to be called "Logic for Windows" back then) but that feels like cluttered mess when going back to old projects. I love Cakewalk to death but man does it need a UI overhaul.

@KenTeel

10 ай бұрын

What exactly do you find to ge wrong with the Cakewalk interface? What kind of recording/editing are you doing?

@adrianpaul3749

8 ай бұрын

it's coming. they announced like a year ago that cakewalk will become a paid product again and they are working on it with improvements making it worthwhile to buy

Great video. I would point out is that Reaper's complexity makes it easier to use. EVERYTHING is customizable or can be set to macros. It does everything Audtion does and more. I also think the concept of renting to NEVER own a DAW (monthly subscription) is a terrible model. There are very few things I'm a hardcore evangelist on, but ... REAPER!!!!!! Best...

This whole world of DAW scares me, so I really appreciated your thoughts. You've helped me make an informed decision that suits my needs and my equipment, thank you so much.

@ApfelSgt

Ай бұрын

It‘s good that you informed yourself before blind buying and then regret it! 😌👌🏼 But to be honest, besides money, simply look what daw you like in terms of design and workflow. With the big names you nearly couldn’t buy the wrong daw! 🙈 They’re all fantastic in their own way. And it’s regardless which daw you will buy, it will for sure scare you at first because you will need houndreds of hours to really learn and understand how to use the daw. Some will be a bit easier and some a bit harder to learn but you will need time and practice which each of them. But once you understand YOUR Daw, you can make great sounding music which each of them! The only thing is, that each of them works a bit differently which results in that you only will be good with your own daw. But if you learned how a daw in general works, you could still switch sometimes in the future if you like a different daw more than yours! You just need some time again to be good with the new one. So watch videos of different daws, look what you like the most and buy that!😌 The only thing that i would tell you is, that you shouldn’t buy a daw just because it’s cheaper, when it looks complicated and awful to you. 🙈

@buxycat

Ай бұрын

@@ApfelSgt Hey, thanks for your reply! There was equipment I was interested in, where the reviewer was using Ableton in session view. As a beginner, I don't think I would have taken on something as unfamiliar looking as that, but you're so very right about a little pain now saving me in the future. I saw a video on a BeatStep Pro and thought "I want some of that" so bought one and ended up with Ableton Lite on my MacBook for free. It seems to be a really good DAW for me, very flexible with the two views. Cheap to upgrade if I need more in the future. I had a problem with the BeatStep Pro, exchanged it for an Akai APC64, which I would have never have bought without using Ableton first. I liked Arturia's free Analog Lab, so have a KeyLab Essential 3 (49 key) arriving soon. This musical journey I've been on these last few weeks.... well, I had to give up playing tenor sax in the late 2000s through jaw issues, it broke my heart. It's why I've been away from music for so long. I didn't touch my Yamaha WX5 MIDI wind controller/ VL70-m tone generator when I put my sax away. The sax style mouthpiece was stuck on when I put it away. I had often wondered if I changed the mouthpiece to the fixed recorder style, so I would never be tempted to use my jaw, could I play it without issue? You have no idea how difficult it was to get advice about how to get the mouthpiece off without damaging the lip pressure sensor inside. But I've managed that now!!! I'm not sure where my recorder style mouthpiece is, I'm sure I still have one, but ordered two from eBay anyway.. The tone generator had some synth voices that were so much fun to mess around with. Three months ago, my tenor sax, WX5 + tone generator were just things hanging over my head and hanging over my heart. Two months ago, I had never used GarageBand on the iPad I've had for a few years. And here I am now. I'm so excited by my WX5 again. If my fingers still work (they might not!), then the scales will come back to me with practise. Then I have an incredibly expressive 8 octave range MIDI controller. that I can solo on, over the music I've made with the other stuff. Maybe get some expression pedals to fill in for lack of lip expression. I'm am so profoundly grateful to all the people on KZread, like yourself, who have been guides or inspirations along the journey to where I am now.

Reaper is my favorite because it's truly CROSS PLATFORM - windows, linux and mac.. just like DaVinci Resolve.. Reaper is the DaVinci resolve of the audio community.. the price, its cross platform, workflow.. All other daws are still existing because of their age ...

Reaper can run in ARM builds of Linux of a Raspberry Pi. You can run it natively or in Wine on x86 Linux or on a Chromebook. It runs on M1 and M2 Macs, and it runs on Windows, with the current build supporting all the way back to Windows 7. I also use Harrison Mixbus, which is based on modified Ardour code, and has built in summing that emulates their physical consoles. I use that exclusively for final mixing and mastering. It also has cross platform support, though the only ARM CPU support it has is for Mac silicon AFAIK.

@joshmcdzz6925

9 ай бұрын

it's the like DaVinci Resolve and blender of the audio world.. Reaper is the future

I use Hindenburg which is wonderful for podcast and news editing.

The answer: Reaper

@GamerToday

7 ай бұрын

Glitchy and ugly... the choice is logic x 😂😂😂😂😂 I really believe that. Pc wise studio one has pissed me off so many times and I'm an original version user. Never did I have crashes back in the day. These days without a pc maxed out I have tons of issues with it. Other software I've tried not pro tools since 2013 but I make music on a more visual level. I like simple and pretty. I like to make music in a fun feeling environment. If you have another option let me know. FL studio made me feel slow as I couldn't figure out anything lol. Do you remember Mixcraft? I actually liked that back in the day. I'm into fun digital recording upsets me easily. I am more a performer than mixer or technical person. My playing or vocals are professional level as I made a good fortune in the industry but home recording wise I'm slow poke with lucks 😅. In my day it was all smart media cards and tape for things. Studio engineers handled all the stuff via console and all I had to do was perform and get my band mates there and up to level to play. Digital work I've made some good money I'm selling a new song "rain" to funimation tomorrow for 8k. But again I always feel like I'm a slow poke on digital music mixing etc. Recording a great signal I can do. Mixing its a jungle.

I'm currently recording on a zoom F4 and import directly into Davinci. Would i gain anything from using a standalone Daw? Also do you have any idea if the F preamps are on par with newer entry level sound cards? Watch most of yuur videos and enjoy them thoroughly, thank you!

I agree about the user winding up adopting the muscle memory, and thus the one you first use for production is far more likely to be the DAW you rely upon over time. I started with Cubase, and therefore that work flow and the knowledge I picked up in that software (along with the rich feature set Steinberg includes) causes me to lean toward that platform. I also have started to see music or movie and TV composer types using the tool. Audio can be readily transferred from one platform to another in cases where large scale production is happening.

I use FL Studio for music production and Audacity for more simple audio editing, viewing, and listening.

Since switching to Hindenburg a year ago, I must have saved at least 50-60% editing time. Super easy to use, great automated features, and the new version just adds to this ease of use and time-saving. ❤

Reaper, it's Reaper.

Great video. Reaper actually does come with great plug-ins, but they just don’t look pretty. It did take me time to learn, but it is awesome…as yousaid

Cakewalk. Switched to it some years ago and never looked back. Literally thousands of client projects later, it does everything needed, including creating contemporary music. Anxious to see the new Sonar release.

I use Cubase 12. Always like it. It is easier for me, the interface of it is easier to understand. Still don't know why it isn't as popular as pro tools. I am defenetly going to try pro tools because it is so famous!

@crtune

10 ай бұрын

A history of Pro Tools might make an interesting video. I gather some major commercial facilities probably adopted it, then this is why it got the reputation it has now. I also see well known professional film score people using Cubase, so it's not an absolute, by any means.

@Doty6String

8 ай бұрын

Pro tools is the king for audio editing. Cubase is much better for midi and musical workflow

@GIJohn1994

8 ай бұрын

Cubase/Nuendo is on the same level in terms of editing capabilities I'd say. With macros it can surpass PT in speed for sure.

@Doty6String

8 ай бұрын

@@GIJohn1994 IMO the pro tools timeline is much more precise. the clip editing is so accurate, and the smart tool makes it an editing BEAST. cubase is ok but the timeline seems very clunky in comparison. I prefer it for composing obviously. but for serious professional editing nothing can trump pro tools.

@GIJohn1994

7 ай бұрын

@@Doty6String In what way does it feel clunky, for me it's sometimes a bit annoying that the zoom is limited to a certain degree and you need to go to the editor to see single samples. But other than that, I don't see any benefit of editing in PT. Steinberg even added something like the smart tool, but I'm more efficient with my shortkeys. The play mode of PT came with Cubase 13. PT added their short keys. The gap between them closes and I don't think there is a clear winner.

Ableton live is the easiest and most overlooked daw to use. From the first groove swing to mastering. Minus mouse clicks(pt,pre sonus,logic ,etc)and list searching that doesn’t move if you click the wrong place on your screen.

You can get custom coloured keyboards for editing computers i know there is one for Hindenburg

I've been using Audacity for basic voice work for over ten years. It's all you need, and the price is right. (I hope the many others who use Audacity are making a donation as well.) It's cross platform, so if you switch operating systems your session files will transfer. Exporting files in MP3 is fairly easy. The biggest disadvantage is setting up plugins, which may require a bit of Computer 101 or higher on some systems. Calf plugins work the best for me. If you try multi tracking, laying in more than 12 tracks or so can get noisy. Thirty or more and it starts to bog down during editing. I've also used Audition in several radio stations since the days when it was called "Cool Edit." Easy learning curve after years of tape recorders. If you work for a company with an Audition group license, you're living well.

Glad I found your page! 7:00- 👍

Big question is how much would reaper cost if you buy instruments, plugins, and sounds to match Logic for example?

Hindenburg!!!!!!

@theway-backmusicmachinepod9953

10 ай бұрын

Amen to that! People disregard Hindenburg because it isn't as 'full featured' as other DAWs, but in terms of workflow for any kind of spoken word production, there really isn't anything faster that produces the same kind of professional results.

SUPER FACTS

I have not chosen a DAW quite yet but I like the idea of starting cheap eg REAPER. It sounds pretty creepy by its title lol. I am a total beginner and I want to make music (Guitar, Vocals and Drums machine) What do you think? Thank you. !

We could argue all day about which DAW is best whether its based on the features the individual etc, there will NEVER be an out right winner. The right DAW depends on many things, but ultimately its down to the work you do and the demands on the software and features. Lets take one example, Immersive sound or alternatively Dolby Atmos. I need this so was recently forced to drop Studio One and went for Nuendo which is Cubase on steroids, I used to use Cubase so nothing much new to learn. Why? Cos I like the GUI/workflow, sure its not as nice as Studio One but put it against Reaper Ableton etc? Pro Tools compatibility makes it a none starter. Before I recorded and mixed in Studio One and then had to import into DaVinci and let it do the Atmos rendering, it worked but it was not perfect for me. Using Nuendo with DaVinci I am sorted !!

I use GarageBand I tried using audacity but I hated it and it didn't work well for me some reason on Mac but I would love to try free versions of other daws

I'm using Reaper daily for my job, which is editing podcasts. Are there any particular features in Adobe Audition that could let me work faster? I've been using it a few years ago when I've been working at a radio station, but I was never a heavy user, so I'm wondering.

@DarkCornerStudios

10 ай бұрын

It all comes down to workflow. The single file editing experience is unmatched. It is just faster. That said...it will take a bit of time to get used to the COMPLETELY DIFFERENT workflow... So keep that in mind

@theway-backmusicmachinepod9953

10 ай бұрын

If you are doing this daily, have you ever considered something like Hindenburg Pro? It is amazing for doing spoken-word productions.

@getstew

10 ай бұрын

Reaper can do anything, it's all about set up. Those Custom Actions make editing a multitrack podcast so fast!

@tstankie

10 ай бұрын

I love Reaper for the customizability. I'm using a few custom actions for podcast editing. And there is a free automixer feature. I like the idea behind Hindenburg but it is not even close to the precision and customizability that I'm used to. Maybe I'll check if Audition has anything more to offer.

@theway-backmusicmachinepod9953

10 ай бұрын

@@tstankie Like I said, it is really optimized for what it is intended for, and does it really, really well. The customization won't be there, but I can put a one hour radio show together unbelievably quickly, precisely and professionally with Hindenburg. It isn't designed for music production, but for spoken word stuff, I'd never go back now.

I’ve used every major DAW other than FL and Cubase, and eventually settled on Reaper. It’s not any harder than other DAWs to master its basic functions that you’d need for VO/podcasts, and the power, stability, customization and flexibility are amazing. Plus the price, cross-platform functionality and the ability to just download the demo version to any machine and be ready to do whatever I need to do are fantastic. Your point about picking the right DAW from the beginning that can grow with you is an excellent one. I’ve seen so many people who could save hours of work and headaches every week if they could just let go of Audacity and learn something new. Reaper is the best choice if you’re starting out and are not sure what features you’ll eventually need. It can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.

For me, pro tools. I tried logic, reaper then tried out pro tools and the workflow and editing just made sense to me. I was immediately faster in pro tools and its easier in pro tools for me to get the crazy stuff i hear in my head to come out right. Ive never had any issues with pro tools that people complain about. It just works for me.

sup guys, i wanna be prod, making different beats like carti or drake,so i can t choose daw for start, specifically, this convenience and low system requirements are important to me, because I don't spend so much time at home and use a PC, most often I use a laptop outside the house, so I have a question which daw to choose? I am considering Amped Studio, Soundation for myself, I would like to try fl studio, but I am afraid that the experience will be sad, since the laptop is only for work and the browser

REAPER!!!

I had to switch from audition and Vegas to Audacity and Kdenlive when I became a Linux user. If there's one thing that I miss about audition is it's workflow even though I was messing with Audacity since I was in middle school it's stagnant and doesn't suit my advanced needs that audition does. If only Adobe released their stuff for Linux then maybe I would consider going back again but for now I'm stuck with the limitations Audacity puts on me 😢

@joshmcdzz6925

9 ай бұрын

Reaper runs on linux.. I do all my recording and mixing with reaper on linux..

@jakob1546

Ай бұрын

Ardour is a great DAW for Linux. Even though they sell binaries it is open source and there are packages for it on several distros which allow you to get it for free.

I am using Studio One currently and have used ot for 4 years now so my workflow is pretty solid, but now i am thinking of switching to Reaper on Linux, because of stability problems of Windows. Actually, Studio One is the only remaining program why i still use Windows.

I still don't know what to use. Will probably go with Reaper. My old Athlon XP Windows XP computer has Cakewalk because it was included with my Sound Blaster Live 5.1 card.

@DarkCornerStudios

10 ай бұрын

Oh I loved Cakewalk back in the day!!

@AT-wl9yq

2 ай бұрын

If you have to use an old computer, run a light weight linux distro and use Reaper for Linux.

Reaper ❤

I use Logic Pro! I have used garage band since I was 12 and just bought logic. I can’t use anything else since I’m so used to apple’s software.

FL Studio? That and Reaper are two big ones on PC.

I use REAPER.

Studio one is the best and the right daw for me.

i was kinda missing cubase and ableton. Ableton especially because of its growing popularity for people who are musiscians first and producers second. Also great popularity for live deployment (backing tracks, triggers etc.).

My interface and Audacity are not getting along so I gotta move on to better things now.

I tried almost everything from 2001, until switched to Logic

Are you using the NT2A out of the video frame here, or something different?

@DarkCornerStudios

10 ай бұрын

Mkh416. I should update that in my details

@cward2986

10 ай бұрын

Makes mores sense - thanks!@@DarkCornerStudios

I hated Reaper so much. Most I hated when I realized how much I would LOVE it if it were "packed" differently. The functionality is beyond, but the UI is such utter hateful trash I just never got used to it, I hated it with all my guts, until I abandoned ship.

There is no need for a fully-featured DAW for pod casts and voice overs. I wish I could use Audacity for music production, but there are way too many work-arounds needed to complete a project.

Just trying to decide which daw i should start with. Don’t laugh at me but i cut my music with Adobe Premiere Pro and i feel i should start for real 😂

@DarkCornerStudios

6 ай бұрын

I know a few people that do that...but 8f you are doing music...Studio One or Reaper is a great start

@Zed.90

6 ай бұрын

@@DarkCornerStudios i already bought FL Studio with all plugins years ago … but i always get overwhelmed by the software and confused, so i stopped making music all together. Now i’m heavenly leaning to Ableton 12 Suite since i got a offer for around 400 Bugs. I started tutorials and kinda like the work flow. My goal is to produce my own songs (pop, pop ballads, some edm) and record a instrument here and there. 😫

Didn't the Hindenburg catch on fire and blow up in 1937?

@DarkCornerStudios

9 ай бұрын

Don't have wiki open...but sounds about right...lol

@musicalneptunian

8 ай бұрын

Yep. Colonel Klink blamed its demise on Hogan.

Cubase.

It's funny that I found Reaper easier to use than Studio One 😅

Audacity is a choice but no fl lmao

So I wonder how far back you made this video. A month ago 2 months?

@DarkCornerStudios

10 ай бұрын

Right before I left for holidays actually. So end of July

Please talk about, exactly, what you don't like about Cakewalk. Be specific, and also talk about what exactly you do with a DAW. I sense that there is a possiblity that you don't know jack diddly about Cakewalk. Exactly how much experience have you had with this DAW ?

Same logic apply to editor’s for video….. and wife’s 😂

@MadsGOlsen

6 ай бұрын

@@Trensharo I’m 🇩🇰 I dare you to reply in danish😉 even German or Spanish if danish is to hard.

@MadsGOlsen

6 ай бұрын

@@Trensharo all hail the grammar police 😂