DAW or Hardware or Both

[CTP_Gizzle]

Whats good fellow producers/beat makers. Whats your preference in DAW to use and why?

I'll start out with mines of beat creation in Logic Pro, and mixing/final production in Pro tools.
Logic - to me just really dope with its baked in tools, and i can get funky in the creative space.
Pro tools - Keeps me sharp using a industry standard daw, and something about the UI when mixing full production. Plus the final sound after bounce. Clean, smooth, crisp ya dig.

 

[Iron Keys]

Studio One
I bought it pretty blind when it was on sale. Fortunately it fit like a glove and felt so smooth an intuitive. Real easy to do what I want, no real annoying fiddling around (issues I had with Sonar, Logic, Reason).
The only thing I wish(ed) it had was Ableton-esque clip launch feature, ironically I think they have added that but I've not upgraded to it.

I was very tempted to move to pro tools because being trained by Pro engineers who use it, I like aspects of its work flow. However I will add a lot of those pros also beef ProTools and are considering switching, but they're also very used to ProTools so.

(For the record, DAWs do not have 'a sound' so shouldn't have better quality from any of them - this has been proven countless times. Though I do remember feeling this wasn't the case when I started out)

 

[2GooD Productions]

I do everything in Cubase, does everything I need, production and mixing wise all in a single session.

 

[2GooD Productions]

Studio One
I bought it pretty blind when it was on sale. Fortunately it fit like a glove and felt so smooth an intuitive. Real easy to do what I want, no real annoying fiddling around (issues I had with Sonar, Logic, Reason).
The only thing I wish(ed) it had was Ableton-esque clip launch feature, ironically I think they have added that but I've not upgraded to it.

I was very tempted to move to pro tools because being trained by Pro engineers who use it, I like aspects of its work flow. However I will add a lot of those pros also beef ProTools and are considering switching, but they're also very used to ProTools so.

(For the record, DAWs do not have 'a sound' so shouldn't have better quality from any of them - this has been proven countless times. Though I do remember feeling this wasn't the case when I started out)

Of all the DAWs Ive used I would say that Reason has a "sound", due to the way it uses Refills, was the reason I switched to Cubase and started using vst's instead.

 

[slimegreenbeats]

FL gosh dang Studio

I have the all plugins edition. I'm wierd and I don't like using third party plugins. I make a lot of melodies myself so I think it fits my workflow. I would try something else but I just don't see the purpose rn. I think I'm still improving.

 

[OGBama]

MPC Beats/MPC 2 with Akai MPK Mini MK3 and the software doesn’t suck contrary to what people online say and it’s worth trying out if anyone here hasn’t already.

 

[Iron Keys]

MPC Beats/MPC 2 with Akai MPK Mini MK3 and the software doesn’t suck contrary to what people online say and it’s worth trying out if anyone here hasn’t already.

OGBama Reviews

 

[konceptG]

Mostly Sonar 8 PE and/or FL10. However, I'm thinking about finally taking my DAW off of Windows XP and moving to Win7, so I just grabbed FL 20, but also the latest version in case I decide to go with Win 10 instead (highly unlikely as the machine will not be connected to the internet just like the current DAW). I also have an older version of Cubase SX installed as well as Reaper.

Also looking at possibly picking up an old Roland, Yamaha, Akai, or Tascam hardware joint, like a VS1680 or something of the sort. Use the PC for sequencing synced to the recorder.

 

[Iron Keys]

Mostly Sonar 8 PE and/or FL10. However, I'm thinking about finally taking my DAW off of Windows XP and moving to Win7, so I just grabbed FL 20, but also the latest version in case I decide to go with Win 10 instead (highly unlikely as the machine will not be connected to the internet just like the current DAW). I also have an older version of Cubase SX installed as well as Reaper.

Also looking at possibly picking up an old Roland, Yamaha, Akai, or Tascam hardware joint, like a VS1680 or something of the sort. Use the PC for sequencing synced to the recorder.

What fucking year did you send this reply from?

 

[CTP_Gizzle]

Mostly Sonar 8 PE and/or FL10. However, I'm thinking about finally taking my DAW off of Windows XP and moving to Win7, so I just grabbed FL 20, but also the latest version in case I decide to go with Win 10 instead (highly unlikely as the machine will not be connected to the internet just like the current DAW). I also have an older version of Cubase SX installed as well as Reaper.

Also looking at possibly picking up an old Roland, Yamaha, Akai, or Tascam hardware joint, like a VS1680 or something of the sort. Use the PC for sequencing synced to the recorder.

Sounds like a lot of work and your setup is definitely in your name - konceptG lol. But if it works for you, then that's all that matters.

 

[CTP_Gizzle]

What fucking year did you send this reply from?

- that is interesting tho

 

[BiggChev]

I love making beats on Maschine Plus (standalone) as well as the MPC 1000 (which I haven't used much lately).

For me, I compartmentalize the music making process. I have the "writing" phase, "arranging phase" and "mixing" phase. Note, it doesn't always flow in that order.

While I use Maschine less in standalone these days, I'd still consider it a "hardware" approach. Mostly, because I'm actually hands-on, twisting knobs, using my ears to find chops, and playing them in with the pads.

If you're familiar with Maschine then you know about "Scenes." Essentially what I'll do is gather all my sounds, make several different sections of my beat (Scenes) then it all gets tracked out to Logic Pro.

From there I'll play around with my different Scenes and try to find a loose arrangement. sometimes I'll flip things around (my chorus becomes my verse, or my bridge can be extended to a chorus etc.)

Most times, I'll end up adding some additional flourishes in Logic. It's handy having all my VSTs available to layer in additional instruments, to add either beef up a sample or add some extra depth/width to a track.

Where I'm advocate for DAW is mixing. Lane automation, processing power, access to quality plug-ins, make a big difference in the final product.

 

[konceptG]

What fucking year did you send this reply from?

LOL, it all just works! But while you laughing, my DAW runs on a Core 2 Quad Q6600 (technically a Xeon X3220, but they're the exact same thing).

I think that's the part that throws people off because we got into a whole cycle of endless upgrades and now endless subscriptions where you don't actually own anything. The old stuff didn't stop working, we just stopped using it 'cause we were told to. Firewire interfaces work, but you gotta run the OS they work with and go with that. XP still works, Win 7 still works, it's just not advisable to connect XP to the internet (tho less so these days, security through obsolescence is a very real thing).

This is De La Soul's multitracks for their joint "All Good" loaded into Cubase SX3 for their remix competition last year. I only got the tracks loaded and hadn't fully fleshed out the new beat in the SP404A I had at the time so I didn't get it together, but... Yeah, this joint was 30 tracks, including a click track.

 

[Iron Keys]

LOL, it all just works! But while you laughing, my DAW runs on a Core 2 Quad Q6600 (technically a Xeon X3220, but they're the exact same thing).

I think that's the part that throws people off because we got into a whole cycle of endless upgrades and now endless subscriptions where you don't actually own anything. The old stuff didn't stop working, we just stopped using it 'cause we were told to. Firewire interfaces work, but you gotta run the OS they work with and go with that. XP still works, Win 7 still works, it's just not advisable to connect XP to the internet (tho less so these days, security through obsolescence is a very real thing).

This is De La Soul's multitracks for their joint "All Good" loaded into Cubase SX3 for their remix competition last year. I only got the tracks loaded and hadn't fully fleshed out the new beat in the SP404A I had at the time so I didn't get it together, but... Yeah, this joint was 30 tracks, including a click track.

that arrange window and colors looking so much like Studio One <3

 

[M.I.ndless]

Studio One, however, I have moved away from the daw (using it solely for mixing/mastering and some midi routing depending on the controller. Right now I am using the Verselab, SEQTRAK, Sp404, and Roland p-6

 

[Fade]

Same with me - I use Linux as my main OS but I also still have Windows 7 that I boot into when I want to use my DAW or whatever else. I just don't connect it to the internet. It works. I have all the plug-ins I want so I don't need to upgrade anything unless I really want the latest and greatest. And the way some of these DAWs are going now with AI integration, I don't need it.

I think it was Apollo Brown that's the same way where he still uses Cool Edit Pro to make his beats!

Hey, if it ain't broke...

 

[BiggChev]

Studio One, however, I have moved away from the daw (using it solely for mixing/mastering and some midi routing depending on the controller. Right now I am using the Verselab, SEQTRAK, Sp404, and Roland p-6

That’s a sick setup! Thoughts on the SEQTRACK? I was pretty impressed with the launch videos but couldn’t justify another sampler/sequencer.

How thoroughly are you using the Verselab? My understanding is you can basically write and arrange full tracks on it.

 

[konceptG]

Same with me - I use Linux as my main OS but I also still have Windows 7 that I boot into when I want to use my DAW or whatever else. I just don't connect it to the internet. It works. I have all the plug-ins I want so I don't need to upgrade anything unless I really want the latest and greatest. And the way some of these DAWs are going now with AI integration, I don't need it.

I think it was Apollo Brown that's the same way where he still uses Cool Edit Pro to make his beats!

Hey, if it ain't broke...

I use linux all day long at the office. My work laptop runs Ubuntu 24.04 and I have a couple of machines at the crib that dual boot between Win7/10 and Linux (Centos7 on one, Fedora 43 on the other), plus my pentesting laptop with Kali on it.

I genuinely like Linux, but not for music. I've tried, but I just don't like it.

 

[Fade]

I use linux all day long at the office. My work laptop runs Ubuntu 24.04 and I have a couple of machines at the crib that dual boot between Win7/10 and Linux (Centos7 on one, Fedora 43 on the other), plus my pentesting laptop with Kali on it.

I genuinely like Linux, but not for music. I've tried, but I just don't like it.

Yeah me too, I've tried it but it's just never 100% and there's still stuff that needs to be configured. Although I've tried Bitwig on Linux and it's really good. The downside is it's a pain to get Windows VSTs to work with Linux.

 

[V.J. Retro]

Whats good fellow producers/beat makers. Whats your preference in DAW to use and why?

I'll start out with mines of beat creation in Logic Pro, and mixing/final production in Pro tools.
Logic - to me just really dope with its baked in tools, and i can get funky in the creative space.
Pro tools - Keeps me sharp using a industry standard daw, and something about the UI when mixing full production. Plus the final sound after bounce. Clean, smooth, crisp ya dig.

I use FL Studio and Cubase depending on the need and what I'm mixing.