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4.7 star rating
0
What is the best alternative to Cubase?
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Pro Tools
All
39
Experiences
Pros
26
Cons
12
Specs
Top
Pro
Great stock plugins
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Top
Con
Subscription based
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Pro
Seamless integration with UAD
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Con
Random crashes
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Pro
Industry standard
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Con
Quite expensive
Compared to other DAW subscription models.
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Pro
Cross platform
Available both on Windows and MacOS.
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Con
Ilok license manager
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Pro
Frequent updates
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Con
CPU hungry
System usage can be excessive.
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Pro
Great support
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Con
Very steep learning curve
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Pro
Excellent UI
Especially for DAW veterans and Og's.
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Con
Could benefit from more robust composition tools
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Pro
Dark Mode
Finally Pro Tools Can be in dark mode.
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Con
Lack of instrument bundle, despite two new additions
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Pro
Wide audio format compatibility
Ease of integrating audio of different formats, sample rates; equal ease of exporting.
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Con
Pro Tools isn't compatible with VST or AU plugins
Only AAX.
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Pro
Video editing tools and capabilities
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Con
Not amateur|Beginner friendly
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Pro
Exceptionally deep shortcuts and workflow
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Con
Hard and complicated shorcuts
Not easy to memorise them.
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Pro
Track freezing abilities
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Con
There is no free version
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Pro
Advanced metering options with Peak, VU (Volume Unit), and Spectrograph views
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Pro
Option for external DSP from Avid to help free up CPU
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Pro
Customizable interface
Create and save youe own workspace layouts. and change the tone of the skin dark and classic
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Pro
Excellent and pro mixing and recording tools
As the name tell
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Pro
Fast 64-bit recording and mixing engine
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Pro
Native integration with Avid’s control panels
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Pro
Optimized for multiple screens
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Pro
Broadest hardware compatibility
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Pro
Great Import / export features
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Pro
Excellent cloud collaboration integration
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Pro
Interfaces easily with HDX and Pro Tools | Carbon
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Pro
All languages supported
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Pro
Unlimited tracks, buses, inserts, sends, returns, virtual instruments
Pro Tools effects, all customizable.
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Pro
Automatic delay compensation
Used to fix timing issues between different tracks during mix down.
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Specs
Compatibility:
Windows , Mac
Max number of tracks:
Unlimited
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Experiences
9.99$ - 99$
98
11
Reason
All
37
Experiences
Pros
25
Cons
11
Specs
Top
Pro
Modular enviroment
Synths, effects, and utilities can be modularly wired via audio and CV.
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Con
No Dolby Atmos / surround
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Pro
Easy to learn
Reason may look intimidating at first, but it is just as easy to learn as any DAW, if not more so, yet has incredible depth once you delve deeper, with some options that are just not possible in other DAWs.
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Top
Con
Added Subscription
They've added Subscription. And some Re racks are only subscription based.
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Top
Pro
Now supports VST
As of version 9.5, Reason now supports VSTs.
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Con
No ARA (audio communication e.g. with Melodyne / VocAlign)
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Pro
Stable
Very stable and fluid. Rarely crashes.
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Con
Expensive Re expansions
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Pro
Built-in Audio Pitch Editor
Reason's Audio Pitch Editor easily can hold its own to Melodyne Essentials. Makes editing vocals and other monophonic sound very easy.
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Con
GUI not for everyone and complicated
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Pro
Easy and intuitive while being feature rich
You can go really deep into creating sound and routing. Find possibilities you cant do with any other DAW.
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Con
Mix only by ear
You can not type in a value in the mixer.
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Pro
Supports MIDI out
MIDI out is a new addition in Reason, allowing feedback to MIDI devices.
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Con
A very backward sequencer
Lacking some features.
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Pro
Multi FX presets
The multi fx are very nice. Great for transitions and complete sound management.
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Con
Very outdated workflow
They haven't optimized their workflow in a long time.
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Pro
Mimics true hardware through a skeuomorphic GUI/UX
Reason's rack and mixer visually emulate real studio hardware through a skeuomorphic GUI/UX, allowing you to route audio cables and CV very intuitively. Hit "tab" on your computer keyboard, and you can see the rear of the rack, making routing very easy to understand.
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Con
No MPE and MIDI2.0
As of Reason12, MPE and MIDI2.0 are not supported.
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Pro
Massive free video tutorials content
Professionally produced tutorial videos often released by Propellerhead that show you how to use the software. Reason also has a thriving user base that offers video tutorials showing you how to do almost anything you need.
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Con
Confusing GUI for Noob
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Pro
Great for live peformances
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Con
Closed source
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Pro
Ssl mixer
One of the best if not the best mixer on any daw.
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Pro
Great set of tools
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Pro
Offers an easy way to quantize and slice audio
Reason makes it easy to stretch audio or slice it up for glitchy sound effects. When audio is loaded, it is analyzed so slice markers can be placed at the beginning and end of each note. Slice markers appear when the audio sample is double clicked.
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Pro
Block mode
Is great for more ideas and creativity.
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Pro
Vst3 Rack
Can work with reason Rack in any Daw
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Pro
Loop, convert and overdub on the fly
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Pro
Amazing automation arrangement
Using clips makes it very easy to automate precisely.
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Pro
Stock samplers
Has one of the best and creative samplers among the DAWs and in the market. Like Mimic.
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Pro
Powerful devices included
Great set of instruments and players and samplers included out of the box.
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Pro
Fast and smart search engine
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Pro
Work with multiple projects support
You can open and work multiple projects at the same time
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Pro
Multiple screen support
Can display reason windows onn multiple screens
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Pro
Great built in instruments and effects
Mulitple high quality built in synthesisers, drum loops, samplers and effects with plenty of pre-built patches to explore plus the ability to create your own unique sounds.
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Pro
Can convert audio to REX files
REX files record effects and slices on top of the original file, and will play audio at the tempo of a project. REX files provide many uses and are a great addition to Reason.
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Specs
Languages:
English . French . German . Japanese
Compatibility:
Windows , Mac , Linux
Max number of tracks:
Unlimited
Included sounds:
7 GB
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Experiences
$500
102
18
Waveform
All
13
Experiences
Pros
8
Cons
4
Specs
Top
Con
Crashes a lot
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Pro
Linux support
Runs great on Linux(except LV2 Support).
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Con
Not open source
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Pro
Free version available
Older releases are available for free when new versions come out.
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Con
Not suited for live performance
No session based Workflow (like Live/Bitwig), hiccups upon loading projects.
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Pro
Clean interface
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Con
No option to easily cut a file
There is no scissors tool or similar....
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Pro
ARM/ARM64 support
Runs on SBC (single board computer) systems like the Raspberry Pi3, Pine64, and ODroid development boards, as well as systems like the Pinebook and Chromebooks with ARM based SoC CPU's that have been reformatted with a Linux OS.
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Pro
Easy to understand
Very logically structured.
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Pro
Creative Tools
Has a Chord Track, MIDI pattern creator and great included tools.
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Pro
Very stable
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Pro
Ideal for beginners
Self-explaining interface.
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Specs
Compatibility:
Windows, Linux, Mac
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Experiences
$99+
92
17
Studio One
All
55
Experiences
Pros
39
Cons
15
Specs
Top
Pro
Efficient DAW workflow
The Studio One DAW doesn't expect users to deal with a lot of windows, answer questions, or use the mouse excessively. This DAW is known for lettings users be creative without getting in the way.
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Con
The DAW can't be used as a ReWire component
The DAW can be used as a ReWire host, but cannot be used as a ReWire component. This is frustrating if you like some of the instrument sounds and virtual synths in Studio One, but prefer another DAW to do your main work in.
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Pro
Easy to use DAW interface
All components are laid out in an understandable fashion and almost everything is drag and drop.
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Con
Free version does not support 3rd party plugins
He can limit the tracks or etc., but no vst support for free version makes this piece of software a garbage!
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Pro
Melodyne built-in
The Real Melodyne is integrated in the actual DAW. No other DAW is set up to streamline Melodyne.
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Con
Bad customer service
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Pro
Awesome smart tool
Hovering over different parts of the events in the arrange window activates different tools.
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Con
Frustrating controls
The mouse wheel is used for both scrolling and for controls (fader, pan, etc.) manipulation, depending on what's under the pointer; you may very well be scrolling through the tracks in the mixer only to suddenly discover that you are changing the volume of a track because the pointer entered the fader space. Users have been requesting a fix for this for several years now (there can't possibly be anyone who thinks this is a good design), but it's still a problem. Also, you may try to select a track only to end up changing its color or some other unexpected behavior.
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Pro
Creative songwriting and arrangement tools
Use the 'scratch pad' work on multiple versions for your song without leaving the main window.
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Con
Archaic
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Pro
Lightweight on lower CPU
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Con
Interface
The interface Graphical is comic bookish. While the DAW is useful there are better interfaces out there. One of the biggest issues is how the signal path is selected. Other DAW's work more like a patchbay allowing for a more visual interaction with the program. Studio One is different and a little obtuse. For example, Digital performer 11, Protools 11, Sonar Producer provide a better experience.
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Pro
Good interface compatibility
Works great with interfaces, and doesn't fight with ASIO drivers.
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Con
Interface signal selection is obtuse and not as intuitive as other DAWs
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Pro
Automatic delay compensation
When a plugin takes time to process a sound, the Studio One DAW detects the gap and compensates.
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Con
Stuck notes when working with hardware synths
Working with multiple hardware synths with a MIDI hub is impossible as of version 6. SO creates stuck notes and it's midi panic system can't fix the issue.
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Pro
Very stable DAW
Performance is rock solid and very efficient, even on lower spec computers.
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Con
Limited feature set
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Pro
Multiple key command templates
Possible to use key commands from Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase, etc.
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Con
Crashes often, not very stable and runs poorly even on powerful systems
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Pro
Drag and Drop feature is quite flexible and allows for massive free form modification on the fly
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Con
Melodyne/Vocaline/Splitter
All those tools are there for a show off and crash engine 9 times out of 10. Using all 3 in one project will increase chance of crash by 3 making program unusable.
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Pro
Eficient quality , all more easy and fast
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Con
Built in instruments
All built in instruments and most of effect are primitive and worthless.
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Pro
The best DAW in Market and future standard
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Con
Not always clear how to undo your changes
Some controls are very easy to set, only to be nearly impossible to figure out how to undo. For example, hiding a track is a simple right-click away, but unhiding the track requires finding a hidden screen and clicking on a dot beside the track name.
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Pro
Chord track
Chord track can be used by inserting chords or getting them from an inserted track.
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Con
Non-free software
Does not respect your freedom. Does not provide source code.
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Pro
Dedicated mastering page
Studio one has a page dedicated specifically to mastering which can be very useful when trying to finish your song.
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Con
Automation
Only my complaint so far is the automation. It affects the fader, so if you use automation for the volume, the fader gets useless. Other DAWs such as Reaper and Mixcraft offers separate automation function and it doesn't affect the fader. Another one if I pick, the design of the plugins has been changed too colorful and it's not necessary though. I prefer the design of version 4, simple grey and white style. The prettier, the more CPU usage.
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Pro
Bounces MIDI in place
When bouncing from MIDI to audio, a new track won't be created, the clip will stay in the same place. When bouncing a specific part of a MIDI clip, it will be placed in a new track.
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Pro
Vocalign built in
Vocalign Project is can be integrated with the option to upgrade to Vocalign Pro.
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Pro
Available with a rent-to-own option from Splice
For those that can't afford to pay for a full professional DAW in one swoop, this is an amazing opportunity to get Studio One 4 Professional in monthly payments. Pause and resume payments when you want or cancel at any time.
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Pro
Score view
This view is very powerful because it not only “shows” the MIDI notes as a score, but it also lets you add, edit and remove notes in standard music notation. It includes all the formatting rules, articulations, note values, clefs and general symbols from Presonus’ Notion software.
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Pro
Show page
Allows you to go from the studio to the stage or stream with other musicians through the interface. You can create a Setlist using your Songs created in Studio One, and combine them with a mix of live instruments, pre-recorded tracks, and virtual instruments. Each song in the Setlist can have its own unique instrumentation. Songs in your set can be rearranged on the fly using drag-and-drop, and any element from your Song files can be added to your Show via simple copy-and-paste or direct export. Switching to Performance view with a meter and customisable control over each parameter, means you can adjust in real-time while on Stage.
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Pro
Almost perfect
Can't complain about Studio One so much. It is almost perfect.
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Pro
Insert plugins on actual events, not just tracks
Have you ever wanted a delay on just a word or so. No need to automate or move to a separate track. No need to print it to the clip and run out of room on the audio file. Simply amazing feature.
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Pro
Clip gain envelopes
Clip Gain Envelopes represent a new layer of gain introduced in Studio One 5, which is independent from the audio event as well as the volume automation. This feature is ideal for applying gain correction before the signal hits the inserts, specially useful when dealing with extremely dynamic vocal tracks and sections in general that are too soft or too loud. The user can create breakpoints within the clip by clicking on the curve, and then dragging either up or down in order to increment or reduce the clip’s gain. These gain modifications will be shown on the waveform. The process is simple, fast, and extremely effective.
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Pro
Working with your iPad makes it easier
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Pro
Has retrospective recording
Retrospective Recording captures everything you play on your keyboard or controller—even without hitting record! It works invisibly in the background on a track-by-track basis.
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Pro
Full Screen MIDI editor
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Pro
Powerful Track/Channel search and filter options
Managing large projects with a huge track and channel count is now faster and easier than ever with the addition of powerful search and filter options.
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Pro
Secondary Timeline Ruler option
View minutes:seconds with bars and beats at the same time! A must for film composers.
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Pro
Notion 6 easy and full integration for scoring
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Pro
Studio One+ Subscription - best subscription under 20$
Software of Studio One plus cloud storage and packs, and a lot of other stuff included just for a tiny fee each month or year.
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Pro
Best stock plugins
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Pro
Support for Atmos - Surround
They now support surround . in version 6.5.
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Pro
Scratch Pad
Area to arrange all your tracks without touching the main arrangement.
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Pro
Easy Macros and creating new ones
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Pro
Easy sidechain routing
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Pro
Big features in Minor Updates
Studio One doesnt wait putting big features until a major updates comes.
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Pro
Size in HDD/SSD
It's the lightest DAW there is, Studio One is less than 400mb.
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Pro
Converts project from Bitwing
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Pro
Version 5 is the law
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Specs
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Max number of tracks:
Unlimited
MIDI?:
Yes
Included sounds:
Yes
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Experiences
Free - 399$
406
58
Ardour
All
20
Experiences
Pros
12
Cons
7
Specs
Top
Pro
Compatible with Linux, Windows 7/8.1/10 and macOS
Ardour is cross-platform and works on Windows & macOS.
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Top
Con
Too many plugins
It is hard to find good useful plugins. It looks like every developer's plugin has ended up in the list.
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Pro
Open source
Ardour is open source, so it can be downloaded and modified without restriction.
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Con
No support for VST plugins for OS X
Plugins can be used on OS X only if they are downloaded in AU format, which is supported.
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Pro
Free version with minimal limitations
Unlike some other DAW's which often limit saving, exporting, or advanced features, Ardour permits you to try all the features for free, with the only limitation being ten minutes of project length maximum. Demo.
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Con
Builds are paid
Pre-built releases are paid and the only way to get the program for free is to build it yourself.
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Pro
Multi-display support
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Con
Quirky UI and navigation
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Pro
Linux version has JACK support
On Linux, you can use JACK to freely route audio and MIDI to and from other software as hardware.
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Con
Not user friendly
Ardour can be difficult and unconventional to use.
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Pro
Clean linear interface
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Con
Relies on JACK
The Linux version relies on JACK to function correctly, and JACK is extremely difficult to install and configure. Ardour should have JACK support, but it should also connect directly and play audio on its own by default.
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Pro
Inline mixing console
You can view and edit plugins directly from the console's mixing channels.
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Con
No 'scenes'
Ardour doesn't have 'scenes' like Ableton does (would be very handy for live-preformances).
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Pro
LADSPA plugins support
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Pro
LV2 plugins support
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Pro
VST3 Support in version 6+
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Pro
Powerful routing
Thanks to JACK support, and the inclusion of built in tools, the routing options of Ardour are limitless.
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Pro
Excellent support community
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Specs
Platforms:
Windows, Linux, Mac
MIDI:
Yes
Plugin Support:
VST, LADSPA, LV2
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Experiences
Open Source, $1+
679
112
Ableton Live
All
47
Experiences
Pros
27
Cons
19
Specs
Top
Pro
Advanced automation
You can add curves to automation. Additionally, Ableton lets users duplicate certain automations quickly.
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Top
Con
Expensive
At 749 USD, Ableton Live Suite (the most fully-featured edition) is more expensive than other DAWs. Ableton Live Standard can be bought for 449 USD. Ableton Live Intro can be bought for 99 USD. Rounding up, all three versions will set you back triple digits. That's before you get into additional sample and plugin packs, which also cost hundreds of dollars. Consider the price of the software before you enter the Live ecosystem.
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Pro
Great for sampling
The Ableton DAW offers a great sampling experience, which can be approached in many different ways. Audio can be directly chopped, quantized, warped, and even chopped into MIDI clips. Ableton's built in sampler also allows clean pitching along with useful loop functions.
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Con
Can't save keyboard shortcuts globally
There are no global keyboard shortcut editing mechanisms in Live. You are only able save keyboard shortcuts per project. This makes production a long-winded endeavor. To edit shortcuts on Live, use Ctrl + K, or CMD + K.
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Pro
Great creative DAW workflow
Ableton's session view gives a much quicker, more flexible way of experimenting with ideas than a typical linear interface. In session view, each instrument part is a separate entity that can be mixed and matched with other parts without having to rearrange anything. Any and every effect is consolidated into one clean looking interface. It allows users to experiment with effects and other manipulations very quickly. Because of this, Ableton is known as one of the most creative DAWs out there.
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Con
No SF2 support
Soundfonts need to be imported as samples, and they don't work as intended since the zoning is lost.
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Pro
Optimized for playing live music
While all DAWs are capable of playing music live, Ableton Live is the most DJ friendly DAW out there as it allows mixing and mashing various MIDI or audio clips together in real-time while still making sure that they're in sync.
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Con
Not very convenient for mixing
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Pro
Outstanding EQ
Ableton's new EQ includes an integrated spectrum analyzer so users can see exactly which frequencies need to be adjusted. Additionally, this EQ cuts by 48 db. Up until Ableton Live 9, the EQ only cut by 12 db.
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Top
Con
No 32 bit VST support on newer
32-bit VST support for DAW in 2022 it's CON. Make a bridge!
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Pro
Advanced content browser
The browser lets users choose from live Sets, tracks, clips, devices, presets, samples, etc. There is also an auto-play function for audio clips that enables users to browse samples quickly. The search function is also handy, but only for clips that are labeled appropriately.
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Con
No Bounce in place
Live's freeze/flatten method of rendering clips is slow and doesn't work on single clips or regions. Bounce in Place has been requested for years by a lot of users, but devs are not listening.
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Pro
Dual monitor support
Starting with Live 9, users can see session and arrangement views at the same time with dual monitor support.
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Con
Sometimes very slow reaction
If you switch from one track to another with APC- or Push-Controller.
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Pro
Comes with 70GB included sounds
15 software instruments, 55 audio effects and 17 midi effects.
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Con
Outdated GUI
The GUI feels too old and ugly compared to other DAWs.
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Pro
Max for Live lets users build custom tools
With Max for Live, users can create custom synthesizers, audio effects, sequencers, samplers, and more. Max for Live is a feature that is available starting with Live 9 Suite.
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Con
No PDC
Even the latest 11… version doesn’t have PDC that work. Manual PDC introduction was a lough…
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Pro
Endless creativity
After some training this daw can be used for doing anything. There are basically no limits.
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Con
Plugins on frozen tracks are loaded and unloaded as the session opens slowing down opening and creating DSP limitations
For example: If you freeze more than the allowed number of plugins on a UAD DSP device, when you open your session, Ableton will open and close all the frozen plugins on every channel even though they are not active in the session. The UAD control panel application displays the DSP usage of the hardware. During loading the levels (bars) will fluctuate by extreme amounts and typically will produce errors once the Ableton session is loaded. After the session is loaded, UAD plugins that should be running are disabled because there wasn't enough DSP available during load. The user then has to open and look at each UAD plug in to see if they are disabled and turn them off and on again to enable them. This illustrates there is enough room for the DSP load for unfrozen plugins, but that the loading process was at fault.
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Top
Pro
Multiple "workflows" or ways of achieving an outcome
Not everyone realizes this, but anything can be done in multiple ways in Live. Multiple ways of playing samples, multiple ways of slicing samples, multiple ways of sequencing MIDI, etc.
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Con
No Dolby Atmos / surround
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Pro
Exemplary time stretching facilities
Not only can the time stretching can be done in real-time, there are about a dozen of TC/E algorithms to choose from.
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Con
No ARA (audio communication e.g. with Melodyne / VocAlign)
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Pro
Minimum skeuomorphism
Skeuomorphism is described as retaining antiquated aesthetic features on an updated version of a device. For DAWs, this happens when an interface is littered with analog nobs, wires, and other things that are reminiscent of older technology. While this can be considered a stylistic choice for some DAWs, it tends to block progress towards better practices in music production.
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Con
Classic arrangement workflow could've been better
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Pro
Many software specific controllers
Many MIDI controllers have been developed for the exclusive purpose of being used with Ableton. Some popular Live controllers include Push, APC40, and Launchpad.
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Con
Max makes startup longer
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Pro
Widespread Online Support
The amount of well-versed tutorials and guides online can help you master Live in a few hours. Secret tips and tricks are also widespread. Forums are filled to the brim with support for any issue you can think of.
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Con
Sound library sounds really bad
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Pro
It is very stable
Maybe not on certain systems, but when used in an normal system it's very stable.
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Con
Not very stable
Live has been known for its hilariously bad stability on weaker systems. But this is only when it is under enormous strain. It will be under enormous strain, too. Most people that work in this software love to fill their projects up with tons of cool ideas. Ableton should bear this in mind when continuing to update Live.
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Pro
VST3 support as of Ableton 10.1
VST3s now run smoothly in Ableton 10.1 and up. However, be careful when loading in CPU-heavy plugins.
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Top
Con
No source code
This can be a privacy concern for some.
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Top
Pro
Can play a midi note from the middle
In Live V10, you can trigger MIDI notes without having to do so from the start.
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Con
Limited routing
Tracks can go into groups and sub-groups (as of Live 10), and sends are available, but that's the extent of routing.
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Pro
Very intuitive
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Con
No LV2 support
Does not support the LV2 plugin standard.
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Pro
Able to to download own skin/theme
You can make your own skin/themes online and use it in "preferences" tab!
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Pro
Great midi features
Audio to midi, scales on piano roll, etc.
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Pro
Reliable production software
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Pro
MIDI notes can be forced to a scale
With a simple plugin, Ableton allows the user to pick from a wide variety of scales when triggering notes.
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Pro
Great mixing
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Pro
Great warping
You can easily warp audio with many different modes and resolutions, and change individual warp markers.
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Pro
Filter browser
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Top
Pro
Auto Find Sample Similar
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Specs
Controller Support:
Yes
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Max number of tracks:
Unlimited (8 in lite)(16 in Intro)
Included sounds:
5000+Sounds(70+GB)
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Experiences
99$ - 749$
333
65
FL Studio
All
67
Experiences
Pros
45
Cons
21
Specs
Top
Pro
Free lifetime updates
With the producer or signature bundle, updates are free forever.
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Top
Con
The Browser is archaic
Every time it has to refresh, it closes the entire menu. So if you just navigated several dropdowns to find an automation parameter of a third party plugin and you want to automate a second parameter, you have to navigate back to that dropdown all over again. Searching within the browser is a slapped on feature that only shows you a single result at a time, and you have to press a hotkey to cycle through them one by one. Really, your browser in FL is the Windows File Explorer, or Finder in OS I assume. The FL Browser is workflow molasses and should be avoided at all costs except to find samples you already know the location of.
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Pro
Easy to install
No complex activation shenanigans. No dongle and such.
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Top
Con
Not intuitive for track based recording approach
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Pro
Easy to learn DAW
The FL Studio DAW utilizes drag and drop, and can generally be learned quickly without any prior knowledge. There are also a lot of resources to help begginers and experienced users learn.
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Top
Con
Shortcuts are weird
And non-reconfigurable.
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Pro
Inbuilt cross 32/64bit plugin bridge
You don't need to install/configure a third party bridge.
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Con
Audio recording not as good as the other DAWs
Recording audio is always a problem in FL Studio.
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Pro
Intuitive piano roll
Piano roll is a FL Studio's instrument step sequencer. It is considered to be among the most intuitive and flexible tools for quickly creating patterns and manipulating all aspects of each note. A single left click inserts a note, while a right click deletes it. It's possible to mute notes, splice them, stretch them, add shuffle, etc quickly. The Piano Roll caters for those new to Music Theory as well, containing an array of chords from which to choose, be it a Major, Minor, Minor 5th, Minor 9th, what have you.
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Con
The GUI is very difficult to see
The color scheme of GUI is terrible. They use a lot of dark and similar color for the GUI.
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Pro
Scalable interface
The interface adapts to the screen size it's used on.
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Con
Most controls are hidden
In the mixing console, mid, bass, and treble are not explicitly stated as they should be.
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Pro
Non-invasive DRM
Forget copy protection USB-dongles and phone-home activation. Just import a reg key file and your license is activated.
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Top
Con
Limited number of 125 mixer channels (500 tracks) and 10 effects slots
You can use the Patcher plugin or routing to the next channel, but it does not always work efficiently and properly
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Pro
Has the best startup sound
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Con
Not great for Mixing
Every channel should have input gain controller and extra plugins should be added for more creativity.
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Top
Pro
Powerful Sound Editor
Edison is a great way to record and edit samples, sound effects and is a very easy way to create sample packs and sound libraries.
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Top
Con
No Dolby Atmos / Surround
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Pro
Supports resampling
Supports resampling (non stretch) which is something some DAWs don't support.
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Top
Con
Lack of other midi keyboard brands
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Pro
Excellent for visual learners
All the stock plugins look really nice and really show users what is being done, it's a great way to learn mixing theory for a beginner. This approach makes FL Studio easy to learn compared to other DAWs.
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Con
A
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Pro
Great support & community, lots of tutorials
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Top
Con
Bad sound for expensive piano plugin
Rendered using the same MIDI note and compared it to the render on other daws, it's really bad.
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Pro
Flexible non-linear workflow
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Con
Crashes when loading plugs
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Pro
Fully open: accepts a variety of formats
Accepts VST/VSTi (v2,v3) Wav, Aiff, Rex, Acid, Apple Loop, Ogg, Mp3 as well as almost every video format including Mov and Mp4.
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Top
Con
Brak ARA (komunikacja audio np. z Melodyne/VocAlign)
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Top
Pro
Sampler
FL Studio has a very unique sampler which allows all kinds of sounds to be experimented with, be it a siren, a water drop, or more commonly, the infamous "Progressive House" Kick. The Sampler also allows the user to retune a sample to any key he/she desires.
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Top
Con
Has a slight tendency to crash
Always save before loading a new VST or doing something important: FL is prone to crashes.
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Pro
Very comprehensive plugin suite included
You have basic and advanced plugins right out the box.
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Con
The soundfont player will trash your projects, no 64-bit version available
Remember that nice project with a soundfont in it ? Yeeeah, load it again and prepare to face stuck MIDI notes and a trashed project.
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Pro
Each update is major
When Image Line releases an update, it's safe to assume that there are major improvements in there.
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Top
Con
No channel folder and channel grouping in mixer
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Pro
Unlimited creativity
With tools in the piano roll like the "Riff Machine", and the "Randomize" tool, you can literally let the computer automate the production if you want. In addition to plugins like "Gross Beat", Slicex, DirectWave, the ideas can be limitless.
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Con
No Saturator
Only Waveshaper, Fast dist, Maximus + Soundgoodizer.
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Pro
Good for the studio
Some DAWs are good for live shows, some DAWs are good for production, but the FL Studio DAW has carved its niche in the studio recording arena.
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Con
Proprietary
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Pro
Smooth UI
Compared to other DAWs, FL's UI moves at full monitor refresh rates while others are somehow laggy.
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Con
Can not customize the GUI
Can not change the UI as you like.
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Pro
Can import/export 32bit audio
Just as the internal engine bit depth, there's no loss in quality.
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Con
Look
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Pro
It comes as VSTi and Rewire
So you can use it inside another DAW. There's no other DAW capable of doing that.
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Pro
The only DAW with a VJ graphic generation suite (ZG Editor Visualizer)
No other DAW has that.
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Pro
Fully vectorial UI that will scale to virtually every screen
Because most DAWs don't scale well yet.
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Pro
Sample/MIDI Manipulation in the Playlist Mode
The Playlist mode comes with various tools for cutting out sections of a sample, midi arrangement, or otherwise. One can also clone, mute, solo out, and stretch a sample by any degree, although the sample's key will change.
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Pro
Flexible internal linking engine
Its linking engine and controller plugins are very flexible and useful all across the software. For mixing and also for performance mode.
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Pro
Patcher: Modular environment
Patcher is similar to Max for Live in Ableton and The Grid in Bitwig and allows you to build your own complex generator and effect chains.
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Pro
Perfect for engineering because of the production style workflow
The workflow for creating beats in FL Studio is among the fastest which make mixing and mastering a breeze inserting plug-ins and routing on the mixer.
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Pro
It is the only DAW where you can program real scratching sequences (Turntablism)
You can make your own scratches with the "Fruity Scratcher" or "Wave traveller".
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Pro
Imports video for scoring
You can open several video players.
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Pro
It's possible to run FL Studio on Linux via Wine without a noticeable performance impact
Version 12 of FL Studio includes a new Generic ASIO driver that's capable of achieving same low latency performance as the native Windows version. Instructions on how to set up the DAW to run on Linux via Wine can be found here.
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Pro
Reasonable and liberal license
Buy once, and you're allowed to use it on every computer you own.
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Pro
Amazing sequencer to input midi
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Pro
perfect for arrangement and homerecording
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Pro
Complete control over multiple Launchpad Pro animation lightshow projects
Live can, but working with more LPs is a pain.
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Pro
Shows other instrument notes in background if needed
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Pro
A lot of good synthesizers and instruments (over 30)
E.g. Harmor, Flex, Sakura, Sawer, Sytrus, Poizone...
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Pro
FL is famous for its great sequencer
Great software for creating rhythms.
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Pro
Well-functioning mobile version
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Pro
Large number of effects (approx. 70)
E.g. GrossBeat, Newtime (tuning), Patcher (own complex generators and effect chains), Maximus, Soundgoodizer...
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Pro
Built in Audio Visualizer
Game Editor . lets you make cool sound-triggered animations in no time
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Pro
Soundgoodizer
HAHA Soundgoodizer goes brrrrrr
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Pro
Very flexible timeline
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Pro
Best stretching algorithms in the market
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Pro
Developed by a team of friends
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Specs
Compatibility:
Windows, Mac
Max number of tracks:
500
Minimum install:
768mb
Full sound library:
Yes
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Experiences
99$ - 499$
412
78
Logic Pro X
All
38
Experiences
Pros
27
Cons
10
Specs
Top
Pro
High quality instruments and effects
Good range of high quality synths: analog, FM, wavetable, string modulation, sampler, organ, clarinet, epiano.
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Con
Only compatible with Mac
No Windows or Linux versions are available.
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Pro
UI designed for ease of use
The Logic Pro X DAW has made an effort to keep clutter out of the equation so producers can focus on the music.
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Top
Con
It is next to impossible to organize your mixer channels
There are lots of work arounds, but a straight rearrange the mixing channel would be appreciated.
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Pro
Free update from Logic
As of 1/21/2015, Apple has released an update that allows users to upgrade from Logic to Logic Pro X.
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Con
Poor audio editor
Audio editor is a lot less intuitive and accessible than other DAWs.
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Pro
Studio standard
If you take music production seriously then one day maybe you'll enter professional studio, where you will most likely find the Logic DAW along with Pro Tools.
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Top
Con
No support for 32-bit plugins without 3rd Party Plugin 32 Lives
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Pro
Comes with 57gb content
The initial download of Logic Pro X gives users 2gb of samples, but the DAW automatically downloads 57gb of samples once the Logic Pro X DAW is installed.
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Top
Con
Unusable with lots of plugins: stutters and clicks
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Pro
Easy to learn, makes writing easy, and keeps technical in the background
It is easy, intuitive, and easy-to-implement.
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Con
Lags or crashes often
This happens usually when there is a lot going on in the track.
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Pro
Cheaper than similar programs
This program costs US$200 and must be bought from the app store.
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Con
Rarely updated
Since Apple purchased this software, the updates are rare and none. The latest update was less than great and has forced users to look elsewhere, especially the Pro community.
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Pro
Allows users to program their own tools
The Logic Pro X DAW lets users make their own effects using with javascript leveraging its Scripter API.
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Con
Not open source
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Pro
Supports expressive MIDI - MPE
Works with new controllers like Seaboard Rise, Linnstrument, Continuum Board, etc.
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Con
Very buggy
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Pro
Many instruments
Different kinds of instruments all around.
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Con
Too big
The app is too big!
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Pro
Full external MIDI support
Poly aftertouch, sysex and two modes of controlling external midi instruments.
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Pro
Free corresponding iPad app
In order to allow more control, the Logic Pro X DAW has added a free iPad app called Logic Remote. Logic Remote is available in several different views, and is capable of MIDI input and parameter adjustment. It comes with a full library and browser. Navigation is easy as well via the navigation bar along the top of the screen. Many interesting views are available, such as chord strips. This view allows users to play a series of preset chords that are already in the right key. Gestures are supported with this app, so loop speed and other properties can quickly be adjusted. This app connects to Logic through WiFi, so the app and program should be running on the same network.
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Pro
Many plug-ins
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Pro
Uses minimum amount of CPU
The Logic Pro X DAW is optimized for CPU usage, which makes the DAW more stable.
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Pro
Virtual drummer
Allows to create high quality drum tracks even if you are not a drummer.
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Pro
Does a lot of work for you
Switch in to Alchemy on the synth and you get an intuitive template to adjust wavetables and eq visually, plus various modes and styles. Handy tool.
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Pro
Incorporating iOS devices, accessing Apps/Synths/Effects
A totally overlooked feature.... The Setup is as Easy as Pie. Create an aggregate audio setup and midi device incorporating your iOS devices and wham bam....Instruments / Audio / FX all accessible within logic., An AU... An Audio I/O.. Brilliant.
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Pro
Professional mixing and mastering tools
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Pro
Regular Updates
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Pro
Great support
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Pro
Good community
Plenty of videos, tutorials and groups for tips and learning fast.
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Pro
Used by celebrities
This includes: Prodigy - Invaders Must Die (everything except guitars), John Powell - How to train your dragon, other works, and Tycho (until 2011 when he switched to Reaper to finish his album). Though , Still to this day uses Logic for composing. Lets also not forget Boris Blank that in essence is Yello, and One of the pioneers of electronic based music.
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Pro
The best value for Mac users
I prefer mac than windows for music production. And because of this is really hard to beat the deal of logic. All its quality plugins and community make learn to use it very easy. I love the youtube channel Why logic pro rules is all there.
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Pro
With Pro Tools it's the DAW mainly used in professional studios
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Pro
Live loops
Originally an Ableton Live feature, Logic Pro allows you to record live loops and experiment with the best combinations, and drag your loops into the arrangement view to complete your work.
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Pro
Old but nice look
I think from all the old DAWs (Pro tools, Cubase, Digital performer etc) Logic is the one that looks better and well organized.
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Pro
Garageband little bro
For ideas and working remotely, you can use garageband on your Iphone or iPad and then send that information to logic to give it the professional end.
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Specs
Compatibility:
Mac
Max number of tracks:
Unlimited
MIDI?:
Yes
Processing type:
64 Bit
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Experiences
$199
255
53
Bitwig Studio
All
34
Experiences
Pros
22
Cons
11
Specs
Top
Pro
Great modulation system
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Con
No native video playback monitoring
Doesn't have video playback monitoring for film / Tv and Gaming video audio. But can use MTC with 3rd Party Video Monitors or other DAW with video monitor capabilities.
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Top
Pro
Supports expressive MIDI - MPE
Makes use of the Seaboard, Linnstrument, Continuum and other modern expressive controllers.
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Con
Unreliable for professional production
Full of random bugs. Bad performance when using many tracks.
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Pro
Easy automation
The easiest DAW to do automation in. All you have to do is press record and start moving knobs, and that's it.
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Con
Very bad performance when working with several tracks
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Pro
Dual sequencer
The ability to run two sequencers at the same time, while swapping out sounds gives you great flexibility to complete a song.
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Con
Pricey
Pricey in comparison with other major DAWs.
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Pro
Touch screen support
This software has big, responsive, easy-to-handle controls that work really well on a touchscreen. Additionally, it has a tablet mode that re-organizes the UI to make it much simpler and perfect for smaller screen devices. This is both a mobile touchscreen app and a DAW at the same time! It even has a built-in keyboard/drumpad.
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Con
Not open source
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Pro
Open multiple projects
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Con
No LV2
Has no support for LV2 plugins.
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Pro
Highly modular
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Con
UI gets frozen, VSTs crash all the time
Very frustrating to work with.
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Pro
Cross platform and highly compatible
The Bitwig DAW runs on Mac, PC, and, Linux. This DAW also has the distinction of being one of the only DAWs that can run 32 bit and 64 bit plugins at the same time.
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Con
Unpredictable behaviour when stacking many building blocks (e.g. selectors, layers)
There is too much focus on adding new features. Instead, it would be better to fix the vast amount of bugs that cause the software to glitch and crash repeatedly.
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Pro
Ableton link support
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Con
No Dolby Atmos / surround
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Pro
Supports multiple midi instruments on one track
Being able to add multiple midi instruments on the same track is a nice feature. It allows for much easier setup for VSTs like Cthulhu. It's also nice to be able to have multiple instruments setup that can be toggled.
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Con
Very bad marketing team
Very recently Bitwig changed the agreement for updates (one year subscription) without any communication prior doing that. Now they only include bug fixes and workflow improvements into one year subscription plan. Everything else like new instruments and effects and sound libraries will be sold as add on.
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Pro
Very intuitive/user-friendly
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Con
No ARA (audio communication e.g. with Melodyne / VocAlign)
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Pro
Very good integration with Eurorack
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Pro
Many high quality free sound packs
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Pro
Supports sf2 samples out of the box
There is an instrument called Sampler which can correctly load sf2 instruments as a multisample preserving all individual sub sample settings and zoning. You do NOT need a VST to play soundfonts and you don't need to extract the sf2 samples! This is unique among all popular DAWs.
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Pro
Create custom Synths/FX in the Grid
Create any style synth, wavetable, fm, analog, and fx in the grid.
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Pro
Very powerful voice stacking mechanism
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Pro
Very active development
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Pro
Plugin crash protection
Plugins can be sandboxed.
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Pro
Powerful devices/presets/sample browser
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Pro
You can write your own controller support in Java
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Pro
State of the art time stretching
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Pro
Very efficient preset browser
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Specs
Compatibility:
Windows, Linux, Mac
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Experiences
$399
292
61
Reaper
All
54
Experiences
Pros
38
Cons
15
Specs
Top
Pro
Highly customizable
You can easily customize a GUI.
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Con
Long drop down menus
There are many features that you'll find nested deep in the menu system. This is fine, but can be a bit of a workflow-stopper. Everything is there but somethings are difficult to find. This can be remedied, somewhat, using the action list.
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Pro
Extremely stable, rarely crashes
Reaper receives high praise for its stability. It's one of the many talking points of the software.
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Con
Overwhelming amount of features available
The programmable interface means that tweaking features is daunting for some.
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Pro
Supports unlimited number of tracks with unlimited number of effects
There are no limits to the amount of tracks or effects that Reaper can run. Reaper is stable enough to handle comically dense projects with style.
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Top
Con
Bad defaults, especially MIDI Editor
People dislike reaper because of the bad defaults. This is something the devs can work on but chose not to.
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Pro
Constantly updated
Reaper's developers add features based on user request at lightspeed. This is what makes Reaper reliable and trustworthy. Fans of Reaper are so adamant about the software because of this. Contrary to Music Radar's review of FL Studio, Reaper is the true "People's DAW".
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Con
Closed-source
The privacy conscious may be unnerved to find that Reaper is closed-source. This means that what the software may or may not know about you is invisible. Try to protect your data when using closed-source software.
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Pro
Very low cpu usage
Reaper's will tailor itself to fit your computer's processing power by automatically using the "anticipative FX processing" feature.
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Con
Feels like an unfinished product
There are lots of menu options and shortcuts, but then there's a ton of other stuff that's hidden away in options and "actions" screens, and absolutely none of it is intuitive. Also, many controls default to text boxes or basic sliders, when knobs would be more useful.
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Pro
Easy to install
No complex activation shenanigans. No dongle and such.
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Top
Con
Midi latency is still an issue
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Pro
Multiple recording and playback formats
Records in WAV, AIFF, FLAC, WAVPACK, OGG and MP3.
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Con
The MIDI editor is not intuitive and feels very clumsy and inconsistent
It costs time and extra clicks to control the MIDI velocities. If you use the MIDI editor a lot, Reaper is just not for you.
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Pro
Huge community support
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Con
Lacks VSTis
Doesn't come with a wealth of VSTis. Plugins for things like piano, cello, guitar have to be found elsewhere. But is highly compatible with other providers of those products.
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Pro
Comes with ~300 free plugins
In addition to its powerful inbuilt plugins, Reaper comes bundled with about 300 little plugins written in its own EEL2 (aka Jesusonic) scripting language. This is also open-source so the end user can create or edit preexisting ones to get exactly what they want.
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Con
Unreliable controller interface support
Reaper may or may not natively support your control surface. If it doesn't, you can add it manually, but it may often lose connection to it (and will constantly nag you about the lost connection).
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Pro
Auto-bridges 32-bit plugins in a 64-bit environment
When using a 64-bit installation of Reaper, all 32-bit plugins will still work alongside 64-bit plugins. On computers with an x86-64 CPU and an OS that supports multi-architecture, you can also run bridged 64-bit plugins on 32-bit Reaper.
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Top
Con
Super complicated and unintuitive DAW
Although many users have asked to make it simple, the dev team hasn't listened to it at all. Plus, many things are opposite comparing to other DAWs and it's pretty annoying. They may have reverse psychology. They're trying to make musicians to coders. You'll waste your time for tweaking it. Reaper also gives you a challenge how your memory function sucks. You'll easily forget anything if you don't use it for several days. Even though Reaper offers many time-saving features, you'll waste time remembering all of them. It's non-sense.
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Pro
Portable
Reaper is lightweight enough to be run off of a flash drive; the installer weights less than 20 MB and the portable installation option is included in it.
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Con
No native groove quantize feature
Straight quantization is available, but the Reaper 4 DAW is still missing groove integration. This feature can be made available with the free SWS extension.
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Pro
DRM-free
Although it may seem otherwise, Reaper is shareware. After your 60-day free trial runs out, the program remains full-featured. Like WinRAR, the only person forcing you to get a license is you.
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Top
Con
Midi dropout or inconsistent when render a track
When rendering a track with multiple vst, the midi note either having drop out issue, or not playing on time in render. Tried all render method such as offline full speed, offline 1x and online render, with both case of enabling or disabling the "allow anticipative FX processing", even tried to change the performance options on individual track, the problem still occurs. However, it is still nice to do mixing and recording with all these handful of tools.
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Pro
Application is extendable
Reaper has no limitations. Once you understand it, Reaper becomes a mixing, mastering and editing mainstay. Reaper punches way above its price range in terms of sheer brevity.
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Con
Midi drum editing not so fast or easy
Cubase has more features for creating and editing midi drum tracks.
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Pro
Very full featured but basic recording and production can be learned and done in a few hours
Without prior experience with DAW, you can install Reaper, set up ASIO drivers, connect to your amp and mikes, get the hang of recording/re-recording tracks, and render an mp3 in just a few hours. You can accomplish the basics very fast.
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Con
Some edge features come across as somewhat janky
The video editor acts as its own little IDE rather than a polished plugin with a frontend like other JS plugins. The MIDI export function is not integrated with the larger render window. It's a sort of death by a thousand paper cuts - although many of the features that are janky here simply don't exist in other DAWs.
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Pro
Many time-saving features
Thought has been given to many time-saving features and shortcuts which speed up workflow considerably.
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Con
Potentially unattractive GUI
For some, Reaper appears very dated or clunky. The GUI is nowhere near as fluid as its competitors. Ableton, Bitwig, Reason (and others) all provide smoother animations or skeuomorphic feedback. Reaper's instruments and effects come in the form of sliders and very small knobs. It takes the user out of the fantasy of working with certain equipment. This makes Reaper very boring to watch from a distance for some. However, this means nothing in terms of Reaper's raw power. By trading appearance and initial impression for functionality, Reaper stays ahead.
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Pro
Highly affordable
Reaper can be purchased in two different ways: A commercial license (225 USD) and a discounted license (60 USD). You can use Reaper unhindered with either license. You can only get the discount if your salary does not exceed 20,000 USD.
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Pro
Lua scripting can be done in the DAW with a built-in IDE
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Pro
Universal tracks
In Reaper, you can record MIDI and Audio onto the same track. As well, there are no distinctions between any form of audio. Surround Sound, Mono, Stereo files, and anything else you can think of; all of this can be recorded onto the same track.
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Pro
Tabbing multiple projects
You can have multiple projects open via tabs at the top left. You can then drag and drop clips, instruments or ideas between projects with ease.
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Pro
The software advances with you
If you want to use it as a glorified tape machine and nothing else, you'll still be able to get work done. If you want to learn all the shortcuts, scripts, custom actions and macros and really unlock what Reaper can do, you can do that as well. Either way, you'll still be able to make music.
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Pro
Native Linux support
No need to install Wine, Reaper supports Linux natively!
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Pro
Potential to be the most beautiful DAW
You can customize Reaper with hundreds of themes, or make them yourself.
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Pro
Multi-level freezing
A freeze can be applied to a group, and then picked apart track by track.
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Pro
Notation editing
Miraculously, composition-focused musicians can now find a home in Reaper.
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Pro
Free Reaplugs VST/VSTi bundle
Allows usage of the basic bundled like EQ's and comp plugins in any DAW.
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Pro
Clean, easy-to-read GUI
While some may disagree, the GUI has been widely celebrated for its informative nature. Everything you need to see is there or reachable. For more analytical types, Reaper can be of use.
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Pro
Editing audio can be done on track
You don't have to go to a separate editor to edit audio files. You can work directly on the track, and drop/drag pieces to other tracks, sew them together. It's a fun sandbox and easy peasy.
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Pro
OSC support
You can control almost everything via OSC (and MIDI, too).
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Pro
Supports ReWire
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Pro
Tool-less interface
Set the cursor, press a key, done. Reaper's cursor is extremely intuitive. A monkey could understand it. Unlike Cakewalk, Bitwig, etc., there is no need to switch cursor editing modes or work around "smart" cursors.
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Pro
Smooth
Running smoothly with 50 tracks on i5 gen3 RAM 4GB laptop (mixing and mastering work done separately).
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Pro
Lightweight and affordable price
These two things are the biggest advantage of Reaper. No other DAW can beat it based on CPU efficiency. Some people say Reaper isn't a professional DAW by look, but it's not true. Reaper is a full-featured professional DAW. You can do anything whatever you want for music production. The price is also reasonable. They are even generous with the evaluation policy. If they offer the simple and intuitive version, I'll be back to Reaper.
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Pro
Runs well on Wine in Linux
While other DAWs drag their feet on Windows, Reaper hits a solid stride even on Linux.
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Pro
Excellent license model
You can have one version and the future version when its out .
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Pro
Can edit while you're recording
Reaper allows editing while you're recording for a performative and fluid workflow. This feature can also help save time when mixing.
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Pro
Script tools
Can run edited Script tools programmed by users.
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Pro
Good CPU multithreading support
Not like Ableton which forces all master/track plugins chain to 1-core
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Pro
Can mix on arranger view without console (mixer) or inspector
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Specs
Compatibility:
Windows , Mac, Linux
Max number of tracks:
Unlimited
MIDI?:
Yes
Included sounds:
None
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Experiences
60$ - 225$
978
188
Soundation
All
5
Experiences
Pros
4
Specs
Top
Pro
Sound library
Extensive library with ready to use sounds.
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Pro
Share music
Music can be shared as links: Example by HONESTandBLUNT.
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Pro
Performance
Built using Google WebAssembly Threads.
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Pro
Free version
Free version available (registration required).
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Specs
Compatibility:
Web
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Free / paid
21
1
SoundBridge (previously Lumit)
All
12
Experiences
Pros
5
Cons
6
Specs
Top
Con
No plugin bridging
You need to install the right version of the DAW (32 or 64 bit) depending on what plugins you use.
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Pro
Surface compatible
All functionality is accessible on the Microsoft Surface.
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Con
No typing keyboard to piano
You need to use a MIDI keyboard or manually press notes with the mouse.
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Pro
Very quick and easy to learn
You can get a good understanding of this DAW in a few hours (faster if used tutorials).
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Con
Copy protection still gives error
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Pro
Free to use
A powerful, full-featured DAW that is free.
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Con
No instruments
Comes with audio FX but no instruments.
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Pro
Clutter-free interface
Little chance of getting lost or clicking the wrong button.
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Con
No audio unit support
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Pro
Fast
Incredibly responsive and quick.
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Con
No video player
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Specs
MIDI?:
YES
Processing type:
32-bit & 64-bit
Supported Plugins:
VST
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Experiences
FREE
12
1
Harrison Mixbus
All
9
Experiences
Pros
6
Cons
3
Top
Pro
Has a great overall sound