When comparing ReNoise 3.0 vs Cakewalk By bandlab, the Slant community recommends Cakewalk By bandlab for most people. In the question“What are the best DAWs? ” Cakewalk By bandlab is ranked 7th while ReNoise 3.0 is ranked 20th. The most important reason people chose Cakewalk By bandlab is:
The Sonar DAW comes with a new and improved UI with extra focus on being customizable.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Requires minimum mouse input
Shortcuts and other methods are used in order to minimize the amount of work that users must do with a mouse. This can greatly increase the efficiency of a workflow.
Pro Very stable
DAWs are notorious for crashing, especially at the peak of a workflow. ReNoise 3 is known for its outstanding stability.
Pro Optimized for dual monitors
Users who have more than one monitor can view the sampler, plugins, and MIDI controls in the instrument editor, which can be moved to a second monitor.
Pro Uses a module tracker instead of piano roll
Module trackers are preferred by some users because they help increase productivity.
Pro Sophisticated effect modulation
ReNoise 3 offers a ridiculous amount of flexibility when it comes to automation. Instead automating by sliding points around, users can choose from an array of preloaded automation patterns in order to produce more interesting sounding patterns.
Pro Highly customizeable effect chains
Effects can be applied to samples in Instrument Editor in addition to being sent through track input. This is highly useful when dealing with multi-sample instruments, as each sample can have one or more effect chains.
Pro Limitless sampler
The sampler is deeply embedded in the way the whole DAW works, and it allows the user to build complex synth sounds with ease.
Pro Unique grid based tracker
ReNoise 3 replaces the typical piano roll with a tracker, which is claimed to be "the most powerful tracker in existence". The difference between piano roll and tracker is that piano roll moves horizontally, while trackers move vertically. Users may find this confusing at first, but trackers make it simple to customize every individual note.
Pro Fast yet intricate workflow
Building basic patterns (e.g. drums) from scratch is extremely fast and easy, and built-in effects commands allow for fine grain control that is difficult, time consuming or outright impossible in conventional DAWs.
Pro Vst support
Pro Program custom tools
Users can make their own instruments and effects using Lua .
Pro Advanced pattern command
The Pattern Command called "MaYbe" guesses which note will be next in a progression based on the user's habits.
Pro Highly customizable UI
The Sonar DAW comes with a new and improved UI with extra focus on being customizable.
Pro Powerful mixing including ProChannel
A Pro Channel ensures that you have all the necessary plugins in a really good mixing rack with console emulation for all busses and channels. This feels and sounds like a real mixing console.
Pro Very frequent updates
The last few years they have given updates with new features and fixes nearly every month. Great support, constant innovation.
Pro Add effects plugins to individual audio or MIDI clips
In addition to an effects rack and ProChannel effects that you can insert into each track, it also allows you to insert effects plugins on individual audio or MIDI clips.
Using the non-destructive editing, you can easily cut one of those clips into smaller pieces if you'd like to apply an effect non-destructively to an individual note or musical phrase.
Pro Session Templates
New projects can have the entire session defined from a template. Tracks, IO, folders routing, etc.
Pro Track folders
Group tracks into folders to expand/collapse Solo Mute or Archive.
Pro Vocal Alignment tool
Pro Inbuilt bridge
Includes inbuilt bridge allowing a 64-bit software to use a 32-bit plugin and vice versa without having to painstakingly use an external bridge to bridge the plugins. This will save one from bridging every new plugin that isn't compatible.
Pro Highly flexible audio routing
You can create an unlimited number of audio tracks, patch points, aux tracks and busses. Each track can send its output or an unlimited number of aux sends to any patch point or bus. A patch point can route to any number of aux tracks. Each aux track or bus can send its output or an unlimited number of sends to any other patch point or bus. (* A patch point is a destination where audio can be sent from any output or aux send, while an aux track is a track that receives its input from a patch point. This allows the track to be used similarly to a bus, with the additional flexibility of allowing multiple aux tracks to get their input from the same source point, and the organizational convenience of having the track alongside other tracks, instead of in the separate bus area).
Pro Great bundled instruments
Pro Touch screen support
If your computer has a touch screen, use gestures to optimize your workflow.
Pro Integrated drum replacement
Pro Built in vocal comping and pitch correction
It has some of the best pitch correction available, and it comes with the DAW.
Pro Integrated SoundCloud and YouTube uploads
When you're done with a project, upload it straight to SoundCloud or YouTube from the Sonar DAW.
Pro Supports video playback
You can play video alongside your audio tracks during playback to make it easier for post-production or audio-to-video sync.
Pro Professional DAW
Professional, complete and very efficient DAW. It is unbelievable how BandLab does not charge a penny for it!
Pro In collaboration with BandLab Technologies
Pro Easy to learn and use
Everything is very straightforward and intuitive, making its workflow quite streamline and easy to customize.
Pro Better for running external MIDI devices
It comes with a lot of Hardware Instrument definition templates and you can easily build your own.
Pro Intuitive interface
The interface is very intuitive once you learn the program. It's like working in the studio with physical components.
Pro Laptop friendly
Also good for small screen laptops.
Pro It's FREE now
Free for all.
Cons
Con Cannot record multiple tracks simultaneously
Live musicians are limited by only being able to record on one tracks at a time.
Con Interface can be confusing to people who's not familiar with trackers
Trackers are different from sequencing (arrangement) view (most DAWs) and session view (Ableton, Bitwig).
Con Closed source
Con No PulseAudio support
Without JACK or ALSA set up as your Linux sound system, audio will play from Renoise or from other applications, but not both at the same time.
Con 64-bit Windows only
This DAW is not available on any operating system except for Windows. However, many Mac users operate the Sonar DAW in a dual boot environment.
A version for Mac is in the works. You can learn more about it here.
Con Lacks a separate audio editor
Con Over-engineered GUI
Every part of the screen has tiny windows and symbols that might move, expand or disappear when you click on them. It is distracting and disorienting for new users.
Con Stability and unfinished features
Stability and tools are unfinished. As an example, AudioSnap simply does not work as it should when editing transients in the audio and staff view it does not work correctly.
Con Soon it's gonna be paid
It's gonna be replaced by Cakewalk Sonar.
Con Steep learning curve
This DAW has a bit of a learning curve, if you're new to DAW software, this may not be recommended for a beginner.
Con Transport bar is big
Con Sound and fx routing is broken or non-intuitive
E.g. Midi instrument> change to MIDI channel, assign midi controler>click Icon on track which sometimes leaves midi control to a non desired track, and the process fails, and now you mull through the steps again, only to find it fails> contact support>They tell you to update>software update fails> Support contacts you 3 months later>Rinse&repeat.
Con Proprietary
Does not respect your freedom. Does not provide source code.