When comparing ReNoise 3.0 vs SAWStudio, the Slant community recommends ReNoise 3.0 for most people. In the question“What are the best DAWs? ” ReNoise 3.0 is ranked 20th while SAWStudio is ranked 38th. The most important reason people chose ReNoise 3.0 is:
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.
Specs
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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 Reliable
Rarely crashes.
Pro Incredibly fast and small since much of the code is written in assembly
It weighs just over 5 MB while sill being full-featured.
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 Very expensive
SAWStudio is now $1200, SAWStudio Lite is $600 and SAWStudio Basic is $300.