What DAW are all y'all tech nerds using?

[Vandalsounds]

What software are you guys using for your tech wizardry?

At the moment I'm on Logic with some help from Maschine. Can't say I'm too fond of either. I mean Logic is good, and I work effortless in this environment, but it's just something with it that is a bit uninspiring. Maschine is wack combined with Logic.. or it is whack period. I don't really feel it at all. Can't use it in a nice flowing way, always some crap that tangles the way I use it.. perhaps it's just a user related issue!?

I'v been trying Live a bit, but not really feeling that format.... yet! Got the Lite version with my new mixer, so I might give it another go!

Back in the days I was on Cubase and Reason and back then I was always inspired and coming up with new ways of using the stuff all the time.

[intrusav]

Was on cubase and NI Battery4 when I started. Then switched to ableton and it took a while for me the click with it but can do all I need with native instruments and effects.
Think most on here are using ableton...

[dubdub]

I've only ever really used Live. When I started out about three-four years ago, I was torn between Reason and Live but in retrospect I'm glad I've went with Live. I thought about Bitwig for a moment but I just can't deal with the GUI and learning a new DAW inside-out would waste so much time.

What I love about Live is that from what I can see compared to other DAWs, it that it feels the least like a "digital audio workstation". The GUI is subtle and minimalist, it takes up the least space compard to any other DAW, there is a TON of negative space, it gets out of your way, there aren't options windows flying around everyhwere. Options are there if you want them but otherwise they don't bother you. The amount of information of your screen that you have to potentially process at any given time is at small as possible. You can make 90% of your track without ever looking at a timelime or doing any audio editing. It lets you make music without reminding you at every corner that you are indeed using a computer program. Most other DAWs, especially stuff like ProTools and Cubase just seem to want to make sure at every corner that the user knows that he is just a glorified accountant or programmer, an audio editor that deals with signals and phases, not a creative musician.

[intrusav]

Most other DAWs, especially stuff like ProTools and Cubase just seem to want to make sure at every corner that the user knows that he is just a glorified accountant or programmer, an audio editor that deals with signals and phases, not a creative musician.

Haha, yeah, good way of putting it, esp protools,
"Your not specialized enough. Get the fuck out!"
The great thing is you can get as complex as you want with ableton or keep it simple ..

[Vandalsounds]

I feel I should give Ableton a honest try.. I've been a bit put off after using Maschine, which kind of has the same layout as the Session View.

[0dd]

Give it a go mate. Intrusav's right it can be simple or very complex. When you get ideas like "wow if only I could do X", chances are you probably can. It's really well thought out. Routing is especially crazy.

[dippy egg]

Cubase user here. I am envious of some of Live's features and I've tried to use it but it's just so ugly I just can't get into it. That being said, I'm quite happy with Cubase. It feels unnecessarily big at times but it does offer a lot of flexibility and many ways to achieve the same outcomes. This slows you down as a new user but when you find a way you like to work it's all good.

[Lost to the Void]

IT`s hard to get away from Ableton.
All other DAW`s based on the old paradigm of arrangement just seem so old and stuffy and non musical, dropping things in to an arrangment window feels more like construction than making music to me now.
I`ve been tempted by things like bitwig, but I know ableton so well I work with it so efficiently I really see little need to change.
It`s so flexible, routable, drag and droppable, minimal and non intrusive, quick and easy to do sketches, you can jam with it.
There is a reason it exploded and became the number 1 DAW.
Obviously it`s not perfect, but it feels more like an instrument than any other DAW, you are just a little bit closer to the music.

[Resin]

I use Pro Tools and Reaper and also sketch things out in Renoise a lot. What I love about Reaper is that every track is the same: It can be an audio track, or a send, a midi track… whatever you want. You can send anything basically anywhere, which can be very powerful for sound design. Overall workflow is also great and intuitive. Renoise on the other hand feels like a massive sampler and you can work very fast in it.

I started on Logic 5 and really liked it back then. But after Emagic was bought by Apple I think it went downhill. It basically feels like Garage Band Pro.

[Lost to the Void]

I`ve always wanted to try Reaper

[RWise]

FL Studio.

What i tried from day one and is still my favourite ever. Just feels so much more like a blank canvas compared to other DAWs ive tried like logic and ableton.

Ive always found FL to be much more unconventional in the way you do things, compared to other DAWs. Which for some people is what they hate and for others what they love about it.

[CRDM]

I really like the ideas within Reaper, the routing and flexibility look nice and I like the business model, but I am really happy with Live and don't plan on learning another DAW, I'd rather learn instruments or techniques now. I recently got Live 10 and am enjoying it so much, I think it's a total blast and all the subtle improvements in 10 really add up and feel good.

[Planar]

Been through Cubase, then Ableton (7?), to Renoise and Reaper together over the years and then back to Ableton with version 9 & now 10. Abletons workflow just suits me like a glove, just being able to save chains and clips fits my fragmented production schedule. I miss renoise though, that was different in a geeky, but good way.

[Jean Luc Cougar]

Ableton here, occasionally Gadget in iPhone (and then finish in Ableton)
I have considered switching to Bitwig bc some of the features interest me, but I am too lazy tbh. I just want something I can work with and quickly.

[Mslwte]

Ableton and mssiah.

[Críoch]

Been through them all.

Miss the immediacy of Fruity Loops.
Reason was ok.
Cubase was a mindfuck.
Switched to Ableton. Sold it for Logic.
Logic was great.. but I spent a long time.. too long trying to get it working like Ableton. I was stupid.

Switched back to Live. Very comfortable with it. Very flexible. Won't change again.

[timc3]

In recent years I have been through Cubase, Logic, tried Ableton but couldn’t get over how ugly it was and now I mainly use Bitwig. I still turn to Logic for some tasks, but Bitwig seems like a completely modern approach to music making, I don’t think I could switch to Ableton from Bitwig as it would feel like going backwards.

I do have a love of trackers though..

[Críoch]

Yeah.. I like the look of bitwig, but I've done enough wriggling around over the years to know that Ableton hits all the boxes for me.

I ended up getting suite on an educational rate a fee years ago as I was back in college. I'm reluctant to go near live 10 tbh.. L9.5 is working fine for me.

That & I'm too mean to give them any money.

Besides., if I was to change DAW.. I'd probably have to shell out full whack & not get a € for the old EDU version. I'm in it until the end I reckon. No harm.

[TonyVegazz]

FL Studio / I began with it about 15 years ago and had first doubts when everybody around me started working with ableton. A few months later i gave it a try during a collab with a buddy and i instantly missed my hard-earned workflow from FL and it's straighforwardness.

[Oktagon]

Ableton via (many, many years ago) Cubase + Reason. I've glanced at Bitwig, the universal modulation system sounds great but there something about it that lacks a bit of (for want of a better word) soul.

My main objection to Ableton is that it feels like two different worlds (Live + M4L) glued together, which while being far better than not having M4L at all is still clunky. My ideal DAW would allow you to move seamlessly between low level DSP and software-modular plumbing and high level clip and arrangement concepts, without having this hard division between 'making tools' and 'making music'.