Yes, yes, there are several threads similar to this one but most of them are quite specific and nothing look "bump-able" enough.
So...

I record digitally in my computer since i'm 16 years old. I really like the environment. O use Sony ACID PRO and i'm REAAALLY used to it, but i think i had enough. the horrible ASIO compatibility and ability to freeze randomly is making me nuts. multiple reinits just to record a bass line and then process it with a vsti and then changing asio to normal mode to record and edit and then changing anything else and latency problems..
argh.

so, i want to try something else. I do LOTS of stuff with my DAW, including
- composition (layering beats and sequencing)
- recording (straight from the mixer, synth + voice + guitar + bass + etc )
- mixing and editing and processing
- MIDI recording

oh and i´m using a PC with an Audiophile 24/96 soundcard. it works okay.

Mi current choices are:
1 - Cubase SX :
- it´s a bit of a standard, sans protools
- probably very reliable and lots of documentation
- i think the interface is a MESS and doesn't seem very intuitive
2 - Mackie Tracktion :
- looks more similar to acid pro (simple and stupid)
- don't know how powerful is, and how well documented is?

I tried REAPER some time ago but it crashed. my top two priorities are a) ease of use and b) stability.

Suggestions?

Feel free to kerble to death.

Mackie Tracktion.
I love it. Very Straight forward/ extremely intuitive workflow, it actually makes sense. The only time it has frozen up on me is when I have used some wonky free VST's . It loads and sets up fast, cheap as hell, reliable, you can pretty much do all of your routing "drag and drop" if you so desire. I dare say it is actually fun to use.

Ask me questions about it and I will try to answer.

Cubase. It was around 15 years ago, it will likely be around 15 years from now.

My vote's for cubase.

I've used SL 1.06 for almost 5 years (would like to upgrade to version 2 someday...) and once you get used to the interface it's very intuitive. I found the Cubase routing to be the closest thing to a mixer that I've seen. Very easy to tweak settings and create automation. SX has the added bonus of tracking w/effects, offline effects processing, and composition.

I use FL Studio 7 for myself now, but I'd really like to upgrade to Cubase 2+ and use its 32-bit mixing engine for my old band's work. It really makes a difference.

Hi Benny, I would reccomend Sonar. It's so simple, so so so simple with a very good layout, intuitive, etc. Does everything.

I use Cubase 4 and sometimes Tracktion 2. I couldn't be happier with Cubase. For me, coming from using a mixer and an analog machine, Cubase has a way more intuitive mixer and routing scenario. I used SX2 since it came out and loved it too. I haven't had any issues pop up since the upgrade to Cubase 4.

i demoed tracktion a bit for a while and it seemed pretty easy at first to understand, thought a bit over-simplistic perhaps. need to check cubase - one thing i don't like about it it's that it seems like you need two monitors to be comfortable using it.

Benny wrote:i demoed tracktion a bit for a while and it seemed pretty easy at first to understand, thought a bit over-simplistic perhaps. need to check cubase - one thing i don't like about it it's that it seems like you need two monitors to be comfortable using it.

Could you clarify "oversimplistc", The simplicity and the "modular mixing board " esque approach is what I find most attractive about it. Was there something missing that you so desire ?

My two cents -

I hate Cubase. I originally got it when it was Cubase VST and we were using a PC. It came bundled with a Tascam 428, a machine it did not really work very well with. We upgraded to the full version of the program, relying on the serial port dongle for copy protection.

This still didn't work very well and, for this and other reasons, we migrated over to a Mac. This included bouncing up to Cubase SX version 1. The firmware upgrades hit a snag with Quicktime right around the time OSX 10.3.8 hit making the program unusable. Steinberg's answer? No more SX 1 repairs. If you want to keep using the program, spend money on SX 2.

Fuck that. I'd already spend money on the original bundle with 428, the upgrade to VST and the switch to SX with the Mac. Now I was expected to pay more? The company's tech support is a total joke - "post on our message board with 1000 other confused users". (Note that this may have changed, but I haven't looked at it in about two years.) Further reading shows me that software engineers are amazed at how much of the program is written to discourage copy protection - it's a lot of what's going on when the program runs. (Note also that someone can prove me wrong on this.)

My advice? Bite the bullet and get some cheap ProTools package. Tech support is more available and you'll have an easier time finding other people to share experience with.

Good luck,

= Justin

My two cents -

I hate Cubase. I originally got it when it was Cubase VST and we were using a PC. It came bundled with a Tascam 428, a machine it did not really work very well with. We upgraded to the full version of the program, relying on the serial port dongle for copy protection.

This still didn't work very well and, for this and other reasons, we migrated over to a Mac. This included bouncing up to Cubase SX version 1. The firmware upgrades hit a snag with Quicktime right around the time OSX 10.3.8 hit making the program unusable. Steinberg's answer? No more SX 1 repairs. If you want to keep using the program, spend money on SX 2.

Fuck that. I'd already spend money on the original bundle with 428, the upgrade to VST and the switch to SX with the Mac. Now I was expected to pay more? The company's tech support is a total joke - "post on our message board with 1000 other confused users". (Note that this may have changed, but I haven't looked at it in about two years.) Further reading shows me that software engineers are amazed at how much of the program is written to discourage copy protection - it's a lot of what's going on when the program runs. (Note also that someone can prove me wrong on this.)

My advice? Bite the bullet and get some cheap ProTools package. Tech support is more available and you'll have an easier time finding other people to share experience with.

Good luck,

= Justin

Man, that sucks. Aside from the tech support (which I've heard is bad too - but never had to find out), it sounds like you got your versions & platforms backwards!

I remember Cubase VST being mainly a mac deal, and even demoing a copy and deciding not to go with it b/c it wasn't very intuitive in Windows. Once the SX/SL line was released, Steinberg started specializing for Windows...so that may have been a bad time to switch to Cubase on mac!