Everyone Says My DAW Is The Worst!

[@AudioTechTV]

Add some inspiration to your DAW with some of the best free plugins. Click here for my top free plugin picks kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJDSn6KgjZ6Wn8k

[@qbazewondah]

@@AudioTechTV thank you 🙏

[@lawrencerasmus]

I use cakewalk , have protools, tried all the other, but went back to 8 track tape and just master with bandlab, works for me .

[@CraigRodmellMusic]

I gravitated to a DAW from a hardware digital recorder. There was nothing wrong with recording using the hardware digital recorder, but the machine itself was a Dying Cow. Pretty well every time I went to record using it, another piece of it wouldn't work. So I started researching software options. It was at this time that I found out that Cakewalk had been taken over (and resurrected) by Bandlab, and was being offered for free in return for signing up to Bandlab. So I got it. I struggled with it for a long time. Things that I thought SHOULD be easy and obvious (such as Cut and Paste) were usually not easy or obvious. It didn't help that the manual was so big that it made War and Peace look short by comparison! But contrary to what a lot of people thought, Cakewalk by Bandlab is a fully featured DAW, and has no track limitations, or any other limitations that other "free" DAWs might have. There's no problem bringing in third party plugins, for example. Which is great, because with Cakewalk by Bandlab and Spitfire Audio BBCSO Core, I effectively have my own private orchestra, whose sole job is playing MY music. How cool is that!?

[@ladislaufazakas8980]

Most of them seemed confusing to me when i opened them, but when i opened Cubase it was so simple. The page was clean and everything was in place, i felt like i could breathe.

[@DaleSimko]

I feel the opposite, I paid for the full version of Cubase anticipating that Logic Pro on Mac would go to a subscription based model like the iPad version so I figured I better learn a different daw, but it seems so confusing to find things, it’s not logically laid out to me. Now I’ve tried Bitwig Studio and I’m digging it, even though it’s lacking some things but they update it constantly.

[@availablepublicly39]

Very interesting. I've been using DAWs since the early 90's when they were more limited and called midi sequencers (Cubase v1.4, Cakewalk etc) and I must say I still mainly use the simple features and rarely employ the bells and whistles, preferring to engineer the result I want more "manually" as it were. Best thing for me over the years has been the easy deployment of the myriad of VSTs out there and being able to add audio tracks. Other than that, "Keep It Simple" still works for me. Keep up the good work Z! I always look forward to your latest vid.

[@dcrock1592]

Mixcraft 10 Pro Studio FTW. I love it! Try it if you haven't!!

[@aspirativemusicproduction2135]

@dcrock1592 Or FL Producer edition for the same money. I have both FL and Mixcraft and I am not going to upgrade Mixcraft anymore. It turns out I finish more projects in FL. But whatever works.

[@StevenSmethurst]

I mainly use reaper and whilst reaper does have endless customization and user scripts, MX10 pro seems to have the features you need at hand. Like send knobs on the mixer and the channel strip. Also sidechain and the flawless melodyne integration. Mx10 pro is an amazing program for what it is and always sparks my creativity when ever I use it. A very underated program.

[@MikeFromDownUnder]

Currently using Reason 12 and dont plan on upgrading to version 13. I use Ableton Live, FL Studio, to. I was using Studio One 6, but with th announcements of version 7, i have ditched it for REAPER.

[@itsrasalhague]

I'm sticking with my ol' trusty MS Paint, no matter what they say.

[@petset77]

Thumbs up for suggesting that there is a tool for each person's comfort level. I actually don't have a favorite, because I haven't found one that works well... it's that I'm in an area with bad satellite internet, so loading plugins and even the DAW has been a challenge. Reaper loaded easily because its footprint is so small, likely because it doesn't include a variety of virtual instruments... I dunno (other than this example: just the top rated drum plugins all have a 5GB load and download speeds in the KBs never loads them). Waveform seemed to load quickly when I drove to town for faster (alleged 100MB) speeds, but opening it back at home gave the prompt to reload it. Add to that frustration, I just want to record music that I play, not become an engineer or techie. I don't even want "beats", but write my drum parts. Loads of drum patterns are probably why plugins have such a heavy download. A couple of realistic acoustic drum kits in a stripped down format would be great for (old) guys like me who were fortunate enough to play with and pay attention to great drummers over the years. Even "drum machines" focus on electronic tones these days, and that's not what I want. Amp sim plugins don't even fully load here. Basic Numa player loaded easily, which has been the most satisfying part of this adventure. SO... I'm still here trying to learn. ...does anyone know the status of Cakewalk? The free "Cakewalk by Bandlab" has been reported to be discontinued some time this year, and it's the end of September now. I had an eight channel disk version of original cakewalk years ago, and would try that one. I'd prefer not to drive to decent wifi just to have something again not work when I get back home. ANYWAY, I subscribed a while back. Your content and presentation are always good. Thanks.

[@1899Dan]

Haven't listened to your video but I agree your DAW sucks. Your mixes likely sound amazing but if you had a more expensive DAW they would sound shinier, more expensive and more professional. Just yesterday I recorded a poorly written lackluster song in an expensive DAW and today it's a hit song. I also use uber expensive cables and 50,000 thread count Egyptian silk guitar straps so that increases the sound quality greatly as well. I hope to upgrade the curtains in my studio soon because I really want that authentic CLA mix quality. I've heard he has the same curtain I plan to get in his studio.

[@AudioTechTV]

What about the carpet and chair??? Those are a huge difference maker for your mixes. Also the door handle for the room shouldn’t be overlooked. Someone must know what CLA uses for these things.

[@TeksonikAudio]

The only opinion that matters is your own. Every DAW I'm aware of has a demo so there is no substitute for hands on testing to find out which DAW(s) work best for YOU.

[@aspirativemusicproduction2135]

I used FL Studio for many years. Many people said it is not a real DAW. I didn't like certain things too. But you know what? It's still the DAW I used to record most of the things I recorded on computer. There must be something good about it, right. Off course.

[@petset77]

A friend uses Audacity and likes it, but it's not a true DAW, from everything I've read. It's an editor I think.

[@aspirativemusicproduction2135]

@petset77 People use Audacity to record and extract vocals somehow. I don't remember much because I tried it long time ago. It was very basic and isn't really for music production. Can't use synths and automate them. Can't edit midi. Stuff like that. It's okey to record something life. Like broadcast, to do song demo with life instruments. Need something like Reaper, Cakewalk, Traction, Garage Band. Even the demo of FL Studio may work but have to export everything in audio before closing the project because it won't save it. Probably it's better to check which interface comes with a DAW and what DAW and than work with it until decide either to upgrade it or switch it. I have no idea what's the best deal. I started with Magix. One day crashed and deleted all my projects. I already had FL and used it as drum machine and replaced Magix with Mixcraft. Now I am using mostly FL Studio and FL Mobile. And Cubasis 3 mostly to write chord progressions. I don't think it's better than FL Mobile but it's kinda okey for recording guitars and do some editing of audio. It has nice noise gate, clip faders and cool chord pads. Other than that there isn't much going on for it. It has Halion for extra $20 with 11 000 sounds. This may be okey for someone who needs a lot of sounds and don't play around with synths. I don't know if I am saying anything useful but I didn't know what I needed and spent money on things I don't really need. If I can save someone a dollar it might be useful. Your friend can download Cakewalk before they discontinue it. I hear there is possibility they may.

[@petset77]

@@aspirativemusicproduction2135 Thank you. It's worth trying to download cakewalk.

[@aspirativemusicproduction2135]

@petset77 Probably. I tried Traction. It didn't work smoothly. I haven't messed with Cakewalk for ages because I am using FL and Mixcraft. But it might be worth trying. If it works for you it's good. I might download it myself to see what changed over the years. FL is always my go to for electronic music because of few things that are important to me like the piano roll. Maybe it's just me but everyone else thinks it's the best piano roll. Good plugins in FL are the parametric EQ2, limiter/compressor, Harmor(and other synths but harmor is the best they have), samplers(bunch of them.) Automation is easy. The arangement view can use some improvements but it got some improvements.

[@paulgereaux6382]

LUNA. Sinple to use. Ckean interface. Sounds like famous analog gear from your favorite records.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

G'day Zane, I'm still using Waveform, the only DAW I've ever used, and I had a question you might be able to answer. Some plugins rely on side chaining, but yet have no inbuilt function on them where you can click on a menu and choose the track you want to side chain (as TDR Nova ect does). They say that your DAW should provide that function. Can you do that with Waveform? I can't find any information on it so I thought you'd be the guy to ask. Cheers 👊🙂👍

[@AudioTechTV]

Yes. Sidechaining is pretty easy to do in Waveform. Here’s an old video that I have on it kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqe7fJymbNSXj8k I think this was done before plugin sandboxing was a feature in waveform. You may need to turn off plugin sandboxing if you have it enabled.

[@AudioTechTV]

Also. I’m in the process of updating all my Wavform videos so expect a Waveform flood from me soon. Lol.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

@@AudioTechTV EDIT - I downloaded the trial, I hadn't realised that Waveform adds that toolbar to the top of a plugin that doesn't already have one, that's why it's not shown in the pictures and tutorials. Sorry for wasting your time! My reply didn't post, maybe because I put a link to a plugin as an example. I was looking at one called Vox Ducker. There is no menu such as on the compressor in your vid, or such as on Nova, where you can click on the plugin and pull up a menu to select the track. The instructions are "How it works - Place VoxDucker on the track you wish to duck, this will typically be the backing music and route the voice into the plugin’s sidechain input (see your DAW docs for routing). VoxDucker will now listen to the voice tack and duck the music out of the way, keeping the main focus on the voice.". It's not the first time I've seen this with plugins, and an instruction video will just show you how to route sidechaining to almost any plugin on this DAW or that, somehow a side chain function is built into the DAW, not the plugin itself. With this particular one, it doesn't even show that. So I'm sort of guessing Waveform doesn't allow you to use plugins like that, although other DAWs do. I just thought you'd be the one to ask.

[@AudioTechTV]

@@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn I just downloaded the demo of VoxDucker and loaded it into Waveform Free. I see the sidechain option in the top left corner of the plugin window when I have plugin sandboxing turned off which is how I use Waveform all the time. When I enabled plugin sandboxing the side chain option was disabled. Make sure you go into settings then to the plugin tab and un-check plugin sandboxing. You’ll need to close down waveform and reopen it after you do that.

[@Dave-Rough-Diamond-Dunn]

@@AudioTechTV That'd be great!

[@dinsfire8489]

Absolutely. Well said. I tried Harrison Audio Mixbus 10 recently out of curiosity, it doesn't fit my workflow at all & the GUI is archaic, but there are a ton of great features in there. It's a daw I'd love to enjoy because the mixer is absolutely incredible, but the rest of the program is not for me. Imo it needs a refresh. So it sucks for me but for others I'm sure it's great.

[@1loveMusic2003]

I use studio one and love it but I will admit MixBus 10 looks great.

[@TONY-lu4mc]

Never a more true word said . nicely said

[@qbazewondah]

I’ve tried many daws as a newbie to audio engineer in my home studio recording myself for tutorials but I found cakewalk work flow to be more easier and always get the job done

[@petset77]

It's reported to be discontinued this year. Is that accurate?

[@Uniblab8]

Good video. I started off with Cakewalk years ago, early 2000s I think. I was curious about other DAWs and pirated REASON, version 4. The interface and included instruments, etc intrigue me. I started to learn it then they finally added audio recording and I bought a legal copy of REASON. It had a learning curve but I got good at it. I love the virtual SSL mixing board. Then they finally added the ability to inport VSTs which made me, very, very happy. Still the curiosity kills me so I try other DAWs. I like Mixcraft Studio as a secondary DAW. I know that's kinda weird but so am I. There are NO bad DAWs. None. They all are excellent . It's a matter of taste, workflow and learning curve. AND it helps a ton when I see your videos.

[@davefennessy8250]

Snobbery in music creation has always been a thing. I guess it always will be. I tried a few and only one of them made me feel comfortable and creative. End of.

[@FondueBrothers]

Like expensive TV's , phones and washing machines, DAWs are packed full of features that you either don't know exist or have no use for. If I were a DAW developer I would offer different versions of the DAW depending on your musical genre and workflow. So you only pay for what you use.

[@moxxiefan2.055]

Each DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) has they're strengths and weaknesses. Pros & cons if you will, But no doubt. The pros outweigh the cons. It all depends on what DAW you end up choosing. Either if it's Cubase, Pro Tools, FL Studio, Abelton Live, Waveform, Cakewalk & other paid or free Digital Audio Workstations, Again, It's what you & other people like myself feel comfortable of what DAW we use.

[@lexetunez]

I did the same thing with Rocky rabbbit. Didn't end well.

[@daveybotsane3344]

I use Reaper, Cwbb, Zynwave's Podium 3

[@joshuakalani590]

"A bad workman quarrels with his tools". I use ableton and see "how can you work with excel comments". Personally i dig the minimalistic look. I also use cubase and bitwig for certain features.

[@thepatzer]

In addition to all the great points you make, there are also a class of comments made by people who have never taken the time to really learn the DAW they’re slagging on and just make the comment based on surface impressions, caricatures, or tribalism.

[@fedexnman]

Nobody gives a crap what DAW you use . Make music . You'd be surprised what famous songs were done on lesser gear or software .

[@jerryk3280]

It's not really the DAW. Essentially they are all digital audio recording and editing applications. Some GUI's may be more user friendly than others though.

[@tommyapocalypse6096]

Basically stated - NONE of them suck. Then again, ALL of them suck. lol

[@AudioTechTV]

The beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[@paulgdyczynski1171]

@@AudioTechTV Amen.

[@joolz666]

I have been using Waveform since I started recording. That's your fault.😂

[@AudioTechTV]

I have to check out some of your new music. I hope you’re still enjoying it.

[@akira20ish]

FL is the one that’s worth it so is Acid Music studio 11 especially for mixing and arranging

[@tristen_grant]

I enjoy Bitwig.

[@akira20ish]

I prefer Ableton Live 10 suite it's still relevant even if it's older and it works ​@@tristen_grant

[@the_anomaly-y3o]

I tried many DAWs.I tried Reaper ableton, fl studio ,studio one, reason,but I didnt like them then I tried ACID pro.I think its the best DAW

[@SuperAgentAB]

While DAW you use may not have the features that other DAWs have, doesn't mean it won't stop you from making music. All DAWs are the tools for you to make music. Their workflow is different that you have to adapt with. It's like figuring out on how the gear works. So consider this, don't let people discourage you of using on what you have that you use it for a long time. Just stick with it and get along. Tip: Never give answers to people who ask you on what DAW or software you use. I guarantee that people will like your song only to realize that the software you use for producing music that find it "suck". Skills > Software

[@panneddead-centre6844]

The financial investment most DAWs require encourages such polarising opinions. If I have to spend hundreds of dollars of mine, I'm going to stand by it and dislike other ones. And the cheaper the DAW, the more targeted the vitriol against it, even by people who haven't tried them.

[@MrSquuqs]

bitwig doesn't suck, it's tasty

[@jeffreyhanc1711]

I love Bitwig. It’s in a daw league of its own for any sort of electronic music.

[@totallykoolyeah]

Be strong. 😊I'm going back to mix craft from reaper

[@RJS0507]

Any Reaper users here? 🙌

[@MikeFromDownUnder]

Yo!

[@RJS0507]

@MikeFromDownUnder ayyy haha

[@JeanetteMeriles-gl1wz]

Yes, I use Ableton also.

[@mau-x6597]

Every daw is the best once you learn how to use it

[@polarisproject1568]

I don't. I love my DAW.

[@Namelessfx]

I hate magix daws.

[@TheTonyTitan]

I have to disagree, Audacity SUCKS! 😂

[@ParanormalArson]

Not really. Audacity is actually pretty great for what it is. It's going to suck if you need a full-featured DAW to do a proper mix with. If you need something to do basic edits on a single file, Audacity is probably the best. I'd rather not boot into a full-tilt DAW if I just need to crop dead ends off a file and normalize the level.

[@akira20ish]

In FL you have Edison way more powerful and faster

[@ParanormalArson]

@@akira20ish if you're using FL, or if what you're doing requires a DAW at all. Everything has a use case, which is the point of this video.

[@peoplearestupid981]

Everyone who says this is just a crybaby, except pro tools users. pro tools IS the worst, has been since around 2010.