which daw is the most best???

I am mac user with bootcamp, ironically currently using FL Studio. I know it's not the most loved application, but it is pretty and quick. However, I'm getting tired of its real lack of sampled content, and most of the synths are focused on trance sounds (or the presets are). I'm not experienced with making synth patches but I still get the impression that FL Studio's synths (sytrus, 3xosc, ts404) aren't super flexible. I have been downloading free VSTs like Oatmeal and Asynth, but I am looking for a more complete package with a lot of content.

The obvious solution is for me to get Logic 8, which is cheap and has a retarded amount of content. I want a good pad synth and sculpture seems to be a great choice for that. I am also curious about Reason and Ableton. I am not interested in Pro Tools or Cubase, but I also don't know much about them. NI Komplete looks awesome but it is also pricey.

Richard James would just tell me to stfu and learn get FL studio to do what I want. I want an easier way out though. I typically make shit by drawing melodies in piano roll with a mouse rather than a midi controller. I am a lazy fucker and would like for things to be easy but Im fine with learning if I can get good results.

What do you guys think?

those fruity loops synths are actually pretty good if you know how to use them. I'm sorry to break this news to you, but there really isn't a "best" daw! It's all about how comfortable you feel with your virtual working environment. I'd recommend that you try out all the mac daws and decide which one yields the best results. Logic, reaper, digital performer, renoise, reason, ableton. Crystal is a nice vsti for pad sounds...good luck

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this is a pretty good resource for vsts, daws, etc... http://www.kvraudio.com/

haha, I didn't really think there was a "best". KVR is a nice site.

I suppose I am more just curious to hear what users of these different daws think of them. Is there anyone here who uses Logic that could give it a good reccommendation? My main problem with fl studio is the lack of sampled content... they seem more keen on their proprietary "sample fusion" content library, which is expensive, instead of including good content with fl studio. Does logic really include a good amount of sampled drum content, or a good drumsynth that I can use consistently? That's another thing fl studio lacks - one good drumsynth. Drumsynth live is microscopic and difficult to use and FPC is just a place to drop samples, with no controls for editing sounds. Ableton, for example, is easy to use and includes controls for editing samples right in front of you. I've done some research on my own, but I want to know what you guys think. My aim is to make beat heavy ambient... my heroes are Boards, Tuss, Telefon Tel Aviv, and Aphex. I like industrial, like KMFDM and NIN. ultimately I want an app with rich sounds that can provide inspiration... fl studio lacks that, in my opinion. Am I being picky?

I suppose I have a decent idea of what each DAW is capable of and what I am looking for, but I am just looking to see what the community here favors (besides hardware and analog equiptment). Thanks!

Orion Platinum is tight, great sequencer, you can have two or more instruments playing two different length patterns in pattern more without having to write them in the song playlist, this always bothered me in FL Studio.

For me personally, Reaper. Mainly 'cos it's free (and it's so good that it's basically only the second shareware programme I registered for - The first was Scorched Tanks for the Amiga)

i am a cubase user, and have been for nineteen years now.

logic was about the best when it was available for pc.

dunno now.

cubase sx3 and cubase 4 are both super tight.

depends how you work. try a few. see what you like. avoid cakewalk.

i never liked the synths in flstudio either.

ableton is great for whatever your needs, but doesnt "come" with much content as far as sample libraries and synths go. Reason is fully stocked in both those areas though with a nice array of loops and simple, effective synths. You should download and sample your own loops though, and youll need recycle to help with that in reason.

I'm a long time user of Logic, and love it.

Now that the price is $500 for Logic Studio (which has other programs included) it's probably the best deal out there. You get plenty of quality synths, a sampler, a drum machine, and loads of effects. You could seriously use solely Logic, and have great results. In fact, I'd recommend using JUST logic for awhile, and really get to see the versatility of the program, before you worry about getting 3rd party plugins like native instruments stuff.

it does have a bit of a learning curve though.

I havent use ableton much, but I think it is another good option... but it comes with far less out of the box, to get you started.

ages ago, as a wee lad, i used ad lib's package software, visual composer.

as soon as i had a soundcard that did pcm/wave, i loved any audio editor for an afternoon of fun.

i took a class on "digital music" and learned digital performer.

the summer after, when i continued music on my own, i found sonic foundry acid.

when i quickly got bored of sampled loops, i discovered i could make NEW loops in FruityLoops. never got into sequencing there

eventually, i decided audio loops were for jerks, and i switched to trackers. used Impulse Tracker II on recommendation.

realized ITII was outdated; switched to modplug.

heard about this tantalizing program called reason, came to realize modplug sounded like shit.

once i had my head around reason, i got reason 2.

when i had my head around that, i found this complicated thing called nuendo.

when nuendo pissed me off, i found out about a streamlined version called cubase sx.

then i got more into hardware, and we start the list over...

which phase are you at? look it up in my table and do as i did to be as awesome as i am and will forever be

if you're on a pc/bootcamp, ableton + free vsts is fine (there's a lot less for mac though)... you can automate anything with midi, or the arrangement, or with clip envelopes which are like loops for instrument/plug-in parameters, so you can get a lot of variety out of the vsts and built-in instruments/fx. I switched to mac recently and still got a lot of variety of sound just with simpler, operator, the built in fx, and the au plugins that came with the computer. simpler is great. one downside is that the arrangement can sometimes slow down if you do lots of complicated chops and cuts... also, the bass sometimes seems a bit muddy though that may have more to do with operator.

ditto above on logic having a learning curve... I tried it for a bit recently and got really confused by the way things would snap and second guess me when arranging. it does have a lot of cool instruments and effects though.

my favorite daws that I have tried but never bought are reason (for the sounds) and protools (for the edits).

  spraaaa said:

if you're on a pc/bootcamp, ableton + free vsts is fine (there's a lot less for mac though)... you can automate anything with midi, or the arrangement, or with clip envelopes which are like loops for instrument/plug-in parameters, so you can get a lot of variety out of the vsts and built-in instruments/fx. I switched to mac recently and still got a lot of variety of sound just with simpler, operator, the built in fx, and the au plugins that came with the computer. simpler is great. one downside is that the arrangement can sometimes slow down if you do lots of complicated chops and cuts... also, the bass sometimes seems a bit muddy though that may have more to do with operator.

damn i never knew about the operator! this is great! ive been looking for something exactly like this!!

thanks everyone.

kcinsu, that's the wholehearted recommendation I was looking for on logic. i didnt know if it really was that complete.

im still horny for ableton and reason.

omg how to cure software lust??

  iamabe said:

omg how to cure software lust??

audio pirate

  42Orange said:

damn i never knew about the operator! this is great! ive been looking for something exactly like this!!

glad to help, though I don't think it sounds that great for everything. have you checked out their other synths too? I have not.

  spraaaa said:

  42Orange said:

damn i never knew about the operator! this is great! ive been looking for something exactly like this!!

 

glad to help, though I don't think it sounds that great for everything. have you checked out their other synths too? I have not.

crazy as it is ive never even touched any of those instruments besides the drum rack, i thought ableton didnt have any real synths, just sampled ones. This will be a lot more useful than messing with the dodgy vsts ive got going on that keep on crashing 5 times an hour

I tried learning FLstudio the other day but it just came across as so damn cumbersome (mixer + pattern + playlist relationship is fucked up) and unintuitive.

I learned making music on reason and since i moved to ableton, I won't ever let it go. It's not so much a DAW as it is an extension of me and my ideas, I'm supercomfortable with it. It's very flexible, maybe too flexible and openended if you are just starting out.

I would really recommend reason if you're new, because it's simplicity. Don't get more synths, get 2-3 that you learn and make tracks with those. The best VST synth hands down, all genres, is albino 3.

i learned with FL which is really simple and good for introducing the whole idea of DAW's, and now i've moved onto reason.

Personally, i like reason because of the visual layout, its fairly easy to get a grasp on and although i haven't started using hardware I imagine that the nature of the visual layout makes it really easy to figure out the hardware once you do move on.