Free (or super-cheap) DAWs?

Blimey, forgot about Algoriddim Djay. I'd say you're right actually, it is far better software for simple DJing than Mixxx and if there was a Windows port I'd probably switch over. Mixxx really ain't all that bad though, I know it certainly used to be but it seems to have been getting a lot better recently with the well needed updates and does the job if you just want a freebie to muck about with (and don't have any Apple products to run Algoriddim Djay). I'll agree though the beat matching algorithm and BPM detection with Mixxx is pretty shocking.

  On 9/5/2012 at 12:40 PM, BCM said:

Algoriddim Djay ... unfortunately it's Mac only i believe.

bollox.

Thanks for tips. Have tried out both VirtualDJ and Mixxx. They seem alright, pretty much what I expected. I do miss being able to do mash-ups that I can edit and fine-tune like I did in Ableton though... wonder if it's worth shelling out for Live Intro?

Seems like a pretty decent price, not sure what the restrictions are like compared to the full monty though.

As for me, I dug up an old Ableton 5 serial - a legitimate one I might add! - and it still works. I actually got it at a discount like seven years ago but assumed it was lost forever. But no. So that's what I'll be using. It's more suited to my workflow than Reaper anyway because it tends to be quite improvisational... but thanks for the recommendations anyway, I'll no doubt come back to it for a closer look some rainy Sunday.

Incidentally, has anything major happened to Ableton in the past four versions to justify a eu199 upgrade? I'm assuming no.

  On 9/4/2012 at 7:16 PM, Iain C said:

  On 9/4/2012 at 6:33 PM, Dan C said:

Renoise

 

Stop touting that bloody tracker

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Never!

Not sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I had more fun playing around with Algoriddim Djay on my ipad back in the day than I've ever had dj'ing with Traktor or even Ableton. Scratching was dope on the touchscreen lol.

  On 9/5/2012 at 12:40 PM, BCM said:

(reminds me of Dance Ejay lol)

hah! I had a free promo copy of Ejay years and years ago - played with it a lot

It can be tricky, but you can search around for copies of ableton (and/or reason) on craigslist - I actually nabbed a PC fairly cheaply that had a full copy of ableton on it. Watch out for academic copies though - even if they have full packaging ableton is stingy with transferring serial #s for those.

Podium has an awesomely generous free version and is a pretty full DAW http://www.zynewave.com/

I'd say some of the options (in terms of setting it up) could be a bit daunting, and if you've never used a DAW before you might not know where to start etc... for a complete beginner I'd say FL Studio is "easier" and you'll be banging out tracks in that more quickly than in Reaper. saying that I do think Reaper's workflow is pretty simple and it has a straightforward and logical design so probably wouldn't take too long to get the hang of the basics...

I purely use Reaper to record and multitrack audio - even if not using hardware I still do all my note sequencing outside Reaper (I use Five12 Numerology) and just record the audio into separate tracks in Reaper. Sequencing in Reaper is done on the piano roll (a midi keyboard is useful) and is fine, but for the kind of stuff I usually make I prefer the analogue-style sequencing of Numerology...

audacity

really basic

no B.S.

yeah, it's not something you can make music with really though is it? it's a sound editor. i guess at a stretch you could use it as some kind of DAW but i wouldn't recommend it...no MIDI for one thing.

I'd say audacity is mostly a multitrack recorder with some cutting/pasting capabilities.

yeah, pretty much useless unless you have some recorded material to work with... you're not going to be sequencing your pirated ABL Pro in there that's for sure...

  On 9/7/2012 at 2:12 PM, usagi said:

yeah audacity is just an editor, I figured chunky was trollin'

 

anyway thanks BCM. I may just give Reaper a go and if I hit a wall I'll go to something simpler. the last time I tried doing anything of this sort was with a trial copy of Max and I didn't know what the fuck I was doing in there, was definitely not for noobs.

 

if I were to get a decent mic to record sounds to work with, I'm guessing that + Reaper would give me a decent amount of flexibility?

Yeah, that's not a bad place to start if you don't mind doing all your track assembly with the piano roll and clip timeline. I'd recommend grabbing a VST instrument or two as well, not a bunch but just a couple that look interesting to you that you'd enjoy focusing on. Reaper has plenty of pretty decent built in fx, so that base will be covered for a while.

  On 9/7/2012 at 2:54 PM, usagi said:

  On 9/7/2012 at 2:21 PM, sweepstakes said:

Yeah, that's not a bad place to start if you don't mind doing all your track assembly with the piano roll and clip timeline.

 

well it's either that or - if I'm understanding this correctly - sequence outside of Reaper using another piece of software or a piece of midi'd up hardware.

Absolutely, in fact this is how I use Reaper 99% of the time. I just had the impression you were starting out so I figured you didn't have other pieces to work with yet.

Mic + editor is a great combo to start with. Good enough for Delia Derbyshire, right? :)

  On 9/7/2012 at 2:54 PM, usagi said:

if it's not biting off more than I can chew, I think I'd wanna try doing everything inside of Reaper at first, just to get my head around things.

Yeah, I think that's a good idea. However Reaper is great but isn't all that exciting on its own so I would personally recommend some kind of "toy" (like VSTs) to play with, too, at least for ideas. Fun is important. (Too many toys and you lose the plot, though - I've been there :P )

yeah man, record loads of mad shit with your mic, then put it all in reaper and cut it up and stuff + add FX and you'll be well away :)

Anything by Team AiR

  On 9/7/2012 at 3:41 PM, BCM said:

yeah man, record loads of mad shit with your mic, then put it all in reaper and cut it up and stuff + add FX and you'll be well away :)

Yeah, I was just about to say this. You mentioned Autechre and if you really go deep with the mic / fx / micro-editing combo, you can get textures not unlike Draft 7.30, for example. This approach should leave you with anything but "cookie cutter" results.

I just recommended the hardware/toys because some people, myself included, like having knobs and buttons to play with, and to immediately hear an effect from tweaking. Like playing a video game, or at times maybe playing an instrument, as opposed to sort of building stuff piece-by-piece. I personally get bored sometimes if I don't have something to physically mess with.

With this electronic stuff, though, you have TONS of options, lots of freedom. In fact most of the challenge for me has been paring down all those possibilities into a small, workable area I'm happy exploring. So you just have to find some kind of approach that works for you, and there will probably never be a perfect one.

And as I said, your approach is a great one to start with and it should give you some clues as to what direction to take.

^Renoise is the shit. The best shit.

Also, REAPER is awesome. EnergyXT and Podium are rad as hell.

Damn renoise is looking sexy as hell these days. Might have to grab a copy again before it blasts past 2.8 and my license expires.

  On 9/7/2012 at 11:34 PM, ryanmcallister said:

Damn renoise is looking sexy as hell these days. Might have to grab a copy again before it blasts past 2.8 and my license expires.

Yeah man. It's extra sexy. And it just hit 2.8.1. What version does your license go up to?

This one looks funky, I don't think I know anyone who has used it http://www.webgenpro.be/raxntrax/index.htm

  On 9/8/2012 at 3:46 AM, RadarJammer said:

This one looks funky, I don't think I know anyone who has used it http://www.webgenpro...ntrax/index.htm

It looks ugly as sin, but...kinda cool?

  On 9/8/2012 at 11:26 AM, Djeroek said:

http://www.warmplace.ru/soft/sunvox/

Ack. How did I forget about Sunvox?! I was playing with it last night on my phone.

Also, Chaotic.