What Software Do You Use?

[auralscapes]

Sonar X1 Producer to sketch out the rough idea. Once I know where it's going everything gets exported to Samplitude 11 Pro, which in my opinion is way beyond Pro Tools, Cubase & all the other mainstream packages because of the way it handles large audio projects. Tricky to learn because the manuals are a disaster but once you get to know it, there's no turning back.

[PatrickJamesYu]

I was using Fruity Loops for beat sequencing and all the audio production and live stuff I did in Adobe Audition.

I really liked Audition but I decided to upgrade to Logic Pro 9 as a replacement for both, as I got a Macbook Pro.

I have not figured the program out yet :/

It's difficult for me to get a hold of.

The workstation just feels so different, brings me back to a noob mindset, but I'm 'starting' to get used to it.

It seems like a MUCH better program for the 'song writer'.

It has Ultra Beat (which I think is worse than Fruity Loops, but some people beg to differ)

And it has Mainstage (which seems to be VERY useful and quite flipping awesome for the live performer

[Gazebo]

I use two DAW's.

Kristal is my favourite - straightforward, simple and does what I need it to do. Downsides are only two VST slots per track and no direct monitoring, so generally use my Toneport for guitar recording.

I suppose that I favour Kristal because I like fast sessions (time is tight for me and I rarely have more than three hours at a time to record) and Kristal has that ease of use to me as I have grown to love it over a few years of use.

I use Sonar LE, also, which makes inputting drum loops much quicker, and has some additional features, but Kristal is still my fave for all it's failings.

For drums I use loops or Leafdrums with some free downloaded samples.

I have Audacity and use that when I am mixing and making final adjustments.

Favourite VST's are the Classic Series VST's, Simulanalog Fender Twin and Glaceverb. Also use the Modern series and Fish Fillets, but Modern series seems quite CPU hungry and I am just learning the FishFillets stuff.

[Gazebo]

PS - I am a cheapskate. Most of this stuff is free on the net, Sonar LE came bundled with an interface I bought!

[john]

I was using Fruity Loops for beat sequencing and all the audio production and live stuff I did in Adobe Audition.

I really liked Audition but I decided to upgrade to Logic Pro 9 as a replacement for both, as I got a Macbook Pro.

I have not figured the program out yet :/

It's difficult for me to get a hold of.

The workstation just feels so different, brings me back to a noob mindset, but I'm 'starting' to get used to it.

It seems like a MUCH better program for the 'song writer'.

It has Ultra Beat (which I think is worse than Fruity Loops, but some people beg to differ)

And it has Mainstage (which seems to be VERY useful and quite flipping awesome for the live performer

Practice, practice, practice breeds confidence

[IKObi]

I use Reaper mainly. A Little FL but 99% of the time its Reaper.

http://reaper.fm/

[MarlonRambo]

My DAW is Cubase 5 (I started out with SX). I also tried FL Studio and it's a great software for composing. But I decided to go back to Cubase, because I'm quite familiar with its interface. About the VSTs. I use Waves plugins (RVerb, C1 compressors, L3 Ultramaximizer (great for vocals) all the time and some others occasionally). And the VST instruments are: Addictive Drums, EZ Drummer, Superior Drummer 2.0, Steinberg's Virtual Guitarist, Steinberg's The Grand 2, Steinberg's Hypersonic 2, MusicLab RealGuitar, MusicLab RealStrat, Strum Electric GS-1. For the guitar VSTi I use Guitar Rig 4 or Amplitube. I also got Antares AutoTune but that's no use for my voice as I am a muddy sounding Rock 'n' Roll singer . Good for backing vocals though.

[TheBrewer]

On my side, i mainly use Garageband with some sound plug-ins as Acoustic Legends, Real Guitar 2, Electri6ity, Omnisphere, all the Jam Packs in Garageband, Kontakt 4, strummaker. That's about it! I'm beginning, so i'm in the process of getting other plug-ins these days...

Here we go!

[CabinFever47]

I'm a REAPER user. $40 for a fully functional DAW is quite the bargain. Especially compared to DAWs that do essentially the same thing and cost upwards of $300-$500. Not the most MIDI friendly, I might add.

[Jim622]

Cakewalk - Guitar Tracks Pro 4 - around $100.00. Meets all my needs.

Jim

[Gazebo]

Still using Kristal, but have switched from Sonar LE to Reaper. Less crashes and glitches. Getting good results so far.

[LilOrange]

Well, I used Cool Edit Pro 2.1 and it was great! Unfortunately, it's out of date now and I can't record anything on it anymore ( I don't know if that is because of that). The most important thing to me (an amateur) is that it has a good sound, that it has modern, simple, user-friendly interface and that it has multitrack option, because it's easier for me to record instruments one by one, then all together.

EDIT: Cool Edit is working! Yay! I just forgot to press the R button for recording.....oops....

Edited February 3, 2012 by LilOrange

[MusicMM]

I have been using Logic Pro for over 10 years. It has really become attractive with the new low price in the Mac app store. For lyrics writing I have switched from Masterwriter to TuneSmith and Rhyme Genie. TuneSmith is a free software that makes it easy to maintain your song catalog. Rhyme Genie is a very large rhyming dictionary that works great for songwriting since it can find half rhymes just as easily as overused perfect rhymes.

http://www.rhymegenie.com

[ClaireCreekProject]

Just getting started in the selection process...... Currently looking for something simple to use until I get my feet wet. Using a laptop w/ Vista. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks, Rick

[Retrosaurus Rex]

I use and like SONAR, but if I were you, I would first demo Reaper, which has great features and price.

[Darmin Deflern]

I use Reaper 64 bit version used to use Mackie Tracktion 2 before that (for DAW's). I also use amplitube 2 a fair bit on my guitar based tracks. I do sometimes also use Slayer 2 though its fairly rare these days. I have FL but I never use it lol,

I can heartily recommend Reaper as one of the best DAW's out there. Not only that its also one of the cheapest to. It's very easy to use but is also very deep. It is also the best resource management wise as its tiny in size and takes up very small amount of system resources and memory to use. The only reason not to get reaper is if you're more into dance music and using loops etc where DAW's like reason etc may be more appropriate, or you're more familiar with the other DAW's.

Edited September 4, 2012 by Darmin Deflern

[Just1L]

I use Garageband. Came free with my computer. I don't have anything to compare it with so I can't say how good or bad it is compared to other Software other than it is very easy to use.

[pboaz]

I use Garageband. Came free with my computer. I don't have anything to compare it with so I can't say how good or bad it is compared to other Software other than it is very easy to use.

I'm a Garagebander too. Haven't bumped up against any limitations that would cause me to upgrade to Logic yet. I find the most frustrating thing is drums. I just use loops and occasional MIDI triggered drums. I plan on either buying a Jam Pack or getting EZ Drummer at some point.

I once tried a Lite version of ProTools on a PC and was most unimpressed relative to Garageband.

[henning]

I usually use Sonar 8 and Propellerhead Reason 5 in ReWire mode. For recording quick ideas Audacity does a great job. I prefer actual hardware synthesizer samples but Lennar Digital Sylenth is a crazy good VST and besides effects that's also the only VST I use.

[socsocben]

As my DAW, I use Cubase 5. As a composer more than a performer, I generally use vst instruments more than actual instruments. I hook up my keyboard and electronic drum set to my computer, and record with midi (which works fine as you can get them to sound really close to real instruments, but sadly they'll never be as good as the real thing). For my drums, I use Superior Drummer 2, and hook my Alesis DM6 electronic set to it. For piano, I hook my keyboard up to a vst called The Grand by Steinberg. I usually end up recording the bass guitar, and get someone else to record the guitar and I put them through a plugin called guitar rig 4 (sometimes, if I feel like cheating, I'll use realStrat to generate a clean guitar synth, but only for solo guitar). For orchestral stuff, I use Eastwest Quantum Leap Gold. For my synths, I usually use Massive.

As far as audio effects go, I just end up using whatever is built into Cubase that sounds good. No special plugins there other than my amp simulator =P

I'd give superior Drummer a 10/10 hands down. It is, in my opinion, the best drum vst out there. It sounds flawless. I usually end up putting the bass and snare drum through a compressor though.

The Grand is very nice for playing softly. When you wanna play faster, more upbeat things, however, it ends up sounding a bit robotic and MIDI, even after messing with the expression and effects.

Guitar rig 4 is beautiful. Nuff said.

EWQL Gold is a very nice program. Messing around with the expression and vibrato makes the instruments sound incredibly legit and beautiful. Very great for a full, powerful orchestra. I'm looking at getting Albion by Spitfire though, as I've heard nothing but good things about it. Although from what I hear, EWQL is better for the full orchestra, but the individual solo instruments sound better on Albion.

RealStrat is nice. It's about as good as guitar synths go... which isn't very good xD Guitars are next to impossible to make convincing with midi instruments. Although, when using the right effects in Guitar Rig, I can usually make a relitively convincing solo guitar. Rhythm guitar is out of the question though =S

Massive is pretty nice, but I haven't played around with it that much yet. I rarely use synths in the music I make.