DAWs?

[nightflameauto]

I think MIDI is one of the things where maybe you start to see bigger differences between DAWs. I don't think Reaper is particularly bad for MIDI, but there are definitely FAR more MIDI-friendly options out there. And, it's worth noting that I both don't do much with MIDI besides drum programming, and first tarted using MIDI in Reaper. 95%+ of my work is in .wav audio.

I used Cakewalk for everything back in like 96-97. In some ways, it was far easier than anything available today. Of course, you couldn't do nearly as much with it, but that's progress.

I also used a sorta DAW on the Apple IIgs back in the late 80s. I've been at this garbage for a long, long time.

 

[crushingpetal]

WAY back in the day, late 90s and very early 00s, I'd use FL Studio to create percussion loops, often by loading outside samples, and then import them into... Sonic Foundry ACID for actual tracking. With my laptop of the day, and the fact that ACID was really more focused on loop-based audio, I tended to create a lot of loops for rhythm parts and whatnot and then record leads in 30 second snippets because that's about the most my laptop would be stable with.

Technology has come a LONG way since then.

That's hilarious because that's exactly my story too. Sony ACID was my first daw, and I'd use Fruity Loops for some sound generation.

I credit ACID with helping me with timing, because for a few years I would play to these perfect loops and I got super ace at nailing takes

 

[STRHelvete]

I don't know if I'm in the minority. But I'm throwing FL Studio here. I do alot of midi work and I haven't found a piano roll that can hold a candle to FL. While its mostly known for EDM and Hip-Hop and the abysmal handling of audio clips and automation is lightyears behind its competitors, the thing just works. The piano roll just works, most of the stock plugins and effects are just amazing (IL Harmor and Fruity Reverb 2) and especially with the newest version, FL 21, it rarely crashes as it used to be back then.

Still, while other DAWs can do other things a tad bit better or the same, in my DAW searching journey, I've never saw a DAW that can touch FL's Piano roll. Left click draws a note, right click erases the note and click and drag the edge of the note to shorten and lengthen the note. No shortcuts, no nothing.

FL STUDIO GANG!!

I don't have a lot of experience with other DAWs. I got FL Studio for free (pretty much how everyone is introduced to it) when I first wanted to get into recording. Sat around with it unused for a bit and when I finally got into it I just made it work. I don't get why people think you can't use it for certain types of music. Whereas, yes, I do industrial rock/metal type stuff that involves lots of samples, programming, etc...FL handles more stripped down stuff as well. With all the synths, drum samples. loops, and stuff that's in there you can do pretty much anything. I don't know if other DAWs do this, but FL Studio comes with entire song files from more well known producers who use FL studio so you can pull up the entire work file like it was your own and see how the song was made. For a studio nerd like me that is absolutely amazing.

 

[cthsqd]

I'll vote for FL as well. I've tried to work with other DAWs and found them user-unfriendly, while FL is super easy and still fully capable. Since I bought FL "producer's edition" once, they constantly release updates for free, not some minor crap but major ones, the amount of plugins included is excellent and it's simply pleasant to work with.

I suppose one can get used to any DAW after a while, so my personal advice would be - choose a DAW that's used by people with whom you may share your projects in future, and if that's not relevant - pick the one that feels convenient, and makes you want to work with it.

 

[Drew]

suppose one can get used to any DAW after a while, so my personal advice would be - choose a DAW that's used by people with whom you may share your projects in future, and if that's not relevant - pick the one that feels convenient, and makes you want to work with it.

This used to be the strongest reason to spring for ProTools, but that seems to be much less the case than it used to be anymore.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

I do a lot of midi, and wasn't primarily making rock music at the time, but I've been using Reason since v3 (not a strong recommendation as it's not primarily a DAW). I tried Reaper as a way to import bounced tracks for a while before Reason added audio, but that was cumbersome AF.

 

[Lemonbaby]

I like Studio One. A pro sounding result can be produced on almost every DAW though.

 

[HanSwolo]

But he didn't use FL Studio for Doom, I thought I saw in the videos he made he was using Ableton.

Like someone said earlier, it might be possbile he's using multiples of them. I can see in the video as well that he has ProTools and Ableton pulled up.

 

[ibenhad]

So most important question is PC/Mac? Next up is Reaper is awesome but not technically free. It's Boy Scout ware and you can use it free forever but you really should pay the meager price they ask. So finally Reaper is amazing and works on PC/Mac and or a Linux machine. It's lightweight and very easy to use and Kenny Gioia does some killer free Youtube tutorials that will help with anything you need. It also has great free VST's and amazing Themes to make it look however you would like. I have been using it for a very long time and find it amazing.

You could also try Luna if you are on a Mac as it is free and you don't need UAD hardware to run it. It is pretty slick.

 

[SalsaWood]

Reaper stock VSTs are mostly shit IMO, but otherwise it's pretty faultless. If you don't know how to produce none of these suites will help you, they all have the same capabilities nowadays.

Some may have ease of use improvements in certain regards, automation, better/worse packaged VSTs, GUI, etc., but pretty much all of them can do everything the others can. Outside of basic preference it would come down to how you want to approach production and which one lines up best with that. Just recording instruments Reaper is probably the no brainer, but if you're composing with digital instruments then something like FLS would be much more fitting. Others will work in between.

 

[Moongrum]

This thread made me want to check out other DAWs, so I downloaded a few trial versions.
Dude, FL Studio.....

This shit is so unhinged with all the windows and how they don't dock to anything The mixer doesn't quite work how I expect, either. There's a lot of fun tutorials on youtube of it, though. Seems like a lot of zoomer hyperpop kids use it, and those "how to make a xxxx type of beat"-vids too lol

 

[ThePIGI King]

I appreciate all the feedback. I did some trials, Reaper really seemed to make the most sense. I'm gonna purchase it shortly, along with GGD and maybe another little cheap plugin and try my hand at mixing a quick dirty demo.