" I like candy. Which candy tastes best?"

This is all a matter of personal preference. If you can try any of the programs that is the best way to make a decision. All of them will have a learning curve.

Garageband is deceptively simple. You can do some pretty cool stuff with it.

Most other DAWS work in very similar ways with some minor differences in workflow, hardware and plug in support.

It really ends up being a case of preference and what you can afford. Pick a DAW and commit yourself to learning it.

hueseph wrote: " I like candy. Which candy tastes best?"

This is all a matter of personal preference. If you can try any of the programs that is the best way to make a decision. All of them will have a learning curve.

Garageband is deceptively simple. You can do some pretty cool stuff with it.

Most other DAWS work in very similar ways with some minor differences in workflow, hardware and plug in support.

It really ends up being a case of preference and what you can afford. Pick a DAW and commit yourself to learning it.

i don't really agree that my question relates to your analogy of the candy.. i see it going deeper than that.

for instance:

candy = recording music
type of candy = genre of music

for instance, if somebody asked me what kind of candy they liked, i would ask them if they liked sour, sweet, chocolaty.. etc. if they liked sour: "sour skittles", sweet: "fruit by the foot", chocolaty: "twix".

same with me. "I like [recording music]. What [DAW program fits my genre] best?"

please don't get me wrong, i appreciate your input and i understand what you're saying, but i recently applied myself to learn "reason 4" and i was just told that you have to record on a separate program and then edit it on reason.. they also said that reason was more for making hip-hop and electronic beats. next on my list to learn is "logic pro 8", but i just don't want to waste my time trying to feel out a bunch of different programs to finally find one that best suits me..

..basically i was just wondering if anybody else records the same genre as me and if they can suggest a program that works best for them.

Reason is more of a plugin than a DAW. That's why you rewire it to Logic or whatever you happen to be using.

If you compare any other major DAW(Logic, ProTools, Cubase, DP) it becomes a matter of preference. Pick one and commit. You will find that most people will support the DAW that they use more. Most people start with one DAW and stick with it.

I've used Logic, ProTools, Cubase, Tracktion, Acid and Samplitude. All legal registered versions. They all work in similar ways. Logic to me is the most convoluted of the bunch. Other than that, there are more similarities than differences.

I think you are missing the forest for the trees. Most, if not all, DAW software perform the same functions. The difference is the graphic user interface and as Hueseph mentioned, the workflow. Each program has its own flavor. Your question I believe is invalid, there is no way that a person can answer that but with another question. You seem to have some experience with these programs if I read your initial post correctly, so you should know better than us what works for you. Use what feels right, it's like choosing a good woman... if it don't feel right then it ain't the right one for you.

Genre can matter if you are doing something a little less typical. But every DAW I know of will do a good job with guitars and drums. As indicated above - the key is workflow and interface. And unfortunately that's a very personal choice, so it's hard for someone to make intelligent suggestions about what someone else will like. For instance, I love the new playlist feature in ProTools8. Others are completely turned off by it. Until you see it in action you won't know how you will react. Check out videos on YouTube on DAW features and see what appeals to you.

Another important consideration: do you have friends who are into recording? Someone you can talk to who can help you out with getting to know your DAW? Local workshops, classes? A good support network is an important consideration. If your next door neighbor knows DAW X backwards and forward and some suspicious characters on the internet tell you to buy DAW Y... You know what to do.

Well, if it helps, here's my experience.

I have been using Cubase since SX1 which spans back about 6 or 7 years I think. I use it to orchestrate heavy midi music and I also use it to track bands. I run it on a PC with a MOTU 2408 Mk3 and I have no problem recording 24 tracks at a time but never really need to.

Once audio recordings are done, it seems very intuitive to me for mixing. You can open the mixer and veiw as many channels as you want while also veiwing effects, eqs, sends, and all that stuff. Opening a specific channel is a one click deal where you can then load 8 insert effects, work with the 4 band parametric graphically, assign and adjust sends etc.

You can route channels to groups if you want and then those groups to other groups too. It comes with a decent amount of built in effects, all the basics anyway and a few decent virtual instruments. I love it.

That said, I'm sure that Sonar, Logic, Digital Performer or Protools can all do about the same thing. Those are the main five that I am aware of that I would be considering. There are others out there but I'm not really familiar enough with them to really mention them as viable alternatives.

If you bought Cubase, I can guarantee that you wont be running into any major limitations other than your imagination. Hope this helps.

E

Oops, and I should mention I am currently using Cubase 4. It is however up to version 5 now.

Logic has everything you need, tryout some of the Logic tutorials at Mac Pro video.com, groove3.com and do a search on You tube there's a ton of stuff there.

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