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I see that there are a lot of Cubase users here but not too many seem to use dp.

what are the pros and cons between these two systems and what is the system of choice.
I really do not intend on using midi tracks

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Opus2000 Sat, 07/19/2003 - 09:18

I'm not sure how to go about this one IMHO.

They're two completely different programs and DP only runs on a Mac.

Personally over the years of using DP I found it cumbersome and not too friendly on how to work it. The bounce down process is too many steps, the editing desires some better features..I don't like the mixer. The MIDI is pretty straight forward. I don't like the arrange page..

Cubase is just cool. Very intuitive and flexible with some amazing editing features and Midi inserts for the MIDI tracks...

It's better to see if you can demo both of them to see which one is better for you. Everyone will have their own opinion as to which one is better but in the long run it's up to you

Opus :D

gdoubleyou Tue, 07/22/2003 - 05:56

It depends on your platform. I own both platforms and I do part-time audio/video consulting.

Due to a decline of the quality control of Steinberg products on the Mac side, I do not suggest their products for professional use by my clients. Most of their upgrades come in the form of Beta releases, so if you want to be a beta tester....I wouldn't rely on it for business. SX mac lacks features and funtionality of the PC version.
Their software currently is not optimized for dual processor Macs, and function 200% better on a PC.
System-Link is touchy on the PC side, on the Mac side it's known as vapro-link.

Also check this thread for other issues.
(Dead Link Removed)

The feature set of DP is closer to Nuendo2, than to SX.
The best feature of DP is that you get all the bells and whistles in one version, OMF support, TDM support, integrated support for MOTU hardware and surround mixing support. The newbie and the experienced pro are using the same app.

From my experience DP is a solid "Pro" app, that is used in a lot of studios as the front-end for Pro Tools hardware.

The virtual effects are higher quality, than the effects included with SX.

Currently DP's soft-synth integration is a poor multi-step process. DP4.1 slated for an August 8th brings better virtual instrument support, and TDM support to OSX.

Also Macs a currently in a transition to OSX, and plugin, and hardware driver support is incomplete.
It should settle down before winter as more companies come up to speed.

So it depends on your platform, and business needs.

I've been trying to land an audio job at Microsoft, it requires knowledge of Mac-based Pro Tools and DP.
:c:

UncleBob58 Tue, 07/22/2003 - 07:49

To each his own, said the lady as she kissed her cow...

I use DP and PT. DP is great for its MIDI functionality, Pro Tools is just the bomb for digital audio. I do most of my tracking in DP, bounce the MIDI to track and OMFI into PT for editing and mixing.

Cubase just never did it for me, Logic is coming soon...

Uncle Bob

:p:

Pez Tue, 07/22/2003 - 10:11

What G-dub said.

If you're on a PC I would check out Samplitude as well since you're not into midi. Download their demo. All these programs are pretty good. It's a matter of deciding on PC or Mac and then getting the right app that works best on that platform. Don't pay extra for features you don't need. Put some real money into your a/d converters.

PC- Nuendo, Cubase SX, Samplitude
Mac- Logic, Pro Tools, DP

even though some of these programs run on both platforms they generally run better on the one they were initially built on. So I don't recommend running Pro Tools on a PC or Nuendo 2.0 on a Mac for instance.

Opus2000 Wed, 07/23/2003 - 16:22

I just got an NFR of Samplitude and I'm a bit confused by it to be honest...I haven't spent much time on it as of yet but as soon as I do I'll be able to tell if indeed it is a way to go for some people.

At first glance it's not intuitive in any way and needs some time to learn it.

If you want to be up and running in no time with little or no knowledge of DAW applications than SX may be the way to go.

Opus

anonymous Thu, 07/24/2003 - 06:01

no, no you are wrong Opus! ok, you may have a point there... there is a bit of a learning curve and I may be a bit biased as to it's usability having been a samplitude user for a while. For me, though, the learning curve was slight and the program was extremely intuitive. the main stumbling blocks in the learning curve are the dissagreements a lot of these German companies have on naming features.

there are some aspects of Samplitude that are somewhat unique and require a different way of thinking... The object editor being a prime example. Once you dive into that you will see what a kick ass tool that is for mastering, as well as automation and adjustment of individual parts in mixing.

As an editor it really does not get much better than Samplitude in my opinion... It rocks in this respect. Remember "m" for bringing up the mixer, delve into the object editor and remember that some things that maybe should be a little more intuitive (such as adding clips of one project to the end of a clip of another one) will probably have a different set of rules than the app you are working in...

And damn... I wish I had a NFR of Samp... still stuck at 6.04...

by the way, a lot of the things in the arrange screen (the vip... damn those germans...) work exactly the same as Nuendo, ie. volume and fade-in/out handles on objects, etc...

I will be curious to hear what you think...

In the end it all comes down to workflow of the individual and personal preference... Don't forget the 7.12 patch you lucky dog...