I would say it all depends on what you'd like to accomplish with recording. Since you're saying you use Vegas for live recording, then a sequencer chock full of MIDI capabilities (*cough* Cubase *cough) may not necessarily be worth the money for your purpose.

Although I've seen Vegas, I've actually never tried it. Why do you want to switch to new software though, what features is Vegas lacking that you're looking for? (Or you just want a change? :lol: )

If you are on a mac, Logic is a very good way to go. Not too expensive, very good features and flexibility. And a lot of people I know like Logic better than ProTools on a mac. But I've never used Vegas so I wouldn't be able to compare sorry. And if you are on PC then I have no idea.

I have no problem tracking multiple tracks at once in Logic so you shouldn't have a problem in a live situation. IDK, that's just my .02c

So why don't you tell us a little about your situation? Operating system? Hardware capabilities (CPU, RAM)? Budget?

They've already indicated they are using Sony Vegas. It generally means they are using a PC with Windows.

For live recording, any multitrack program is perfectly adequate for tracking/recording purposes. It's only when you get into the mixing & manipulation of your tracks that the software becomes a major factor. I've been using Sony Vegas for quite a bit of multitrack camcorder video editing since it is both a multitrack audio program & a multitrack video program. You really won't find any other software quite like this for the price. Total bargain. Even Avid Media Composer isn't as proficient with audio as Vegas. It's usually coupled with ProTools to accomplish any serious audio manipulation/mixing. So unless you need to do a bunch of MIDI tracks, I wouldn't see a reason to change for the purpose of live tracking. That is unless you find something about configuring your software for recording to be problematic?

What goes into Vegas, stays in Vegas
Ms. Remy Ann David

sounds good guys. the main reason why i ask is because every time i walk into guitar center the sales reps get all bug eyed when i tell them i use sony vegas. they keep telling me to switch to cubase.

does anyone have an input on fire wire vs usb audio interface? i have both, but i barely hear a difference.

RemyRAD wrote: It's only when you get into the mixing & manipulation of your tracks that the software becomes a major factor.

explain.

is it because of the plug-ins and mixdown algorithms? or....... ??

RemyRAD wrote:
It's only when you get into the mixing & manipulation of your tracks that the software becomes a major factor.

explain.

is it because of the plug-ins and mixdown algorithms? or....... ??

By this, I think what she's talking about are the options/features available within the software to allow you to edit the mix. For example, automation. Some software packages allow you to adjust the volume/panning/other attributes in real-time, but other audio software might lack this. Others may allow you to export as an .mp3, whereas a different audio software may limit you to exporting only as .wav, .ogg, .etc. I hope I explained that right Remy, if that's what you meant :D If not, then... I'll cry :lol:

Anyway... chicity, I would recommend beginning by thinking about all the features you'd want in a recording program (eg. do I want to be able to multitrack? Do I want to use MIDI and VTS's? etc.) and narrow it down to a suitable software. About the firewire vs. usb, I've owned a few of both. I did notice a few differences between the sound quality, but then again, they were completely different interfaces :wink: firewire is generally recommended for more CPU intensive recording, as it transfers data at a significantly higher rate than USB 2.0. So if you're interesting in recording many tracks at once, I would recommend Firewire. However, USB gets the job done nicely as well, considering you don't throw too much at it (For example, on all the USB interfaces I've owned, I could record 2 tracks simultaneously with no lag whatsoever. After that was kinda pushing it)

"the sales reps get all bug eyed when i tell them i use sony vegas. they keep telling me to switch to cubase."

Stuff them. They maybe think you're using a knocked off version, but regardless, they'll want to sell you the latest version of Cubase.

There isn't any difference in sound quality between FW and USB. Its how they shuttle data to the processor. FW sends a steady stream, USB packets (as someone else mentioned.) So you can handle more tracks at lower latency over FW. I've always used firewire interfaces so I can't really vouch for the stability of USB, but I've never had a problem with my FW interfaces recording 18 tracks live for 4 hours straight in a venue I worked at.

I use Tracktion for live recording, for two reasons:

1. Big input meters mode turns the entire track lane into an input meter for any track that is record enabled. You can set your gains from the other side of the room if you need to!

2. Safe record mode locks out the keyboard and mouse until you press a specific key combo, so if you lean your elbow on the keyboard, or stand on the mouse or something, Tracktion carries on regardless.

"so if you lean your elbow on the keyboard,"

Unless you have a very odd shaped elbow...

A Cntrl + Shift + Alt + R shaped elbow...?

:shock: