best recording software?

The Freeman

right, so i am just getting in to using my pod xt live i picked up and want to take full advantage of the recording aspect on it, so basically i'm looking for the best software to


1. record my tracks that i make on the pod

2. to edit them

3.use it to layer tracks also

ease of use would be imperative also, now i've been reading on other forums and checking reviews and the 2 main contender would be adobe audition 2.0 and Steinberg Cubase.

only thing with cubase is its supposadley fairly complicated and tedious to use at times but the quality is superb, the adobe audition is easy enough to use but the quality isin't as good as the cubase.


i would be also love to make my own drumbeats too as regards to paying for a backing tracks etc.(i haven't got a chance to fully check this out but fruiyloops springs to mind)but if any of ye recommend anything for that too that would be great.;)

TelePaul

come to the Recording, Mixing and Pro Audio forum and you'll get alot of help. My money would be on Cubase though.

jimi_t

Why complicate things - just get Audacity! It's free and will do everything you require

Karl Hungus

Moved.

jimi_t wrote:

Why complicate things - just get Audacity! It's free and will do everything you require

Agreed, Audacity is a very handy program.

Paligulus

Havn't tried Audacity but Adobe Audition is very easy to use and has a lot of functionality. But if want to create drumbeats then your gonna need Midi support, which Audition dosn't have. If its definately your intention to use midi (i.e. create drumbeats) then just go for Cubase. Even though its tricky enough to get used to, you'll save yourself the pain of having to switch DAW's later on (speaking from experiance here!!!). Also, it seems to be a lot easier to find info and tips and tricks about using Cubase than Audition on the web.

TelePaul

Cubase is really in another league.

The Freeman

TelePaul wrote:

Cubase is really in another league.

i'm sure it is telepul and thanks , but i want to run my fingers through the water before i jump in so to speak, i was just reading up on the audacity and it seems like a handy little program and free too of course so i think i'll start off with that

from ye'r experience what would ye reccomend for a sampling software, its for creating drumbeat tracks, basically my own backing racks (and maybe even baselines )

DublinWriter

Do Protools still let you download just the software portion of their product for free?

Protools seems to be the solution that's most widely used professionally.

QuadLeo

Audacity is the way to go. It has everything you need and is free too!

TelePaul

If you want free, go with Reaper. It smokes Audacity and Crystal and is ight up there with Cubase. Theres an unlimited free trial, and the real thing is only $40.

http://www.cockos.com/reaper/features.php

As for the midi, you coud go to KVR audio and search for Drum VSTis. You'll be able to find somehting there, and you could also google free drum loops if you want to use .wav not Midi. Off the top of my head, Drumatic is a decent enough drum machine.

The Freeman

QuadLeo wrote:

Audacity is the way to go. It has everything you need and is free too!

excellent thats that sorted

would any of ye recommend 'fruity loops' as a sampling software(a software that processes synth, keyboard, drum sounds etc. and can be easily transferred to the audicity) or is there something on the market thats better these days than that?

TelePaul

The Freeman wrote:

excellent thats that sorted

would any of ye recommend 'fruity loops' as a sampling software(a software that processes synth, keyboard, drum sounds etc. and can be easily transferred to the audicity) or is there something on the market thats better these days than that?

Fruity loops is a pretty cool 'all-in-one' package.

eddyc

There is so much good software around nowadays its pretty hard to put your foot wrong, I'd suggest downloading demos of all the major releases , like Ableton live, cubase , sonar, etc..... and just see which one is right for you.
I knew a bloke who made an EP with windows sound recorder and fruityloops 3, and it was incredable

eddyc

It was this dude http://www.myspace.com/3bor

squibs

A couple of comments:

I would not agree that reaper is up there with cubase - it's got all the basics, but cubase buries it with features and is a stable app based on an established midi/audio engine. Reaper is an outright winner at it's shareware/freeware price point, and will suit many for their entire recording careers, but cubase and reaper? Apples and oranges...

When considering Cubase, look at Sonar too. Many industry pundits think that Cakewalk caught up with Steinberg with this release. I use it myself, so maybe I'm biased - but I find it as powerful and more intuitive to use.

Theres no such program as fruity loops. It's called FL Studio (and has been for years). I also own this one (producer edition V7). It is very powerful, and great for electronic music, but anybody will tell you it's fiddly for audio recording purposes, and a little quirky and tough to figure in general. It was made as a midi-only drum machine in v1, and bits were bolted on as time progressed. Also - it's programmed in Delphi, and Delphi apps never seem to look/behave like regular windows apps. Love the power, hate the interface. I usually use it as a VSTi host in Sonar if I need to mix FL with audio recording.