Home recording - PC DAW software recommendations

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So...

I've started dabbling in a bit of home recording via PC again after many failed attempts years back when i struggled with latency mainly on poor spec pc's and cheap interfaces.

Interface wise i'm using a Boss BR800 digi 8 track unit.  To be honest for the last 4 or 5 years i've used the BR800 for direct recording and just downloaded the wavs to pc and done some simple mixing for demo's etc.  

But, after a bit of experimentation and having the patience to actually learn how to use it as an audio interface i'm having loads of latency free joy and i'm willing to spend a bit of time working on some better quality recording and multitracking, hand in hand with my helix.

PLEASE REMEMBER: I'M UNDOUBTEDLY YEARS BEHIND EVERYONE HERE SO EXCUSE MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE!


So, currently using Sonar LE which is fine.  But i imagine its a little dated.

Just wondering if there is any alternatives to consider, either free, or up to £100 cost.

Is Pro Tools first any good?


All i want really is ability to have probably no more than 24 recordable tracks and some good mastering tools.

Effects wise I only really need some EQ, compression and reverbs

I'm not at the stage where i'm dabbling with plug ins etc yet, that will no doubt come in the future.  


What's a good go-to, simple to use, feature heavy package?




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Comments

  • andy_kandy_k Frets: 818
    Reaper, all you need to get as advanced as you like.
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  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    Tracktion (or Reaper) - see which workflow you prefer
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

    Feedback
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Reaper, to begin with.
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  • 3 votes for reaper, cool. Downloading it as we speak.

    for some reason I thought I was talked out of this by someone recently but I on second thoughts I think I’m getting confused with Reason. 

    Will give it a whirl. 
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  • I like Reaper. It does all I need and more than I will ever need. That's all I can say because I've never used any other DAW so I'm not qualified to make comparisons.

    It's not a competition.
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  • equalsqlequalsql Frets: 6084
    As everyone else has suggested..Reaper. It's a no brainer. Powerful, small footprint, a great community and cheap as chips.
    (pronounced: equal-sequel)   "I suffered for my art.. now it's your turn"
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  • sweavesweave Frets: 65
    Agreed - Reaper to start with.
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  • mudslide73mudslide73 Frets: 3049
    Reaper ftw. Lovely and easy but can do everything I need. Great support community also.. there's nothing I've struggled with that wasn't fixed by a pre existing forum post.  
    "A city star won’t shine too far"


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  • siremoonsiremoon Frets: 1524
    Reaper
    “He is like a man with a fork in a world of soup.” - Noel Gallagher
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  • andy_kandy_k Frets: 818
    I would advise, start slowly with Reaper, it can seem overwhelming to start with. Kenny's videos will explain anything you specifically want.
    The interface is deceptively simple, but everything -EVERYTHING, is customisable.
    First step should be to find a skin you like, and theres plenty to choose from, you arent coming across from another daw so choose something that you think will be a long term pleaser ( I am using default Commala 5, which has just the right amount of features for me )
    When you have a setup that works for you-ie, folders and busses arranged how you like-save it as a template which you can uses to dive straight in, you will appreciate that when you have opened up an empty project, and find yourself doing the same things every time before you can get anything done.
    I came from both Protools and Logic, and work mainly on a laptop so didnt like the way both of those Daws heavily rely on becoming a shortcut ninja, I find Reaper a lot more mouse friendly, but there is a never ending list of things that can be done with it, with scripts and stuff like SWS extensions.
    Sometimes it is better to not let it get too personalised, you can even install it on a USB stick to carry around with you- to work on any host PC or Mac, but everybody will have their own needs anyway.
    good luck.
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  • MusicwolfMusicwolf Frets: 3627

    The thing that I take from your post is that you appear to be going into this with the right attitude i.e. you recognise that it's going to be a steep learning curve but that you are prepared to put the effort in.

    Reaper is a good recommendation if you are starting out, not because it's in anyway feature light or a beginner package but because it is so cost effective (it is also well written to be processor friendly and, as others have pointed out, there is plenty of help out there from other users).  I have used it but I continue with Cubase because I've invested a lot of time learning it.

    If you are getting into recording then I would recommend publications such as  https://www.soundonsound.com/ .  A little daunting at first due to the amount of jargon but stick with it (articles older than 6 months are available free without subscription).

    Good luck

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  • stratman3142stratman3142 Frets: 2177
    edited October 2019
    andy_k said:

    ...First step should be to find a skin you like, and theres plenty to choose from, you arent coming across from another daw so choose something that you think will be a long term pleaser ( I am using default Commala 5, which has just the right amount of features for me )…

    It's very much down to personal taste, but I can see a possible benefit of using the default Reaper theme/skin in the very early stages, so at least the interface looks like it does in the manual and Kenny Gioia videos.

    But this is coming from someone who's used Reaper since version 1 and always goes back to whatever the default theme/skin is

    It's not a competition.
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  • Thanks for all the help and suggestions everyone.

    I had a very quick go of Reaper yesterday evening.  I think the interface and features are simple enough to navigate through.  I did a few quick tracks but noticed that it was pausing and stuttering whilst i was recording live with 2 tracks playing back.  Also, i had a bit of difficulty being able to edit and cut out bits of tracks out where there are gaps of silence.  I'm sure its simple when you know how but it wasn't an obvious fix based on what was on the screen. 

    I managed to get helix native plug in (currently trialing it for 15 days free) up and running quickly which i couldn't manage to do on Sonar LE.  

    I will be spending a bit more time on it tonight.  But generally like what i see so far.



      
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    If you don't get on with Reaper then I'd vote for Cubase Elements - £85 download. One month free trial. Steinberg has been owned by Yamaha for years now and Cubase gets better and better wit regular updates. It's fast and stable. Elements isthe entry level system that's easy to use and comes with everything a home recordist would ever need.

    Check out this video - Steinberg have lots of tutorials.






    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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  • BranshenBranshen Frets: 1222
    Thanks for all the help and suggestions everyone.

    I had a very quick go of Reaper yesterday evening.  I think the interface and features are simple enough to navigate through.  I did a few quick tracks but noticed that it was pausing and stuttering whilst i was recording live with 2 tracks playing back.  Also, i had a bit of difficulty being able to edit and cut out bits of tracks out where there are gaps of silence.  I'm sure its simple when you know how but it wasn't an obvious fix based on what was on the screen. 

    I managed to get helix native plug in (currently trialing it for 15 days free) up and running quickly which i couldn't manage to do on Sonar LE.  

    I will be spending a bit more time on it tonight.  But generally like what i see so far.



      
    Momentary pausing and stuttering is called "audio dropouts". the first few things to check are your audio driver (make sure you are using the latest ASIO driver available for your device) and make sure the buffer size is high enough. 
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  • markvmarkv Frets: 459
    edited October 2019
    The official videos have been mentioned a couple of times - hopefully you've already found them via the Reaper website but if not, Kenny Gioa's videos are an excellent start and this playlist takes you through things from the beginning: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM0xHqxaiT6926riNPAQ3kdy7ROE2K-F4

    If you're a complete beginner like I was then they were a bit light on the very very basics because I think there's a bit of an assumption that you've used a DAW before to some extent, but a bit of reading around helped with that.
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  • equalsqlequalsql Frets: 6084
    Here's a useful guide for optimising your pc.
    https://www.cantabilesoftware.com/glitchfree/
    (pronounced: equal-sequel)   "I suffered for my art.. now it's your turn"
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  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    regardless of DAW and PC optimisation, it's worth learning about gain staging.



    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
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  • BodBod Frets: 1286
    Fretwired said:
    Cubase gets better and better wit regular updates. It's fast and stable. 
     I like Cubase a lot, but sadly that's not my experience.  I use C10 Pro and it's riddled with bugs, some of which have been there for a couple of major version releases.  I really wish they'd put some serious effort into fixing them instead of chucking new half-arsed features in - ie ARA, poor HiDPI implementation,etc.  They're very much guilty of only fixing things in the next paid upgrade too.

    Sorry OP - mini-rant.  It bothers me :)
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  • FretwiredFretwired Frets: 24601
    Bod said:
    Fretwired said:
    Cubase gets better and better wit regular updates. It's fast and stable. 
     I like Cubase a lot, but sadly that's not my experience.  I use C10 Pro and it's riddled with bugs, some of which have been there for a couple of major version releases.  I really wish they'd put some serious effort into fixing them instead of chucking new half-arsed features in - ie ARA, poor HiDPI implementation,etc.  They're very much guilty of only fixing things in the next paid upgrade too.

    Sorry OP - mini-rant.  It bothers me :)
    You must be a power user then ..works a treat for me although I probably only use 50% of the functionality.

    Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
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