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Cubase or Ableton?

Started by Hinfrance, September 27, 2013, 11:52:16 AM

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Hinfrance

I use Cubase, one of my best mates uses Ableton.

Both of us being oldish farts and therefore from an age of analogue multitrack recording have been through really steep learning curves (I still can't see the top of the one I'm on).

Getting Ableton Lite working was pretty easy  - it came with my Mustang 3 and has step by step interactive help. But it is very limited, and Ableton's prices look rather on the steep side to me.

I have finally got Cubase Elements 7 working, but that was struggle. It would have helped if there were clear 'how to' instructions in the manual for basic set up. The advanced stuff seems pretty well described, but the assumption even in the getting started section was that the user was familiar with DAW recording. The Amp Rack VST is very impressive and my little Behringer Xenyx 502USB mixer is doing sterling work on the in/out front. I need a better midi interface than my eBay £2.95 one, but even that is doing well at my current level of knowledge.

So, the to the point - are these two really much of a muchness, or do you have a preference? If so, what are your reasons?

Mick

H, I have to admit I've not used either of these yet, hope to try both in the near future though.  ;) Do both of these play nicely with genric sound cards in laptops / desktop PC's, or do you need a fancy sound card?
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Hinfrance

Hi Mick - I continue to make progress with Cubase. The basic manual is nearly 500 pages and there are subsidiary manuals for the VST instruments - in my case HalSonic and Groove Agent - the latter taxing my brain cell in a manner it is unaccustomed to. The VST amp rack is pretty impressive too (remember that Yamaha bought Steinberg), loads of amp modelling and effects, although I still find it easier to run guitars through the Zoom pedal in analogue mode to get the sound I want. But that is just a personal preference.

If you get a Yamaha THR then that will be your external sound card and the interface with Cubase/Ableton. What took me ages to establish is that the DAW can only talk to one ASIO or sound driver at a time. That means, for example, that if you are running an instrument into the DAW with a little Yamaha or in my case with a little Behringer USB mixer, then the sound can only come out of that same interface, unless you save the project and then reallocate an audio device to play it back (not recommended) - your computer sound card is not accessible, although, of course, you can use that as your audio in/out if you don't have a digital USB/Firewire interface.

I have since upgraded my MIDI interface, 'cos the eBay one was not reliable enough, and bought a Steinberg UR22 which is also a cracking little ASIO interface. So now I have a choice - I can use the Behringer or the Steinberg, but only one at a time. No problem really as I can only play one thing at a time anyway. Some would say even playing one instrument is a bit beyond me ;)

Hope this helps a bit!

Hinfrance

Mmmm, possibly neither . . .

Had an email chat with a Polish producer about something else entirely and he recommended Reaper. I've just downloaded the trial now, but the licence is only $60 for private or small commercial use, so I might invest in it anyway ;)

Joom

Hinfrance, I see this is an older thread, but just wondered if you ever went ahead with Reaper?  It's one of my 3 main DAWs (out of 7-8 I use sometimes), and I've always really liked it.  Just curious as to how you came out with it...
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