Protools or Cubase?

[laulik_snowman]

I am about to start a home studio myself, and am just wondering weather I run protools or cubase at home.

I been using Protools quite a lot and I know its the interface that runs across various studios. But Cubase seems to be cheaper (including hardware interfaces + VST) and more handy to use.

So I am here to ask for any opinions for software I should run in a home situation. I do a lot of recording and a fair amount of MIDI, since Cubase is excellent for MIDI, wht is the recording aspect like?

Cheers!

[G-Style]

if your doing most of your recording in midi, then go with cubase. im not a big fan of pro tools midi at all. unless you have a tdm or something.

and for the record, cubase cost as much as pro tools. you can get a audiophile 2496 sound card and pro tools mpowered for around $350. cubase sx retails at around $600. the upgrade is around $400.

i never understood why people always say that. unless they mean, i can DOWNLOAD cubase or i have to PAY for pro tools.


im not accusing, just venting. anyway, cubase for midi.

peace!!

[MrHope]

If you don't need to be absolutely cutting edge, then you could get Cubasis VST (4 or 5). It sells for around 80 dollars, but I think you can only get it from the UK. You can find it on Ebay and from a few commercial vendors.

Those versions of Cubasis are like Cubase with fewer features. They still support VST effects, EQ, VST instruments ASIO, DirectX, automation and MIDI.

ProTools seems terrible for MIDI from my experiences. Seems like they made MIDI as an afterthought.

[fidlersound]

If you're wanting to do a pro job where your sessions can transfered to different studios or DAWs and want access to the best plugins.. You really have to go with Pro Tools. Cubase is great for midi, but the audio portion just isn't that great. Pro tools has much more flexibilty and uses and it just looks better to clients. Midi isn't great on it, but you can always use something like Reason as a plugin within Pro Tools which treats midi wonderfully. Also, you should probably use the digi002. The m-audio stuff is a little sketchy and loses communication with your computer and requires a lot of rebuting hardware...
If you are a hobbiest only, Cubase will probably do fine and save you a lot of money.

[itsplayed]

If you're wanting to do a pro job where your sessions can transfered to different studios or DAWs and want access to the best plugins.. You really have to go with Pro Tools. Cubase is great for midi, but the audio portion just isn't that great.

Sorry, but I find this to be a typical brainwashed response. Exactly what audio portion of Cubase do you find 'isn't that great'?

[fidlersound]

Sorry, but I find this to be a typical brainwashed response

I guess I've been "brainwashed" by Pro Tools' easy and accurate audio editing interface that works better than any other program I've used. I've been using digital audio workstations professionally for nearly 10 years and find Pro Tools to be the easiest to use, the most versatile multi-track system and it has the best sounding plugins available for audio.
I didn't mean to knock Cubase, (I've used Digital Performer, Cubase, Pro Tools, Sound Edit 16, Cakewalk, Nuendo and others) but the audio editing portions of those programs didn't have the ease that Pro Tools has. And again, if you want to compete in a tough market, go with the standard. Look at how many studios use Cubase for Tracking, Mixing and Audio Post compared to Pro Tools...
And of course, its not the software that you use that makes a product. Its the artist. And if all you want is to be able to record your art, use what you find easy to use and easy on the pocketbook.

Anyone, want to get in an argument about Tube pre-amps vs. Solid State? jk

[vulcan_dc]

And of course, its not the software that you use that makes a product. Its the artist. And if all you want is to be able to record your art, use what you

True... its more like what you are comfortable with, is your software.... :)

snowman, if its primarily midi, then u could also look at cakewalk home or sonar ... they rock over cubase for midi editing and stuff...



Anyone, want to get in an argument about Tube pre-amps vs. Solid State? jk

I dont know if anyone would argue... but please do write your experiences and opinions...

Welcome to AF

regards

[itsplayed]

I guess I've been "brainwashed" by Pro Tools' easy and accurate audio editing interface that works better than any other program I've used.....but the audio editing portions of those programs didn't have the ease that Pro Tools has.

Again, this is a matter of personal preference, I've used ProTools myself and I find it no better and no worse than any other interface. You make it sound as if by using ProTools your recordings will be better. Your original post was misleading and sounding as if you record with anything other than ProTools, your projects will suffer and sound worse.

[Monkey Mouse]

Most modern DAWs like Cubase and Logic all sound as good as pro tools - just that the VST programs don't have the power of DSP chips as protools. There are also a lot more plugins for protools than VST DAWs.

[itsplayed]

Most modern DAWs like Cubase and Logic all sound as good as pro tools - just that the VST programs don't have the power of DSP chips as protools. There are also a lot more plugins for protools than VST DAWs.

Agreed, but now your getting into the ProTools HD/DSP core card end of it....different story and much, much more money. I was addressing the software itself, LE in particular and there are DSP cards available outside of ProTools to help keep you off VST/CPU. As far as the amount of plug-ins goes....there are tons of VST's and VSTi's out there for DAW's. I think it would be very hard to calculate just how many there are....Independents are writing them everyday. A sampling of this can be found at kvr-vst.

[EldonJ]

In my humble opinion, I believe the reason that Pro Tools is so popular with audio production suites is mainly compatibilty with other audio production suites. And most of these facilities are using HD systems which are way beyond the budgets of everyday joes. Protools LE systems are native based just like Cubase, Sonar, Logic, Digital Performer, etc. The downside to Protools LE is that iit is hardware dependent. The upside is your Pro Tools session files can be directly imported into the "big boys" HD systems and everything will recall exactly as you had stored it. Less any absent plugins of course. But usually the reason a person is bringing a project to a pro facility is to have it re-mixed anyway. Of course if a bandmate or songwriting partner is using a certain setup then it would probably make sense to mirror what they would have whether it would be Pro Tools, Cubase, Sonar, Logic, Nuendo, Digital performer bla, bla, bla. Just go with what works for you in a nutshell. There are many, many big budget recordings done on DAW's other than exclusively Pro Tools. And let's not forget the big-buck analog multi-track tape machines. They weigh as much as a car and cost as much as a house but they still see a lot of use by major recording facilities to this day. It's all good!

[Sonic]

I use both Protools and Nuendo at work and although I've been PT Certified since the mid 90's, I prefer Nuendo.

One of the reasons I wont buy a PT rig is I don't have 10 grand and I dont want to be forced to buy dedicated hardware and plug ins that only work with that system. I have Nuendo and all my fav plugs on a 4 gig thumbdrive I carry with me so between my iloc and my thumb drive, I have my complete studio, software wise, that I can take with me wherever I go.

But I'm sersiously getting tired of hearing noobs fresh out of engineering school trying to tell me that PT is THE industry standard cause in my industry it is most certainly not.

It's all up to how much money you want to invest and how comfortable you are with the software.

[terry]

laulik_snowman

You are right about pro-tools being well known. but unless you do this as business there is no point. as far as what the rest of the posts you have read for the price point cubase sx3 or its up grade is less expensive. I believe the pro-tools they are talking about is the one coupled with m-audio which is a striped down/ water down version of its bigger brother which is no where near the same as cubase sx3 or even cubase 4.

[passerby3141]

I am a Cakewalk Sonar convert. I just got it last week version 6 producer that is. It's awesome, midi implementation is divine. I say neither, go with Sonar 6 producer if you can afford it. Plus this week 6.2 will available as a free upgrade, the list of improvements and feature additions is remarkable, including Vista compatibility, and WaveRT driver support, so the investment should be worth it for a long while.