Kind of a n00btastic question about VSTs... but...

Just wondering if anyone has noticed a major difference using VSTs in Ableton vs. Cubase. Looks/feel/issues/complaints... do they work and sound the same in each program?

Generally it seems people prefer on program or the other... and I'm torn between which of the two to actually purchase and this may be the deciding factor.

I LOVE the loop based aspect of Ableton... including the drag n drop ability... plus the overall ease of use. I've had the opportunity of trying it for a while.. and have to say, I'm very comfortable with it. The midi sequencing is also decent.

On the other hand, with my pieces of hardware... There probably is nothing (in the price range) that will compare to Cubase. For those that use hardware primarily, there seems to be no other choice...

So it seems that I'm leaning towards Ableton... but I was wondering about the VST capabilities... any comments?

Well you seem as if you're already leaning towards Ableton so I say just go for it. You love most of it's aspects go do it then.

quote:

Originally posted by djlogik Well you seem as if you're already leaning towards Ableton so I say just go for it. You love most of it's aspects go do it then.

It's true.. I am... but the question was.. VSTs work the same in both, right? No major differences/issues?

I don't think there could be a difference...at least nothing major...

you know what VST is? a "STANDARD" that means vst plugins behave almost the same in any host...

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quote:

Originally posted by BOOsTER I don't think there could be a difference...at least nothing major... you know what VST is? a "STANDARD" that means vst plugins behave almost the same in any host...

Excellent... Just wanted to be sure.... that's the answer I assumed and was looking for but wanted to be certain before I drop the cash for the software. Thanks!

and yes.. I'm a VST n00b... I've used Reason for several years but have only recently been producing seriously enough to invest a few grand on equipment and software. I'm learning to produce ALL over again and am realizing, I've been outta touch!

VSTs are VSTs, no matter what program you load them in. Steinberg's engine is a little more efficient than the other guys (Live, FL, and the various Logic wrappers), but that's to be expected since Steinberg invented the thing. Anyway, the difference in efficiency isn't huge, and probably won't make a difference to most people.

Based on what I've heard from friends and other producers, the biggest weakness in Ableton Live right now is routing. If you don't have complex routings, don't worry about it.

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Hey. I'll give it to Cubase for being able to load VST/VSTis pretty fast. Faster than most hosts. Like you said, Steinberg invented the entire concept so if that wasnt the case, it would be a shock that they could still be around :P.

Cheers,
Zac

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quote:

Steinberg's engine is a little more efficient than the other guys

Yes, i agree with u on that one they are the pioneers of the whole VST era !!

Also i dont like vst wrappers sitting on top of vsti`s, they always run a tad slower, Fl studio uses a VSTI wrapper for vst instruments maybe thats why the cpu usage is so high compared to cubase sx i guess.

More wrappers = more cpu cycles = more cpu usage

And yeah !

Big up to the Steinberg programming team they rock !!

Thank you for ur hard work.

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Last edited by Reactance on Nov-10-2005 at 10:08

FL implements the VST spec as a Generator plugin, which means that everything has to be translated from its native format to the VST spec - that's what brings down the overall efficiency. Ableton Live (I believe) has "native" VST support, so even though it's marginally less efficient than Cubase due to the way it's implemented, it's not really a big deal, and I think it's been improved in version 5.

I'm not entirely sure about all of that, since I'm not a heavy-duty Live user. I'll start getting into Live if I ever want to do a Live PA.

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Being a Cubase Producer and recently bought Ableton as an alternative to vinyl/CD DJing (I'd never ever switch my production-enviroment to Ableton..big LOL) I must say theres no different at all when it comes to the VSTs themselves.
However producing in Ableton is totally different, not that I've tried but u know, im using my VSTs to add more melodies and FX to my sets.

Well I've definetly fallen comfortably into Live because it's so similar to Acid (which I used for a few years back in the day). My brain seems to function best in a loop-based environment. The idea, though, is so that eventually I can incorporate it into my sets, like you mentioned. This was one of the primary reasons for even considering it.

You guys have certainly given me some great tips... I appreciate it. I think I'll move forward with the Live purchase and down the road pick up Cubase... and then run Ableton as an instrument of Cubase.

So much to buy... so little cash

quote:

Originally posted by Tygon So much to buy... so little cash

tell me about it

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