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What Makes Your DAW Great for EDM?
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| cryophonik |
First, let me say that this is not meant to be another “which DAW is teh best?” thread. Obviously, things like workflow, intuitiveness, and cost are important factors for any DAW, but I do think that it could be helpful for EDM producers looking to buy a new DAW, or newcomers to EDM looking for their first DAW, to have a basis of comparison, as it pertains specifically to EDM. Obviously, we all know that you can make EDM with any DAW, but each DAW comes with particular features or tools that are very useful for EDM, while maybe lacking in other areas. Anyway, I hope this doesn’t turn into another DAW war, but I would like to know what features make your DAW great for EDM, and maybe even where you think it could use improvements, or features/capabilities that you wish it had (again, as it pertains to EDM).
Since Sonar has long been my host of choice, I’ll start with that:
Step Sequencer – I love this feature. Not only is it a nice feature for a DAW to have, Cakewalk put a lot of thought into its implementation and it’s far from being another robotic/static sounding SS. It has a lot of humanizing/randomizing features that go far beyond what a simple swing adjustment offers. I use it for sequencing drums (e.g., with Battery 3), bass lines, and arps. Another cool thing about it is that it automatically generates a Groove Clip (see next bullet) for each sequence that you create.
Groove Clips – These are Sonar’s name for tempo-synch’ed (“acidized”) audio or MIDI clips. I’ve used a lot of DAWs over the years, but I’ve never encountered one that implements this function as quickly and cleanly. Highlight/select a clip and hit CTRL-L. Done. The audio or MIDI clip gets stretched to match the tempo and becomes loop-able – just grab one of the edges and drag it out for as many times as you want it to repeat without having to deal with copy/paste, or tell it to keep doubling, etc. And, you can easily make linked or unlinked copies of it – linked copies will reflect any changes that you make to one instance of a clip across all other linked instances of it, whereas unlinked clips are used for making a new variation of a clip without applying those changes to the original clip.
Bundled Synths – The Producer version comes with several synths, including Z3TA+ and Rapture LE, both great synths for EDM (although the full version of Rapture is much better for EDM and well worth the upgrade). That said, Z3TA’s been around a long time and we get it over and over with each paid upgrade, so I wish they’d either give that synth a major overhaul, or consider including a newer subtractive synth.
Matrix View – Yup, it’s a blatant ripoff of Live’s Session View and Cakewalk doesn’t pretend that it’s not. In most ways, it’s not as good as Live’s SV, but it’s got a few little features that Live doesn’t and, unlike Live’s SV, you can view Sonar’s Matrix and Track views simultaneously. So, it’s still a very usable feature for composing or arranging on the fly and hopefully they continue to improve it. TBH, I don’t use it much, but it’s nice to have, particularly for EDM producers who like to think/work non-linearly, or just want to ad lib with some loops/one-shots.
Instrument Definitions - These are files that are used by Sonar to read the presets or MIDI CC's for outboard gear. Cubase has a similar feature called Instrument Panels and a few other DAWs (e.g., Pro Tools) do as well. Anyway, of all the similar features I've seen in other DAWs, Sonar's InstDefs are the easiest to create, use, and modify/customize IMO and they're a real time-saver if you work with hardware synths because they let allow you to easily tell Sonar which MIDI parameters are available for automation and to easily call up any patch by name. It makes automating and patch recall as easy (if not easier) as working with soft synths. |
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| tehlord |
I'm going to just answer the topic title.
Because I know exactly what i'm doing with it. |
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| Kysora |
Because 80% of my time spent writing music involves writing chords, melodies, harmonies, etc. and FL's piano roll is extremely easy to use with just a mouse. It's all I really need and it gets the job done, extra features are probably things that would neither streamline my method of producing or improve my music in any noticable way.
That being said if I ever wanted to writing anything other than uplifting trance there are probably better options out there. Just not for me at the moment. |
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| Beatflux |
| I know it so well I don't have to think about its features to get things done. |
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| Zombie0729 |
| quote: | Originally posted by cryophonik
Groove Clips – These are Sonar’s name for tempo-synch’ed (“acidized”) audio or MIDI clips. I’ve used a lot of DAWs over the years, but I’ve never encountered one that implements this function as quickly and cleanly. Highlight/select a clip and hit CTRL-L. Done. The audio or MIDI clip gets stretched to match the tempo and becomes loop-able – just grab one of the edges and drag it out for as many times as you want it to repeat without having to deal with copy/paste, or tell it to keep doubling, etc. And, you can easily make linked or unlinked copies of it – linked copies will reflect any changes that you make to one instance of a clip across all other linked instances of it, whereas unlinked clips are used for making a new variation of a clip without applying those changes to the original clip.
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i remember sonar's groove clips when they first came out in 4? it was a bit clunky then but the right idea. when it comes to loops though, ableton is the win, you drop it in the arrangement, it's usually already warped and looped and ready to go. you can move the start market creating different groove ideas and you can adjust the volume/pitch/pan/million other things in the clip and it can loop infinitely.
do all the other DAW's (fruity, cubase, etc) have a clip view like ableton?
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| J.L. |
I enjoy FLStudio because of it's pattern based sequencing and how it is integrated with the step sequencer and the piano roll which is intuitively easy to use.
If I have a repetitive element, like a 4/4 kick, I don't have to redraw it a million times. I just create the pattern and just draw it out over the track.
Also, with the sequencer, I have a very big view of the entire project, and I can arrange samples.
I like to automate, and I find the ability to right click and automate any parameter very useful. Also, tools like formula controller, peak controller and other things allow you to do crazy things like sidechain a signal into the cutoff frequency of an delay. It does force you to work a certain way, but once you get used to it, it's pretty efficient.
The only thing I wish I could do was to automate a VST effect/instrument by right clicking directly on top of the interface. Right now, I have to open up a list of parameters in order to automate, but it's not a huge deal.
Finally, free lifetime upgrades are pretty good.
I would say most of the bundled sample packs and some of the instruments with FL are pretty crappy, but with a proper library of samples and VST's, FL allows me to be very creative. |
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| Rodri Santos |
Fl studio. Is so easy to use that even the hard things look easy.
End of the story. |
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| ken_lee |
| it supports mp3 now. helps alot. |
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| DJ Robby Rox |
Well only because I see a bunch of FL Studio comrades I might as well help suffocate the thread with more reasons.
To be honest I don't think it matters that much how easy something is to do in a sequencer. I think there is a much more abstract connection overall that binds a user to a specific sequencer.
I've used Ableton and Reason before, and they're all fairly simple to use imo. Its not really what I thought was best for EDM but there was always 1 or 2 points that just ruined it for me.
For Reason I wasted entirely too much time playing with innovative new routing techniques rather than focusing on getting an actual project together. Then when it came time to put a project together its sequencer is a nightmare to use. It wasn't so bad in 2.5 but once 3.0 came out I basically said reason as it was too "in the box" for my tastes, and having never used vsts I was curious to see what they sounded like.
So my first reason NOT to use Reason for EDM is obviously it doesn't support vsts. Malstrom sounds good, subtractor can do some beautiful bass, redrum is ing rocking and I still rewire just for subtractor and redrum, but overall I found reason lacking in too many ways. From a terrible piano roll, to routing ADD, to the fact that in order to get a "hi-end vst sound" I always had to layer a ton of malstroms of subractors. It sounded to thin and flimsy w/out massive use of combinator, and it quickly became too much work for too little result.
A little bit before I stopped using Reason a music teacher friend of mine told me to check out FL Studio. I knew NOTHING about sequencers back then and find it odd today that such a formal professor type of guy would recommend a little "kiddy program" for music. But FL Studio really does a lot of things. And the things that it doesn't do aren't things that are really all that important. I mean sure they need to fix their ing delay compensation in the mixer so I don't have to guess numbers, but its something I can deal with. I've learned much easier ways of compensating by slowing down tempo and snapping off cell and literally placing patterns exactly where they need to be vs just placing them on the lines of each cell. Rather then guess ms its so much easier to hear and adjust that way for me.
Also FL Studios updates are like a free christmas present every time they update. And their latest few updates have been great. I always look forward to what new fx I'll be getting or what they changed in the program to make things run smoother.
As far as Ableton its easy yes, I love some of the native plugins more than FL, and it also seems to have some options FL does not. But still, the interface in general puts me to sleep. Its boring, sterile, and cold. You can say FL Studios is kiddie like, but its just a canvas of cells really, and everytime I look at it I think "lets create", when I look at Ableton I just get turned off for some reasons. I'm trying to write this report w/out getting into an "option war" if anyones noticed. And one thing thats always pissed me off is the long term members here who piss on FL Studio.
"Its written in delphi ZOMG you can't do thattt it breaks the daw rule code of conduct!" So what?
So you're delphi literate now? Who gives a what code/language a programs written in? Mostly any program on a pc is going to act unstable in someway so don't give me any about it being more buggy as I've heard and seen enough complaints in plenty of other programs.
As far as the gay cartoons in FL ok I can't really argue for that but I just get sick of how people sometimes perceive FL on here. I don't think it was made to be a serious industry standard program, but that doesn't mean the user is any less serious about how the approach their music in it. FL gets a lot of dirt but the fact is A LOT of people use it. I've had my issues with it myself but I'm now planning on using it untill I die lol. I just know where everything is in it and it would seem very unwise to switch to another sequencer just so I can appear more serious to other artists. that, Fl makes plenty of serious music and if I have to see kit take another cheap shot at it I'm going to reach through my computer screen and strangle him... or DJ Rann for that matter lol.
But no I'm sorry lets keep this civil, love you all. :happy2: |
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| cryophonik |
To clarify, I'm not asking about how easy a DAW is to use or whether or not you like its workflow - those topics have been discussed to death, beaten with a stick, and shat upon ad nauseum. :whip: :)
I'm asking you what specific features or capabilities in particular do you think give it an advantage over other DAWs specifically for creating electronic dance music. J.L., Anthony, Robby, and Kysora pretty much nailed what I was looking for. |
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| tehlord |
| quote: | Originally posted by cryophonik
To clarify, I'm not asking about how easy a DAW is to use or whether or not you like its workflow - those topics have been discussed to death, beaten with a stick, and shat upon ad nauseum. :whip: :)
I'm asking you what specific features or capabilities in particular do you think give it an advantage over other DAWs specifically for creating electronic dance music. J.L., Anthony, Robby, and Kysora pretty much nailed what I was looking for. |
I'll have to pull you up on that one Dave.
For me, the Cubase workflow IS it's best feature for me as i've failed miserably to get to grips with every other DAW despite trying.
Seeing as your initial post is about what newcomers might look out for it's probably worth pointing out that your own compatability with the way it does things probably has more impact on the resulting music than any of it's other features. I'm not sure you can separate one from the other.
If I were to point towards one actual feature of Cubase that worked for me it would be it's linear arrange page (that I believe Sonar shares?), and it's inclusion of midi and audio clips (fully editable) all on one logical screen. Seems an obvious way to do things for me. |
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| ken_lee |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJ Robby Rox
For Reason I wasted entirely too much time playing with innovative new routing techniques rather than focusing on getting an actual project together. |
i can completely imagining it, you sitting there thinking "what if i plug this cable in here? wtf just happened? oh no, feedback, my ears!" then plugging out the computer powerchord lol. just like the 16 instances of zeta for a baseline, im gonna use that against you for all eternity lol. |
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