I am just confused which software is best for Midi,i am working with pro-tools digi002 for audio but i need a good Midi sequencer and i am stuck in between cubase and digital performer..Any hints??

I'm not very familiar with cubase, so I can't comment on that, but I will give feedback on Digital Performer. I'm a keyboardist/composer, and I work with MIDI extensively. DP4 is my main sequencer (I use Reason a fair bit as well). I find DP4 to be very stable and very intuitive to use. MIDI routing is very simple, and you can easily edit any paramater within its sequence window. I've used other DAW programs before, but found DP the most easy to navigate, yet also as powerful as anything out there. Downsides: no VST support (though you can get wrappers to use VST's), Tech support is somewhat marginal (though the documentation that comes with DP is great). Upsides: easy interface, good MIDI implementation (Performer, the predecessor to DP was one of the best MIDI sequencers arround, for years), good suite of effects that come with it. Also, it does Audio Units, so as more plugins are made for that format (which Logic also uses), I'm sure the lack of VST support will become less important.

I think it's a bit hard to compare between these softwares specially if you include logic!its like comparing a mercedes,a BMW and a Audi!what do you think?cause alot of people recomended Logic,i don't know yet which one should i go for.To be honest what really interested me in cubase,its compatability with rex files and converting any audio to a rex file adapting it to any tempo.i have 2 questions though (hope i am not a pain in the ass!)you said something about wrappers to convert any vst to digital performer or something like that,how does it work?
and 2nd thing is i have been having problems with the buffer size,at some point you have to increase your buffer size to 1024 so the software can work smoothly but you always get this terrible delay!(pro-tools,dp etc..)any solution for that??

Hey there.

I use DP 4.12 and love it. It's very easy to use, and easy on the eyes too for long sessions.

One thing you might want to consider is that DP (and Logic) is Mac-only. Cubase is on both platforms, and the Mac version always lags behind the PC version in terms of performance and bug fixes.

Another thing to consider is the learning curve. DP is musician-centric and easy to learn coming from Pro Tools. Logic and Cubase are both powerful, but you have to think more like a programmer, especially in Logic.

As far as REX: You can drag and drop REX files into DP and they will stretch to whatever tempo you set. However, to make REX files, you'll still need a beat slicer like ReCycle.

As far as latency/delay: There are only two ways around it. One way is track at 64 or 128 buffer -- but you can't use too many instruments or effects.The other way is hardware monitoring: Some audio interfaces(like MOTU) allows you to monitor your record-enabled tracks directly from the hardware, instead of going round-trip through the Mac. However, you won't be able to hear any plugins, because the sound you hear is not going through the plugin path.

The way I get around all this is freezing tracks (available in DP, Logic, Cubase). I have two mixing board layouts (easy to switch in DP): One with effects, one without. I mix at 1024 with effects, then freeze everything to a stereo track, switch to the empty mixing board at 128, add some tracks, switch back to the effects mixing board, etc. DP makes this easy.

Good luck,
Pete

This post has been edited by jetcity: Sat 13 Mar 2004, 21:18

Well i guess i should consider dp and give it a try although still not familiar with it and with its capabilities,still didn't try(or exactly know)freezing tracks or openening 2 windows with 128 buffer size and another with a 1024 but i will try that.i should also try to get recycle and create rex files.Do you have any clue how or where can i download some good rex files i kind of need to update my library.
thanx
Hassan

Back the snack up boys!
Anyone, who says DP 4 is easy to use is...well...on crack.

Not that it is impossible to use, but compared to Reason,
Garageband, or any other sequencer I have used it has
a HIGH learning curve.

Granted it is VERY stable and extremely powerful, but
it's interface takes a bit of getting used to. It has
a lot of windows that handle a myriad of different
options, this alone makes learning DP4 a bit daunting.

All that said, I like DP 4 quite a bit, after several hours
of figuring out how things work. It has never crashed, has
great AU support, works with every other DAW I have and
has some great built-in effects.

But if you are using something truely simple like Garageband &
are making the leap to DP4 it can be difficult without proper training.

I just don't want people thinking that DP 4 is super easy and that
using it is second nature, because it isn't.

Why not use the MIDI sequencer in ProTools LE? You already own it with your 002 and it won't cost you a penny.

But if you insist, Cubase (in my opinion) is a VERY powerful MIDI sequencer + ReWire + VST Instruments and effects galore. It is a much more open system than DP.

td3k,

Just out of curiosity, why do you feel Cubase SX is a more open system?

Because of VST Support?

DP 4 supports Audio Units, Rewire 2.0, works with almost any hardware,
and has DAE support that enables DP 4.12 to serve as a
front end for Pro Tools systems.

I am curious as to how your feel Cubase is more open?
As I haven't used it, I am wondering if this is just your opinion
or is it based on the VST Support? Which for $70 can be added to DP 4.
http://www.audioease.com/Pages/wrapper/wra...rapperMain.html

What makes it more "open"? I am interested as I don't think Cubase supports
Audio Units yet? (even though they stated that they will eventually add that support)

http://mixonline.com/ar/audio_motu_digital...al_performer_5/

Steinberg promise a lot of things for Cubase on the Mac. Either they take forever to arrive and then barely work or they never arrive at all. Check the Mac side of the cubase.net forums and meet a very disgruntled band of users.

I like SX, but I abandoned it for Logic because there are too many errors and bugs in SX. Maybe version 2.0 is better, but I resent paying for bug fixes - that's one of the main grudges Mac users hold against Steinberg at the moment.

I'd say Logic is a very open system, too - maybe more so than DP4. It supports all the same formats and protocols, plus it'll support Apple Loops in the 6.4 update.

Rickenbacker,

Can you confirm the support of VST instruments and effects in Mac OS X using Logic?

I am very interested in giving Logic a try, but as far as VST support goes the tech specs
state the following:

Up to 64 Audio Instruments for insertion of Emagic, Audio Unit (Mac OS X) and VST2 (Mac OS 9) virtual instruments

Just trying to learn more...