Just Switched To Mac, What Sequencer Should I Use?, Cubase SX? Cubase SL? MOTU DP? Protools? Options

[Kyle]

Hey everybody. I just recently switched from a PC to my wonderful new PowerMac duel 1.25GHz G4. While on PC I used Cakewalk Pro Audio 9 and Sonar for all my recording/sequencing. Now that I'm on a mac, what should I look into? I seem to have noticed that the big players are Protools 6, MOTU Digital Performer, and Cubase. Any others I should look into? Thanks in advance.

[rickenbacker]

I think that if you can, you should really have a taste of the contenders before to decide. If you're a bedroom user, some interest of the pros won't appeal to you, but ease of use will be the main thing. And each seq has its strongholds.

Exactly. If you're lucky enough to get to try as many as possible before buying so you can figure out which one you like best, that's the only way to do it. They all do more or less the same thing and each has its own little "specials".

It seems to be that the first thing you start with is what you carry on with. Saying that, I started using Logic last summer and now prefer SX. Never used Cubase before that, so SX is my first impressions of Steinberg's work and I like it a lot. I'll probably end up using both for different songs - more for the fun of it than any particular reason.

Some say Logic's internal FX are better than those in Cubase, mainly because they have to be, what with not supporting VST and all. Steinberg can rely on third-party developers specialising in reverbs, delays, soft synths etc to expand the Cubase experience. Logic pretty much have to do it all themselves. Good thing/bad thing? You get less choice, but what they do, they do very well.

I have absolutely no opinion of Digital Performer, apart from the fact that people who use it are generally passionate about it - and that's a good thing!