iNate

The preview performance in this version is basically the same as 18, which is basically the same as 16. I refunded this and will upgrade SpectraLayers Pro, instead. I can use VP18 in the same way and for the same reasons, and I will not really be missing anything of note from this version - except more overbearing sheparding towards VEGAS Hub and stuff like that. Plus, VP18 integrates with the Humble Bundled HitFilm Pro 16, so there is also that benefit, in case I need it (e.g. for Mocha Tracking, etc.). The VST3 support is quite nice, but I am tired of eating costs for upgrades that aren't really worth it at all... so I'm clamping down and asking for my money back (which they happily obliged). Nice price, but just doesn't deliver enough. I think they're kind of screwing themselves by giving it away, particularly given how laggard the development pace for this software is.

Buy a 2TB Crucial PCIe 4 NVMe drive for $85 and just install everything. Put it in a cheap enclosure and just install to that. Use what you want to use when you have need of it. If you have a desktop, you can just add a 2TB SATA3 SSD, label it "Native Instruments" and dedicate that drive to their stuff so you have room to accomodate any future releases you acquire. You don't really need NVMe, unless you're using it externally, so you can saturate a 10Gb/s USB 3.2 port (or Thunderbolt). Needs can change, so whether you use a specific instrument today can change in 4-6 months (we all say and think it never will 😉). It's annoying to have to download multi-GB libraries on-demand when you figure you have need for it. Also, if you collaborate with anyone else, they may use things that you don't use, so having it there and ready for when you have to open a project file that uses the library or instrument is useful. As for why the Violin and some other instruments weigh a lot... It's because they're actually trying to deliver good quality instruments that are usable up and down the market. Ripping out Mic Positions, Round Robins, Dynamic Layers and Articulations just so it can stay under 5GB (or whatever) is not the route to that destination. All premium orchestral instruments weigh a lot, unless you're using a Lite SKU of the product - where those aforementioned things are done to create disparity with the Pro SKU. Compare the size of BBCSO Core (~20GB) to BBCSO Pro (~700GB). Or Session Horns/Strings to Session Horns/Strings Pro. Or Symphony Essentials (~19GB Total) to Symphony Series: Collection (~167 GB Total). That is how this all works. There is no Cremona Quartet Essentials. The only instruments that exist are those that would fall into the Pro SKU. They're heavy libraries, but making them lighter would actually decrease the value of them... so in the end you probably wouldn't want to install it for that reason if that were done. Komplete isn't designed to have everything appeal to everyone, anyways. It's designed to have enough that appeals to any one person to justify investing in the bundle. There are tons of Expansions that I will probably never use because they are Genre-Targeted and I don't produce e.g. EDM, Trance or Drum & Bass music. Get more storage while the prices are heavily depressed. Prices have a way of rebounding at the most inopportune times 😛

Humble Bundle is usually 2 versions behind. New version probably on the horizon. That's usually how MAGIX does things. EDIT: Would also add that at this price the Edit version is probably worth the upgrade, especially if you use VEGAS Pro 18 (or prior) and plan to sit on it for a while (or never upgrade beyond it - VEGAS is a decent NLE to have for low spec/older machines that cannot run other software that well) because the VST3 Support is kind of worth it. I'm probably going to get it to put on my Windows Notebook, and then move my Resolve Studio License over to my MBP. I will never upgrade it again, though, since this is likely the last PC Laptop that I will ever own (technically the M1 Pro MBP was an upgrade, but I still use both). If I ever have to travel and there is a legitimate risk of theft, damage, etc. to my laptop I will just take the PC since it's disposable, at this point, and use VEGAS on it for Video Editing.

Sonic SE 3 is out of development and unsupported. It was replaced by Sonic 7. Sonic 7 is free. Its the default for all SKUs of Cubase and Dorico. Flux was not updated.

Everything I look for is in a standardized area of the registry. It has been this way since Windows 3.1x. You're projecting the issues with the INI system onto the registry, where you didn't know if the INI file was in the Application, User or Windows Directory. And where application settings were often left vulnerable to changes from other processes with no security measures in place. Honestly, if someone is that bad with pattern recognition, there is nothing Microsoft can do to mitigate their issues with the Registry.

Windows has nothing to do with bad ASIO drivers, though... Higher end equipment will have less stable WASAPI drivers because less effort will be put into them. The users buying that hardware also won't be focusing on testing the WASAPI support, so any issues there tend to be underreported (if reported at all). It has nothing to offer them. Most of the lower end audio interfaces are class compliant, anyways. WASAPI is nice on laptops for mobile use, but I've found lots of laptops have speakers tuned for multimedia use and are terrible when used for this, and the headphone jacks aren't shielded that well. I have 5 consumer interfaces here and none of them actually need a driver for Windows Audio support. They're all class compliant. You plug them in and they just work. The ASIO drivers are where the problems tend to crop up. Focusrite Scarlett had chronic buffer underrun issues that they didn't fix for a long time until they finally implemented a safe mode in their driver, which increases RT Latency. Ancient hardware has a habit of not working on platforms they are literally decades newer than it. And some audio software only supports ASIO, so there's no way to avoid it on Windows unless you severely limit yourself there. Others only support legacy audio support (as Windows applications tend to lag the platform - on average - due to the existence of ASIO).

It's less that it's poorly designed and more that I don't personally like its design, and putting in free work to change what are actually the less-offending areas I find isn't worth it. Other products at the same price point do not have those requirements, and I need to be able to stand looking at the software I spend 6-9 hours a day using.

Except you're wrong? Registry has a standardized organization.

The great thing about dongle is that your license is a physical product that you actually own. They're not the most convenient devices, but owning Cubase 11 on a Dongle is no different than owning an MPC One or a MacBook Pro. If Steinberg dies and shuts down their servers, I will still be able to simply plug it in and run the software. eLCC doesn't need their servers to validate a dongle license. I reckon iLok would work similarly.

It doesn't. Basically just installation status and install locations. I've looked at this myself. Wi does doesnt use PLIST files. The Registry is where this stuff goes. Do we really want to go back to tens of thousands of .INI files scattered across the system? Maybe time has erased the memories of how awful that was. The FUD in this thread is a bit out of control, LOL. Also, if you have Replica XT and Supercharger GT then there is literally no point in installing Replica or Supercharger. The other versions are a superset, and render them redundant. That's why Replika is in Komplete Standard, but only Replika XT is in Komplete Ultimate/Collectors.

I have personally not seen this. Usually it is less "audio interface driver incompatibilities" and more along the lines of "your interface's ASIO driver is crap, and is being exposed." But frankly I think Microsoft needs to put more work into Pro Audio so that we can divorce ourselves from dependence on ASIO drivers - or at least start to. ASIO driver bugs can masquerade as DAW bugs or even OS bugs, and can be incredibly hard to troubleshoot (moreso when it looks like something other than it is - like if only specific software is crashing with the driver selected).

Windows 7 is not a viable gaming platform, unless you only play legacy titles from GOG or something. It's dead for AAA gaming as those are increasingly web-connected and it is negligent to support a dead platform when your users accounts/data/etc. are put at risk due to unpatched exploits racking up on that platform. It makes no sense. Microsoft is not going to go back and patch Windows 7... not for consumer gaming. That would be one step forward and two steps back. Besides, new hardware increasingly requires newer Windows OSes, so the people still on Windows 7 likely aren't really in the target market of any new games being released. ----- Also not sure what the OP is referring to. Sounds like a conspiracy theory.

Others on the forum have asked for video editing features, so I'm referring to that. Basic video support is a given. Being able to move a video clip is kind of expected for working to video.

The Object Editor can be expanded to different sizes, including one that shows everything on one screen. Umm, it can be undocked and moved to wherever you want it. The problem with your suggestion is that it is too isolated to a niche personal preference. For most people, it will increase the number of button presses or clicks while setting up projects because they will constantly have to exit out of the text field when adding tracks. That involves either clicking out of it or an additional <ESC> button press. In most DAWs the add track dialog allows you to specify the type of track as well as the number of tracks to add. Simply adding a track via a mouse gesture (like double clicking in the track header section) adds an unnamed track of the last type explicitly created. That's the assumption I run with 😛 I have Studio One 6 Professional and there is a pretty sizable feature disparity in Studio One's favor when compared to Cakewalk - in the realms of both audio and MIDI. I've always held the belief that Cakewalk would have been [in 2018] where Studio One is [now] had they kept focus on developing the core product instead of bundling plug-ins, sample packs and virtual instruments. Most people who have gone there won't be itching to come back. Cakewalk is more comparable to the Studio One Artist SKU, at this point. I know it's cliche, but REAPER is not my cup of tea because I can't stand looking at it, and theming doesn't do enough to remedy the chronic lack of design effort being put into that application. And I don't think editing video should be that important in music production/composition software. Basic Video support is good enough, for those composing to video.

Updated Components: Padshop 2 - v2.2.0 (Instrument) Content Set Patches Granular Guitars MPE Sounds Padshop Padshop 2 (Content) Padshop (Factory Content) Zero Gravity Padshop 2.2.0 Version History: Library Files likely updated to work better with the new MediaBay browser system. (???)

Yea. I responded largely to this to explain why MAGIX has set up that DAW with redundant ways to accomplish things, and it kind of got derailed. That is why I made my [previously] final response and didn't bother responding beyond that. It wasn't the actual point of my response to the other person I responded to. They just tunnel visioned on some less important details and took it from there, completely ignoring the overarching point I was trying to get across. ----- I think the Track Folder thing is a complete non-factor and automatically putting the user in an active text field feels like a bad idea. Sometimes, when building a template and setting up a project, you are creating multiple different types of track in quick succession. Having to <ESC> out of a text field simply because you created a folder before creating more Audio and/or MIDI Tracks to put in it will feel awful - practically speaking. That sounds like a great idea, but it isn't. The minute something like that launches, dozens of people will show up here wondering who asked for this, and why anyone thought it was a good idea to put it in the application [as a default]. I think if the folder is created from a key bind, it should just appear in the arranger with a template name, but there should also be a menu option that pops up a dialog that allows you to create a folder and set things like Track Color and Name from there. That's how many DAWs handle new track creation, anyway. Maybe setting it as an option that is off-by-default is a decent compromise, but even that seems like a waste to me.

I am not sure what Crucial's track record is with their external drives, but my 1TB Samsung T5 has almost 95% Endurance after 2.5 years of use, and I've copied a LOT of data onto that drive. My guess is you can probably get a good decade or more out of it, assuming relatively normal usage and no defects that affect its lifespan.

Speaking for myself. I don't. I uninstall and move on. There are material risks in continuing to use it in projects. This is especially true if you don't have a good system for stemming things out and archiving the audio. If you rely primarily on your ability to access Archived DAW Project Files, then it's a good idea to simply cease using out of development products.

All in all, most [Edit:] DAWs in the "Professional" market segment have vast overlap in feature set, so the fact that it's a "complex piece" of software is a complete non-factor. This applies equally to all DAWs - even the simpler choices on the market. If there is a widely held sentiment among people who try the software that it is "clunky" (whatever that means at that point in time to that particular person), than that is something that warrants investigation. Telling users to educate themselves isn't going to work, because they have too many viable options available and it is often easier to download trials and choose a competing product that delivers less "onboard friction" for that user than to wade through a Reference Guide - or post on a forum/subreddit and stalk for replies. That was the prevailing point of my reply to you. Most people will bias to the software they use, so you're preaching to the choir when you say that. The users who are delivering those opinions and choosing competing products are generally not going to come here to read that. The software has to do that for itself, by delivering the best possible user experience it can to those users. With the software going commercial again, this will be even more important in the future.

Neither am I, but when you say: Why should I not question it? Cakewalk doesn't have Clip/Object Automation, Lol. It doesn't have anything like Samplitude or Cubase's Crossfade Editor - though I simply stated that it would be nice if it got something like Cubase's (which isn't as good, but very serviceable). No button can fix the Staff View sync issues. The thing about the object editor wasn't about whether or not you could "actually" do this in Cakewalk. My point was that clicking on an object and having all of that there and directly accessible is actually a faster way to work than going through menus and eyeballing things in the arranger. It's a matter of workflow efficienicy, not literal "functional capability." Quoting myself: No, you cannot change the type of fade curve in Cakewalk with "One Click" or "One Button." You can't adjust the time stretching for a clip as quickly as in the object editor. You cannot change the degree of a fade as easily or as quickly - or as precisely as the object editor. Yes, it can all be done, at least mostly... but it won't be done as quickly or as easily. That is why the Object Editor exists in that application. Otherwise, they'd have just done it the way most other DAWs do it. None of that (specifically, on that sub-topic) was stated as a condemnation of Cakewalk. It was stated in reply to that post to explain why the object editor existed with those controls despite the fact that Samplitude has had a dedicated Crossfade Editor and has allowed editing fades in the arranger for decades - and the fact that those controls can be access elsewhere (via [context] menus, hotkeys, etc.). Samplitude Pro X has its own issues, and MAGIX is very aware of what I have to say about them 😛 The person upthread is using Samplitude Pro X4 as an example, but you couldn't even get 60 FPS UI performance when scrolling a decently-sized project with lots of objects in it. You'd be lucky if you got 30 FPS scrolling performances in that version of Samplitude Pro X, Lol. They didn't really [actually] fix that until Pro X6.

So, I can send a only the portion of audio in the clip on the timeline to an external editor without bouncing the clip to its own audio file first? EDIT: Just checked. Answer is no.

My comments about weird implementation of features is not exclusive to the issue that I listed. That was just something I brought up - chiefly - in response to another post from another user. There are other areas of workflow that simply make Cakewalk not worth using for heavy audio editing, so I stopped using it for that a long time ago. It's literally why I got Samplitude Pro X at all, and that's the only thing I use that software for - the music design work I do for sports/athletes (100% audio editing)... In that realm, the Object Editor and Crossfade Editor are "Killer Features."

No, I'm just grabbing the clip and dragging it over. And it breaks off. Dragging a clip and expecting the fade to increase or decrease when auto crossfade is turned on - without the portion of the clip in the crossfade splitting off from the source clip - is not a complex thing. All DAWs are complex pieces of software, so I don't understand what the gist of that point is. I'm absolutely not a DAW novice - this just struck me as an odd default behavior that I've never encountered elsewhere. As I've stated (twice), ignorance could be an exacerbating factor - like a setting I'm unaware of being toggled on by default (though I typically go through all settings and menus after installing any software to make sure I know what the defaults are). In almost any other DAW, this works pretty much the same way. Cubase, Samplitude Pro X, REAPER, ACID Pro, Resolve Studio Fairlight, Logic Pro, WaveLab Pro, VEGAS Pro, etc. User is not at fault for the developers choosing an esoteric implementation for a feature that works practically the same way in almost every other audio editing software on the market. There may be legitimate reasons why they had to implement it in that way. Like I said, it's not about things needing to be "fixed." It's about the implementation being unintuitive. Most beginners aren't trying to do complex multi-track audio warping for recorded drums and things like that. They are getting tripped up on the very basics - things that they can simply install another Free DAW and not encounter the same friction. That is not their fault. Why read a manual when you can simply use a different application and it "just works the way you expect it to?" I'm looking at it from their PoV, not my own defensive PoV.

Samplitude Pro X allows you to create and edit fades in the arranger. The object editor fade panel is there for a faster workflow. It's a much more precise way of working vs. eyeballing things in the arranger, as a lot of things that take multiple clicks in Cakewalk can be done directly with one click in the Samplitude Pro X Object Editor. The Object Editor also allows you to do clip-level automation that goes where the clip goes - a very useful feature. Samplitude Pro X7 introduced a new Crossfade Editor, as well (and even X4 has a dedicated crossfade editor, just not as good as the new one), so you can get even better granular control over fades on both overlapping clips in one combined user interface. I think it's the best crossfade editor in any DAW (I think it's the same as Sequoia's, now). Cubase also got a new Crossfade Editor in v12. When Editing Audio, I did not find working with fades and crossfades to be pleasant in Cakewalk. I actually ran into a constant issue (probably exacerbated by ignorance) where if I dragged a clip to crossfade and then zoomed in to finesse the clip placement, the faded portion would "break off" from the source clip and stay stuck to the other clip. It's like the crossfades would just break off and form their own distinct clips - basically automatically splitting off at the left and right boundary of the crossfade itself. That is ... a weird thing to ever have happen... There was probably a certain level of ignorance that exacerbated the frustration, but I have never encountered such a thing in any other audio editing software or DAW. A crossfade editor at least similar to Cubase's would be a very nice addition. Additionally, the round tripping to external editors isn't as good as Samplitude, which can automatically send only the part of the source audio file contained in the audio clip you are sending to the external editor. In Cakewalk, you have to bounce the clip to its own audio file, or it will send the ENTIRE file to the external editor - not just the portion in the clip. Also, you still have to edit the registry to add an External Editor to the Tools menu. In any case, the workflow isn't as smooth or quick. The Score Editor often scrolls out of sync with the arranger/playback sound, which can make the software feel sluggish. It's probably literally sluggish in this instance, but I'm assuming that it's just a timing/sync issue (benefit of doubt). I do think it's about time Cakewalk/Sonar starts putting some work into becoming "better" at working with audio, becasue I don't actually think Samplitude Pro X is really that much behind - if at all - when it comes to MIDI. In some areas it's actually ahead (MPE Support, MIDI VST FX, etc.). If you have to change Track Edit Filter to adjust Clip Gain, how is it ever as fast as another DAW that just allows you to directly make this adjustment directly on the arranger via a simple modifier (assuming you even need a modifier)? The onus is not on the user to increase their familiarity with the software so that they can turn around and pretend the implementation is intuitive. Intuitiveness increases accessibility and decreases friction and frustration for new users. It DECREASES learning curve. It allows new users to be more productive faster. Software that has weird implementation manifestations are going to feel clunky when the vast majority of its competitors implement the same feature in a very similar - but quite different - manner. This is important because first impressions are crucial for getting users to buy into the product. None of what you say bypasses any clunk. Familiarity doesn't create intuitiveness. That's an oxymoron. The clunk is why you have to look up how to switch Track Edit Filter to adjust clip gain in Cakewalk, but not in a number of other DAWs that basically do it in a manner that most users would simply expect it to be done. In any case, I think "clunky" is an imprecise and overused term. I think Fiddliness and [Practical] Operational Inefficiency is more apt in this case. Similar to the comment about the Object Editor vs. Doing it in the Arranger. If you're just creating sloppy Fades in an Arranger and moving on, the arranger is fine. Every DAW can do that. The reason why these Fade Editors exist (in several DAWs) is because when you actually need more precise work to be done, it's WAY faster to use those dedicated interfaces than to eyeball it and try to nudge it on the timeline, while clicking through context menus to change Fade Types, etc. How something looks is often much different than how it actually feels to use when you're editing a lot of audio in a session. And don't get me wrong... Having a feature with a slightly less optimal implementation is a far superior situation than not having it AT ALL. But, it's a very competitive market and other products are already dominating the mindshare. Fair or not... those trying to break into the conversation have to work harder because they're already fighting an uphill battle through the fog of disregard.