Best replacement for Cakewalk

[Tim Smith]

2 hours ago, Shane_B. said:

FWIW, this works really well in Studio 1 too. But I don't think it works that way by default and it sounds like Ableton is set up to do this more easily.

Iirc you can do it after the fact in clip properties or set the entire project up to be able to do that. I've used it a few times but not a lot.

What I have done a lot is transfer 8 track tapes from a machine with only 4 outputs. The timing floats because it's a cassette based machine.

I transfer the first batch of 4 tracks including drums and group them. Do the second batch and include the drums again and group that batch of tracks.

Grouping makes it so if you edit timing on a single track in the group, all the other tracks in that group follow the edit.

Detect transients on the drums in both groups, quantize to transients, and done. All tracks line up in both groups to the detected drum transients.

Sometimes I'll have to do a 3rd group for the 8th track and again include the drums due to the distinct transients. It would have been so much easier if my machine had 8 outs instead of 4. Hah.

I mention that process because it uses the same algorithm to do that as it does per clip and it's flawless.

Could have something to do with the way I work which may be different than some. I haven't really dug too deep into SO because Ableton just fit what I do. It's a shame we spend so much money on all of this stuff and in the end we only use a few of the tools, but I guess it's educational.

I was pretty proficient in Cubase and was beginning to warm up to it, but then....Ableton. Case closed for me.

[sjoens]

.

Edited September 28, 2023 by sjoens

[Rain]

8 hours ago, michaelhanson said:

No SGs in this house.

Gorgeous finish. Huge fan of the zebra pick ups.

[RobertWS]

On 9/27/2023 at 1:48 PM, 57Gregy said:

From what I've read here, if you have no MIDI output device selected in Preferences, it will automatically insert TTS-1.
 

Yes.   But, if it is a plain MIDI file...it can never be saved as a track.   So, adding something, unasked, that can't be saved....is not an...um...er....optimum design decision.

[RobertWS]

On 9/27/2023 at 6:39 AM, pwalpwal said:

that sounds weird? possibly a part of a required windows update? (i'm assuming you're talking the browser?)

I think it was called:  WebView2 Runtime

Which I think is a sneaky way Microsoft is trying to force their browser onto our machines by illegally taking advantage of their monopoly.   The .NET framework already includes browser tools.

In any event, put this in a batch file and run it as administrator:
 

Quote

 

@echo off

:: Creator: Dave Kirkwood
:: Created: 24/09/2020
:: Updated: 21/09/2022
::

:: First Stop Microsoft Edge Task
taskkill /F /IM msedge.exe  >nul 2>&1

CD %HOMEDRIVE%%HOMEPATH%\Desktop
echo %CD%

REM ************ Main process *****************

echo *** Removing Microsoft Edge ***
call :killdir C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe
call :killdir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge"
call :killdir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate"
call :killdir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeCore"
call :killdir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView"
echo *** Modifying registry ***
call :editreg
echo *** Removing shortcuts ***
call :delshortcut "C:\Users\Public\Desktop\Microsoft Edge.lnk"
call :delshortcut "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft Edge.lnk"
call :delshortcut "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\Microsoft Edge.lnk"
echo Finished!
pause
exit

REM ************ KillDir: Take ownership and remove a directory *****************

:killdir
echo|set /p=Removing dir %1
if exist %1 (
    takeown /a /r /d Y /f %1 > NUL
    icacls %1 /grant administrators:f /t > NUL
    rd /s /q %1 > NUL
    if exist %1 (
        echo ...Failed.
    ) else (
        echo ...Deleted.
    )
) else (
    echo ...does not exist.
)
exit /B 0

REM ************ Edit registry to add do not update Edge key *****************

:editreg
echo|set /p=Editting registry
echo Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 > RemoveEdge.reg
echo. >> RemoveEdge.reg
echo [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\EdgeUpdate] >> RemoveEdge.reg
echo "DoNotUpdateToEdgeWithChromium"=dword:00000001 >> RemoveEdge.reg
echo. >> RemoveEdge.reg
echo [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{9459C573-B17A-45AE-9F64-1857B5D58CEE}] >> RemoveEdge.reg

regedit /s RemoveEdge.reg
del RemoveEdge.reg
echo ...done.
exit /B 0

:: Delete Microsoft Edge Folders
rmdir /s /q "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge"
rmdir /s /q "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeCore"
rmdir /s /q "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView"
rmdir /s /q "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Temp"

:: Delete Edge Icons, from all users
for /f "delims=" %%a in ('dir /b "C:\Users"') do (
del /S /Q "C:\Users\%%a\Desktop\edge.lnk" >nul 2>&1
del /S /Q "C:\Users\%%a\Desktop\Microsoft Edge.lnk" >nul 2>&1)

:: Delete additional files
if exist "C:\Windows\System32\MicrosoftEdgeCP.exe" (
for /f "delims=" %%a in ('dir /b "C:\Windows\System32\MicrosoftEdge*"') do (
takeown /f "C:\Windows\System32\%%a" > NUL 2>&1
icacls "C:\Windows\System32\%%a" /inheritance:e /grant "%UserName%:(OI)(CI)F" /T /C > NUL 2>&1
del /S /Q "C:\Windows\System32\%%a" > NUL 2>&1))

:delshortcut
echo|set /p=Removing shortcut %1
if exist %1 (
    del %1
    echo ...done.
) else (
    echo ...does not exist.
)
exit /B 0

 

Be gone demon spawn!

[pwal³]

beware that uninstalling WebView2 can impact other apps

[Shane_B.]

The more I think about this topic, the more I realize that the visual appearance is just as important, maybe more, than what features the DAW has. 

I guess that's why I've always preferred Sonar. It's still to this day my favorite visually. And it does everything I need. That has always been one big hangup I've had with Studio One. It's just not visually appealing, to me, although it is the better choice for now on a 4K monitor.

I just got an email for an upgrade to the new 6.5 version of Studio One. I just don't see anything there that I need or want.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Shane_B.
Fixed typo.

[HOOK]

I get the visual thing, but I could get over that to a large degree.  For me it continually comes down to long-standing workflow problems where I refuse to change - even if it's just a couple of things.  Some things are too disruptive to accept when I don't have to.

If I had to, I'd probably switch to Reaper or Cubase.  But as they are, and continue to be, Sonar/Cakewalk wins as long as it still  works on my machine.

Because, among other problems, Reaper can't keep busses on top...and Cubase won't pass audio through a channel that's armed for recording - even if it's punch recording.

When you grew up on a DAW that does those things, changing is settling for less.

 

 

 

[Shane_B.]

4 hours ago, Shane_B. said:

just got an email for an upgrade to the new 6.5 version of Studio One. I just don't see anything there that I need or want.

Ok. I have to correct myself here regarding this.

This was a free update to version 6. When I clicked for details in the email my browser said it was unsecure so I never read the full details. I just manually went to the site and checked it out.

This was actually a huge update in some regards. They now have native Dolby Atmos support. You don't have to pay extra for a Dolby Atmos license/plug-in. You can mix and export.

This is something I would actually use. I always liked mixing instrumentals I recorded in surround but never had a way to export to a file that was playable on a surround system.

[mettelus]

23 minutes ago, Shane_B. said:

This was a free update to version 6. When I clicked for details in the email my browser said it was unsecure so I never read the full details. I just manually went to the site and checked it out.

That seems to slip under the radar for folks, but historically the "upgrades" come every 2 years (whole version releases), with the .5 releases on the off years. Only the whole numbers matter for "buying" the upgrades, but the .5 releases on the past 3 versions have had some heavy hitters in them.

[michaelhanson]

3 hours ago, Shane_B. said:

Ok. I have to correct myself here regarding this.

This was a free update to version 6. When I clicked for details in the email my browser said it was unsecure so I never read the full details. I just manually went to the site and checked it out.

This was actually a huge update in some regards. They now have native Dolby Atmos support. You don't have to pay extra for a Dolby Atmos license/plug-in. You can mix and export.

This is something I would actually use. I always liked mixing instrumentals I recorded in surround but never had a way to export to a file that was playable on a surround system.

Did the update this morning.  

[kennywtelejazz]

14 hours ago, HOOK said:

 For me it continually comes down to long-standing workflow problems where I refuse to change - even if it's just a couple of things.  Some things are too disruptive to accept when I don't have to.

+1000

I an beyond fed up with having to deal with all of that  😉 It kills my free spirit and creativity .

Kenny

 

 

[RobertWS]

On 9/29/2023 at 4:49 AM, pwalpwal said:

beware that uninstalling WebView2 can impact other apps

Name one.

[pwal³]

1 hour ago, RobertWS said:

Name one.

Office 365

[RobertWS]

7 hours ago, pwalpwal said:

Office 365

Fair enough.   Name a non-Microsoft app.

[Bobby Thistle]

Studio One +

$179.00 per year gives you Studio One 6.5 Pro and the use of every VST instrument and effects plugin they have.  I don't know how much the new Sonar is going to cost when I have to pay for it but I've seen from estimates predicted here that it's going to be anywhere from $300 - $500 for a one time purchase.  BUT... what is it going to include?

Good thing is, if I really don't like Studio One + I have the option to cancel before renewing and then come back and get the new Sonar.  (but from what I've seen so far, that's not going to happen.)

[Jeremy Oakes]

17 hours ago, Bobby Thistle said:

Studio One +

$179.00 per year gives you Studio One 6.5 Pro and the use of every VST instrument and effects plugin they have.  I don't know how much the new Sonar is going to cost when I have to pay for it but I've seen from estimates predicted here that it's going to be anywhere from $300 - $500 for a one time purchase.  BUT... what is it going to include?

Good thing is, if I really don't like Studio One + I have the option to cancel before renewing and then come back and get the new Sonar.  (but from what I've seen so far, that's not going to happen.)

You are aware that nobody except the Bakers know the pricing structure ? Don’t believe any pure gossip and speculation you read on the forums - nobody knows.

J

[craigb]