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Easiest PC software to use.

odie

odie

Gold Supporting Member
Mar 12, 2000
3,586
27
Minnesota, Earth, Milky Way
#1
I have a Tascam 788 digital 8 track. But I would like to have control of more tracks. I was thinking about dropping my tracks from the 788 to the PC and using one of the many PC solutions.

What is the easiest to get the handle of but yet get a pro sound.
 
#5
If you mean, what is Sonar... Sonar is audio and MIDI recording software. It runs on PCs.

If you've got any experience with the old Cakewalk Pro Audio software, this is pretty much that with a few pieces of chrome added to the fuselage. For example if y ou've got a sound module (let's say a synth) you can record your MIDI into Sonar (via your sound card) and then, without having to open a second program, use that recorded MIDI to trigger your synth and record the audio without having to have a second program or even open another window. Of course you can also just record your bass into your sound card.

Talking of which you'll want a fairly decent sound card to get your stuff into and out of the computer. In other words a Sound Blaster may or may not cut it-- you'd have to be the judge of that.

I'm not aware of any recent versions of Pr* T**ls running on Wintel. Oh, and certain versions of Pr* T**ls require you to use D*g*d*s*gn's own hardware in order for it to be usable. So the up-front cost might be a little more than you bargained for... which is part of the reason a lot of people (myself included) hold it in some degree of disdain. I'd stick with Sonar myself.
 
#8
odie said:
Actually what is a Studioware Panel?
Click to expand...
A Studioware panel is a software plugin that allows Sonar to control an external device with varying degrees of functionality. I use a Tascam one with my DA-88 that allows control of transport functions (play, record, rewind, ff, etc.), selection and arming of individual channels and sync with the device for playback and record.
 
#10
True, until he gets a keyboard player or a guitarist with a VG-1 in and discovers that Pr* T**ls doesn't do MIDI well at all. That was why I described of Sonar, which does both well and relatively cheaply and is hardware-independent when compared to Pr* T**ls.

If that doesn't apply, then my point is that it's not just a case of getting his hands on the software because it's going to be pretty well dysfunctional without the accompanying hardware... which sonically leaves something to be desired.
 
#14
Richard Lindsey said:
Tracktion (marketed by Mackie) is easily the easiest-to-use PC software I've seen. You can download a free demo at www.mackie.com.
Click to expand...


Rich- I downloaded and gave it a small try (20 minutes) and you are right. Very easy to use. What cahnges after you pay the $80?? It looks like it might only allow 8 tracks. Does it give more after it is registered?
 
#16
odie said:
Rich- I downloaded and gave it a small try (20 minutes) and you are right. Very easy to use. What cahnges after you pay the $80?? It looks like it might only allow 8 tracks. Does it give more after it is registered?
Click to expand...

Sorry, I didn't see this earlier.

AFAIK, it works almost entirely the same. What changes is mainly that you no longer get random noises running through your audio. That noise is really all that prevents you from using the Tracktion demo for making a mix. And I remember encountering one or two functions that weren't allowed before I registered, but I can't remember what they were.

Oh yeah, it definitely allows more than 8 tracks. But I think that's true even with the demo.
 

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