Hello,
First of all, I won't be cliché like "which one is the best" etc. I already have an idea about which one I'll try to use for the next period of time but I'd like to hear some opinions.

I usually make drum covers and almost all of my time is spent on the midi editor so I'd appreciate great midi capabilities and sort of ease of use. I also have a microphone to both track vocals and classical guitar, plus I'll be buying an electric guitar next summer and I'll be diving into independent songwriting/producing world. I'll also be engineering on my own so for short, I'd like a DAW that's an all around option for recording, producing, engineering.

I started with Waveform Free by Tracktion around april this year and I really really enjoyed it but it has minor bugs that are annoying and midi editing is literal trash. (They say they improved it with 12.5 but no, I didn't notice any change) Lacking lots of QoL features etc. Might return to it in the future.

I've been using Studio One for several months and it's fantastic though the not-saving-interface-layout thingy, resetting user-based-customizations randomly, overall appearance, some functionality about midi is just not for me. Maybe they will do some changes in the future but for now I need something different.

I'd love to hear some opinions and thank you in advance.

PS: Windows only =(

 

Last edited: Nov 12, 2023

Assuming you use Mac, Logic Pro is a good option. It has powerful plugins, audio & MIDI editing tools.

 

MIDI is important to me, too. I'd like to suggest trying Logic also. Just know that I'm biased because I haven't tried anything else (of current DAWs).

 

Sorry, my bad. I'm on Windows, forgot to mention. I wish I could use Logic, literally has everything I need. Thanks for the answer though.

 

Appreciate the answer but sorry man, forgot to mention that I'm on Windows. Logic was always on top of my list but just can't use it. Maybe in the future, hahaha.

 

You are pretty much left with Cubase, Reaper and Sonar at this point, give demo a spin and see what clicks with you.

 

Samplitude could also be another option...
Sonar is called Cakewalk by Bandlab right now and it's still free, so definitely worth a look in my opinion. Cakewalk started as a MIDI editor in the 80s and has a quite comprehensive feature set today. There are also various MIDI plug-ins included (like Event Filter or Velocity) as well as support for 3rd party plug-ins.

 

You might as well ask what religion you should follow.

Always unpopular, but any question about what DAW should I use, what compressor should I use, what reverb should I use, what's the best audio interface, what's the best plugin, best monitors, etc. is a waste of time. It's as nonsensical as asking someone else's opinion on what tattoo you should have or what they think of your music. If Henry Ford would have asked for public opinion, it would be faster horses.

This is an industry of opinions and like assholes, everyone has one and they all generally stink. Do some work. Perform your own research (real research so you can make an educated informed decision, rather than asking what everyone else thinks). Your DAW is central to your workflow and there aren't a million DAW's out there.

 

I love Cakewalk (Sonar), I've literally grown up using it since DOS days but if I were starting now I'd certainly look at Reaper. I'm just very fast with Cakewalk's work flow.

 

Well this is part of the research too, he asked about suggestions so he can gather as much info and options, expanded enough on his general use and needs, he will not find anything better than this reading clickbait titles elsewhere like "Best DAW in 2023" and stuff like that before doing his own demo-ing.

 

Try FL Studio even if it's to try out the piano roll. It's very intuitive and easier to 'visually' manage than most. The demo version is only save disabled, you can render whatever you want and save the audio.

 

This is a good summary in my humble opinion: https://producerhive.com/buyer-guides/daw/best-daws/

According to that list you're already using the best all-round daw though Nevertheless, it's still a good overview.

 

This guy even goes deeper
https://www.admiralbumblebee.com

 

I would second either Cubase or Reaper, luckily both have unrestricted free trials, at 60 days and "unlimited" respectively.
Reaper could satisfy your desire for customization, and there are quite a lot of scripts that increases Reaper's extensibility. Cubase on the other hand is chock full of features, so much so that some people find it overwhelming.

 

Definitely a great overview for understanding the main differences between DAWs, but it is woefully out of date.

 

I usually don't speak personal things but I'm currently preparing for university acceptance exam which will be held in june and all I do in a singular day is studying as much as my brain allows me. I don't get to have much spare time and this will continue until summer. I would love to try them all, go into the deepest details also with plugins etc. but I want to use my little extra time as efficient as much with practicing drums and just to make overall nice sounding covers. I was doing that until this day and I felt like I needed to switch DAWs because this one started to bother me in a few ways (or maybe they just became more unbearable*, I'm not that a patient guy). I specified my needs and asked for help, people are sharing their opinions, I'm grateful for that.
*I don't know if that's the right word. Probably a bit harsher than I intended to say.

I especially stated that I didn't want this to be such cliché question in the literal first sentence. Of course the music will be mine own expression, my DAW of choice will reflect my comfort ratio etc. But some people like to know what other people also think. I'm not scared of other peoples opinions are against me.

I was once encountered a dude who was fighting against another dude because dude #2 was asking some tips for a survival game. "Games meant to be enjoyed, not to be scared of. Stop crying like you still live with your mom and play the game as it is intented to be." I've always been into philosophy, psychology and sociology but even these didn't stop me to being shocked after that. I've never seen such a dude is so aggresive about another opinion about a game both sides just love spending time on. And I didn't know there was only one way to enjoy a game. Until now I also didn't know there was only a single way to gather proper information.
With all my respect.

 

Last edited: Nov 12, 2023

Fact: Fl Studio's piano roll is the best in the universe.

Also, it is pretty easy to get into it with tons of tutorials available on YouTube. They offer time unlimited demo, you should definitely try it.

If I had to choose another, I would go with Ableton.

 

The best Midi is always Cubase. Then Logic. Then everything else.

Digital Performer is great for midi with external hardware too; but if you needed it, you would probably already know. They would be using it where you work.

 

For midi Cubase is God. I prefer Studio One for all around work (recording, mixing, midi) at this point in time, but Cubase still has the edge for midi work.

 

I would recommend Reaper, but Ardour has a better workflow and a distraction free interface that doen't hurt your eyes with many white portions. Ardour also isn't a free version with limited features. Ardour can do an unlimited number of tracks as long as you have memory. You definitely should check it out. Reaper has an unlimited evaluation period, while Ardour is free but asks for a donation to keep project going full time.

https://ardour.org/