I've been using both for more than a few years now and am very fast and proficient with both. I usually like to get a song started in ableton. Just the basic beats and melodies, then when Its time do do any real mixing or recording I track everything into REAPER, sometimes thru rewire slave.

For the hell of it, I thought I'd try to actually record and mix in ableton. Although its possible, its not really that intuitive, and is lacking many important features for a Flagship DAW.

Here's a look at the project in both DAWs:



Already I can tell you that its much easier to see stuff in reaper. Easier to mouse the faders and knobs as well. And because of reapers collapsible mixer view it also took up less total screen real estate. After hours in Live, it all starts to look the same. Where I found it a lot more comfortable to stare at REAPER for longer sessions.

I will write more on this subject as the mix evolves. This is a mix in progress.
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subGENRE

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2016

Very interesting of what you wrote here. But even though you find REAPER preferable, many will find that for ABLETON LIVE too.

Choosing DAW is a lot like Music Genre different people like different DAW. For me I used ABLETON LIVE, CUBASE, PRO TOOLS and FL STUDIO and though all these have their pros and cons over the other, to me FL STUDIO seems most efficient in relation to my workflow.

Even though in my mind I want to use Ableton Live as my main DAW, it seems like FL STUDIO chose me.

 

Live is best because of his clip view. You can very quickly reach some point in making process where is little difficult with other DAWs with standard workflow (Reaper, Cubase, etc...).
I usually starting with clip view and quick mockup with playing with clips, changing clips (one clip with some automation, other without or with another automation) and at the end just decide what to use.
That is main strength of Live basically. Using Live for mixing is pointless (for me). Just when I see tracks on the right side

 

Reaper will be the best at mixing point if you know it very well(mean lot of custom commands and instaled SWS extensions), im talking about complex mix not sequenced songs.

....i forgot to mention the fastets DAW for mix(if you know it).

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2016

Stop more Reaper propaganda, Most ugly interface, most counter intuitive. also, Ableton Live is EDM production tool.
You want more user? Learn from Apple and Steinberg. haha

 

m9cao : you never used Reaper, right ? I will not do any propaganda, but who in this thread is agressing people and mentions other companies ? ;-)

 

@m9cao Yes, Reaper does not have a Barbie Doll interface.

Reaper is a DAW for advanced users. Possibility is infinite. Reaper is an example of Great Programming. It is difficult to learn. But when you start using it, you will never look back. Because it is the only DAW in which user can have any kind of workflow they want.
Even there is a plugin called Playtime which is a clip launcher for Reaper. I can count hundreds of different things that only Reaper can do.
You can take your production skills to next level by using Reaper.

Reaper was Developed by Justin Frankel, the developer of Winamp.

 

as I see you haven't found the power of alias clips in Ableton Live yet, u can link link clips together between arranger and session view too>>

>> http://jgarcia.hungry.jp/project/alias-clips
so can try out different variations in the session view and the clips will be in sync with together and with corresponding arrangement ones too

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2016

Optimal and intelligent Considerations!
I Think this is a way.

The boys speak now (ad libitum) on which guitar is better to use,
and forget that the guitar used by Hendrix is now being sold as a Christmas Gift $ 180 complete with amp and belt.
Is confirmed, the same pick-up, 4 screws for the handle and low-quality wood.

Let us not be fooled by worthless propaganda on the vintage.
it was the Stratocaster choose Hendrix, the rest is Music

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2016

I hate mixing in Abelton, I can't do it and that's why I do not use it anymore, even though it has some great production tools. It is missing so much to me it's almost as worse as FL Studio (who thought of that fucking stupid and complicated way to route send effects?). In the end it sure is all about what you know, but for me I can't really think about using it for an effective start to finish process.

And what is it with Reaper users? The interface is truly ugly and they still fanboy over the advantages of the ugliness . Than the next one comes and tells me that the Cubase interface is ugly and to me it feels like 20 x more attractive to look at.

 

It is pointless trying to convert and it is absolutely the creative mind and work ethic that are the most important, not the tool. A good tool can however help the creator feel more comfortable, or work faster. This is SUBJECTIVE however as what works for you might not work for me. Unfortunately a lot of people need that social validation and want to pick something that is "in", so they can socialise around it etc. Probably getting more into music for the "scene".

Full disclosure, I am a huge Reaper fan. Converted one year ago.
So for me, Reaper is absolutely that tool that I have configured Exactly the way I want, as you can customise everything.
Also comments re GUI - the beauty is the themes with Reaper. I think the default could be much better (ahem). BUT there are some extremely high quality themes out there, some ones you pay for. And I just love being able to change up with different seasons/mood, sometimes dark, sometimes light theme etc.
The pace of development is incredible. There is someone who posts the changelogs to Audiosex you can see for yourself. Just since version 5 the features and development added is incredible! It is actually difficult to keep up and I have to put reminders to try all the new stuff out. If you like updates - you will LOVE Reaper.
I love how lightweight it is yet so fully featured. Makes other daws feel like fat pigs when loading for example. (Bitwig is not bad actually in terms of speed).

But again for some, the clip view is how they feel comfortable starting so thats fair enough! Enjoy it

 

Yeah dude thing is its not just ONE interface - there are hundreds! Admittedly not all will be too taste or high quality but beating Ableton GUI is a VERY low bar!

P.S. what is your thing? There are themes that bring the general asthetic of Ableton and Cubase and Logic to Reaper. Not that I care what you use or if you want Reaper - just want to put good info out there!

 

generally u don't event have to activate the arrangement MIDI clips, modulation envelopes are loopable ones so session and arrangement view can be integrated tightly together

MIDI clips in arrangement view can be used only as placeholders, dummy clips can be used for fx chain selection nicely in both views

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2016

This is why I use both DAWs. For getting the ideas out of my head to something you can hear. Live is the fastest for me.
I like to explain to people that don't have any DAW experience that Ableton has a "musicians interface" instead of looking like a traditional DAW.
I came from Acid Pro to Ableton many years ago. I tried to learn and use almost all of the major DAWs along the way. I tracked and mixed a song in Studio One last month, but got mad at it when I went to reroute some fx.
The problem I have with the DAWs is usually something minor, and there's always a routing/workaround, but I end up doing that 100 times in a mix. And, it gets frustrating after the 101st time.
In FL the routing to sends and routing midi is weird, like another user mentioned above. In Studio One all I wanted to do was to route my Lead vox group to the sends only, and was going crazy with the prefx, post fader, post fx settings on each send to get it right. And the main thing with Ableton beside the ugly gui/mixer is the 12 returns limit.
Why I love reaper. One word MATRIX. This is where I do most of my routing. They have a matrix for everything, showing tracks, fx, routing, and clip and sample being used (project bay).
All DAWs NEED THIS. It makes my life so much easier to be able to tell at a glance what's going where, and to add all the needed tracks to a buss quickly.
I use ableton live like the sketchpad and make the basic music. Then, I use reaper to record and mix. This is the best and fastest workflow for me at this time.

 

Last edited: Apr 10, 2016

man I thought this was an audio comparison. an aesthetic debate is dumb.

 

You know I find it a little offensive as to some of the replies here. The thread is not bashing Live he is just doing a side by side comparison of both via his observation. It is like reading a review and I think we should all respect his option.
I use many DAW's also. Favourites are Reaper and Cubase.

And I am not trying to be biased here toward reaper or live, just want to see his observation.

 

It's really not about the look. I work with Cubase and I'm into it's workflow, I just know where the shit is and what I can do. I tried almost all the other DAW out there and I always go back to it, because after almost 20 years using it, I just don't want to learn everything again or I miss features that Cubase has and they don't.
And sure other DAW have features I wish Cubase had, but that is really not enough for me to make the switch and put that much work in tbh.