Played with Sony Acid Pro 6... guess what?

Hey, all,

I have the opportunity of owning Acid Pro 6 and I must tell you that it is rather nice. Can you compare it to Project 5 as a user? Well yes and no.

Overall, I believe it's difficult to use than P5 but from personal experience, what I love about Project 5 is the ability to quickly create loops and use midi patterns. We all know that Acid is known for loops but as far as Midi use, this is a little less desirable in Acid.

Acid Pro 6 allows Audio recording and now has track meters, this is a true bonus as you can monitor your recorded input signal per track.

A bonus for me was the way I drew my clips for the audio files. This was amazing and I have never experienced anything like that before. It took no time at all to compose a song. I didn't like the fact that I couldn't drag a clip from one track to another. Instead I had to copy the clip from the original track, and then paste the clip into the track I wanted to use. The console (Mixer) only contains a Preview track, softsynths, Busses and a Master bus, but you can add many of them.

One thing to mention is that in order to install Acid Pro 6, you must install the .net framework to your PC if it isn't installed already.

I will play around with it more, but I am and always be a dedicated Sonar user.

This has been installed in my studio that I use with another person and we rent the time out to inspiring artist to create their music and their demo CD. Business is good so if you've have the time and various sequencing software and a Few PC's, and some Macs, this is a good investment. Currently we have PC's set up with Reason 2.5 and 3.0), Abelton Live 4 and 5, Sonar (2.2 - 5) Pro tools LE, Fruity Loops, Project 5 and Acid Pro 6.

No, I haven't used them all, but folks will use anything to cut a Demo and they pay well.

Peace

have you tried the Reaper host?
still in beta and freely available

written by the same developer as WinAmp
presumably gives Acid some competition for ease of recording and audio manipulation

http://www.cockos.com/reaper/

which is maybe why i mentioned Reaper

ORIGINAL: xylyx

I don't like the mixing facilities that much...isn't it true that you can't add a send to vsti tracks (sure I read this somewhere).

Yeah this is a ****ed oversight in my opinion, but the rest is just way too awesome for me not to use it as my main host now.

Midi editing is great now, the inline midi editing (like Sonar5 has now) is cool. ACID is pretty much the king when it comes to playing around with audio clips and loops. The rewire control of Reason is really great, so this is great for me. I think the ACID interface is really nice too - it doesn't really look good (looks like a Windows app), but it doesn't pull any punches. There aren't really weird symbols, buttons or sliders to learn. It just all looks normal and functional. Who cares that Sony owns it now? That's like not eating at Chipotle because McDonalds owns it. Chipotle is so good! Mmmmm burritos!

P5 all the way - with all due respect of course.

ORIGINAL: Rick McNab

Seriously, who cares? We all know about Acid Pro 6. This is a P5 forum. Like most P5 enthusiasts, I took a look at Acid Pro 6 when it was announced. I also looked at the Acid forums when it was released - nothing but problems. And who do you go to for support - Sony - a mega-conglomerate-entertainment-media-juggernaut. Like they're really going to care that much about some little audio-sequencing program. Or do you go to the company that used to be Sound Forge - in Wisconsin.

No thanks.

Rick, I am glad to see you work up on the correct side of the bed this morning,.. Geez! Loosen your shorts man, there are other individuals who care and like experimenting with other sequencers. In addition, presenting some information concerning other sequencer software allows us as users to either appreciate what we have or request that the Cakewalk step up a notch. Either way, I was just sharing my experience to those who may care.

ecamburn

Since you own Sonar and Acid 6, how would you compare the mixers from the two programs? Is the bussing in Acid 6 as easy and flexible as it is in Sonar? Also, how do you like recording and editing midi in Acid 6?

Eric, I like the mixer a lot more in sonar that I do in Acid Pro 6. For one thing, tracks are not displayed in the mixer. Although you are given a docked window below the track view to see the mixer or you can undock it and make it larger. Since I am new at using Acid period, things are unfamiliar to me and are totally different than using Sonar.

I do like using the busing in Acid 6, as they reside in the mixer area below the tracks in the track view. You can apply your effects directly to the bus then from the track you select the bus with the effect. I am still reading the manual so I can't go into great detail as I am still learning this software. But for me, I enjoy using the Mixer in Sonar 5 much, much better. I can can do all of my mixing directly from the mixer window in Sonar 5 and don't have to go mack to the track view again. the track view is simply that, a place for laying and arring your tracks, when everything is arrange then the track view actually has no more use. That's what I love about Sonar, my mixing is done a mixing environment with the Console View. All Effects, all EQs, All sends, everything is in that one window and I donw'e have to leave it. Hands down the Console (Mixer window) is AWESOME in Sonar 5. That's one of the reason you need to have a dual Monitor Setup. Tracking and then mixing without moving windows is a blessing and I want a thrid monitor just for my rewire client alone.
19" Flat Panel monitor have come down to where you can find them for $200 or less. Folks spend $200 and more on softsynths alone, and still can't produce great sounds (LOL )

I believe all of my VST and DXI plug-ins are available, at least the ones I used so far worked without problems, Waves Gold, Sonitus, Voxengo, PSP Audio, camelphat. P5 and VSampler rewired ok, but I didn't test it much, I jsut loaded them as reqire clients and then dloces the screens. The midi wasn't bad ad I stated it in my previous post, again, I guess it's because I am used to using midi in P5 that I am not that favorable of the midi in Acid, but again I am still in the initial stages of using it.

Audio editing is a breeze and like I stated before, the drawing of audio clips is amazing. This is a fast process sort of like "Paint on Sound".

Ok, enough of the chatting, I don't want Rick McNab to get mad at me for going on about Acid 6. (Just kidding Rick)

When I get off work and open the studio to the demo crazy youngsters, I will go back and play some more.

A side note, for those of you who are not familiar with Craigslist, it is an excellent place to search for used audio equipment and musical instruments. Here is the link ~~> Craigslist find your State, City and then click on Musical Instruments.

Peace

post edited by Jesse G - 2006/07/06 11:05:56

It's not like the same guy at Sony music who made the decision to put that crap on CDs is the same guy who makes Sony ACID. Sony is so big, one arm doesn't know what the other arm is doing and they are practically seperate companies.

ORIGINAL: SuperGreenX

It's not like the same guy at Sony music who made the decision to put that crap on CDs is the same guy who makes Sony ACID. Sony is so big, one arm doesn't know what the other arm is doing and they are practically seperate companies.

Neither defending nor decrying ACID (though it was my first sequencer, back in the day, and it did lead me down my present path), but you are indeed correct.

Looking at Sony corporate is rather fascinating. There was an article in Wired a year or so ago about the multi-headed hydra that Sony has become, where its several devisions are all at odds with each other in terms of their long-term development. The Technology people have in their power to really unlock content, put it all out there to share, spindle, deconstruct and store; the Content crew (Sony/BMG) have aligned themselves with the behemoths of the record industry that fear change in the most pernicious way. It's seems unimaginable that this company won't just tear itself apart eventually.

hey lets put a virus on every music cd we sell ,so that when buyers put it in there computers it #$@#%WE$W%'s em up."

What is this about?

have a good one
3Eo

As for the .net framework, you can uninstall this after you have installed Acid if you no longer want it around. I believe this is part of Acids phone home code.

You don't need to uninstall the .net framework...just the Media Manager part of Acid. It has a separate entry in the Add/Remove programs list...

EDIT: I don't believe it is written in any of the NET languages either, as it never seemed to be a requirement when I have demoed it...

May have needed to install Acid 6 to a seperate directory.

Jacknmpu, Not sure why you had the problems, but My Acid 6 install went well the very first time. I did install the 6a patch as well and no problems yet.

Peace

ORIGINAL: Jesse G

May have needed to install Acid 6 to a seperate directory.

Jacknmpu, Not sure why you had the problems, but My Acid 6 install went well the very first time. I did install the 6a patch as well and no problems yet.

Peace

As I mentioned, some people have had no problems, so I guess you were one of the lucky ones. Wish you luck with it, my friend. As to me, it'll stay on my hard drive, but unused. Going back to A5.

also, if anyone could please help me out on this subject on AIM, that would be GREATLY appreciated. ive been working on this album for over 3 years now, i got all the material laid out, i mostly just need to mix it.


my aim name is ArKTisK

i use lots of busses, midi sometimes, and lots of automation. i pretty much use every feature acid has to offer lol.


i wish more than anything i could just get rid of those bugs mentioned, and have a stable system, but it just doesnt seem possible. i even have a stripped down xp 64 installation dedicated to nothing but music, and i still have those problems :(