dooo41
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home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
i'm new to home recording and i need a program? been reading up on both HS and sonar and looked at prices..i want to hear from people who got it already? which is better for a me? what can sonar do that home studio can't? anything anyone can give i would appreciate.
thanks
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papa2004
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/11 19:15:50
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Why don't you tell us what you want to do, and what kind of computer system you have (and be VERY specific)...Then we can help you...
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bbarnes
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/11 20:10:56
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Sonar Studio Edition and Producer Edition have many advanced features (and some better effects & DXi's)that would be very useful and time saving in a small project studio or a pro studio. For basic features which are quiet powerful, Sonar Home Studio 4 is an excellent product. Anything you learn in SHS 4 will also apply to Sonar Studio Edition and Producer Edition. It would be best to start off with SHS 4 and later if you need more advanced functionality you can upgrade and maybe save some cash. Here's a comparison of Sonar Studio Edition and Producer Edition http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/sonar/studio.asp Unfortunately SHS 4 is not included in the comparison but you can find out more about it here: http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/HomeStudio/features.asp Bill
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dooo41
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/11 22:28:38
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my computer is a little old compared to what is out there today
Maybe my computer can't handle these programs..hmm
this computer is not going to be dedicated just to recording..unfortunately
I'm not going to be recording a band or anything like that. record my voice and guitar..maybe some background vocals and little guitar solos here and there. maybe record with a buddy two voices and 2 guitars..
2001 dell dimension L100R
microsoft xp home edition, version 2002 Sp2
intel pentium III processor
996 MHz, 512 MB RAM
delta 44 soundcard
40 gig internal hard drive---(13 gig already used)
200 external maxtor hard drive
what you think?
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Beagle
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/11 22:51:17
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Your computer is a little older, but it can probably handle a few tracks, but you won't be able to have intensive FX added in. If you can increase your RAM that will help some. I recommend 1G+ if your system can use that much. Overall HS will probably do what you want - actually it might even be a little more than you want. You might want to also check out Music Creator 3. It's very inexpensive and probably would suit your recording needs for now. http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/MusicCreator/default.asp It's only $40 retail or you can download it (without the extra software - which is worth the money, IMO) for only $30!
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papa2004
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/12 01:23:23
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I agree with Beagle...Unless you want to get into a lot of MIDI sequencing or softsynth performances, HS or SONAR is much more than you need...I also suggest you add more RAM (at least a GB total)...Once you've learned the "ins & outs" of DAW recording, you may decide to step up to a more advanced program--God only knows what might be available at that time... Good Luck! 
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APC3
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/12 01:39:04
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also with sonar you get a discount for upgrading, so as i gets me enough money i'm a gonna own me ones of them sonar 5's.... 
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papa2004
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Rick McNab 
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/12 05:28:48
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I purchased Sonar 4 Home Studio XL on sale at Guitar Center for $99. S4HS is actually close to the full version of Sonar 4 as I understand it. So for $99 + $30 for my "Sonar 4 Power" book, I'm set to learn the ins and outs of Sonar. And when I'm ready, the upgrade to Sonar 5 Producer is $349, so really it almost makes S4HSXL a freebie. That's what I would do.
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bbarnes
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/12 08:12:55
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If you want something to try out before you buy something you should give Reaper a try. I've heard that it is pretty good and if you're just going to do audio it should do all you need it to. http://www.cockos.com/reaper/index.php Bill
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APC3
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/12 22:11:04
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ORIGINAL: papa2004
Was there a point to that reply?
Point that someone new to recording should know that he can buy the less costly version and if he decides it's right for him then an upgrade will be discounted. And if it's not right for him he's not out of money that could be used for something else. Most musician and beginners in our feild struggle, which is, maybe, what keeps us going..........it's all about the music not all about the technology, the best equiptment for someone might be sitting in someone elses dumpster. On the other hand amazing feats are accomplished with the best equiptment available...I think musicians and Recording Personellle have strong opinions that always seem to clash
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papa2004
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/13 01:50:20
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ORIGINAL: APC3
Point that someone new to recording should know that he can buy the less costly version and if he decides it's right for him then an upgrade will be discounted. And if it's not right for him he's not out of money that could be used for something else. Most musician and beginners in our feild struggle, which is, maybe, what keeps us going..........it's all about the music not all about the technology, the best equiptment for someone might be sitting in someone elses dumpster. On the other hand amazing feats are accomplished with the best equiptment available...I think musicians and Recording Personellle have strong opinions that always seem to clash
Actually, I think you would find that musicians and recording personnel in successful studios are usually on the same page when it comes to the "music vs. technology" debate...They know when the "feel" is right, even if--for example-- the snare might have been miked a different way, etc.,... You are correct, to an extent, in saying that "it's all about the music"...but the music still must be captured in some way, be it analog tape or a ProTools system...Let's not forget that the consumer is now accustomed to hearing a quality product...They no longer have to worry about scratchy LP's or AM radio "balls-to-the-wall" limiting...Many of them have surround-sound systems at home and high $$ audio systems in their automobiles... Does this mean that we must all be concerned with having the best technology available? Absolutely not! Should we concern ourselves with trying to produce the best possible product that we can? Absolutely! And many times this can be done using a DAW that might be considered a "toy" when compared to major studios...Who cares? If it's a great song and a great performance that was properly recorded, I don't give a rat's patootie if it was recorded using Home Studio or ProTools... I try to advise users on what they might--or might not--need to accomplish what their immediate goals are... I'd prefer to see new users invest more money in a quality preamp and mic while using an entry level DAW...This will give them the opportunity to make an informed decision about upgrading if they feel the need to do so...(Not to mention the learning curve is usually much easier)...
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zungle
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/14 01:25:55
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Not to long ago switched from 2 Fostex D-80,s & Pro Audio 7 to Sonar HS. For my use the biggest difference was that Sonar HS will not lock to SMPTE.( Sonar does) I demo'ed Sonar HS and then was lucky enough to find my sales rep at the local music store was a Sonar HS user. Really cool patient kid, helped me alot with Sonar HS. I really examined how I was doing things and found with Sonar HS and a few good hardware pieces I could do what I wanted and more. I guess what I'm mumbling is....... With Sonar HS and the few extra's it comes with (VSTwrapper{free vst's are fun}, DX plugin manager etc.) You'll have great little DAW with the power to do exactly what you want. With your machine, Sonar HS ran @ 16bit/44.1 you should be able to do what your looking to with room to spare. You may have problems trying to run @ 24bit/96 , or more than one softsynth with your audio. As you get better or more serious you can upgrade at that point. Papa is right! Get 1 good mic, 1 good mic pre , a good interface and a pair of decent monitors. Then you'll be able hear what your doing and make good decisions about your DAW Program
post edited by zungle - 2006/04/14 01:35:55
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papa2004
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/14 02:35:43
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ORIGINAL: bbarnes
If you want something to try out before you buy something you should give Reaper a try. I've heard that it is pretty good and if you're just going to do audio it should do all you need it to.
http://www.cockos.com/reaper/index.php
Bill
That system looks pretty good, Bill...This may be a good recommendation for people just starting out to decide if they really want to get into this addictive process of DAW work! 
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papa2004
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APC3
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/14 09:08:05
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papa2004
I'd prefer to see new users invest more money in a quality preamp and mic while using an entry level DAW...This will give them the opportunity to make an informed decision about upgrading if they feel the need to do so...(Not to mention the learning curve is usually much easier)...
No doubt about that, you can have the best DAW known to man, but without the good mics and pre's there's no way to capture all the energy and "feeling". I've definately spent more $$ on mic's and pre's than anything else and am thankful that my friend advised me to do so when I started buying my recording equiptment. I've also learned that having as huge a variety of mics as possible has been a blessing, considering every singe mic captures sound differently. And you never know when that old cheapy might even get you that nasty sound you're looking for..
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papa2004
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/15 02:52:26
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No doubt about that, you can have the best DAW known to man, but without the good mics and pre's there's no way to capture all the energy and "feeling". I've definately spent more $$ on mic's and pre's than anything else and am thankful that my friend advised me to do so when I started buying my recording equiptment. You have a very wise friend! I've also learned that having as huge a variety of mics as possible has been a blessing, considering every singe mic captures sound differently. And you never know when that old cheapy might even get you that nasty sound you're looking for.. Just to expand on the matter of "...having as huge a variety..." the same principle applies to almost every aspect of recording. I have four acoustic guitars, five electrics, and three basses...Each with a different setup and stringing/tuning configuration, and each producing different tonal qualities. I also have a variety of external stomp-boxes and three amp/speaker cabinet combinations that I can choose from, and a nice complement of mics to use to record them... Taking that "variety" concept even further, it SOOOO applies to external processors and DAW plugins...I still use external stuff that I've had for 20 years or more, and I am never afraid to use a cheap or free plugin that I've found will give me just the sound I'm looking for on a particular track... The bottom line (IMO) is: You can't have too many tools, but you CAN use them too much if you're not careful and objective about your project!
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bbarnes
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/15 11:51:43
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PAPA, I found out about Reaper from the Scott Garrigus (of the Sonar PowerBooks) digifreq site. MJ has been following it for a while. I haven't tried Reaper yet but I'm curious to hear why you've had a problem with it. Anyway here a link to the thread: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discussdetail.asp?TopicID=9081 Bill
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papa2004
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/16 01:31:07
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ORIGINAL: bbarnes
PAPA,
I found out about Reaper from the Scott Garrigus (of the Sonar PowerBooks) digifreq site. MJ has been following it for a while. I haven't tried Reaper yet but I'm curious to hear why you've had a problem with it. Anyway here a link to the thread: http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discussdetail.asp?TopicID=9081
Bill
Bill, I read the thread on Scott's site, am still impressed with what Reaper claims to be able to do...I, too, am curious to find out why I had a problem with it! If it works as it claims to, it would be a great tool for entry-level users to get their feet "wet" and begin to make informed decisions about which direction they want to pursue in DAW software...
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papa2004
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/16 03:22:09
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UPDATE:
I ran Registry Mechanic "Full Scan" and then rebooted...Downloaded the Reaper install file again...Installed it and still got an error message when trying to start the program...
I was finally able to run the program successfully by excluding it from the "Data Execution Prevention" program by right clicking My Computer-->System Properties-->Advanced Settings-->Performance-->Data Execution Prevention and clicking on "Reaper" as a program to be excluded from the DEP...
I played the demo and it sounded fine...There's no true "help" file/manual so I'm not sure this is really a program that total entry-level users will be able to work their way through...However, even before I set the options to use my M-Audio soundcard, the demo song played right away as soon as I opened the program...There is some simplicity in how it is laid out but I'm sure that the forum at the site is probably bombarded by the same kinds of questions we get here...
Haven't tried to record anything using Reaper so I can't say anything about the ease of doing so, but it seems to be the same basic kind of multitrack DAW as HS is...
I will spend some time with it tonight (Sunday night) to see what it can do and how easily it can do it...
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Robomusic
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/16 03:38:19
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I downloaded it as well and it ran i was able to get it to scan the /dx and /vsti stuff.
It remindes me of an early cake product, or something.
I like to use different programs at times just for fun, but my primary DAW is MTS Multitrack Studios, Next i use Cake then Acid.
I will have to track a tune with this and see how it does.
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papa2004
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/04/16 04:29:33
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I like to use different programs at times just for fun, but my primary DAW is MTS Multitrack Studios, Next i use Cake then Acid. I use different programs, as well...And I often move project elements between programs...It all depends on the project requirements and recording methods that I need to use at the time...Additionally, many DAW programs have their own formats for effects/processing plugins that aren't compatible with other DAW's...So you may have to transfer/export a file to another program for the sole purpose of using a particular effect... I have to make a lot of notes to keep up with what is going on inside of each project, but the "virtually unlimited number of tracks" that most DAW's offer has eased the burden a bit... I look at as kind of the way we often did it back in the 60's and 70's; We'd record the basic tracks in one studio, move to another studio for strings and/or horns overdubs; then back to the first (or another) studio for final vocal overdubs; then to another for mixing; then to another for mastering... All of these "moves" were usually predicated on which studio was better equipped to record which stage of the project...IMO, the same applies in DAW work...The only difference is that now you have all of the studios in one location if you have the proper equipment and software...
post edited by papa2004 - 2006/04/16 04:36:38
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musicroom
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RE: home studio or sonar? just getting started in home recording
2006/07/24 05:12:57
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ORIGINAL: papa2004
ORIGINAL: papa2004
ORIGINAL: bbarnes
If you want something to try out before you buy something you should give Reaper a try. I've heard that it is pretty good and if you're just going to do audio it should do all you need it to.
http://www.cockos.com/reaper/index.php
Bill
That system looks pretty good, Bill...This may be a good recommendation for people just starting out to decide if they really want to get into this addictive process of DAW work!
RETRACTION: I downloaded the program and installed it...I was never able to open it...I got error "close/degug" messages in three tries...So I uninstalled it...The specs shown on the home page are interesting for a "free" program, and I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who's used it and can explain why I'm getting error messages...
I know this have been awhile - but I am keeping a close eye on Reaper right now - it might be just the DAW I need for a task of bringing over some archived 16track reel to reel songs into the digital world. I need something that will work with Win98 for this task due to my older MOTU SMPTE box and non-supported XP drivers. I had problems with Reaper on one machine and none on another. I got a quick response on the Reaper forum to go to Documents and Settings -> "USER" -> Application Data -> Reaper and then rename the Reaper.ini file to Reaper.bak. Reaper will recreate a new *.ini file on startup. Mine must have been bad because that fixed the problem and Reaper runs solid now on that machine as well. BTW - they are putting up new free versions daily leading up to 1.0. Today Cockos released Ver 0.995 Link. I much prefer my Sonar5PE but I need Win98 drivers for this one task. However, the Cockos folks are doing some good things with Reaper and I wish them well. I will owe them some kudos if this task works without any DAW hitches and no dollars spent.
post edited by musicroom - 2006/07/24 05:34:01
Dave Songs___________________________________ Desktop: Platinum / RME Multiface II / Purrfect Audio DAW I7-3770 / 16 GB RAM / Win 10 Pro / Remote Laptop i7 6500U / 12GB RAM / RME Babyface
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