Good evening all,
 
I just thought I'd poke my nose in and say hi as I've just joined this forum. 
 
I have been going through a few weeks of 'Damn it, what USB interface should I buy' and after much debating (alone) I decided to go for Roland's Quad Capture, which is what led me here. I previously had a Focusrite Saffire LE, but my new laptop is USB 3.0 so I had to wave goodbye to my old Firewire friend. I should probably stick it on eBay.
 
So, now comes the DAW choice. See it's bundled with a basic version of Sonar X1 - is that really the best DAW to use? I previously used Ableton 7 as that's what I got free with my Saffire back in the day but it's feeling a bit long in the tooth now. Should I switch? I mainly record guitars/vocals and use a few NI VST's.
 
Thanks :)

Welcome aboard, Jon! Can't say what you should choose for your DAW, but SONAR definitely has plenty of features available.
 
Scott

--
Scott R. Garrigus - http://garrigus.com - SONAR X2 Power! - http://garrigus.com/?SonarX2Power
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar and Sony Sound Forge Power book series: http://garrigus.com/?PowerBooks
* Author of the Cakewalk Sonar ProAudioTutor video tutorial series: http://garrigus.com/?ProAudioTutor
* Publisher of the DigiFreq free music technology newsletter: http://digifreq.com/?DigiFreq
* Publisher of the NewTechReview free consumer technology newsletter: http://newtechreview.com/?NewTechReview

Welcome aboard Jonboy...

First - you will LOVE your Quad-Capture...at least I can say I love mine...the VS Pre's are nice and clean...
and Autosense and the built in Compressors are a bonus..

As far as DAW....that's a personal choice...One thing I can tell you for sure...

Put your system specs in your Signature File...it will save a LOT of time
when seeking help here...

Sonar is a great DAW...that being said...they all have their strong and weak points...
my BEST advice....find one that WORKS FOR YOU!  Demo them...they all have Demos..
 
Get the X2 Demo....try it...see if it "feels right"
Get the Cubase Demo...ditto
Get the Studio ONe Demo...ditto
Get the Reaper Demo....ditto
etc...etc...etc...

You get the idea...because, in the end, YOU have to be comfortable...not the people HERE...

Welcome! Good luck in finding a DAW. X2 is great value for money and the user base on this forum is more helpful than most.

Bibs

Thanks all - I've taken your advice and made a sig (not sure if I've put the right stuff or not, but I've had a go!).
 
I think the thing is (on choosing an interface) is that you can always pump in another £50 for the next best feature. Suddenly my budget of £120 went to £500 for an RME device. But then I'm no pro so I guess I can't justify that sort of gear. 
 
I see that Pro Tools isn't locked into a piece of hardware these days. I'm guessing it's a bit OTT? I will try Sonar first as it comes with the Roland. I used to use Cakewalk 5 many many years ago but I'm presuming it's wildly different these days? :)

And here's aforementioned signature!

Welcome aboard Jonboyuk.
 
Try not to confuse yourself with Jonbouy (who is also from the UK, go figger)

jonboyuk
And here's aforementioned signature!

That's a good signature JB....and YES, give Sonar a whirl...
You CAN download the full version of Sonar X2 Producer here and use it for 30 days..

http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SONAR/Web-Trial.aspx

It's probably my favorite of all the ones I use...but, it's really about getting the job done..
rather then aesthetics...to me...

I don't own an SPL Meter, so I plan to make a trip to a Music Store to monitor using one to see what the different levels sound like. I looked at prices, but $60 USD seems like a lot for something I bet I'd use once.
 
I'm not a pro. Just a hobbiest.
 
I'm also aware that I shouldn't be using the nob on my interface to control the levels on my speakers, but I do. My preamp for the speakers was burned out five years back now and I couldn't repair it. I've just done without. I run the line direct from the interface to the sub... then from the sub to the amp for my speakers. I control the volume with the nob on the interface.
 
Not perfect, but certainly adequate.
 
Thanks for the lessons, everyone. I'm not changing my behavior immediately, but I've definitely learned a lot!

bapu
Welcome aboard Jonboyuk.
 
Try not to confuse yourself with Jonbouy (who is also from the UK, go figger)

I'm not 'from' the UK.  I'm still 'in' the UK.
 
Hi JonboyUK
 
It doesn't matter what DAW you use as long as garrigus has a book to explain how to use it.  Scott is the man to get you going to make sure you get the most from your software investment.  He writes good books!  And you'll be up and running in no time.
 
Seriously though the biggest investment you'll make will be the time you spend getting familiar with your weapon of choice and Scott certainly put me on the right track with his knowledge of Sonar.
 
That's just my two pence worth, from a name you know you can trust...