Helpful Replysonar or cubase

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jjvibes
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2016/12/10 08:55:50 (permalink)

sonar or cubase

hi folks,
 
i am leaning towards sonar (if anything because this forum is quite impressive!) but i am not sure if it matters but if one could choose cubase or sonar what would you choose? (sonar plat, cubase pro 9)
some of preferences:
1. company /forum support
 
2. access to learning (pdf manuals,videos)
 
3. Audio engine quality 
 
4. which is easier to learn? (most likely a personal preference) any experiences..
 
5. I plan to use Dorico (steinberg and i do have the usb license thing..) after more updates, but that doesn't mean I HAVE TO use a steinberg DAW..just sayin..
 
6. lastly the lower price and forum help will win! and my gut is leaning towards calkwalk..
 
 
thanks all this is a big move for me and want to be smart about it!
 
 
#1
Zargg
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 09:49:26 (permalink)
Hi. As you say, this choice is a personal one. I'm very partial to SONAR. I used Cubase / Steinberg in 06-07 (Nuendo and SX3, on a school I attended), but I ended always up recording and doing basic leveling in SONAR, and then exported to the other DAW. I always have / had SONAR installed, and as my main DAW.
This forum, is second to none when it comes to being helpful and knowledgeable. There is always someone willing to help.
SONAR has really grown these last year or so.
I cannot think of anything I cannot do in SONAR, but that could be because of me, and my skills
My choice is and always have been SONAR, and I recommend with all my heart.
All the best.
Edit:
I forgot the bonus of getting lifetime updates.
Several user made utilities for SONAR.
I think it is more user friendly than Cubase (was when I used it).
E-zine every month with detail of the update +++
A massive manual (online, or local).
http://www.cakewalk.com/CakeTV for videos.
http://www.cakewalk.com/CakeTV/SONAR-University
 

Ken Nilsen
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#2
dwardzala
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 09:53:02 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby jjvibes 2016/12/10 11:44:32
The forum and the amount of content (VIs, FX's, etc) are big plusses in the Sonar column.  I am not familiar with Cubase, though.

Dave
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#3
bitflipper
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 09:56:48 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby Klaus 2016/12/10 15:34:26
Yes, it is a big decision. The good news is you can't go wrong either way.
 
There is a 99% functional overlap between the two applications. The list of things one can do that the other cannot is actually quite short if you list them out. You can make a great record with either one (audio engine quality is not an issue). Both have helpful user communities. Both have lots of online resources available. Both products are mature and reliable. Both will require a significant investment of your time in order to master them.
 
Obviously, the folks who frequent this forum have already made their choice and will mostly recommend SONAR, including yours truly. There are many here who also use a second DAW in addition to SONAR, mostly for convenience when collaborating with others. There's never been a formal poll, but my sense is that for most of them, SONAR is their primary platform.
 
One thing that distinguishes SONAR is this forum, which is open to everyone. We have a number of regulars here who don't even use SONAR at all, but hang out on this forum anyway to talk about third-party plugins, techniques, deals and bacon. I believe the congenial atmosphere is why you find such a high proportion of experienced users here, as opposed to other forums that are heavily weighted toward beginners who then move on once they don't need the forum's help anymore.
 
The other thing that distinguishes SONAR is the vendor, and the high regard they have for their users. Steinberg is famous for being indifferent to user requests and for imposing sudden incompatibilities. Unlike the majority of DAWs, Cubase and Nuendo require a dongle, which to me is indicative of the disdain the company has for its customers. Cakewalk staff frequent this forum often, including its principle engineer, who is not only a guru among gurus when it comes to Windows audio but also an exceptional musician and all-around good guy.
 


All else is in doubt, so this is the truth I cling to. 

My Stuff
#4
maltastudio
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 10:05:44 (permalink)
Both of them are very good i just chose Cakewalk and kept with it.
Peace

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#5
olemon
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 10:20:19 (permalink)
I've been using Sonar for a few years now, starting with X1 Studio, but recently I tried Cubase LE 8 as a freebie that came with a new laptop.  I sure didn't like the user interface...confusing.
 
The Console View in Sonar made sense to me.  Therefore the I/O Menu in Sonar made much more sense to me.
 
The ProChannel modules and the plugins are very good too, and the experts on this forum are invaluable.
 
There are pros and cons to every DAW, but I'm sold on Sonar.
 
 

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#6
jjvibes
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 11:48:48 (permalink)
wow, folks. thanks! yeah i the dongle thing! heck i just need to pick one!! what a great problem to have!
 
#7
Anderton
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 11:53:18 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby tlw 2016/12/10 16:51:16
Both have demo versions available. Work with each one for two weeks, and see if you have better "chemistry" with one or the other.

The first 3 books in "The Musician's Guide to Home Recording" series are available from Hal Leonard and http://www.reverb.com. Listen to my music on http://www.YouTube.com/thecraiganderton, and visit http://www.craiganderton.com. Thanks!
#8
Bonjo
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 15:46:33 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby jjvibes 2016/12/10 22:06:04
bitflipper
Yes, it is a big decision. The good news is you can't go wrong either way.
 
There is a 99% functional overlap between the two applications. The list of things one can do that the other cannot is actually quite short if you list them out. You can make a great record with either one (audio engine quality is not an issue). Both have helpful user communities. Both have lots of online resources available. Both products are mature and reliable. Both will require a significant investment of your time in order to master them.
 
Obviously, the folks who frequent this forum have already made their choice and will mostly recommend SONAR, including yours truly. There are many here who also use a second DAW in addition to SONAR, mostly for convenience when collaborating with others. There's never been a formal poll, but my sense is that for most of them, SONAR is their primary platform.
 
One thing that distinguishes SONAR is this forum, which is open to everyone. We have a number of regulars here who don't even use SONAR at all, but hang out on this forum anyway to talk about third-party plugins, techniques, deals and bacon. I believe the congenial atmosphere is why you find such a high proportion of experienced users here, as opposed to other forums that are heavily weighted toward beginners who then move on once they don't need the forum's help anymore.
 
The other thing that distinguishes SONAR is the vendor, and the high regard they have for their users. Steinberg is famous for being indifferent to user requests and for imposing sudden incompatibilities. Unlike the majority of DAWs, Cubase and Nuendo require a dongle, which to me is indicative of the disdain the company has for its customers. Cakewalk staff frequent this forum often, including its principle engineer, who is not only a guru among gurus when it comes to Windows audio but also an exceptional musician and all-around good guy.
 




This. +1.

Win10 64-bit. Intel i7QuadCore 4.20GHz. 32Gb Ram. Sonar Platinum.

#9
tlw
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 17:00:24 (permalink)
There's little any of the top DAWs, including Sonar, can do that the others can't and all can produce professional results. Where the differences come in is in the user interface, the plugins provided and how you interact with them.

Sonar, as has been said, has by far the best forum, and if you browse round for a while you'll get an idea of just how good it is here. Even if you go with Cubase the non-Sonar specific parts of this forum are still worth looking at because they cover a huge amount of ground and even when we disagree we tend to do so in a friendly way.

Downloading demos to see which DAW you prefer is really the best way to find out what suits you. And don't be afraid to ask questions. There's also the issue of what runs best on your particular PC how you want to have it configured. Because there are thousands of differently configured WIndows PCs, using a huge range of hardware from lots of manufacturers audio in Windows is a bit more complicated than it is on Macs and sometimes one DAW might have a slight edge on a particular system.

Which isn't a recomendation for using a Mac, even though that's what I'm almost entirely using at the moment. The cheapest computer to use is the one you already have, PCs have more power per buck spent and Windows can do a perfectly good job.

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#10
chuckebaby
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 17:33:17 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby jjvibes 2016/12/10 22:05:58
This can be summed up very easily and quickly, it all comes down to needs and usage.
Almost every DAW does the same thing with the exception of a few percs here and there.
My advice is to use one and get good at it.
 
Time invested is worth more than the weight of gold.

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#11
Vastman
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 17:36:04 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby jjvibes 2016/12/10 22:05:47
All great comments... but the best is Craig's suggestion that you invest two weeks on each and then decide... it is SUCH a personal choice and what works for one human may not make sense to the other...there is soooo much I love about sonar but a few things are:
 
  • The lifetime updates option with sonar, to me, is a huge issue and it will be taken off the platter by then end of this month, at least for awhile, I do believe...This frees up funds for other goodies...  
  • The monthly rolling updates which cakewalk began a year ago have been stellar, quite amazing and for this alone, I think it tips the balance.  It allows for incremental learning and bug fixing, rollbacks are easy, and the bakers are able to respond to our desires more quickly than the traditional approach other DAW companies are still locked in.
  • The track template implementation of Sonar is stellar and truly an amazing time saver... setups, adding them to a song as you are working on is instantaneous once you have a collection of templates you love, so this alone also tips the balance for me... it is sooooo powerful, especially when one considers the amount of time it takes to set up your multi-track Kontakt setups...I have DOZENS of them alone... you can have a slew of um at your beck and call... whenever you have a setup you like, save it as a new template and you can forever after bring it into any new composition AT ANY POINT IN THE SONG'S DEVELOPMENT...effects, tracks, submixes, etc... This ISN'T a SONG template, which is crude and sterile, which most DAWs offer...
  • The ability to save multiple mixes and A/B them so easily is also huge to me...
  • Finally, sonar's help systems, including the new pop-ups, online manuals, Craigs new and amazing collection of tips, and the forum... are all a big help in getting to grips with this VERY powerful program.  After many years I use but a fraction of Sonar, but as I need to do something new, it is there waiting for me...
 
...but ultimately it is up to YOU to decide which best speaks to you.  
 
Forum wise, you already know where you'll get the best help...
 
Best of luck, however you go...

Dana
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#12
pharohoknaughty
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/10 18:09:38 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby jjvibes 2016/12/10 22:05:51
I agree with the comments above, and add one more time that the Sonar forum is fantastic.
 
If you are working with singers, pitch correction is a deal breaker.
 
Sonar has a reasonable implementation of ARA for use with Melodyne. This allows more or less seamless use of Melodyne. The freebie Melodyne that comes with Sonar is not very good, but at least you can integrate Sonar with Melodyne. Just gonna cost you a bunch to buy Melodyne.
 
I am not sure about Cubase vocal pitch correction, so check it out. Last I looked they don't support ARA. But for all I know Cubase has something better. I just don't know.
 
Having said all of that, I have used Cakewalk since DOS 3. I think Sonar is a very good product, but it hurts every time I look at a vendor for add-ons to DAWs and Sonar is not on the list of supported DAWs. For instance, Slate Raven or Waves Tune. And it is frustrating when someone asks you what DAW you use, and then they shrug because they never heard of Sonar. Musicians seem to always recognize Pro Tools or Cubase. It would help if Cakewalk would do some lobbying with Waves and other big vendors to make sure Cakewalk is on the list of supported DAWs.
 
Just my two cents.

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#13
dwardzala
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/11 09:26:43 (permalink)
One of the other things, it could be a plus or a minus depending on your perspective, is Sonar is constantly improving by adding new features, content and fixing bugs.  However, you can always forgo installing the update each month and only install them when you see a feature you really want.

Dave
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#14
Afrodrum
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Re: sonar or cubase 2016/12/11 11:00:12 (permalink)
I fully agree with comments above, also check the list of VST instruments and plugins that come bundled with the DAW. I heard that Cubase give you very stripped version of plugins and you have to pay a lot for full versions later.

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#15
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