Should I Get Pro Tools or Vegas?

[getreel]

I love Nuendo! I also have Vegas and like it OK. Nuendo seems more powerful. I didn't have much trouble learning Nuendo and it sounds great too. I prefer Nuendo now after using Vegas for several years.

[small sound]

If you don't mind using a product that is no longer supported by the factory, but is continuing to be supported and developed by a group of users, yet sounds way better than any other DAW, try PARIS. Once again I'll let everyone know how amazing PARIS is, how easy it is to work with, how little latency it has, how big and analog like it sounds, and what a fucking shame EMU/Ensoniq did not know how to market it!

[ubertar]

I've tried a bunch of different recording programs but all I use now is Samplitude. It's got a bit more of a learning curve than some others, but it does everything I want it to do.

[rimbaud234]

Vegas, especially with what's coming in Version 5.0
B.

[J.B.Horns]

I'd say pretty much any of the softwares discussed will get the job done. The biggest problem with the 002 is that it's all proprietary. you're stuck with the interface with no options to expand. If you think you'll be fine with 8 analog i/o and 8 ADAT i/o, (which can be turned into 8 analog i/o in a few different ways), then the software is solid and the company is reputable. for around 1000 bucks, you have a plug-and play system, which will require little finessing.

Vegas, Cubase SX, Nuendo, Samplitude, Logic, etc... will all work with a variety of interfaces. The Delta stuff is inexpensive and pretty solid. The Metric Halo stuff looks pretty cool. If you go with a MOTU 2408mkIII, you have a ton of i/o available, and the pci card accepts up to 3 more interfaces (like the HD192, which is supposed to have really nice sounding converters), so you can add i/o if you ever need to. Also, the cue mix console that comes with the MOTU stuff is really cool for monitoring.

I would say the main disadvantage to Vegas is, as far as I know, that it doesn't support VST plug-ins, so you'd be missing out on the opportunity to use a lot of cool ones, including powered plug-ins like the UAD-1 card and the Powercore. Other than that, it seems like a pretty cool program.

I'm personally going to be upgrading from Cubase VST/32 to Cubase SX in the next little while. In my opinion, it's the most appealing of the DAWs out there right now. Nuendo is a step up, but I don't really need any of the features that Nuendo has that Cubase SX is lacking. I considered an 002 set-up just so I could say "yes" when people ask if I have Pro Tools. I decided it against it for the simple fact that there are limitiations with the hardware and the software.

I hope this helps. Just don't lose sleep over it. Go with which ever DAW speaks to you the loudest, and record the shit out of it. You can't really go wrong with any of them.

[Rigsby]

Been hearing some great sound coming out of my friend's samplitude, really clean, blank canvas kind of stuff.

[Flight Feathers]

I'm personally going to be upgrading from Cubase VST/32 to Cubase SX in the next little while. In my opinion, it's the most appealing of the DAWs out there right now. Nuendo is a step up, but I don't really need any of the features that Nuendo has that Cubase SX is lacking. I considered an 002 set-up just so I could say "yes" when people ask if I have Pro Tools. I decided it against it for the simple fact that there are limitiations with the hardware and the software.

I hope this helps. Just don't lose sleep over it. Go with which ever DAW speaks to you the loudest, and record the shit out of it. You can't really go wrong with any of them.

good advice. curious, what are the limitations of protools that you don't get with cubase? besides being locked in that is.

i'm still running logic 5 on a pc and it is solid. i havn't bothered switching to anything yet because it works just fine for me. although i'm seriously considering switching to protools so i can interface with other's studios a little better. like it or not, protools is something of a standard.

[Current Resistance]

like it or not, protools is something of a standard.

that won't last forever. especially with all these great programs out there. Pro tools is just the most widely available.

i have PT 6.2.2 through an Mbox on a G5. I got it because Digidesign was pretty quick to optimize it for dual processing. someday I'd like to get Nuendo or Paris.

[fuckface]

i vote pro tools. thats all i use and it works great for me.im going to upgrade to the digi 002 rack soon....

[J.B.Horns]

good advice. curious, what are the limitations of protools that you don't get with cubase? besides being locked in that is.

i'm still running logic 5 on a pc and it is solid. i havn't bothered switching to anything yet because it works just fine for me. although i'm seriously considering switching to protools so i can interface with other's studios a little better. like it or not, protools is something of a standard.

I agree. Pro tools is the DAW to get if you plan on bouncing between home and other studios. If I had the dough, I would get a Pro Tools HD setup myself.

I was referring to the Pro Tools LE systems (001 or 002) when I said Pro Tools was limited, since these are in the same sort of price range as Vegas. A full-blown PT rig like a TDM or HD system will set you back between $6,000 for a used Mix system and $12,000 for a new HD system (with room to grow).

As far as the limitations of the Digi 001 or 002, you are limited to track count (I think you can get 32 tracks in the lastest versions), and the most inputs and outputs you have at a time is 18. In order to use more than 8 inputs or outputs at a time, you have to invest in some AD/DA converters (an ADAT will work, or anything with analog in and ADAT lightpipe out for that matter.) You will also deal with some latency when monitoring, since there's no way to monitor your input before it travels through your CPU. MOTU hardware comes with a program called Cue-Mix which allows you to monitor any input through any output prior to hitting the computer, eliminating latency.

You will also be limited by the CPU of your computer (once again, this applies only to the 001 and 002 systems, since the pricier PT rigs have their own DSP, and a ton of it). With something like Cubase, Nuendo, or Logic, you can buy "powered" plug-ins like a UAD-1 or TC powercore, which will handle most of the processing for those plug-ins. As far as I know, PT doesn't support these (correct me if I'm wrong please).

The thing I like about Cubase is the fact that it will work with a variety of interfaces, theres an unlimited track count, and there are a ton of really cool VST plug-ins and virtual instruments that you can use with it, including a UAD-1 or a Powercore (This is also true with most of the softwares mentioned in this thread).

If you don't have any problems with any of the limitations of an 001 or 002 system, I'd say go with an 002. If you've got the dough, get an HD system. It will rock your world. Otherwise, just keep using Logic if it works fine for you. If it aint broke, don't fix it.