Cubase vs Protools
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Posted on Jan 17, 2010 12:15 pm
stratwizard
Member Since: Nov 19, 2008
Hi everyone... there have been similar posts probably but my main question is since I have little experience with Cubase and no experience with Protools I was wondering which one I should concentrade on learning. I am considering taking online courses to be better at recording my stuff but I will only be spending money on either protools courses or cubase courses (which cover recording, mixing, mastering). Also I know the hardware dont also work on both so that is the second reason why I am trying to decide which one to go with so that I spend my money on the appropriate hardware. Thanx for all the input I hope this isnt too vague question...
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Jan 17, 2010 01:30 pm I personally do like cubase, though i've heard from some people its not the best. Not really sure why, but it does the job for me. A few things i'm still looking on ways to improve my workflow, a few "limits" that they put in there that i don't like while trying to work with automation and such. But overall i think its a good DAW.
Protools, if you're rich kicks butt. But i'm sure Quincysan will chime in soon enough about his horrible experience with it.
I personally have never set foot in the protools environment, or actually any environment outside cubase. But the basic bad thing i hear about protools is that they are money hungry. You have to pay more money for more compatible hardware and software that will actually work with your system and then you just keep putting more and more money into it to get the stupid thing to work.
But, like i said. i have no experience. just repeating what i've heard
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Jan 17, 2010 06:40 pm i dont know that any DAW sounds better than the next one to be honest, maybe the FX are better in pro tools but the recorded sound shouldnt sound much different.
Cubase has always worked fine for me, once you learn how its fine.
Jan 17, 2010 07:27 pm Ya, cubase effects have never appealed to me. And though it would be nice to have some common, usable FX; pluggins aren't that expensive. Pod Farm has some really nice multi-purpose stuff too for audio.
I think the biggest reason to switch a DAW is to improve your workflow. I'm thinking about upgrading to Cubase Essentials 5 for that very purpose. I figure an upgrade is $50. If i can be certain that 5 will save me a few hours on each project (my biggest thought is automation and midi are supposedly handled better), the 6-7 hours spent working my crappy little job would probably be worth that time saved in the "studio"
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Jan 17, 2010 08:12 pm cubase fx are pretty **** for sure. you say you can upgrade to 5 for 50 bucks? geez that's pretty cheap.
things is , and im not sure if its the same here but, even from LE to C4, the fx still pretty much stayed the same. which i was a little ****** about.
Jan 17, 2010 08:34 pm That would peave me off. did anything really upgrade much from LE?
And ya, 50 bucks. But its only $150 new so its not a huge deal. Though irritating since i was given C4 as a gift months before C5 came out. I'm still looking into it here and there. It does have some new effects (a pitch correcter with essentials, and some other goodies. With studio you get a lot more like pitch correcter, a reverb that is actually USABLE. etc)
But i can't justify spending $200 upgrading to the studio version when all you'll get are some more pluggins considering how crappy the Essentials pluggins are.
And i'm assuming the pitch correcter in C5 isn't much better than that G Snap freebee, which i didn't really think cleaned anything up that well and definately wasn't cool enough to use as an autotune effect. Granted, i've never used a real autotune so maybe its hard to get those settings just right.
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Jan 17, 2010 08:47 pm I'm gonna get some flack for this but in my personal opinion DAWs actually do sound different, and its not so much how they record but how they mix down. And in my mind it makes sense, coz each company has their own system for summing audio when u hit mixdown so it makes sense that their would be slight differences in the outcome, I've heard similarly recorded material (same equipment setups) recorded to and summed from Logic, Cubase and Protools and they sound quite different to me. Cubase usually sounds a bit duller, Logic a bit beefier and protools a bit shinier, obviously however it also comes down to ur own mix skills but yeah.
Obviously if ur going to learn a DAW i would say protools coz if ur looking to work in the field of sound its still the standard, u could run Cubase at home and just kind of figure out the relations and kill two birds with one stone.
On the effects in Cubase, yeah i havent tried 5 yet but for the most part the ones they give u that ive tried are unremarkable but I think Cubase gets some points for using VST, since most of the free downloable stuff on the net VST and not the Protools standard so that would mean even if u start with worse effects u could more easily find more.
My 2 cents
Jan 19, 2010 11:02 am I also read while doing research that protools wasnt too good with midi stuff compared to cubase. Any truth in that??? And if so how bad is it?? (I will be using midi to trigger drums and some keys and stuff)
Quincysanhttp://www.unitedmusicians.infoContributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007
Jan 19, 2010 01:49 pm My problems with PT are limited almost exclusively to their customer support. I have had technical issues here and there but that's to be expected from any DAW. User error mostly.
I've only used Sony Acid and PT and PT is so much more its hardly comparable. I can't speak for Sonar, but some of the best hobbiests here use it (and Noize). I hear the workflow in Logic is a little sexier, but you need an Apple to use it. Personally I wouldn't mind switching to Logic but I don't want to spend my hard earned cash on the inflated prices of Apple hardware at this point.
From a learning standpoint I highly recommend berkleemusic.com for their Pro Tools 101 class. I gained an incredible amount of knowledge from that class; but I would say it only comprises about 50% of what I know. The other half I got from HRC. Make sure you spend some time in the "Tips" section of this website and please try to search for a topic before you post it. We cover a lot of the same territory in the most frequent posts..."HELP! Which audio interface should I use?" being the most frequently posted thread EVER!!! Its hard to help myself from posting derogatory misleading information in response haha. "Search first" is pretty much a rule of etiquette on any forum...this forum being the most lenient one on the Internet, bar none. Believe me, I've looked.
Remember this...
Jan 19, 2010 02:43 pm I reallllllly wish i could use logic. The $500 price tag might not even be enough to scare me if it wasn't the $2k price tag on the computer itself :[ but macs look soooooo sexi. Even the screen resolution just blows me away. It all looks so... fresh.
Haha! wow, i love captions.
RUDILOOPSA bit about meMember
Since: Feb 11, 2010
Feb 13, 2010 12:46 pm "Happy Daze"
I've used cubase for over 10 years and have stuck to sl3 for so time now!!! (if it aint broken dont fix it).
Everything works and thats the way i like it !!!!!!
Maybe the effect are not up to scratch for some people but thats not what it all about!
The price is good and the software is easy to use.
