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RealBand
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Joined: Apr 2009
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I too use and prefer Sonar as my DAW.
The reason I can give is that I am very familiar with the Cakewalk family line and know where just about everything is located. It took some time and effort to get to that point.
every DAW is slightly different in what they can do and how they do it. Some have features that others don't have. I have neither the time nor inclination to learn a new DAW and embark on a scavenger hunt every time I need a feature to do something. When I open the DAW to work.... I want to get the job done.
I do my writing and playing around as well as experimenting in BiaB. I probably spend close to the majority of my time there working on the various aspects of the song.... it's structure, groove, and lyrics.
I hit Real Band which I do understand is a DAW..... to mainly render the real tracks I want in my song project. I'm guessing I spend 10% to 15% of my project time in RB auditioning and rendering tracks, then exporting them to a folder.
In Sonar, I spend time working on the tracks and recording my live tracks. At this stage of the game, I need to do things and not need to think about them for 5 minutes. I know how to drop envelopes and nodes into a track.... drop softsynths in to other tracks, use FX and route tracks through busses.
Nothing against the other DAWs or Real Band.... I just know Sonar and all the little nuances of that platform, and, most importantly, it functions in a rock solid manner.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 12/19/13 03:05 PM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,077
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Familarity is very persuasive. Whatever you become most familar with to perform any task is what you'll always go to when it's crunch time. It's just the way humans work. Your brain can be creative or it can work through task performance but it is very difficult and mentally draining to try and do both at the same time. Software companies are very reluctant to make any change that alters workflow for this very reason.
I've used Cakewalk products, Reaper, Multitrack Studio (MTS) and each has a task handling method I prefer. Heck, for some tasks I even prefer Audacity. But, for the things I really want to do which is to make good music tracks, learn more about music in general (think theory, chord structures and musical composition) and learn the components of music production PG Music is the only software company offering an all-in-one solution. My 2014 resolution is to learn the mechanics of using BIAB and RealBand efficently and comfortably. I want to master these two programs rather than use many programs to perform the same tasks.
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RealBand
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 22,650
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I want to master these two programs rather than use many programs to perform the same tasks. I been trying for 20+ years. They keep adding stuff .. but I agree with your sentiment. Learn what you have, run what you brung, however you want to say it; don't knock it until you've tried it.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,833
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Now that they have added node based automation to RB i can't think of what it does not do except the VSTi timing lock thingy, and i really like the way Studio one handles comping vocal or guitar tracks. I made up my mind to really dig in and learn this platform, so i can really understand all it does. I find what ROG said about the mixer view and what it can do. It really does almost everything that any other DAW does. I mean reaper, sonar, studio one, cubase have more options, but actually RB does 95% of what they do, just fae simpler. To me simpler is easier, and in many cases better.
Like i said before, none of them, not a single one can generate RTs, bar to bar, start to finish, none of them have style based generation, all of them do loop creation in someway, but none as simple and integrated as RB. None of them have super midi tracks.
I agree with almost everyone here that familiarity is the best workflow, and what tool you love use it. To me that is what makes it fun.
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 300
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 300 |
(Now that they have added node based automation to RB i can't think of what it does not do except the VSTi timing lock thingy)
OK here come the questions.. Working with my KOrg I never encountered the above..
What do you mean by Node Based automation ? & what is VSTi timing lock?
Also I looked all over for GUI.. It's referred to in several places. What does GUI stand for?
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RealBand
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,987
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Veteran
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(Now that they have added node based automation to RB i can't think of what it does not do except the VSTi timing lock thingy)
OK here come the questions.. Working with my KOrg I never encountered the above..
What do you mean by Node Based automation ? & what is VSTi timing lock?
Also I looked all over for GUI.. It's referred to in several places. What does GUI stand for? Node based automation: the yellow lines are volume automation envelopes. the yellow dots on the lines are NODES.... I add them where I want and move them around as needed. You can add or delete them and of course, move the lines that connect them as you see in the picture to control the volume faders. The result of this automation can be heard here: The Best Christmas this pic is of the piano fills envelope in the first verse.  VST timing lock is where the synth is "locked" to the DAW timing for sync... they both use essentially the same clock for timing so nothing drifts. If not locked together, the midi synth can drift out of time with the audio as the track progresses. GUI Graphical user interface. the "face" of the synth or DAW you see and work with. In the photo I posted, you see the GUI for Sonar in track view.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 12/20/13 08:02 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,077
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,077 |
GUI is a software term that means Graphic User Interface. GUI is the tool you use to tell the program what you want to do, through which you input and retrieve data. It's the doorway that let's you interact with a software program.
Node based automation is a new feature for RealBand 2014 that allows you to preprogram one or more volume changes to an audio track. A node does two things: identifies the exact location of a volume change and gives the new volume level. By placing many nodes close together precise volume changes like fade-ins or fade-outs can be designed. Widely spaced nodes can be used to mute or highlight track measures (bars), phrases or sections. The key factor is automation provides for much better control over volume changes than can be obtained by manually controlling faders. Automation also allows volume changes to be consistent and repeatable.
Some plug-ins have built-in tempo based logic that allows the plug-in to creatively react to the tempo and time signature. This relieves much of the plug-in programming load off the user. BIAB and RealBand do not provide timing information to VST plug-ins so those plug-ins with logic can't use the logic so the user has to manually enter all the programming.
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 300
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 300 |
So when I used MTS to bring down the pops on the P of the vocalist was actually using Nodes.. & I didn't know it..I placed it above the pop & brought it down.. so I can now do the same thing in Real Band.. Great..
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RealBand
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 300
Journeyman
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OP
Journeyman
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 300 |
You continue to amaze me with your recordings.. Also inspire me, because I can see what can be done..
Incidentally was this track done on/in BIAB?? I looked for a Style with that bass, but so far haven't found it..
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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