PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why?

Index

Print Thread

Go To

Page 4 of 7

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? rockstar_not #238873 02/06/14 11:36 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000 Posts: 38,502 Chesapeake, Virginia USA M Mac Veteran
Mac Veteran M Joined: May 2000 Posts: 38,502 Chesapeake, Virginia USA	RB AND Sonar/Cakewalk both feature PianoRoll MIDI entry and editing. I'm not a big proponent of MIDI sequencing via Notation, because notation simply cannot easily provide enough of the necessary entry paramaters. For example, a trained live musician inherently knows the various rulesets involved with how long a Quarter Note or 8th should be played within the given situation. Notation entry, on the other hand, will yield all Quarter Note values as dead equal and that is not inherently a good sounding musical representation. By far my most favorite method of MIDI part implementation is Recording to the click in realtime using a MIDI Controller of some sort, though. That delivers a performance that will sound exactly like what you played when you played it, yet offers the note-level Editing of MIDI when needed for cleanup and such. --Mac PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here You must be Audiominds. www.audiominds.com

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #238885 02/06/14 12:22 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 20,584 Australia Noel96 Veteran
Noel96 Veteran Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 20,584 Australia	Midi production and editing in Reaper is excellent. It's something that's been developed significantly over the last couple of years. I use it regularly. MY SONGS... Audiophile BIAB 2026 audios on Soundcloud

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? sslechta #238886 02/06/14 12:44 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 5,139 Florida 90 dB Veteran
90 dB Veteran Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 5,139 Florida	Originally Posted By: sslechta Yeah Rockstar, I use the piano roll mode to edit MIDI. It's much easier than trying to mess about in the Event list. +1. Sonar X3. Dyslectics Untie! https://90dbband.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/90-db https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_3mpivKYV7T7XFJmXL-GA

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? Mac #238889 02/06/14 01:04 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 27,568 Hudson Valley & Lake George NY Matt Finley Veteran
Matt Finley Veteran Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 27,568 Hudson Valley & Lake George NY	Originally Posted By: Mac The MIDI engine inside today's Sonar is pretty much the exact same and good MIDI engine that many of us came to know and love from back in the days of Greg Hendershot's original Cakewalk. ... --Mac I concur. I would add that the SONAR X series (X1, X2 and X3) has now given us a smart tool that adapts quicker to what you want to do when editing MIDI. BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #238890 02/06/14 01:08 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 27,568 Hudson Valley & Lake George NY Matt Finley Veteran
Matt Finley Veteran Joined: Jul 2000 Posts: 27,568 Hudson Valley & Lake George NY	Originally Posted By: VideoTrack Matt, can you advise which program you like to use for Notation editing? I agree with the comment from Rich that MIDI editing in RB is somewhat cumbersome compared to other programs. Thanks Trevor Trevor, I haven't used RealBand so I can't compare, but as to Notation programs, I have used Encore for 23 years. I have also been a beta tester for them for the last decade. I love the user interface in Encore (though I still use BIAB for most data entry!). Although I have used Sibelius and Finale, I don't like their user interface by comparison to Encore, and only use them when I am forced to. BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? Matt Finley #238893 02/06/14 01:20 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,703 Hamlin NY MarioD Veteran
MarioD Veteran Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 24,703 Hamlin NY	Another +1 for Sonar. I do extensive MIDI editing and Sonar X3d is the easiest to use IMO. I use the piano roll view (PRV) to do most of my editing. I find that much easier than using the notation view. However I use the notation view when I hear something not quite right as it is easier for me to see there than in the PRV. For example hearing an F someplace during a D chord and knowing that it is not suppose to be there. Good luck in your search. OK, a random thought; Why does toilet paper need a commercial? Who's not buying it? 64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? Mac #238896 02/06/14 01:35 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,913 Colorado Springs, CO, USA R rockstar_not Veteran
rockstar_not Veteran R Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,913 Colorado Springs, CO, USA	Originally Posted By: Mac RB AND Sonar/Cakewalk both feature PianoRoll MIDI entry and editing. I'm not a big proponent of MIDI sequencing via Notation, because notation simply cannot easily provide enough of the necessary entry paramaters. For example, a trained live musician inherently knows the various rulesets involved with how long a Quarter Note or 8th should be played within the given situation. Notation entry, on the other hand, will yield all Quarter Note values as dead equal and that is not inherently a good sounding musical representation. By far my most favorite method of MIDI part implementation is Recording to the click in realtime using a MIDI Controller of some sort, though. That delivers a performance that will sound exactly like what you played when you played it, yet offers the note-level Editing of MIDI when needed for cleanup and such. --Mac I agree with this 100%. Step entry or notation based entry is tedious at best, and stressful at worst for me. I like PG's implementation of a hybrid for post-fat-fingered-recorded-mistake editing. I can read note values much more quickly; instantly honestly, on staff than I can with alternating colors on a piano roll display. I guess an analogy would be the difference between the standard block lettering found on an engineering drawing, versus the same drawing with cursive writing on it. Alternatively, take a look at Mixcraft's piano roll - the head of each note bar on the roll is identified with pitch value. Zoomed out, this could be a mess, but zoomed in, for precise midi note editing, a nice way of going about displaying pitch value directly. Surely they can't be the only folks that do this. Last edited by rockstar_not; 02/06/14 01:46 PM. My Songs, photos, writing,etc. My Sound Cloud

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #238901 02/06/14 01:52 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,913 Colorado Springs, CO, USA R rockstar_not Veteran
rockstar_not Veteran R Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,913 Colorado Springs, CO, USA	In doing a little bit more research, it appears that a program called 'Notion' also implements a PG like hybrid between staff notation and 'bars and pipes'. My Songs, photos, writing,etc. My Sound Cloud

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? rockstar_not #238921 02/06/14 04:39 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000 Posts: 38,502 Chesapeake, Virginia USA M Mac Veteran
Mac Veteran M Joined: May 2000 Posts: 38,502 Chesapeake, Virginia USA	BB, RB and PT also have the excellent StaffRoll view, very handy for quickly editing Note placements, Velocities and Durations quickly. PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here You must be Audiominds. www.audiominds.com

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? Mac #238922 02/06/14 04:47 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,913 Colorado Springs, CO, USA R rockstar_not Veteran
rockstar_not Veteran R Joined: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,913 Colorado Springs, CO, USA	Originally Posted By: Mac BB, RB and PT also have the excellent StaffRoll view, very handy for quickly editing Note placements, Velocities and Durations quickly. I couldn't find that screenshot - that, in my opinion is the best post-recorded midi editing representation available. Are all PG programs like that? If so, IMO that's the high water mark, for editing. My Songs, photos, writing,etc. My Sound Cloud

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? rockstar_not #238926 02/06/14 05:27 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 21,094 Melbourne, Australia AudioTrack OP Veteran
OP AudioTrack Veteran Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 21,094 Melbourne, Australia	Yes, the Staff Roll Notation Mode of editing can be quite useful. Attached Files (Click to download or enlarge) (Only available when you are logged in) 2014-02-07_11-22-24.jpg (63.4 KB, 206 downloads) 2014-02-07_11-23-18.jpg (45.5 KB, 206 downloads) BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #238934 02/06/14 06:08 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000 Posts: 38,502 Chesapeake, Virginia USA M Mac Veteran
Mac Veteran M Joined: May 2000 Posts: 38,502 Chesapeake, Virginia USA	I'll point out that you can paint yourself into a corner by trying to use only one of the MIDI editing/entry methods for all tasks. Find out which method does a specified task the easiest, or the fastest, or in the most logical fashion for you and don't be afraid to switch between Notation, Staff Roll or PianoRoll views, also don't neglect MIDI Monitor and the other fine MIDI event editing tools as well. --Mac PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here You must be Audiominds. www.audiominds.com

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? Mac #238959 02/07/14 12:10 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 21,094 Melbourne, Australia AudioTrack OP Veteran
OP AudioTrack Veteran Joined: Jun 2012 Posts: 21,094 Melbourne, Australia	I agree, it's not the only one. I often prefer Piano Roll, and Event List edits for finer adjustments, especially for note position and velocity. Piano Roll is great if you want to say move a selected group of notes by an octave, third etc. Like you say, all have a place somewhere or other. BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #238960 02/07/14 03:38 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,646 Kentucky P PgFantastic Veteran
PgFantastic Veteran P Joined: Feb 2005 Posts: 2,646 Kentucky	I use Cubase Le4, with a Zoom R16 as my controller. It is the DAW that came with the Zoom; before that I used Real Band exclusively, but I like being able to move the faders with the Zoom in real time, I can also mute and solo outside the box. I wish Real Band would add Zoom controller to their list. I liked real band! My Tunes Psalm 57:7 My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music.

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #239287 02/09/14 11:56 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 8,792 Pawling New York R Rob Helms Veteran
Rob Helms Veteran R Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 8,792 Pawling New York	Personally i find Sonar, and PT, RB to have pretty good midi tools, Reaper to me is still lacking in midi, but is making steady progress. 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

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #239350 02/09/14 10:00 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 20,584 Australia Noel96 Veteran
Noel96 Veteran Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 20,584 Australia	Hi Rob, That was true of older versions of Reaper. The present version, though, is excellent from a midi perspective. I use it often. Regards, Noel MY SONGS... Audiophile BIAB 2026 audios on Soundcloud

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #240035 02/15/14 03:23 PM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4,497 Kyrkslätt, Finland dani48 Veteran
dani48 Veteran Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 4,497 Kyrkslätt, Finland	Hi, Trevor ! I use Mixcraft 6 because it was suggested to me by members of one of the Shadows´sites that I use to post on !:) It handles midi pretty nicely and it was very affordable too !:)) Cheers Dani

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? AudioTrack #240091 02/16/14 07:54 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 5,139 Florida 90 dB Veteran
90 dB Veteran Joined: Apr 2010 Posts: 5,139 Florida	I love Sonar, but would rather have one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Studer-A827-24-T...=item3f300ad4e7 Dyslectics Untie! https://90dbband.bandcamp.com/ https://soundcloud.com/90-db https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_3mpivKYV7T7XFJmXL-GA

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? 90 dB #240096 02/16/14 08:19 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: Dec 2013 Posts: 2,732 St. Louis, MO. USA sslechta Veteran
sslechta Veteran Joined: Dec 2013 Posts: 2,732 St. Louis, MO. USA	Originally Posted By: 90 dB I love Sonar, but would rather have one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Studer-A827-24-T...=item3f300ad4e7 Sell your car and its yours! That is a sweet deck though. Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics. PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory

Re: DAW Users - which DAW do you use and why? 90 dB #240104 02/16/14 09:01 AM Recording, Mixing, Performance and Production
Joined: May 2000 Posts: 38,502 Chesapeake, Virginia USA M Mac Veteran
Mac Veteran M Joined: May 2000 Posts: 38,502 Chesapeake, Virginia USA	Originally Posted By: 90 dB I love Sonar, but would rather have one of these: AIIGGHHHH! To own one, you MUST be able to MAINTAIN one. Even when brand spankin', the maintenance was near continuous. The old analog decks DID sound wonderful with electric guitars, though, but don't for one second succumb to the idea that one can expect it to perform as designed from day to day without either being able to electrically, electronically and mechanically perform the necessary repairs and adjustments needed from day to day themselves, or have enough cash overhead available at all times to hire someone who can. Guys who show up in lab coats who have German or Swedish sounding first names, speak little English - until it come time to fill out the Invoice for Services Rendered. And don't try to find fresh reels of good magnetic tape for the things now, either. Today we are down to one $ource... --Mac PGmusic FAQs, Tutorials and Updates! click here You must be Audiominds. www.audiominds.com

Go To

Page 4 of 7

Moderated by Andrew - PG Music, Callie - PG Music, Catherine, PeterGannon, pgmoderation

Link Copied to Clipboard

ChatPG

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.

PG Music News

April 28, 2026

XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!

All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!

It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.

What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?

XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!

Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!

The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.

The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.

Note: XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.

The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.

Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!

April 22, 2026

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos

With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.

Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.

Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!

April 21, 2026

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.

Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box^® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box^® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.

2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box^® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.

April 02, 2026

Holiday Weekend Hours

As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:

April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours

Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!

— Team PG

March 24, 2026

Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!

If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

March 12, 2026

Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!

If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.

March 12, 2026

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® users: Build 1237 is now available!

Already a Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows user? Stay up to date and download the build 1237 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.

More News