Features in other DAWs [Comparison]

Want to talk about music hardware or software that doesn't include Reason?
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Creativemind
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12 Feb 2020

Tick FL Studio for Cloned / Linked / Aliased Midi Clips too. ;-)

Other things I know FL Studio has:-

* Track Folders
* Video Sync
* Time Markers
* Notepad
* Track Icons
* Multiple Export Formats beyond AIFF, WAV? & MID
* Punch In / Out
* Remember Last Note Length with the ability to click a different length note than the next pasted note length to change the next pasted note length
* Slice By Grid
* Multiple Piano Roll Piano Graphic Types
* Shading in Piano Roll Corresponding to which Midi Controller Key you press
* Keyboard Shortcut to make all Midi Notes the Same Length
* Midi Chase (Truncated Notes it's called in FL)
* Note Displays
* Mirror Kind of Copy / Paste Thing
* Play Tool in the Piano Roll
* Chord Painting in the Piano Roll
* Strum Feature in Piano Roll
* Volume, Panning, Filtering and Resonance as well as Velocities for Midi Notes in the Piano Roll
* Join Piano Notes
* Dump to Midi
* Step Edit Mode
* Left Click Adds, Right Click Deletes with Notes, Clips etc
* 75% of the daw (Mixer, Devices etc) are Vectoral (Scalable)
* Tool Tip Window / Box
* Multiple Click Sounds
* Paste In-able Automation Shapes
* Manual Parameter Inputs with Copy & Paste Option
* VST 3 Support
* Multi-Out For VST
* Midi VST Support
* Scan VST Folder While the Daw is Open
* Refresh Folder Option On Browser (and any additions show up in a different colour)
* Brush Tool
* Multiple Clip Type Choices
* Autosave
* Undo History
* Plug-in Picker Screen
* Multiple Metronome Sounds with the ability to load your own
* Audio To Piano Roll is Polyphonic
* Global Pitch Slider (+ or - 12 semitones)
* Global Volume Slider (different to master output fader)
* Rewire Support
* Ability To Change the Project Name without having to do Save As and then ending up with 2 files on your comp and you have to delete one.

That's most of what I can remember off the top of my head.

Some new categories may need adding to your list and sorry for not copy / pasting your list thing.
Last edited by Creativemind on 12 Feb 2020, edited 4 times in total.
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Proboscis
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12 Feb 2020

Creativemind wrote:
12 Feb 2020
Sorry but Reason doesn't have note taking abilities. That combi thing isn't it lol!
Are you saying you don't like my 'workaround' ? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Anyway that was just me going a bit crazy with aeox's suggestion, to which he's concurred later that clip labels aren't really appropriate. But I would give a reluctant checkmark on Reason, since the 'Song Information' feature exists, and going on the 'it may be there but it says nothing of elegance & fluidity of said feature' that selig expressed several times. You CAN keep notes in a Reason project, but the implementation is TERRIBLE ;)

I really love Cakewalk's two-click pop out for notes (three if the window is folded). You don't need to menu dive, its always right where you're working, and the header of the notes section also has cells for an image, plus Name/Album/Artist/Copyright, which I'm guessing is going to write file metadata to a save. How brilliant is that ? I should however test this out before claiming it to be so, because Ive not tested it.

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orthodox
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12 Feb 2020

Proboscis wrote:
12 Feb 2020
I really love Cakewalk's two-click pop out for notes (three if the window is folded). You don't need to menu dive, its always right where you're working, and the header of the notes section also has cells for an image, plus Name/Album/Artist/Copyright, which I'm guessing is going to write file metadata to a save. How brilliant is that ? I should however test this out before claiming it to be so, because Ive not tested it.
Can I type emoticons in the notes section? I hate it when I cannot add various smiles to the info :puf_bigsmile:

Proboscis
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12 Feb 2020

Thanks Creative Mind, I'll add some to the list. If I see a trend of the same things in other DAWs I'll add more.

Can you confirm yes/no for:

Track Freeze
Music Score / Staff View
Custom Color Picker
Stereo/Mono
Ripple Editing
Group MIDI Clips (by this I mean, if you group several together, when you move one, they all move)

As an aside, a strum feature sound amazing, very handy. I always think its a shame that the 'Scales & Chords' player doesn't have a strum types menu, since the notes that make up a chord are already being generated.

Proboscis
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12 Feb 2020

orthodox wrote:
12 Feb 2020
Can I type emoticons in the notes section? I hate it when I cannot add various smiles to the info :puf_bigsmile:
No, but if you email Cakewalk Support, they'll probably implement it within 48 hours. They have a development team that actually engage with users and take action. :puf_smile: :D :) ;) :lol: :mrgreen:

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reddust
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13 Feb 2020

Proboscis wrote:
12 Feb 2020
I'm most happy to keep expanding the features and the DAWs, but is there any point, when nobody has helped contribute towards populating the list by completing even a single DAW features summary with a yes/no? Yonotan was kind enough to advise on video support for several DAWs, plus a correction was made early on from some feedback, but it's going nowhere.
Yeah, I can totally understand. I have only used Reason myself in the last years, just switched back to Ableton last week so I'm afraid I cannot bring very accurate and up to date information right now, but I'll be glad to contribute with some ideas if this thread keeps going on. Anyways thanks for the work and sharing it here with us

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hurricane
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13 Feb 2020

Here's Logic.

While there is no horizontal highlight of note lane on HOVER, you can still do this but you have to click the note to highlight the lane.
We used to have a custom color picker, and we can sort of do that now but you need to modify an internal file.

We also have Alchemy, Camel Phat, and Camel Space.
We have dynamic plugin loading.
We have smart tempo.
We have a plugin organizer.
Loads more.
Oh, and all the updates are free. ;)
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SynthGang
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13 Feb 2020

I for one would love to see a notepad feature in Reason! I have long felt it would be immensely useful to have as a basic function!

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diminished
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13 Feb 2020

SynthGang wrote:
13 Feb 2020
I for one would love to see a notepad feature in Reason! I have long felt it would be immensely useful to have as a basic function!
is that not enough?
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Proboscis
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13 Feb 2020

diminished wrote:
13 Feb 2020
SynthGang wrote:
13 Feb 2020
I for one would love to see a notepad feature in Reason! I have long felt it would be immensely useful to have as a basic function!
is that not enough?
https://www.reasonstudios.com/shop/rack ... mmentator/
How do you propose copy/pasting lyrics for you vocalist out of that device ? For every line is a new cell. It a very poor solution (and I understand this is NOT JP's fault, but the limitations of the SDK).

And besides, this thread is about DAW Features. As a third party product, it is not a feature of Reason.

Proboscis
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13 Feb 2020

hurricane wrote:
13 Feb 2020
Here's Logic.
Thanks ! I was going to PM you actually to invite you to the thread, since this really all started with me investigating other options that were inspired by your post on Clip Cloning. I never actually expected to find so many shortcomings in Reason so fast (when I installed Cakewalk).

So no clip grouping in Logic ? I havent looked at Cakewalk or Reaper yet, maybe it's not a thing for DAWs. I've encountered it in Premiere Pro & Vegas Pro, and always thought it would be a valuable addition to Reason

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guitfnky
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13 Feb 2020

there are track notes and global notes in Digital Performer. it’s so much nicer than any of the notes options we have in Reason. I like to put notes about my guitar/patch settings in any tracks I’ve recorded. in Reason, I have to put them in the track name itself, in order to see them in the sequencer view.

one thing I do love about Reason is the per-clip labels. I think that’s super useful, and other DAWs should start doing that.

now that I’m thinking about it, another cool feature a few other DAWs have that Reason doesn’t is clip-based effects. so you can split a single word or passage of a vocal into its own clip, and drop a delay onto the clip, and the delay would automatically kick on for that passage, and be gone after it’s done.
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orthodox
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13 Feb 2020

guitfnky wrote:
13 Feb 2020
now that I’m thinking about it, another cool feature a few other DAWs have that Reason doesn’t is clip-based effects. so you can split a single word or passage of a vocal into its own clip, and drop a delay onto the clip, and the delay would automatically kick on for that passage, and be gone after it’s done.
I don't think it would be a good feature for Reason where we're used to seeing all the effects in the Rack. It would just add some redundant complexity. You would not be able to see what and where the effects are. Now you can easily create another (audio) track and put the clip there, and it won't reduce you any performance.

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hurricane
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13 Feb 2020

Proboscis wrote:
13 Feb 2020
hurricane wrote:
13 Feb 2020
Here's Logic.
Thanks ! I was going to PM you actually to invite you to the thread, since this really all started with me investigating other options that were inspired by your post on Clip Cloning. I never actually expected to find so many shortcomings in Reason so fast (when I installed Cakewalk).

So no clip grouping in Logic ? I havent looked at Cakewalk or Reaper yet, maybe it's not a thing for DAWs. I've encountered it in Premiere Pro & Vegas Pro, and always thought it would be a valuable addition to Reason
The only clip grouping I am familiar with is how Pro Tools does it. And Logic doesn't have what everyone else would call "clip groups", but we can pack clips into folders, and then treat that folder as one block and move it around, copy it, edit it, etc.

So If I have this collection of clips:
clips.png
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I can put them in a folder like this:
folder.png
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Then I can treat this grouped collection of clips as a "block" and do whatever I want with it. Works with audio or midi or both at the same time. And at any time we can "unpack" the folder, so it's not bouncing them or joining them destructively in any way.

So if that counts as clip grouping, then :thumbs_up:
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guitfnky
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13 Feb 2020

orthodox wrote:
13 Feb 2020
guitfnky wrote:
13 Feb 2020
now that I’m thinking about it, another cool feature a few other DAWs have that Reason doesn’t is clip-based effects. so you can split a single word or passage of a vocal into its own clip, and drop a delay onto the clip, and the delay would automatically kick on for that passage, and be gone after it’s done.
I don't think it would be a good feature for Reason where we're used to seeing all the effects in the Rack. It would just add some redundant complexity. You would not be able to see what and where the effects are. Now you can easily create another (audio) track and put the clip there, and it won't reduce you any performance.
that's a good point--it doesn't really fit the Reason model. I've never actually used that feature in a 'real' track I've worked on, but it is a clever and interesting idea. the benefit is less about performance than convenience, I think. not having to create a separate track just for a quick effect, or having to edit an automation lane would theoretically be pretty handy for lazy people like me. :lol:
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Proboscis
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14 Feb 2020

hurricane wrote:
13 Feb 2020
So if that counts as clip grouping, then :thumbs_up:
Oh jeeze that sounds like a pain in the ass, but I guess that's a checkmark. As was stated early on, this list doesn't cover 'Elegance of Features'. Just features :)

I'll be updating the OP list now, apologies for the delay

Proboscis
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14 Feb 2020

guitfnky wrote:
13 Feb 2020
now that I’m thinking about it, another cool feature a few other DAWs have that Reason doesn’t is clip-based effects. so you can split a single word or passage of a vocal into its own clip, and drop a delay onto the clip, and the delay would automatically kick on for that passage, and be gone after it’s done.
Slightly similar - but I often find myself experimenting and want to have different panning for notes within a chord. In Reason, even if notes are stacked to make a chord over three note lanes, there's still only one automation track.

For example, with an A#dim (ignoring pan gain issues)

A# - Pan Hard Left
Db - No Pan
E - Pan Hard Right

Proboscis
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14 Feb 2020

List updated (thanks Creativemind/FLSTUDIO, Hurricane/LOGIC, Proboscis/REAPER)

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guitfnky
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14 Feb 2020

Proboscis wrote:
14 Feb 2020
guitfnky wrote:
13 Feb 2020
now that I’m thinking about it, another cool feature a few other DAWs have that Reason doesn’t is clip-based effects. so you can split a single word or passage of a vocal into its own clip, and drop a delay onto the clip, and the delay would automatically kick on for that passage, and be gone after it’s done.
Slightly similar - but I often find myself experimenting and want to have different panning for notes within a chord. In Reason, even if notes are stacked to make a chord over three note lanes, there's still only one automation track.

For example, with an A#dim (ignoring pan gain issues)

A# - Pan Hard Left
Db - No Pan
E - Pan Hard Right
that’s a sweet idea, but that would need to be implemented on the instrument device, rather than in the DAW, I think.
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hurricane
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14 Feb 2020

I see you added a few more features to the list.

Logic can do strumming through a thing called a "Scripter" which essentially lets you create your very own custom Midi FX. If you're into this kind of thing (I'm not!) you can go crazy and create whatever you want. I can't really explain it, but here's a snippet from some blog:

"you can manipulate MIDI data in many flexible and powerful ways. For example, you can:
Change the pitch, volume, panning, etc. of certain notes.
Create new notes and play them back at different time intervals.
Create automatic Control Change (CC) messages or transform them.
Generate random notes or create notes based on probability (algorithmic music, this is your call!).
Filter, transform or delay MIDI events based on our rules.

With this tool, we can create things like:
A MIDI effect that emulates guitar strumming techniques.
An algorithm to create automatic melodies or rhythms.
Totally customized arpeggiators or harmonizers.
MIDI Sequencers or drum machines.
User interfaces with menus and sliders for our plugin."

Here's BRIAN ENO using Logic's Scripter:






Also, Logic has track folders - a few kinds in fact:

Folder stacks
Folder stacks let you combine multiple tracks and control them as one unit, without changing the audio routing of the individual subtracks. When you create a folder stack, the channel strip assigned to the main track is called the stack master. Using the main track or the stack master channel strip, you can mute, solo, and adjust the volume level for the folder stack. This is similar to the way a VCA master fader functions on a hardware mixing console.

Summing stacks
Summing stacks let you combine multiple tracks and route their output to an audio subgroup. When you create a summing stack, the outputs from the subtracks are routed to a bus. The destination aux of the bus is assigned to the main track. When the main track is selected, you can mute, solo, and adjust volume and send levels for the summing stack, and add and edit plug-ins, affecting the sound of all the subtracks in the summing stack.

And our Undo History is pretty cool:
Screen Shot 2020-02-14 at 10.04.29 AM.png
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Proboscis
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14 Feb 2020

hurricane wrote:
14 Feb 2020
I see you added a few more features to the list.
Yea, sorry about that. Those additions were driven by Creativemind's post, but wasn't published until after yours. I've now updated the OP list.

I might remove 'strumming' from the list later on, but regardless it's awesome to hear your explanation of 'Scripter'. Cakewalk also appears to have a process application called CAL Scripts . From my early investigation it seems to be written in a language that's all on it's own, as is a hangover from the SONAR days. The current Cakewalk forums might suggest that it's not really a commonly or widely used feature, and is probably only there for legacy purposes. And... there are only 37 scripts in-the-box. Woefully lacking, for example to revert a note to a chord, there are a measly five chord types (Maj, Maj7, Min, Min7 & Dom7). But there are actually two 'strum' scripts. I'll have to give those a spin.

After watching a minute or two of a tutorial on Logic's 'Scripter' it seems a superior execution, because you have front end controls to implement changes on the fly (as Eno did) - with Cakewalk CAL it seems you just apply that script, and you're locked in to that command.


Here's Cakewalk's CAL Scripts

>
cw_CAL_folder.PNG
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Creativemind
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14 Feb 2020

That script thing is also (if it's the same thing) available in Reaper. People create scripts to do various tasks, it's called ReaScript.

https://www.reaper.fm/sdk/reascript/reascript.php
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Proboscis
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14 Feb 2020

Creativemind wrote:
14 Feb 2020
That script thing is also (if it's the same thing) available in Reaper. People create scripts to do various tasks, it's called ReaScript.
Interesting !

I've created a few 'custom features/function' commands with Reaper in the past as well. More to do with rolling your own shortcut keys. It's a great timesaver if you identify some repetitive tasks that could be streamlined with key commands.

Let's face it, the mouse is pretty inefficient by comparison, for lots of tasks. And as for menu-diving, screw that.

It's a shame Reason doesn't allow for the deeper kind of 'roll your own' workflow aids.

Proboscis
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14 Feb 2020

So with these Scripts, whether Logic, Reaper or Cakewalk, that opens up a potential for many features... but do we consider a 'potential' as being a feature of the DAW in it's core state ? I guess if they ship with a library (as CW does, 37 of them), then that's stock ?

Is the Rack extension from Static Cling... DELTA.... offering some of these custom actions (I'm obv now talking MIDI only), with all the crazy manipulation that's possible ? Scripting without coding, but instead using visual construction, with each node array sending commands to another, and so on.

I was pretty blown out when trialing that RE, and even though mostly it was over my head. But I could identify how cool the concept is for the rack. Too complex for me though, so I didn't buy it. For those who like that tweaking, it seems like a great 'must have'.

Proboscis
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14 Feb 2020

Just fired up Reaper, and it appears that ReaScript is not even a factory option. I wanted to have a peep into how large/small their library was. Obviously no library, because no ReaScript.

I would say that whatever amazing stuff can be achieved (if you're a programmer!) with ReaScript is not to be considered a 'Feature'.

Do you agree ?

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