Cubase Vs. Digital Performer., Vs. Options

[gdoubleyou]

Steinberg has good ideas but fall short on executing them.
They have lost their focus on their DAWs, and appear to have too many produts for the available staff to service.

After being a longtime Cubase user I moved on while making my transition to OSX. Mostly because of lack of confidence that they could deliver what they claim. I had hope for improvement after they were purchased by Pinnacle, but the evidence points towards a worsening situation.

Check out the pain at cubase.net, the current controversey is about Steinberg not acknowledging Panther incompatibilities.

So if you want a user experience where you feel like you are paying to be a beta tester, by all means choose a Steinberg product.

[editbrain]

my goodness....i did not know that cubase was pinnacle now!
that is one reason that i moved to mac...hehe

i was working on a video (dvd) for my mom of some old tapes and such. well i had this beef'd up windows machine. 2+ghz 2gb ram sata drives. i was using pinnalce studio dvd editor software. well it kept locking up, locking up, locking up.

i had ordered a laptop (windows) that was going to arrive any day now. i was like HELL NO! NO MORE!!! i canceled the order for the laptop went to the bank drove to the apple store, bought a laptop came home finished my dvd in about an hour. YIPPEEEEEE!!!! i had been using linux for awhile too, so OS X was like a dream come true. having the terminal with the multimedia ability.

Now that i know that Pinnacle runs Cubase.....WELL DEFINATELY A HELL NO!!!!!

oops....


happy recording,
editbrain

[The_Circle]

surrealka,Maybe Logic is a bit harder to get along with although dp might be easier to use,but thats not the point..The point here is which one you will pick if you are choosing between both,disregarding that there will be a learning curve plus that there will always be a learning curve!I mean i have been temporarely using pro-tools for midi and now i will get one of these 3 softwares and whatever the software i will pick,there will definitly be alot to catch!
Dont know..I am considering seriously of bying logic,Any idea if there is a demo version i can try??

[surrealka]

You're absolutely right, and I hope I haven't misrepresented myself about Logic; my sole complaint is that it seems like a very confusing interface. I have lots of friends who work with it and are quite happy with it. Likewise, I'm very happy working with Digital Performer. Ultimately, we're debating about several really great products. Everyone's going to have a personal preference, but basically that's what this all boils down to: personal preference. Good luck with your decision.

[Panopticon]

Well, count me as another crack abuser who finds DP4 easy to use and intuitive. I would say it only took a learning curve of about a week until I was up to full speed and productivity after switching from a Cubase SX based PC. Now I've been at it for three months, and while I find myself occasionally referring to the kilopage manual (which is also the best software manual I've ever used); 98% of the project is focused on the music instead of trying to get my head around the software.

But I still think the question of Logic vs DP4 is kind of silly. They'll both get the job done, and in spades. See if you can find a couple users in your area and buy 'em a six pack to show you your way through for an hour or two, then pick whichever has the structure more in tune with your workflow. Now, if you're going to be having engineers and other producers come in who are used to a Logic front end on a PT system, THAT would make a difference. And the other thing is price: the Logic Pro package sure is sweet. But then again for about the same price ($100 more) you can get the DP4 crossgrade, Mach 5, and Altiverb; which is a fairly comparable system. You get a couple more virtual instruments with the Logic package; but other than that it's a reasonable comparison. I use MOTU hardware, so decided to go the DP4 route; and I'm very pleased. Really either program is excellent, it's just a matter of preference. Hell, if you can't get your hands on the programs first, just pick your favorite GUI (lol)....

[rickenbacker]

I'd say the Logic Pro package offers over and above just a "couple more virtual instruments", as Panopticon puts it.

Let's see: the ES1 and ES2 synths, the EVB3 Hammond, the EVD6 Clavinet, the EXS24 MkII sampler, the EVP88 electric piano, the EVOC20 vocoder, and the Space Designer convolving reverb, all of which sound fantastic. Plus of course you still get Logic and its 60-odd FX plug-ins. And you say the DP4 crossgrade still costs more?

Must be all that crack you're smoking...

[The_Circle]

Hehe..it seems that most of whoever is in this forum is on crack!
Anyways..For me i would say that logic would give more but still..are all standard plugins compatible with logic??

[gdoubleyou]

Maybe I have more experience but I didn't find DP4 or Logic6 any easier/harder than other DAWs.

I was a former Studio Vision Pro user, after it's death I vowed to never be dependent on ONE music app.

You can actually have them both, I used SVP for a crossgrade for DP $369, and I purchased the Logic Big Box.

It actually took me longer to get my head around DP, because of the non-standard window navigation. I still hit the close window button, when I'm expecting a dropdown menu. It just takes time to get familar with the interface.

Currently, I give the nod to Logic for AU integration, CPU friendliness, and the excellent Logic synths. I haven't fired up my midi hardware in nine months.

Don't get me wrong I DO LIKE DP, just think it needs one more update to get it up to snuff.

[pdgood]

No one is taking the $$$ into account. For those of us who purchase legit copies this is a factor. I'd like to switch too (I'm using Cubase VST32) but the pricing varies a great deal. For example, I can upgrade to SX for $200, crossgrade to DP4 for $300, but the only way I can get to Logic (according to my dealer) is a direct purchase - no crossgrade available. The pro version is now around $1000. So while I'd like to have Logic, I can't afford that option.
Also, features are really important once you get working. Do any of these have midi scrub? I know Logic Pro does, but not sure about the others. VST does not.

[surrealka]

pdgood,
yes DP has MIDI scrub. And good AU integration as well.