First DAW Recommendation

[SprintBob]

New Dell laptop on order, Quad Core i7 processor, 16 GB ram, solid state hard drive (512 GB), 15” screen. It’s replacing an 8 year old Dell laptop.

I’m going to set it up for recording my acoustics and will be looking to get a DAW software package for it. My primary recording will be solo guitar possibly with some overdubbing so my needs are simple and easy (1-2 tracks). I’ll probably go through a Focusrite mic preamp and I’ll be using either dual small diaphragm condenser mics or a single large diaphragm condenser mic for both stereo and mono recording projects. I plan to do as raw a recording as possible and then do cleanup and mixing/editing with the DAW software.

My research is pointing towards Reaper because it appears to be economical and user friendly based on what I read. But I’m open to suggestions so hope to get feedback from this community. This is my first foray into the world of DAW so I’m trying to keep it as simple and uncomplicated as possible to get started.

THANKS!

[runamuck]

I use Cubase and ProTools on occasion. If I were you, just starting out and knowing what I know now, I'd get Reaper.

[DupleMeter]

ProTools First is free
http://www.avid.com/pro-tools-first

The plus with ProTools is that it's the de facto standard DAW in commercial studios. Tons of online support/help/tutorials options because it's so widely used.

And...well...free

[SprintBob]

Originally Posted by DupleMeter

ProTools First is free
http://www.avid.com/pro-tools-first

The plus with ProTools is that it's the de facto standard DAW in commercial studios. Tons of online support/help/tutorials options because it's so widely used.

And...well...free

Thanks for the recommendation for Pro Tools First. I visited the site and it makes sense to give it consideration but the limitation that I think would hold me back is that the software only allows you to save up to three projects on their 1GB cloud storage. It does not appear to allow you to save a project file on your computer hard drive.

[MikeBmusic]

Reaper will certainly do everything you need it to do - and more. As the full uncrippled version is free to try out, give it a go.
Any DAW is going to have a learning curve, and the biggest difference between the various full-feature DAWs these days is the user interface.
I've been using Reaper for about 7 years now, read the very extensive user manual first before even downloading the s/w, just skipping the sections I was not interested in (advanced routing, MIDI implementation) at the time, so I didn't spend hours trying to get things started. Very good user forum available too if you need to ask for assistance on something.

[Cocobolo Kid]

You may also want to look at the inexpensive version of Presonus Studio One. It has arguably the most user friendly interface and the bundled instruments and effects are nice too.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by SprintBob

Thanks for the recommendation for Pro Tools First. I visited the site and it makes sense to give it consideration but the limitation that I think would hold me back is that the software only allows you to save up to three projects on their 1GB cloud storage. It does not appear to allow you to save a project file on your computer hard drive.

So it sounds like your looking at a Focusrite interface . A very popular choice
I would suggest go with at least the Scarlett 2i2 or up from there.

The Focusrite does come preloaded with Pro Tools First ,But as you note there is the no local storage it's all cloud based and limited to 3 projects. So there is probably no reason to not give it a try ( to at least know what the basic PT workflow and GUI looks like ) even though you will probably be wanting something less restricted

Reaper is a very popular and inexpensive DAW .
All DAWs basically work the same but can quite different in how that workflow is implemented .

The main thing with any DAW will be if you can identify with and relate to its GUI , workflow, and nomenclature ( something that is actually much less problematic and much less of an issue if you are new to DAW workflow )

The obvious best way as Mike B mentioned true for many DAW's is Download the trial period version/s and give it a try.

[DupleMeter]

Originally Posted by SprintBob

Thanks for the recommendation for Pro Tools First. I visited the site and it makes sense to give it consideration but the limitation that I think would hold me back is that the software only allows you to save up to three projects on their 1GB cloud storage. It does not appear to allow you to save a project file on your computer hard drive.

Right, but 3 projects would definitely give you the feel of the software. If you liked it & felt comfortable you buy extra storage which also unlocks saving locally.

[Rudy4]

Reaper.
Be forewarned that it can be very intimidating when you first use it because there are SO MANY features and options.

The good news is there are a great many on-line videos to help you out, the best of which are linked on the Cockos home page.

My basic advice is to start simple, record some brief projects to help with familiarizing yourself with the software. I approach these things by taking small steps to learn what I need to know as I go along.

As an example I've started doing a bit of video / audio multitracking in Reaper so I wanted to learn how to do a title page with fading text introduction. It was all in the manual, and not difficult to do.

As long as you don't feel like you need to learn everything that Reaper has to offer you'll do fine.

[SprintBob]

Guys,

Great feedback, leaning towards Reaper at this point.

On a related note, I'm researching the audio interface to buy and I do have a Thunderbolt 3 I/O connection on the new Dell XPS 15 laptop I have on order. For what I will be doing (primarily solo guitar), is it worth taking advantage of this and getting a Thunderbolt based audio interface? Certainly more expensive and nearly all the Thunderbolt AI's have a lot more features than I need but perhaps the increase in performance and lower latency rate is worth it?

Thanks again.

[FrankHudson]

I can't think of any reason to go with a Thunderbolt audio interface. Even USB interfaces can handle recording multiple simultaneous tracks these days, and two simultaneous tracks is not challenging these days.

If you have Thunderbolt, and someday want to use it, you could use it for an external hard drive. With smaller projects and only two simultaneous recording tracks your internal drive on the laptop will be fine, but if you get into larger projects or want to have more of them handy; or if get addicted someday to sampled virtual instruments, having a separate drive for audio or for the virtual instrument samples is nice.

[ChuckS]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Reaper.
Be forewarned that it can be very intimidating when you first use it because there are SO MANY features and options.

The good news is there are a great many on-line videos to help you out, the best of which are linked on the Cockos home page.

My basic advice is to start simple, record some brief projects to help with familiarizing yourself with the software. I approach these things by taking small steps to learn what I need to know as I go along.

As an example I've started doing a bit of video / audio multitracking in Reaper so I wanted to learn how to do a title page with fading text introduction. It was all in the manual, and not difficult to do.

As long as you don't feel like you need to learn everything that Reaper has to offer you'll do fine.

Originally Posted by SprintBob

Guys,

Great feedback, leaning towards Reaper at this point.

On a related note, I'm researching the audio interface to buy and I do have a Thunderbolt 3 I/O connection on the new Dell XPS 15 laptop I have on order. For what I will be doing (primarily solo guitar), is it worth taking advantage of this and getting a Thunderbolt based audio interface? Certainly more expensive and nearly all the Thunderbolt AI's have a lot more features than I need but perhaps the increase in performance and lower latency rate is worth it?

Thanks again.

I agree that Reaper can be intimidating, but the tutorial videos are helpful. Start by limiting yourself to only what you'll need.

Regarding interfaces, I wouldn't worry about latency using USB. The main thing is to have an audio interface that supports "direct monitoring" so you can listen to yourself without any latency as you're playing/recording. Also, some interfaces come with mixer/routing applications that reside on your computer. This application is functionally located between your audio interface hardware and your DAW. The application provides more flexibility, but at the expense of a bit more complication in setup and use. Lower end audio interfaces, like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 do not use/support this application; your system is just the interface hardware and your DAW.

[DukeX]

I would go with Reaper. It's affordable and has proven itself over time. You only have to go through the learning curve once, and you do not need to learn all of the features if you do not use them.

[Andy Howell]

Buy Reaper or Studio 1

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by SprintBob

Guys,

Great feedback, leaning towards Reaper at this point.

On a related note, I'm researching the audio interface to buy and I do have a Thunderbolt 3 I/O connection on the new Dell XPS 15 laptop I have on order. For what I will be doing (primarily solo guitar), is it worth taking advantage of this and getting a Thunderbolt based audio interface? Certainly more expensive and nearly all the Thunderbolt AI's have a lot more features than I need but perhaps the increase in performance and lower latency rate is worth it?

Thanks again.

As others have said USB can handle the relatively light CPU load that recording one or two audio tracks require . So will there be and a noticeable improvement in processing performance by going to thunderbolt probably not. in just that sense . And no doubt something like the Focusrite would serve for a good while into the future

That said if you still want to consider spending a bit more:
It is hard to know exactly what the future may hold . Both in terms of tech development and personal studio goals and needs .

If you are looking at Thunderbolt, which will likely be more expensive but are still interested in getting something that still fits your basic current needs and not be paying for a lot of features or connections you probably will not use for the foreseeable future. Then consider a good basic 2 channel TB interface like the new UAD 'Arrow" where the extra money $500 is going to things like conversion, mic pres, and being able to use UAD's DSP chip powered plug ins

Here is a Sweetwater review on it