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favorite DAW mistakes? (i.e. don't do this examples)

category: music [glöplog]
hoff: Or simply the program's name which actually is Live :)

dubmood: Not knowing how to or having the ability use an application does sometimes imply though that the interface and/or usability is crap.
added on the 2012-05-16 14:33:28 by noby noby
Gloom: Good points.

Quote:
Not knowing how to or having the ability use an application does sometimes imply though that the interface and/or usability is crap.


+1 x Inf

Surprisingly many high-profile application developers seem to be utterly mystified by concepts like interaction design and simple goddamn usability.
added on the 2012-05-16 14:43:43 by elfan elfan
Loving the hyperbolic statements :)
added on the 2012-05-16 18:06:51 by _-_-__ _-_-__
back in the 17th century, DAW makers signed a secret pact in blood that forbids them to add zooming to the mouse wheel. the pact was honored until sonic foundry released acid, breaking the covenant. the pact then motioned sony to acquire and extinguish the software, making sure their pact remains hidden for future generations.
added on the 2012-05-16 18:20:10 by Gargaj Gargaj
Suddenly, REAPER.
added on the 2012-05-16 18:38:11 by kb_ kb_
reaper is still flowing down the river in a basket. it'll take years until it takes its true shape.
added on the 2012-05-16 18:39:28 by Gargaj Gargaj
I wish DAWs would have an option to easily zoom WITHOUT the scroll wheel. (I use a simple trakball). Something like hold-down-a-key-and move up/down to zoom.

10+ years and no luck so I'll probably end up buying a Kensington trakball with a scroll ring :-/
added on the 2012-05-16 18:56:47 by trixter trixter
Quote:
Surprisingly many high-profile application developers seem to be utterly mystified by concepts like interaction design and simple goddamn usability.

This applies to a surprising amount of so called "market leader" software. It's not so bad with DAWs, but 3D or DTP have it pretty bad, imho.

The Reaper guys have good intentions, but it got messier every time I had a look at it. The only modern DAW I like (Tracktion) is not getting any updates since 2008. :/
added on the 2012-05-16 19:03:13 by tomaes tomaes
Quote:
I wish DAWs would have an option to easily zoom WITHOUT the scroll wheel. (I use a simple trakball). Something like hold-down-a-key-and move up/down to zoom.

10+ years and no luck..
What are you talking about? Almost all DAWs have this (and yes, that includes Reaper -- remember the "Actions"-menu I was talking about..? Check that out)
added on the 2012-05-16 19:43:31 by gloom gloom
Quote:
reaper is still flowing down the river in a basket. it'll take years until it takes its true shape.
I respectfully disagree. Yes, the routing-matrix is not exactly user-friendly (but, like with all things, insanely simple once you take the 5 minutes to learn it :), and the menus can get a little overly-geeky at times (and again: a few simple clicks is all it takes to "dumb it down.."), but Reaper is insanely well-built. I've used "everything" (Cubase, Cakewalk, Sonar, ProTools, Logic, and yes: ACID -- for _many_ years), and nothing comes close to Reaper.
added on the 2012-05-16 19:45:31 by gloom gloom
you remember what i said about acid and reaper. :)
added on the 2012-05-16 19:58:20 by Gargaj Gargaj
gargaj: an awesome quote, and _almost_ spot on, but not quite :)
added on the 2012-05-16 20:17:29 by gloom gloom
Quote:
awesome quote

Which would be?
added on the 2012-05-16 20:21:26 by Tomoya Tomoya
Quote:
[2012.05.15. 14:09:54] Gargaj / Conspiracy says: i just realized acid and reaper is like a buddy cop movie - the older one is a veteran who used to be the best in his league but now he's an alcoholic noone really cares about, even though he's still up there as far as skill goes; the newer one is wicked talented and runs on a high rpm, but he still runs by the book and he still doesnt have the swagger yet.
[2012.05.15. 14:11:24] Bent Stamnes says: best. description. ever.
added on the 2012-05-16 20:30:27 by Gargaj Gargaj
:D
added on the 2012-05-16 20:45:21 by Tomoya Tomoya
It's an awesome quote :) The only thing I disagree with is "he's still up there as far as skill goes". A more correct description would be "he can still battle with the best of them, but he's undoubtedly rusty" :)
added on the 2012-05-16 20:51:18 by gloom gloom
Yeah, Acid doesn't really like Synth1 :) (gonna check Reaper later)

Also, gloom, is it possible to play with keyboard in Reaper?
There's a virtual keyboard, I know, but it needs to be in focus, so you can't adjust parameters while you play...
That's what I really like in Renoise :)
added on the 2012-05-16 20:56:30 by Tomoya Tomoya
gloom: that's what i meant - the SKILL is there, but the alcoholism + dementia keeps getting in the way :D
added on the 2012-05-16 21:07:59 by Gargaj Gargaj
I swear I'm tempted to go find ACID just to see what the fuss is about. Aaanyway

All I know is, I'm not buying Ableton because arrangement view makes me want to smack someone with my Macbook.* That thing about popout windows, even if you only have one monitor? THAT.

Maybe I'll look at Renoise again, at least it has a tracker view, which is a selling point given I've seen something like it before. Not sure where I'd build stuff before bringing it into Reaper . . . my sense was you brought waveforms that were ready to play with in, and all I have to prepare them in in Audacity, which, despite the fact that it and similar things were the only audio tool I had for years I will happily denounce it as crap, although I imagine production knowhow and access to Dr Claw's nonshit microphone[s] would help too (working on that).

Looking at this . . .
http://thedawstudio.com/Gear/DAW-Comparison-Chart.html
I'll say this, just as it interested me in October, Reaper does have price going for it. $300+ is not something I have hanging around (thanks Ableton).

*[Which would break the computer because it's made of plastic so cheap it eroded off the front edge, and it's only just getting to be four years old, and it's been like that for a while. Fuck you, Apple. You used to make such good machines . . . until 1989 or so. ]
Mistake #1: Started composing with FL Studio and in time grew so attached to its way of doing things that I can't use anything else anymore and FL kinda sucks. But I love it so.

Mistake #2: Zero organization with project files & samples. The projects should each have their own neat directory where EVERYTHING is located. Right now everything is a mess and the samples are referenced to god-knows-where and it is a pain in the ass to recover old projects and hunt for the missing samples. But I'm starting to finally learn how to keep things tidy.

Mistake #3: Zero organization within the project, as in being too lazy to name tracks, patterns instruments or fx channels or.. anything. Then, when you decide to revisit an old project.. Everything is just a blur and it takes a whole evening to reverse-engineer the track. Nowadays I name and friggin' colour-code everything. I also try to use descriptive names instead of "bassline 3733", "FX", or "wtf".

Mistake #4: Going nuts with the plugins. Get a nice set of everything you find to be frequently using, LEARN THEM INSIDE & OUT and ditch everything else. Experimentation and new discoveries are of course still allowed and even encouraged, but don't let it get out of hand.

Mistake #5: Warez. Closely related to previous mistake. Just like Gloom said, buy your shit. You'll feel better, appreciate your virtual gear more and impose monetary limits to what you can use instead of having the ability to wank with infinite instruments and effects. (No, you don't need that Waves Unobtainium Bundle.)

Mistake #6: Not reading the manuals. Read the manuals. Even if you think you know what you're doing, you'll always learn something new about the stuff you use. Fancy new keyboard shortcuts for example are manual porn.

Mistake #7: Not saving frequently and saving over the old project file instead of making multiple versions. Self-explanatory and quite obvious really but I can't seem to fucking know how to do it.

I guess that's enough for starters :)
added on the 2012-05-17 07:08:14 by glxblt glxblt
Not upgrading. I used some Fruityloops 3 from Kazaa for years until I realized it doesn't _have to_ crash for whatever reason every hour or so (this time includes using it live, having it crashing at least twice on stage).
added on the 2012-05-17 09:33:06 by linde linde
worst mistake: not using VOS plugins. http://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/
added on the 2012-05-17 12:07:59 by aegis aegis
Quote:
Mistake #7: Not saving frequently and saving over the old project file instead of making multiple versions. Self-explanatory and quite obvious really but I can't seem to fucking know how to do it.

Quick Cubase tip for people to lazy to read the manual:
Ctrl-Alt-S saves your project and automatically appends a version number to the file name.
added on the 2012-05-17 12:31:07 by lug00ber lug00ber
Quote:
Mistake #5: Warez. Closely related to previous mistake. Just like Gloom said, buy your shit. You'll feel better, appreciate your virtual gear more and impose monetary limits to what you can use instead of having the ability to wank with infinite instruments and effects. (No, you don't need that Waves Unobtainium Bundle.)

Interestingly, it was the other way around with Wavelab Elements 7 (for me at least). Virtual piece of crap that could be classified as a shareware version, but certainly not something you should pay for.
aegis yeah. mac users make that mistake often.. :D
added on the 2012-05-17 14:07:38 by leGend leGend

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