Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2002 5:10 am
Now, having worked with all three apps for awhile I would like to share my thoughts about their comparison. And get a response and (please) any additions. Hope this would help one to choose if he/she haven't yet.
I found it the most convenient for myself to present the comparison with list of disadvantages of each app, compared to other two. Well...
Cakewalk SONAR v2.0:
1. No ASIO. I haven't tried new (3.1b) Pulsar's WDM drivers but when I had to record a multitrack (really multi - a lot of audio tracks) I got HUGE summar latency. Literally several seconds from the moment I press "Play" and hear the playback. Not very convenient.
2. No VST. Not really a problem, having all these dedicated VST-wrappers. In fact, the existence of these were the main reason for Cakewalk not to support VST in Sonar 2, as I read on their site. Although wrapped NI Kontakt had no multiple outs - which is critical for me. I haven't tried DXi support in Kontakt v1.1 yet though.
3. Bugfulness. I can name at least two major bugs that alone are enough to stop the use of Sonar. First - I had a crash every time I happen to swich windows during that delayed playback (i. e. after I press "Play" and before I hear a playback) with many audio tracks in project. On my P4 2GHz system. Second (again with many audio tracks) - after some time of work the working window of Sonar starts to get white. The only way to restore the view is minimizing the Sonar project window (minimizing the very Sonar doesn't help) and maximizing it again. Redraw problems? I'm not the only one who had this bug. Different video cards. All nVidia though.
4. Fixed fade curves. You can choose from presets such as linear, fast or slow, but nothing else.
5. No visual representation of separate notes' velocities in Piano Roll View. Only as controllers. Not very convenient when you, for example, want to see the velocity of each note in a chord.
6. Rumored poor built-in plugins quality (NOT CONFIRMED!).
7. Rumored poor audio quality (NOT CONFIRMED!). I haven't compared thie audio quality of Sonar 2 with quality of Logic or SX, but I was really pleased with the results I got with Sonar 2 this summer.
Emagic Logic Platinum v5.2.0:
1. No multiple outs for NI Kontakt. I know there is EXS24 with multi-outs, but I personally prefer Kontakt.
2. Less-than-advanced drum parts handling. I mean - no dedicated drum editor. As for Hyper Editor - I have to build the map each time I summon the editor - not really comfortable. And the very editing in it is not very convenient for me. Besides, there is a strange bug with mapped instruments in Logic. When editing in Matrix Editor, I can't see al the instruments names on the left. Just the piano keyboard with some instrument names every several keys. I observed this bug in v4.7.1, 4.8.1, 5.1.0 and 5.2.0.
3. Less-than-intuitive interface. I mean, the fact the pull-down menu appears when you click on empty space is, of course, very intriguing but not really inspiring for "just working". Besides, that flexible Environment idea is just GREAT but for me not very practical. Tastes differ though.
4. That strange "one waveform for stereo track in Arrange Window" approach. I'd prefer usual dual waveform.
5. Only one sequence at a time in Matrix editor. Cubase SX can have all selected clips in one Key Editor, while Sonar can have whole track or as many tracks as you want in one Piano Roll View.
6. No way to snap to grid the playback cursor while positioning it with a mouse. At least I haven't found a way to do so.
7. Not so easy to use time stretch function. Sonar has a decent one while SX contains an ideally intuitive functuin for that.
8. Folders. When I open a folder, I cannot see anything outside it.
9. No option to hide tracks, other than to folder them. Sonar rules here.
Steinberg Cubase SX v1.03:
1. Poorly implemented zoom handling. While "zoom to selection" or "zoom to locators" are really greate, there is no basic (and totally necessary) "previous zoom" function, so well done both in Sonar and Logic. To restore after that :zoom to selection" you will have to change both vertical and horizontal zoom, either by choosing certain preset or manually. Too many clicks for an elementary operation. Of course you can assign each preset to a key, but, first - you will have to assign two keys (horizontal and vertical presets), and second - you cannot assign a key for, say, "Zoom track height 2" preset. For some mysterious reason.
2."Window shrink" thing. I mean the following. I prefer working with one window at a time. And the window must be maximized, giving me more space to work with. Usually it is main, "project" window. Then, when I call, say, Mixer window, my project window "shrinks" from maximized mode behind the Mixer window. Mixer cannot be maximized. While some such windows (including VSTi panels) have a "Always On Top" option that fixes the problem for them, some (including the Mixer and Fade Editor) hasn't and cannot me maximized. It pisses me off.
3. Automation cannot be assigned to custom midi controllers. That is, you cannot control SFP synths with SX automation. Only common controllers such as Volume and Pan present. Everything's ok with VSTi's though.
4. Slower-than-instant fade curve editing. You have to load a Fade Editor for that.
5. That manual monitoring of midi-tracks. I find auto-monitoring of the current track in Logic and Sonar much more convenient.
6. That separate VSTi Automation track. I'd prefer to have all automation on the same track (or spawned tracks from the same one).
7. Markers Track. It would be better to see all markers on the time ruler - as in Logic or Sonar. Marker Track cannot be always seen if the project is large.
8. Low resolution time ruler. Logic and Sonar have at least one "mark" for each bar.
9. Unability to hide tracks. While folders are implemented greatly (much better than in Logic in my opinion), the option to hide tracks completely, like in Sonar, would help a lot.
10. Position. I can see surrent position either in bars or in min/sec (or somthing else). I'd like to see both in time and bar/beat format at a time - as in Logic and Sonar.
11. Rumored poor built-in plugins quality, even worse than in Sonar (NOT CONFIRMED!).
If I recall anything else, I'll report. Feedback would be highly appreciated. Corrections, additions, anything based on own experience.
I found it the most convenient for myself to present the comparison with list of disadvantages of each app, compared to other two. Well...
Cakewalk SONAR v2.0:
1. No ASIO. I haven't tried new (3.1b) Pulsar's WDM drivers but when I had to record a multitrack (really multi - a lot of audio tracks) I got HUGE summar latency. Literally several seconds from the moment I press "Play" and hear the playback. Not very convenient.
2. No VST. Not really a problem, having all these dedicated VST-wrappers. In fact, the existence of these were the main reason for Cakewalk not to support VST in Sonar 2, as I read on their site. Although wrapped NI Kontakt had no multiple outs - which is critical for me. I haven't tried DXi support in Kontakt v1.1 yet though.
3. Bugfulness. I can name at least two major bugs that alone are enough to stop the use of Sonar. First - I had a crash every time I happen to swich windows during that delayed playback (i. e. after I press "Play" and before I hear a playback) with many audio tracks in project. On my P4 2GHz system. Second (again with many audio tracks) - after some time of work the working window of Sonar starts to get white. The only way to restore the view is minimizing the Sonar project window (minimizing the very Sonar doesn't help) and maximizing it again. Redraw problems? I'm not the only one who had this bug. Different video cards. All nVidia though.
4. Fixed fade curves. You can choose from presets such as linear, fast or slow, but nothing else.
5. No visual representation of separate notes' velocities in Piano Roll View. Only as controllers. Not very convenient when you, for example, want to see the velocity of each note in a chord.
6. Rumored poor built-in plugins quality (NOT CONFIRMED!).
7. Rumored poor audio quality (NOT CONFIRMED!). I haven't compared thie audio quality of Sonar 2 with quality of Logic or SX, but I was really pleased with the results I got with Sonar 2 this summer.
Emagic Logic Platinum v5.2.0:
1. No multiple outs for NI Kontakt. I know there is EXS24 with multi-outs, but I personally prefer Kontakt.
2. Less-than-advanced drum parts handling. I mean - no dedicated drum editor. As for Hyper Editor - I have to build the map each time I summon the editor - not really comfortable. And the very editing in it is not very convenient for me. Besides, there is a strange bug with mapped instruments in Logic. When editing in Matrix Editor, I can't see al the instruments names on the left. Just the piano keyboard with some instrument names every several keys. I observed this bug in v4.7.1, 4.8.1, 5.1.0 and 5.2.0.
3. Less-than-intuitive interface. I mean, the fact the pull-down menu appears when you click on empty space is, of course, very intriguing but not really inspiring for "just working". Besides, that flexible Environment idea is just GREAT but for me not very practical. Tastes differ though.
4. That strange "one waveform for stereo track in Arrange Window" approach. I'd prefer usual dual waveform.
5. Only one sequence at a time in Matrix editor. Cubase SX can have all selected clips in one Key Editor, while Sonar can have whole track or as many tracks as you want in one Piano Roll View.
6. No way to snap to grid the playback cursor while positioning it with a mouse. At least I haven't found a way to do so.
7. Not so easy to use time stretch function. Sonar has a decent one while SX contains an ideally intuitive functuin for that.
8. Folders. When I open a folder, I cannot see anything outside it.
9. No option to hide tracks, other than to folder them. Sonar rules here.
Steinberg Cubase SX v1.03:
1. Poorly implemented zoom handling. While "zoom to selection" or "zoom to locators" are really greate, there is no basic (and totally necessary) "previous zoom" function, so well done both in Sonar and Logic. To restore after that :zoom to selection" you will have to change both vertical and horizontal zoom, either by choosing certain preset or manually. Too many clicks for an elementary operation. Of course you can assign each preset to a key, but, first - you will have to assign two keys (horizontal and vertical presets), and second - you cannot assign a key for, say, "Zoom track height 2" preset. For some mysterious reason.
2."Window shrink" thing. I mean the following. I prefer working with one window at a time. And the window must be maximized, giving me more space to work with. Usually it is main, "project" window. Then, when I call, say, Mixer window, my project window "shrinks" from maximized mode behind the Mixer window. Mixer cannot be maximized. While some such windows (including VSTi panels) have a "Always On Top" option that fixes the problem for them, some (including the Mixer and Fade Editor) hasn't and cannot me maximized. It pisses me off.
3. Automation cannot be assigned to custom midi controllers. That is, you cannot control SFP synths with SX automation. Only common controllers such as Volume and Pan present. Everything's ok with VSTi's though.
4. Slower-than-instant fade curve editing. You have to load a Fade Editor for that.
5. That manual monitoring of midi-tracks. I find auto-monitoring of the current track in Logic and Sonar much more convenient.
6. That separate VSTi Automation track. I'd prefer to have all automation on the same track (or spawned tracks from the same one).
7. Markers Track. It would be better to see all markers on the time ruler - as in Logic or Sonar. Marker Track cannot be always seen if the project is large.
8. Low resolution time ruler. Logic and Sonar have at least one "mark" for each bar.
9. Unability to hide tracks. While folders are implemented greatly (much better than in Logic in my opinion), the option to hide tracks completely, like in Sonar, would help a lot.
10. Position. I can see surrent position either in bars or in min/sec (or somthing else). I'd like to see both in time and bar/beat format at a time - as in Logic and Sonar.
11. Rumored poor built-in plugins quality, even worse than in Sonar (NOT CONFIRMED!).
If I recall anything else, I'll report. Feedback would be highly appreciated. Corrections, additions, anything based on own experience.
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