Testing record with three DAW. Cubase, Sam & PT

[cmbourget]

I do not know if they are interested, but I did a day of testing with three DAW. "Pro Tools 12", "Cubase Pro 8" and "Samplitude Pro X2." I know some people think that the difference is impossible, but they let their ears to the locker room. The reasoning seems good, but the facts contradict it. I can do nothing.

Setup: Voice (a Neumann TLM49 on an SSM-10 Martinsound, mono), 2 AKG 414 XL II is in stereo preamplifiers SSL) and piano (Vienna Imperial VSL). A bit of Lexicon.

The three DAW with the same settings, including the panoramic width.

Cubase, which I love for MIDI, but I thought best for audio recording, disappointed me. There is a sail, a blockage on audio, choking. I defended Cubase, but it's over for audio. VSL for the piano, it was good.

Samplitude, despite its complications and its outdated interface, did well. The vote was close, well detailed. However a little hard. VSL for the piano, it was bad. Dry and ugly.

Pro Tools, which I had distanced myself, is winner. It was not preordained. I was certain that Samplitude would win. I was also certain that Cubase was going to be at least in Pro Tools. Well no. Pro Tools is above all levels. Sweetness and voice clarity, proximity, balance, gentle piano, everything.

Then it's decided for me. Except for some complex MIDI manipulation, which Cubase is master (where Samplitude is zero, and Pro Tools is average, mostly because it does not have all its functions well presented and that it does not maps like Cubase), I back Pro Tools. I know there's a lot of momentum to Steinberg products, but for the record, I do not carry.

However, I hope that Avid will do development. Many interesting features among other DAW must be integrated. Competition is the key to progress.