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Topic: Sonar 5 vs Live 5? |
Dyke Corson
From:
Fairmount, IL USA
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Posted 2 Dec 2005 6:51 pm |
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| Anyone up on this stuff? I'm thinking about making the plunge...they say Live 5 can be "changed on the fly" during playback for extra solos, verses, etc. on a gig...thanks in advance for the help! |
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Dave Boothroyd
From:
Staffordshire Moorlands
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Posted 3 Dec 2005 2:11 am
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Is that Ableton Live 5 you are talking about?
Really Ableton live is meant for something different from Sonar.
Last year a couple of my students played a superb live piece in the College Carol service. It was a mix of two traditional carols, a solid beat and some samples of Andy Williams singing "Sleighride".
They played it on two laptops.
The thing is, that they were able to put it together on the fly in Ableton live- and because of the way the program works, it all fitted perfectly- keys and tempos matched automatically.
Sonar is more of a composition tool. With a mix of a very good midi sequencer and some brilliant audio editing tools, you can create just about any style of music. Sonar version five includes a Roland Variphrase plug-in which allows you to alter not only the pitch of vocals, but also the timing!
I use Sonar, Logic, Cubase and Pro Tools on a daily basis. The one I use at home is Sonar. I have a demo of Ableton Live, and I like to play with it. I shall be buying Sonar 5 with my own money- and as a natural born miser, that says a lot!
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Cheers!
Dave
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Dyke Corson
From:
Fairmount, IL USA
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Posted 3 Dec 2005 9:48 am
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| So Dave, you think Sonar 5 is better for recording? I have been told (by sales reps) that Live 5 can do a great job of recording also. It looks like Sonar 5 also comes with some sounds, and I don't think Live 5 does...there seems to be much more info on Sonar 5 out there... [This message was edited by Dyke Corson on 03 December 2005 at 09:49 AM.] |
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Dave Boothroyd
From:
Staffordshire Moorlands
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Posted 4 Dec 2005 1:54 am
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That all depends on what you mean by "sounds". Both programs will address the General Midi Sounds on your soundcard- but I don't think you'd want to do that for anything serious. They will both address external sound modules,such as the Roland Sound Canvas, and they will both play back samples that you have recorded and they also have a set of preset samples to start you off with.
Sonar also has at least two good sounding software synths included, which gives it a huge edge, especially if you know how to program a synth (if you don't, I could send you a handout on what all the controls actually do).
It's a question like "Would you buy an Emmons PSG to play Flamenco?"- Sure, you could, but you would be far better off to buy a guitar made for the job.
Ableton is great for the DJ/Dance producer who likes to be spontaneous- I'm writing a symphony on Sonar, Reason and Sibelius right now!
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Cheers!
Dave
PS It will have steel on it, but it certainly won't be Country!
D[This message was edited by Dave Boothroyd on 04 December 2005 at 01:55 AM.] |
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Gary Shepherd
From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
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Posted 4 Dec 2005 9:13 am
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I use Sonar 5 in my studio. Sonar is a full blown recording application. It will do digital audio and MIDI - as many tracks as your hardware can handle. If you're just getting started with digital audio, you might want to download one of Cakewalk's demos first. You can find Sonar on eBay for around $300 I guess.
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Gary Shepherd
Carter D-10
www.16tracks.com
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Dyke Corson
From:
Fairmount, IL USA
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Posted 5 Dec 2005 3:10 pm
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| Thanks Gary & Dave! I guess the two software synths with Sonar is what the sales reps are talking about. Looks like Sonar would be the one to learn first, then branch out to Live 5 later.... |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 7 Dec 2005 2:46 pm
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I'm a mac user, and use MOTU Digital Performer.... I went to a PC, and have done a lot of research on the various recording / sequencer programs available .....You will see that on most PC recording forums that approx . 40 - 50% of the people on these forums use Sonar ..
That's all I had to hear .....It's one of the most full featured programs out there , and is fully supported ..... It's not cheap, but you won't find better and this is not just my opinion ......Ask around , and check for yourself !!.....Like what was mentioned earlier, you can add Ableton Live at a later time .....It's a great program and very intuitive also, but not as full featured as Sonar ......Jim |
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