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08/08/2004 |
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Choosing a sequencer Maybe you've dabbled with a few music programs and are thinking of getting serious. Maybe you're already a musician and are wondering what's the best sequencer to buy. Here we offer a few suggestions to help answer just that question. First, a fact - there is no Best sequencer. There is a handful of "most popular" sequencers but the Best one is the one which does what you want and which works in a way in which you're comfortable. All modern sequencers integrate MIDI and digital audio recording, showing both types of data on one page making it very easy to arrange your music. All come with a range of built-in digital audio effects such as reverb, EQ, compression, delay and so on. All but the most budget programs support DirectX and/or VST plug-ins which means you can add third-party effects to your system - and many plug-in FX are available free of charge on the Web. Many sequencers now feature built-in soft synths which means you may not need to spend money on external synths and sound modules. Again, there are third-party plug-in instruments available commercially and for free on the Web. Features such as recording, editing, arranging and mixing may vary in the detail from program to program but, again, all but the most budget software has an abundance of features to help you make music. The most popular PC sequencers are members of Steinberg's Cubase family, Emagic's Logic family and Cakewalk's eponymous Cakewalk family although this has recently been superseded by a new program called Sonar. On the Mac, it would be difficult to recommend any but Cubase and Logic, apart from which there are few others. Pros and Cons Listing the pros and cons of these sequencers in an attempt to compare them is a near-impossible task. However, given that they all, more or less, have similar features, the best way to compare them is simply to try them, and there are demos available on these manufacturers' web sites: Emagic ( www.emagic.de ), however, does not seem to post sequencer demos on its site but you may find one on the cover CD of some of the music magazines. While you're at the sites, check out the features lists - you'll see what "feature-packed" means! Bear in mind that all three - Cubase, Logic and Cakewalk/Sonar - are high-end programs and will require a little time - and a reading of the on-line Help! - to get to know. As a very rough and ready and somewhat subjective guide, Cubase is easiest to use, Logic is intrinsically more powerful while Cakewalk and Sonar are a little more idiosyncratic. But it is very much down to personal preference and there are musicians who love one particular program and hate the other two! Entry-level The high-end versions of these software families typically cost from £200-600 but if you don't want to spend so much or think you won't need all the features, there are entry-level versions, too. These include Cubasis VST and MicroLogic AV at under a ton, and it's true to say these will serve the needs of many home users. However, Steinberg has just announced a new range of entry-level software including Cubasis Go at only £29.99 which is phenomenal. Not only does it have the features of Cubasis and more, but the price point puts it in direct competition with the likes of Magix's ( www.magix.com ) Music Maker range, a collection of deceptively powerful, low-cost sequencing software which lacked the cachet of professional association. So users can now buy software with the Cubase name for an unfeasibly small amount of money. But price isn't everything and it's imperative to stress again that you must try software before making a decision. |
