I never found Cakewalk to be clunky or to have a difficult workflow. I've been using both Cakewalk and Reaper which are worlds apart and love them both. I don't think anyone using Cakewalk should panic yet, and just wait and see what the new Sonar has to offer. I believe the best Daw is the one you know how to use and can afford. Make music, Peace!
Hear hear! I've often said that the best instruments to use for making music are the ones you have, not the ones you wish you had. The same could apply to DAWs as well. I freely confess that I use CbyB because I could get it for free (I'm broke, and music recording is an expensive hobby). To be quite honest, I do find parts of CbyB clunky, but that's because I've done MIDI sequencing with Master Tracks Pro for 30 years. I still use Master Tracks Pro for sequencing my MIDI hardware, as its workflow and user-friendliness are streets ahead of CbyB, I find. (I then import the result as a .mid file into CbyB for recording). My big use for CbyB, apart from recording, is for hosting BBCSO Core in order to make orchestral recordings. I find it nothing short of miraculous that CbyB has been free of charge to its users for as long as it has. I cannot blame its developers for wishing to recoup the cost of development and maintenance. Whether I continue with CbyB depends on two things: 1) Price. As mentioned, recording is an expensive hobby for me, and there's no way I can recoup the cost. And 2) Is it Subscription or not? If it is, forget it. Under no circumstances will I get "rental" software, which I have to pay for whether I use it or not.
@@CraigRodmellMusic, I understand all to well about music being an expensive hobby. There is even a local band here in Maryland named Expensive Hobby. I was disabled a little over ten years ago which reduced my income drastically, so I was forced to look for more affordable software than I used in the past. I refuse buy a subscription for any Daw and hope Sonar will adopt a business model similar to Reaper's which is affordable and updated several times a year. Peace!
@@farrell72563 Similar here. My health failed four years ago. I, too, hope that they'll adopt a similar plan to what Reaper has. That band over there in Maryland got it right with their name!
I love the way you put your revenue ads at the end of the review ( i presume it's you who places them there rather at the beginning or in the middle) thanks Zane
Shocked to see that Cakewalk by Bandlab is no longer free. But who can you blame the people who made Cakewalk, I believe to Cakewalk Next & Cakewalk Sonar will be great addition's to use when they are released. I'll be looking forward to try out either Cakewalk Next or Cakewalk Sonar. Depending on what features they both have, Maybe just maybe, Cakewalk Sonar will have a modern workflow. You should consider talking about Mixcraft 10 now. I'm planning on upgrading from Mixcraft 9 to Mixcraft 10, Since the newest version of Mixcraft is far more faster then ever before. For my 2nd DAW. I'll use Cubase 12 Elements, Cakewalk Next, Cakewalk Sonar or Waveform 12 Free as my 2nd DAW of choice. Thank you and have a great day.
Reaper is the one. It can run on anywhere basically, the insane customizability and flexibility and the thousands of community made scripts that makes it such a joy to use.
This just came up in my recommended list and I checked it out. Very insightful. Thought I kept up with things but apparently not. Great to hear Pro Tools has a better free option now. While I am a Cubase user primarily, it's good to have a version of PT to know it's flow etc. Watch a couple of your other videos. All really good, lots of the needed info without being long and bloated. Thanks.
Ive used soundbridge for about a year an da half at this point, ive found that I use it for mastering and vocal tracks more than midi tracks or beat creation, still great and after a week of using it I had a good grasp of it
Seems like this assumes that there will be a mass exodus from Cakewalk by Bandlab. We're waiting and seeing what happens. At the moment, existing users can continue to use it, it just won't be updated or supported after the new products come out, which I can live with. As for whether we switch to the new paid products or not, a lot will depend on the features these offer, and a lot will depend on the price. Also relevant is whether it is going to be "Subscription" or not, and if it is, is it going to be Subscription Only? Because if it IS going to be "Subscription Only", then I want nothing whatsoever to do with it, and many other people think the same. In the meantime, I think we have been very privileged to have been able to use this DAW for free. Most of us have no enmity towards the developers for wishing to recoup the cost of developing and maintaining the product.
I don’t think there will be a ton of people leaving but I was asked several times in another video what free alternatives are best so I decided to make a video about it. I also said in that other video that you can continue using Cakewalk as is but there will be no updates once the two new products are released. I have a feeling a lot of users will stay with it. I think you read a little too much into this video. It’s just alternatives to Cakewalk not only for people that may want to switch but for people who maybe never even tried it. There’s actually a decent amount of search volume for this term on both google and UA-cam.
@@AudioTechTV Maybe my wording wasn't as good as it could have been. I also hadn't seen that other video. And there's certainly no harm in discussing alternatives! By the way, I gave your video a Like. Cheers!
@@CraigRodmellMusic I had a feeling you didn’t see the other video. There was nothing wrong with your wording. I just didn’t assume that tons were leaving Cakewalk but there have been some asking about alternatives. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m telling people to leave because I still think Cakewalk is an incredible program and hopefully a lot will stick with the new Sonar but like you said it’s all going to depend on pricing and if they go the subscription route. I think if they do a subscription it will be part of their membership program on Bandlab. And I think it would likely only include Cakewalk Next. But at this point it’s all just a guess. Thank you for watching. Keep creating! 👊👍
I don’t know about all the other tools, but you can customize Reaper to its core. you could change the hotkeys so it would fit to your used hotkeys from Cakewalk
Also, Ardour exists. It's free, libre, opensource and ever will be supported by it community. I like Ardour and Reaper so much, both are my top tier DAWs at this moment.
After 4 years of using exclusively Cakewalk, I'm dumping it as soon as they eliminate the free version. I think it's a big mistake on their part. I feel like the only reason cakewalk has stayed relevant for all this time is it being free. There's way better DAW's out there
I've tried a couple of other DAWs before, like Traction , Ableton etc.. but for me I find Cakewalk the easiest to use, I would be willing to pay for the Sonar version depending on the price ..
Brilliant, thanks! Tbh if Cakewalk turns out to be affordable and doesn't insist on a subscription model I might stick with it. However I've been looking for something with a better interface: Quite honestly just the basic stuff like when I select a bar of music and hit delete that it actually does something sensible rather than me having to go to the menus and make selections in dialogue boxes to get that. I saw a friend using Apple's Logic Pro and it's soooo much easier to use. I don't have a Mac though so sadly it's not an option for me. I have to say that I'm quite keen on the look of a couple of things here though so I'll be checking them out. Thanks again.
Thank you for the video. Hat is this at the bottom of reaper at 5:25? Edit: I found it, it's track wiring, can be accessed in the menu "view". I completely passed off this function. (slap face) thank you.
I also like Cackewalk very much and as far as I know it is possible to still use the existing Cackewalk by bandlab version. At the time the Sonar and Cackewalk Next enter the support for the Cackewalk by Bandlab will be stopped and the product will become legacy software. That's the info I have.
Superbly happy with my Tracktion Waveform Free 12.5 (which i believe is still severely underrated & deserving of more attention), but just stopping by to drop a "like" for Zane! 😁 (P.S. Also, i've heard over the net, some fears that if there remains too little support for Waveform Free, Tracktion might discontinue it & it might go the way of Cakewalk.)
I haven’t heard anything about Tracktion getting rid of Waveform Free. It really wouldn’t make sense to get rid of it. Waveform’s popularity continues to grow thanks to Waveform free.
I'm not sure of the current status, but I remember there being a FL studio "clone" called Lmms, which is also free, ability to load vst's etc. Haven't used if for like 10 years though so no idea how it works today :p
If all you’re doing is working with virtual instruments and maybe some samples then maybe LMMS could be a good free Cakewalk alternative. But if you record audio at all for your productions then LMMS is not the alternative that you’re looking for.
It's a bit late and I'm just starting with DAWS. I am using Cakewalk by Bandlab (the free version is still available but who know up to when) but, considering the way it's going, I might not be able to afford paying a subscription. You show us good alternatives but which one would you recommend among all the ones you showed? I'm a fast learner and I definitely want to start as soon as possible to work with a new app. Please note that we (with my band) will be recording 2 guitars, one bass, the drums, 2 vocals. Thank you in advance and kind regards.
Waveform is an excellent free option that isn’t limited. If you purchase a Presonus Audio Interface (except for the Audiobox Go) you get Studio One Artist which is excellent. You can find Audiobox USB interfaces between $80 - $100 usually. Reaper can handle what you want but technically it’s not free however you can use it for free until you can afford the license. But if you want completely free and unlimited then Tracktion Waveform free is the way to go.
Tracktion Waveform Free is a great free program. You can have unlimited tracks and also bring in plugins that you download or purchase elsewhere so you aren’t limited with what you can do. Goodluck in finding the program that works best for you. Thank you for watching. Keep creating! 👊👍
cakewalk is not downloadbl anymore? ....is there any DAW that dont need any internet conection or updating after instaling or during? ...i want to make a pc without internet conection ...studio with no wi-fi or any conectivity in or out but only finished product via USB ...is there a DAW that you can buy off together with all its instruments and other, that i can be using even after decade with no malfunction without on-line update? hmm i wasted few moths tryn to find right standalone but every mixer has some limiting factors wich PC overrides easily ....i might pack it up in one of those small PCs i see popular these days ....lot easyer to caree around then any MPC especialy bigest of them wich is wothy to be careen around ..just atach it to any big screen anywhere ...i dont know if there is offline DAW update free? ....they should make one complete device that ppl will not change, not ever ...that has everything right and no missing peaces of puzzle you realize after u buy it that limits you and then you have to go buy some different to realise same thing over again 😅 i'm missing music creator from200...hmm 3 or 5? i used it 4-5 years and got used to it but it was crashing a lot and messing up my files within dosens of projects so ....i destroyed it after second crash ...literaly ...couldnt sort back thousands of music files to their original place in tracks in projects .....and sound of it was primitive comparing to what is today ...i need to make some device portbl but with all things i need ...to be satisfyd with it and dont deal with any new thing of any equipment and programs to distract me to be learning how to use it , and dedicate to music, there is no end to all new things .....its more computing and learning computing then playing and creating .......well sorry for u have to read this 😅 i've gone mad lately
i was just about to get cakewalk and start learning music production (no knowledge of it yet), but now that i see this, i wonder if i should choose a different daw to start learning music production. i can't afford the paid ones for now. what would you guys recommend, should i go with cakewalk's free version still or choose one of the alternatives listed in this video? i'd appreciate your help 🥺
If you grab the free version of Cakewalk now, it will continue to be free and you can continue using it for as long as it will work on your computer without being updated. If you want something else, give Waveform Free a try. It isn’t limiting and is an excellent program.
It is a reason to be happy. The most annoying feature will so come to an end: the "there is a new update" - popup, when you just want to record a new idea...
Cockos Reaper, trial is infinite and the personal license is 60$ ... ok the learning curve is not the easiest but you will never outgrow Reaper unlike Tracktion or other "free" alternatives, they sell addons by the boat load, Reaper includes all the plugins you will need. They don't look sexy, but they are very very good.
I´m using the R16 from Zoom as Interface Controller and from Alesis the V61 Key - zero Problems in CbB - Are all Altenatives usefull with my equipment?
For my part, I wonder why we are worry about that if Cakewlak by Bandlab will continue to work and no more update will be done. I switched to Studio One Pro when Sonar Platinum has been stopped. It's a good alternative for Cakewalk. Get a DAW for free is good, but who pay the development on this case? It's all right for a while, but not forever. Knowing Cakewlak Sonar will back it's a good news I think. I'm expecting to recorver the old plugins from Cakewlak Sonar Platinum if possible and everything reserved for this version. That should be really nice. Get some new Pro chanel plugins shoud be wonderful as well. No Idea for Cakewlak Next. I submited a Beta version, I'm waiting for that but I'm worry to get two products to maintain! What's the goal? If the goal is to leave aside Cakewlak Sonar after a while and next abort this one to focus of Cakewlak Next. I see the trap! See a road map for Cakewall Sonar to be available on Mac OS? That will be reassuring, but it's not the case. Remember the beta version for iMac!
When i zoom out too much the grid lines disappear. Is there any solution to it, although its not a problem but sometimes it becomes annoying when dragging a clip and trying to find the similar grid to above clips.
Very bad move from Bandlab. But OK, I would even pay for Reaper, if I am not satisfied with the other options. My NAM is running from a separate computer anyway since my interface (THR10) only runs on 44.1khz. Thx, man.
I can totally understand why Bandlab needs or wants to do this. They’ve been giving away an incredible piece of software for several years now and haven’t asked for anything in return. No upsells or addons or anything. They need to pay the bills over there and make it worth their time and money. I’m hoping the updates justify the price point (whatever it will be). Right now even if they lose 75% of their user base but those remaining 25% stay on and pay then they are still making more money than they did before. So I don’t think it’s a bad move for them.
OK, I will tell my experience with the expired free cakewalk, the company seem to fold the free version and throw it. I was working on a project then suddenly the DAW stopped and closed itself. I was activating the auto save mode every 10 changes so I worked a lot in it. When I opened the project I found all the work I had done not saved. I was angry so I watched this video and I will see. Cuz really the DAW is just being rubbish there.
Thanks for giving me a direction to go. Can (stupid question probably) are Bandlab Cakewalk files compatible with any other program? I can't authenticate it now with these product changes. Thanks.
You can open Bandlab projects in Cakewalk but you can’t open Cakewalk files in any other DAW. You will be able to open Cakewalk files in the new Sonar when it gets released. Of course the audio and midi that you record in cakewalk can be loaded into other daw software.
Thinking of Waveform free for ambient background music for my apps, so as long as it can record and export audio, it's all gd. Was just starting to learn cakewalk until I heard about the future of it. Pretty disappointed tbh.
The free version is a demo that goes silent after 10 minutes. Or you have to compile the code yourself to get the full version for free. Most of us just want to make music and not go through the hassle of compiling code when there are other programs readily available to download and make music with.
Hmmm always love your content but this one is hmmmmmmmm.......... Questionably unnecessary. Anyways keep doing what you do. I love the channel. I know how challenging it must be for content. I apologize for the honesty ! but it feels like a diss on cakewalk heheheh. I am being silly. Sorry again
Not a diss. I was getting asked what free alternatives I recommend. So I made a video. It seemed like there was a need. Also there is a good amount of search volume for this topic on both YT and google so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to make the video. I can still enjoy Cakewalk and offer recommendations for people that want to try something else.
@@AudioTechTV Ah fun is it. From here it looks like a bacterial infection. That aside, I don't accept the assertions made there. I never called anyone stupid and never told anyone how to behave.
Although Cakewalk will no longer be free. its free now and will continue to work even after the new ones are released. so I'll keep on using it because I have hundreds of cwp.files. that I don't want to loose.
Having spent 3 years getting to grips with Cakewalk i see no reason to change to another DAW. My free version still works but I presume there will be no more updates.
Yes the free version will continue to work just no updates. If you’re getting along fine with it now, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about later.
Next check out some of the best paid Alternatives to Cakewalk here ua-cam.com/video/35z8LXXBgsM/v-deo.html
Never thought this day would come 😶
Same
@@EmmxnSxvxgeonyt so what you using now?
Yea bro same here
I never found Cakewalk to be clunky or to have a difficult workflow. I've been using both Cakewalk and Reaper which are worlds apart and love them both. I don't think anyone using Cakewalk should panic yet, and just wait and see what the new Sonar has to offer. I believe the best Daw is the one you know how to use and can afford. Make music, Peace!
Hear hear! I've often said that the best instruments to use for making music are the ones you have, not the ones you wish you had. The same could apply to DAWs as well. I freely confess that I use CbyB because I could get it for free (I'm broke, and music recording is an expensive hobby). To be quite honest, I do find parts of CbyB clunky, but that's because I've done MIDI sequencing with Master Tracks Pro for 30 years. I still use Master Tracks Pro for sequencing my MIDI hardware, as its workflow and user-friendliness are streets ahead of CbyB, I find. (I then import the result as a .mid file into CbyB for recording). My big use for CbyB, apart from recording, is for hosting BBCSO Core in order to make orchestral recordings.
I find it nothing short of miraculous that CbyB has been free of charge to its users for as long as it has. I cannot blame its developers for wishing to recoup the cost of development and maintenance. Whether I continue with CbyB depends on two things:
1) Price. As mentioned, recording is an expensive hobby for me, and there's no way I can recoup the cost. And
2) Is it Subscription or not? If it is, forget it. Under no circumstances will I get "rental" software, which I have to pay for whether I use it or not.
@@CraigRodmellMusic, I understand all to well about music being an expensive hobby. There is even a local band here in Maryland named Expensive Hobby.
I was disabled a little over ten years ago which reduced my income drastically, so I was forced to look for more affordable software than I used in the past. I refuse buy a subscription for any Daw and hope Sonar will adopt a business model similar to Reaper's which is affordable and updated several times a year. Peace!
@@farrell72563 Similar here. My health failed four years ago. I, too, hope that they'll adopt a similar plan to what Reaper has. That band over there in Maryland got it right with their name!
I love the way you put your revenue ads at the end of the review ( i presume it's you who places them there rather at the beginning or in the middle) thanks Zane
Shocked to see that Cakewalk by Bandlab is no longer free. But who can you blame the people who made Cakewalk, I believe to Cakewalk Next & Cakewalk Sonar will be great addition's to use when they are released.
I'll be looking forward to try out either Cakewalk Next or Cakewalk Sonar. Depending on what features they both have, Maybe just maybe, Cakewalk Sonar will have a modern workflow.
You should consider talking about Mixcraft 10 now. I'm planning on upgrading from Mixcraft 9 to Mixcraft 10, Since the newest version of Mixcraft is far more faster then ever before.
For my 2nd DAW. I'll use Cubase 12 Elements, Cakewalk Next, Cakewalk Sonar or Waveform 12 Free as my 2nd DAW of choice.
Thank you and have a great day.
Reaper Is Awesome! The audio engine and stretch capability IMHO is unmatched. 60 bucks gets you years of free upgrades worth every penny.
Logic Pro is my main DAW, but I also really like Tracktion Waveform as a powerful alternative. Great list. I may try a few more of these!
Reaper is the one. It can run on anywhere basically, the insane customizability and flexibility and the thousands of community made scripts that makes it such a joy to use.
This just came up in my recommended list and I checked it out. Very insightful. Thought I kept up with things but apparently not. Great to hear Pro Tools has a better free option now. While I am a Cubase user primarily, it's good to have a version of PT to know it's flow etc. Watch a couple of your other videos. All really good, lots of the needed info without being long and bloated. Thanks.
Ive used soundbridge for about a year an da half at this point, ive found that I use it for mastering and vocal tracks more than midi tracks or beat creation, still great and after a week of using it I had a good grasp of it
Seems like this assumes that there will be a mass exodus from Cakewalk by Bandlab. We're waiting and seeing what happens. At the moment, existing users can continue to use it, it just won't be updated or supported after the new products come out, which I can live with. As for whether we switch to the new paid products or not, a lot will depend on the features these offer, and a lot will depend on the price. Also relevant is whether it is going to be "Subscription" or not, and if it is, is it going to be Subscription Only? Because if it IS going to be "Subscription Only", then I want nothing whatsoever to do with it, and many other people think the same.
In the meantime, I think we have been very privileged to have been able to use this DAW for free. Most of us have no enmity towards the developers for wishing to recoup the cost of developing and maintaining the product.
I don’t think there will be a ton of people leaving but I was asked several times in another video what free alternatives are best so I decided to make a video about it. I also said in that other video that you can continue using Cakewalk as is but there will be no updates once the two new products are released. I have a feeling a lot of users will stay with it.
I think you read a little too much into this video. It’s just alternatives to Cakewalk not only for people that may want to switch but for people who maybe never even tried it. There’s actually a decent amount of search volume for this term on both google and UA-cam.
@@AudioTechTV Maybe my wording wasn't as good as it could have been. I also hadn't seen that other video. And there's certainly no harm in discussing alternatives! By the way, I gave your video a Like. Cheers!
@@CraigRodmellMusic I had a feeling you didn’t see the other video. There was nothing wrong with your wording. I just didn’t assume that tons were leaving Cakewalk but there have been some asking about alternatives. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m telling people to leave because I still think Cakewalk is an incredible program and hopefully a lot will stick with the new Sonar but like you said it’s all going to depend on pricing and if they go the subscription route. I think if they do a subscription it will be part of their membership program on Bandlab. And I think it would likely only include Cakewalk Next. But at this point it’s all just a guess. Thank you for watching. Keep creating! 👊👍
@@AudioTechTV Will do. I've not long uploaded my most recent effort to my own channel, recorded in Cakewalk by Bandlab.
I'm looking at Waveform very seriously. Plan to use it for my next production. Thanks Zane!
Good luck with it. Once you catch onto the workflow, it’s a speedy program. Thank you for watching. Keep creating! 👊👍
I don’t know about all the other tools, but you can customize Reaper to its core. you could change the hotkeys so it would fit to your used hotkeys from Cakewalk
With all that reaper is still not smooth when it comes to midi
Also, Ardour exists. It's free, libre, opensource and ever will be supported by it community. I like Ardour and Reaper so much, both are my top tier DAWs at this moment.
Ardour somehow is revered by some of the software industry but underrated and unknown to the average end user, such a tragedy
After 4 years of using exclusively Cakewalk, I'm dumping it as soon as they eliminate the free version. I think it's a big mistake on their part. I feel like the only reason cakewalk has stayed relevant for all this time is it being free. There's way better DAW's out there
I've tried a couple of other DAWs before, like Traction , Ableton etc.. but for me I find Cakewalk the easiest to use, I would be willing to pay for the Sonar version depending on the price ..
Have been using waveform for a while now. I love it!!
Waveform is excellent. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. Keep creating! 👊👍
Brilliant, thanks!
Tbh if Cakewalk turns out to be affordable and doesn't insist on a subscription model I might stick with it.
However I've been looking for something with a better interface: Quite honestly just the basic stuff like when I select a bar of music and hit delete that it actually does something sensible rather than me having to go to the menus and make selections in dialogue boxes to get that. I saw a friend using Apple's Logic Pro and it's soooo much easier to use. I don't have a Mac though so sadly it's not an option for me. I have to say that I'm quite keen on the look of a couple of things here though so I'll be checking them out.
Thanks again.
Thank you for the video. Hat is this at the bottom of reaper at 5:25?
Edit: I found it, it's track wiring, can be accessed in the menu "view". I completely passed off this function. (slap face) thank you.
I love Cakewalk so much that I'm willing to pay for it as long as the subscription/purchase be reasonable.
I also like Cackewalk very much and as far as I know it is possible to still use the existing Cackewalk by bandlab version. At the time the Sonar and Cackewalk Next enter the support for the Cackewalk by Bandlab will be stopped and the product will become legacy software. That's the info I have.
I tried Soundbridge and I was very confused on how to export. I'm used to Caustic 3 and Cakewalk and those daws are very simple to use.
Superbly happy with my Tracktion Waveform Free 12.5 (which i believe is still severely underrated & deserving of more attention), but just stopping by to drop a "like" for Zane! 😁
(P.S. Also, i've heard over the net, some fears that if there remains too little support for Waveform Free, Tracktion might discontinue it & it might go the way of Cakewalk.)
Can you recommend a UA-cam channel that have great tutorials on it
Audio Tech TV has great tutorials for Waveform ua-cam.com/play/PL1YDn3d3UkT5m3xa7Diks8Veq3zplVxdR.html
I haven’t heard anything about Tracktion getting rid of Waveform Free. It really wouldn’t make sense to get rid of it. Waveform’s popularity continues to grow thanks to Waveform free.
I'm not sure of the current status, but I remember there being a FL studio "clone" called Lmms, which is also free, ability to load vst's etc. Haven't used if for like 10 years though so no idea how it works today :p
If all you’re doing is working with virtual instruments and maybe some samples then maybe LMMS could be a good free Cakewalk alternative. But if you record audio at all for your productions then LMMS is not the alternative that you’re looking for.
@@AudioTechTV I agree
It's a bit late and I'm just starting with DAWS. I am using Cakewalk by Bandlab (the free version is still available but who know up to when) but, considering the way it's going, I might not be able to afford paying a subscription. You show us good alternatives but which one would you recommend among all the ones you showed?
I'm a fast learner and I definitely want to start as soon as possible to work with a new app.
Please note that we (with my band) will be recording 2 guitars, one bass, the drums, 2 vocals.
Thank you in advance and kind regards.
Waveform is an excellent free option that isn’t limited. If you purchase a Presonus Audio Interface (except for the Audiobox Go) you get Studio One Artist which is excellent. You can find Audiobox USB interfaces between $80 - $100 usually.
Reaper can handle what you want but technically it’s not free however you can use it for free until you can afford the license.
But if you want completely free and unlimited then Tracktion Waveform free is the way to go.
I appreciate you making this video. I am a newbie and a cheapskate so one of these will have to suffice for a hobbyist. :)
Tracktion Waveform Free is a great free program. You can have unlimited tracks and also bring in plugins that you download or purchase elsewhere so you aren’t limited with what you can do.
Goodluck in finding the program that works best for you. Thank you for watching. Keep creating! 👊👍
cakewalk is not downloadbl anymore? ....is there any DAW that dont need any internet conection or updating after instaling or during? ...i want to make a pc without internet conection ...studio with no wi-fi or any conectivity in or out but only finished product via USB ...is there a DAW that you can buy off together with all its instruments and other, that i can be using even after decade with no malfunction without on-line update? hmm i wasted few moths tryn to find right standalone but every mixer has some limiting factors wich PC overrides easily ....i might pack it up in one of those small PCs i see popular these days ....lot easyer to caree around then any MPC especialy bigest of them wich is wothy to be careen around ..just atach it to any big screen anywhere ...i dont know if there is offline DAW update free? ....they should make one complete device that ppl will not change, not ever ...that has everything right and no missing peaces of puzzle you realize after u buy it that limits you and then you have to go buy some different to realise same thing over again 😅 i'm missing music creator from200...hmm 3 or 5? i used it 4-5 years and got used to it but it was crashing a lot and messing up my files within dosens of projects so ....i destroyed it after second crash ...literaly ...couldnt sort back thousands of music files to their original place in tracks in projects .....and sound of it was primitive comparing to what is today ...i need to make some device portbl but with all things i need ...to be satisfyd with it and dont deal with any new thing of any equipment and programs to distract me to be learning how to use it , and dedicate to music, there is no end to all new things .....its more computing and learning computing then playing and creating .......well sorry for u have to read this 😅 i've gone mad lately
Tracktion wont allow external barnd synths to be used as midi patches searcheable sound library. only plugin sounds, or audio record
i was just about to get cakewalk and start learning music production (no knowledge of it yet), but now that i see this, i wonder if i should choose a different daw to start learning music production. i can't afford the paid ones for now. what would you guys recommend, should i go with cakewalk's free version still or choose one of the alternatives listed in this video? i'd appreciate your help 🥺
If you grab the free version of Cakewalk now, it will continue to be free and you can continue using it for as long as it will work on your computer without being updated.
If you want something else, give Waveform Free a try. It isn’t limiting and is an excellent program.
@@AudioTechTV thank you so much for your answer and for the enormously helpful content you create too!
I used logic in past but I love cakewalk now 😂
It is a reason to be happy. The most annoying feature will so come to an end: the "there is a new update" - popup, when you just want to record a new idea...
Don't God's work my friend. Cakewalk going back to a paid model was a blow I did not see coming.
Cockos Reaper, trial is infinite and the personal license is 60$ ... ok the learning curve is not the easiest but you will never outgrow Reaper unlike Tracktion or other "free" alternatives, they sell addons by the boat load, Reaper includes all the plugins you will need. They don't look sexy, but they are very very good.
I´m using the R16 from Zoom as Interface Controller and from Alesis the V61 Key - zero Problems in CbB - Are all Altenatives usefull with my equipment?
Waveform Free - and nothing else 😁
For my part, I wonder why we are worry about that if Cakewlak by Bandlab will continue to work and no more update will be done.
I switched to Studio One Pro when Sonar Platinum has been stopped. It's a good alternative for Cakewalk.
Get a DAW for free is good, but who pay the development on this case? It's all right for a while, but not forever.
Knowing Cakewlak Sonar will back it's a good news I think. I'm expecting to recorver the old plugins from Cakewlak Sonar Platinum if possible and everything reserved for this version. That should be really nice.
Get some new Pro chanel plugins shoud be wonderful as well.
No Idea for Cakewlak Next. I submited a Beta version, I'm waiting for that but I'm worry to get two products to maintain!
What's the goal?
If the goal is to leave aside Cakewlak Sonar after a while and next abort this one to focus of Cakewlak Next. I see the trap!
See a road map for Cakewall Sonar to be available on Mac OS? That will be reassuring, but it's not the case.
Remember the beta version for iMac!
When i zoom out too much the grid lines disappear. Is there any solution to it, although its not a problem but sometimes it becomes annoying when dragging a clip and trying to find the similar grid to above clips.
I use LMMS and Reaper because they import MIDI files. Soundbridge and Cakewalk didn't.
I’m still using Sonar Platinum, and it is fully capable. It runs incredibly good with i5 12600k. Tried i9 9900k and it runs terrible.
I'll migrate to Ableton Live lite, a freebie with my audio interface.
Maybe they will release a track limited version of Cakewalk/Sonar for free. If it’s 16 tracks then it still beats Live Lite’s 8.
@AudioTechTV if that includes adding 3rd party VSTs it's OK
I would hope that they would allow third party plugins if they were to go that route.
Very bad move from Bandlab. But OK, I would even pay for Reaper, if I am not satisfied with the other options. My NAM is running from a separate computer anyway since my interface (THR10) only runs on 44.1khz. Thx, man.
I can totally understand why Bandlab needs or wants to do this. They’ve been giving away an incredible piece of software for several years now and haven’t asked for anything in return. No upsells or addons or anything. They need to pay the bills over there and make it worth their time and money. I’m hoping the updates justify the price point (whatever it will be).
Right now even if they lose 75% of their user base but those remaining 25% stay on and pay then they are still making more money than they did before. So I don’t think it’s a bad move for them.
OK, I will tell my experience with the expired free cakewalk, the company seem to fold the free version and throw it. I was working on a project then suddenly the DAW stopped and closed itself. I was activating the auto save mode every 10 changes so I worked a lot in it. When I opened the project I found all the work I had done not saved. I was angry so I watched this video and I will see. Cuz really the DAW is just being rubbish there.
Seems Soundbridge is already done. Bad Gateway
Thanks for giving me a direction to go. Can (stupid question probably) are Bandlab Cakewalk files compatible with any other program? I can't authenticate it now with these product changes. Thanks.
You can open Bandlab projects in Cakewalk but you can’t open Cakewalk files in any other DAW. You will be able to open Cakewalk files in the new Sonar when it gets released.
Of course the audio and midi that you record in cakewalk can be loaded into other daw software.
Thinking of Waveform free for ambient background music for my apps, so as long as it can record and export audio, it's all gd. Was just starting to learn cakewalk until I heard about the future of it. Pretty disappointed tbh.
Thanks bro
What about Ardour?
The free version is a demo that goes silent after 10 minutes. Or you have to compile the code yourself to get the full version for free. Most of us just want to make music and not go through the hassle of compiling code when there are other programs readily available to download and make music with.
Ardour is crap my guy .
@@AudioTechTV Ardour can be had for as little as a dollar on their website. Almost as good as free.
@@locutz I would agree about 3 to 5 years ago, but Ardour has been getting really good lately.
Can I add my own samples to the sample player of studio one prime?
Unfortunately no. It does come with a ton of sounds but you can't bring in your own in this version.
You the best 🥇
Thanks soo much >_
How does one choose man?!
I suggested trying a couple that look interesting to you, see if you like them and then narrow it down from there.
@AudioTechTV downloaded reaper, thanks man!
Traction is a very confusing DAW
Sound bridge is no longer free 😕
Hmmm always love your content but this one is hmmmmmmmm.......... Questionably unnecessary. Anyways keep doing what you do. I love the channel. I know how challenging it must be for content. I apologize for the honesty ! but it feels like a diss on cakewalk heheheh. I am being silly. Sorry again
Not a diss. I was getting asked what free alternatives I recommend. So I made a video. It seemed like there was a need. Also there is a good amount of search volume for this topic on both YT and google so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to make the video. I can still enjoy Cakewalk and offer recommendations for people that want to try something else.
the stupid faces on the thumbnails really should be unnecessary for grown adults.
Awww. Somebody doesn’t like a little fun. I guess it’s cool for grown adults to call people stupid and tell them how they should behave. Cool stuff.
@@AudioTechTV Ah fun is it. From here it looks like a bacterial infection. That aside, I don't accept the assertions made there. I never called anyone stupid and never told anyone how to behave.
@@abody499 nope you’ve been nothing but pleasant.
Although Cakewalk will no longer be free. its free now and will continue to work even after the new ones are released.
so I'll keep on using it because I have hundreds of cwp.files. that I don't want to loose.
Having spent 3 years getting to grips with Cakewalk i see no reason to change to another DAW. My free version still works but I presume there will be no more updates.
Yes the free version will continue to work just no updates. If you’re getting along fine with it now, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about later.
Reaper is the BEST. hands down