Need DAW good at film scoring

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DP has a lot of film scoring tools integrated in it and is used a lot. Cubase or Logic would be a good choice too ( Mac ) however the video/tempo syncing and chunks are very unique to DP.
Mac Studio
10.14.7.3
Cubase 13, Ableton Live 12

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I run Windows and from my research it looks like the Windows version is less stable than the Mac side. I'll install the demo this weekend and see if it crashes out on me.
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SyntheticAurality wrote:I run Windows and from my research it looks like the Windows version is less stable than the Mac side. I'll install the demo this weekend and see if it crashes out on me.
Certainly DP windows versions have been way less stable than Mac, it was one of the very first sequencers on Macs, I used Performer in 1986 and Digital Performer for a number of years. If I was windows based Cubase would be my first port of call. Tried and tested by many film composers, I use the Mac version of Pro 8 and its great. All of Remote Control, Zimmer/Gregson Williams/ Jablonsky etc use Cubase so it has a pro following.
Mac Studio
10.14.7.3
Cubase 13, Ableton Live 12

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Cubase Pro 8 looks great, but holy schmoza it's expensive!!! DP for Windows, I can get a competitive upgrade from Musicians Friend for $395. If I save up, though, I can get Cubase 7 with a USB touch fader and upgrade later:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/software ... ductDetail
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After some format issues, I managed to get "Plan 9 From Outer Space" into SONAR and fiddle with laying down some dark ambient soundtrack into it. It's.. fiddly.. but I have it working.

It'll do while I save up my pennies for something better.. argh..

FYI, I managed to crash Tracktion 8 time just trying to load the video.. ouch..
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Tonberry wrote:How's Reaper video working out for you compared to other daws you've done video with?
It's working perfectly fine. No issues or lag at all.

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I'm glad Reaper is working for you, it's a total fail here. :(

Installed VLC, confirmed it worked. Fired up Reaper, got it all set up. Imported the MP4, Reaper does its thing. I open the Video window and hit PLAY..

..the audio is a mono soundtrack, and it's trash. OK, fine. Delete it and import an AVI.. play.. same thing.

Mind you this is the same AVI that plays in SONAR, VLC, etc.!

Close Reaper, re-open it "just in case", re-try the MP4.. and this time the media clip says "offline"!!! :cry:

Uninstalled. I don't mind spending 20-30 minutes reading the very nice manual, but if it can't open the same file twice, it's off my system.

Note that I loaded in VST/VSTi and those played flawlessly. It's really too bad about the video issues I'm seeing otherwise I really like V5.

Back to SONAR.. it just works for me. :shrug:
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Cubase for PC (for Mac too, but it's more efficient on Windows), Logic or DP for Mac.

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SyntheticAurality wrote:I'm glad Reaper is working for you, it's a total fail here. :(

Installed VLC, confirmed it worked. Fired up Reaper, got it all set up. Imported the MP4, Reaper does its thing. I open the Video window and hit PLAY..

..the audio is a mono soundtrack, and it's trash. OK, fine. Delete it and import an AVI.. play.. same thing.

Mind you this is the same AVI that plays in SONAR, VLC, etc.!

Close Reaper, re-open it "just in case", re-try the MP4.. and this time the media clip says "offline"!!! :cry:

Uninstalled. I don't mind spending 20-30 minutes reading the very nice manual, but if it can't open the same file twice, it's off my system.

Note that I loaded in VST/VSTi and those played flawlessly. It's really too bad about the video issues I'm seeing otherwise I really like V5.

Back to SONAR.. it just works for me. :shrug:
Do you have QuickTime installed? I use h264 mp4 files

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SyntheticAurality wrote:I'm glad Reaper is working for you, it's a total fail here. :(

Installed VLC, confirmed it worked.
The symptoms you describe sound like perhaps you installed 32 bit VLC and are using Reaper 64 bit, which won't use 32 bit VLC. You need to match the bitness of VLC and Reaper, so if this is the case you'll hopefully find that installing 64 bit VLC allows the files to play.

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LawrenceF wrote: slave Vegas to whatever daw you already like producing music in. A floating video window is just a floating video window. That it would be Vegas's video preview window you're looking at while doing that may offer some advantages.

Upside:

- Syncing via MTC with any free virtual midi port is easy enough.
- It'll handle video better than any music production daw.
- It's an actual video editor and can render any video format you want.
- You can use all of your VST plugins in the final stages.
- If you're gonna spend Cubase level money anyway, you'll also own a great video editor, not just another music creation daw that you may not otherwise need.
Well, have you actually scored to picture in this config? For instance, I have scored in Cubase. The video is on the same timeline in realtime. This may not occur to you, but MTC is never that. There is a jitter situation, first of all. Also, DP's great selling points for music to picture involve the integration of features (reconception of your time) directly as per the real timeline, in SMPTE terms. Beyond jitter: "The code (SMPTE) is based on real time, measured in hours, minutes and seconds, with further subdivisions to accommodate individual frames of TV and film material. This is in direct contrast to MIDI Clock, which is a direct multiple of tempo." Most of the picture is not gwyne jibe with a multiple of musical tempo, NB. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_ar ... ecode.html

Scoring to picture rather indicates the need to have precise timing as per a clock and frames/subframes. You need to be knowing what time it is according to everybody else's time, ie., SMPTE. I have been called to edit video, which is kind of absurd but I can kinda sorta do it. Perhaps the chief reason you see Logic brought into it here is that integration of Apple applications, Logic and Final Cut Pro. I don't have an opinion one way or the other on Vegas, but if actual video editing is the subject for the person scoring to picture I'd be remiss not mentioning that predominance of FCP in picture work; and that I'm glad I kept Logic around for compatibility even as I don't compose in it. I would NEVER accept to require a second application to run the damn picture, sorry.

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I'm going to try Studio One for recording/scoring for animation, but I'm working in image layer files (targa, Inga). I have to export a test layer to whatever my DAW is fine with, in this case mp4 I do believe. I have never scored much. I really need to sit down and write out a story, let the story flow out or whatever. Any advice would be appreciated. I understand why animation projects have so many people contributing from so many disciplines, I'm just sort of stumbling through it. I am settled to letting the songs flow out, then make some little story fitting the music, maybe add audio or atmospheric composition breaks and stuff.
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