Feature(s) which keep MuLab from being your primary DAW?

[SparkySpark]

Hey, just stopping by to say MuLab surpasses many DAWS in so many ways. First of all, it is much faster to work with than other DAWs. The interface is limited, but still somewhat traditional (as opposed to, say, Waveform). It simply makes sense. The MIDI editing is fast.

It is also very easy to grasp, and it can indeed be used as a 1:1 thingy - that's mainly how I use it. I taught MuLab to my students, and they got it immediately. The UI is adequate - easy on the eyes and useful.

For me, it's a blessing seeing the racks of every track simultaneously, instead of going into an edit window and make changes, then the next edit window etc. Imagine shutting off a power-hungry reverb on some of twenty channels in Cubase... In MuLab, just click the bypass button for the racks in question.

Related to all of the above, it's easy to work with MuLab on a small screen. I run it on my 14 inch laptop. With Cubase, I need to constantly hit F3 to view the mixer. And even then, I cannot view the effects used on the tracks. I don't know, but is MuLab the only software where fx are visible in the mixer at all times?

MuLab is also very stable on my system. I tried to use Cakewalk (for vocal comping), but it constantly crashed for me, so I had to give it up.

From time to time, even though I make music "linearly", I actually do take advantage of the modular design of MuLab and MUX, especially when it comes to routing. There are just so many more things that can be done within a flexible environment.

The only downside as I see it is integration with ARA, Waves and VST3. I wrote a doc on how to do the Waves2Shell conversion, and having done it, all Waves apps work flawlessly (which is good, as Waves have shaped up the last few years). VST3 is still not a major concern to me. However, I do miss direct link to ARA, so that I can correct bad notes as I hear them, instead of exporting/importing (because of this, and for comping, I use Cubase for vocals).

Dakkra's point that MuLab made Dakkra more technical surprises me: MuLab is in my opinion much more musical than any other DAW I have tried. Record (MIDI/audio), add some fx to the corresponding rack, route the rack to a submix (like Instruments or Vocals), route that rack to the main output, add Ozone to the master rack, and the song is done. To me, this is very non-technical. Of course, I have done my share of (great) MUXes, but that is completely beside the point.

To sum up, there's nothing like MuLab. And judging from the ever-more bloating, and simultaneously, dumbing down, of other music software, I reckon there will never be.

Go MuLab!

[wibem]

OK, so MuLab doesn't have a feature to ask the driver to set the buffer size.

But Reaper does -- that doesn't mean the driver will respect it.

You still need an audio card with a driver that lets you set its buffer size.

I don't know how Reaper sets the audiobuffer, but it works. My audio card - like many others - doesn't have a driver setup software. Every DAW, which I know, except Mulab has the audio buffer setting.

[Costa33]

I like mutools for its creator Jo as he is simple,humanist,positive,creativ.What i dont like in mulab is highlighting pressed keyboard key in note editor still not available.

Yes, I have the same request about highlighting pressed piano keys into the piano roll and need also to hear the note when moving it up/down on the grid. Many DAW have this feature, not MuLab. Do you remember that some MuLab 5 users already asked Jo to add these basic features ? It was some years ago ...
Why I need it ? Because I compose my tracks only through the piano roll. I have only basic needs, like a newbie. I don't use Hardware, midi controller nor midi keyboard.
This simple missing feature makes creativity less intuitive. It takes too much time to hear note by note with the alt+left mouse function...
MuLab is still my main DAW even if I use sometimes Studio One, Bitwig and Reason. IMHO, MuLab is the most "user friendly"

[Kalamata Kid]

Would love to see a module that represents the tracks.
So connect any audio or midi node to the nodes on the numbered track module.
The track module can be vertical or the default horizontal.
Also add output nodes.
Now feely record or play any audio or midi.

I am having a deja vu moment.
Did I already make this FR?

[mutools]

It's there: The modular composer allows you to do that.
Open the composer modular area, add any modules you want, including input / output modules, now connect the track recorder inputs as you want and/or route the track output to the modules you want.

[Brausbaer]

I several times tried to change Mulab from my Main Daw to my Second Daw. The cause was: The piano roll still cannot monitor when recorded notes are moved to another place and further the piano keys on the left side do not show the actual pressed keys on your midi keyboard. As I can see, Mulab is the only Daw missing these features.
But besides this: Mulab will be my main Daw though. The clear interface, the easy handling and the uncomplicated file system are unmatched features. And - last not least - the moderate price.

Best regards
Rainer

[Michael L]

monitor when recorded notes are moved to another place and further the piano keys on the left side do not show the actual pressed keys

you may find musical ear training helpful
https://www.musictheory.net/exercises

[Barth1]

Notes dragged with the mouse lose their location

Hello everyone.
I have downloaded the demo app version 9.0.59 and I have seen features that have pleasantly surprised me.

However, there is one thing that holds me back, in piano roll I drag with the mouse up or down a note, but I can't find a way to preserve the note location. I'm talking about notes with the grid turned off, notes for example with time 1.1.071, I drag up or down with the mouse, but it loses its location of 1.1.071

I've tried adding CTRL, ALT or SHIFT to the drag like in other DAWs, but it didn't work.
Is there a way to drag the note with the mouse while preserving the location? Thanks.

[humanboeing]

Notes dragged with the mouse lose their location

Hello everyone.
I have downloaded the demo app version 9.0.59 and I have seen features that have pleasantly surprised me.

However, there is one thing that holds me back, in piano roll I drag with the mouse up or down a note, but I can't find a way to preserve the note location. I'm talking about notes with the grid turned off, notes for example with time 1.1.071, I drag up or down with the mouse, but it loses its location of 1.1.071

I've tried adding CTRL, ALT or SHIFT to the drag like in other DAWs, but it didn't work.
Is there a way to drag the note with the mouse while preserving the location? Thanks.

Shift+up, shift+down should do the trick

[humanboeing]

Turns out it jumps an octave, if you want to jump a semitone then just an arrow is sufficient

[Barth1]

Shift+up, shift+down going up and down one octave.
Yes, by a semitone you can do it with the arrows. Although if I go up or go down many notes and then I need to undo, have to undo note by note, that is: If I go up 5 semitones with arrow, I have to undo 5 times! Dragging with the mouse only undoes one time.

Sure I could go up an octave with Shift+up and then down 2 semitones with the arrow.
But why so many steps if it could be done directly with the mouse in a single operation? Take a look at Cubase, Reaper, etc. too easy.

If to select the note that we want to modify I have to use the mouse, it seems more comfortable to continue using the mouse and not have to leave it to use the keys, to then select another note with the mouse and have to leave it again to use the keys, etc For some reason most DAW's incorporate the option to drag with the mouse and not lose the location.

Thanks for your comments.

[Braserox]

I use Mulab as replacement for Ableton live and Mac Mainstage for live performance , and not as classic DAW and recording system. I didn't found any other programm who is as versatile to combine hardware and vst instrument to make polyphonic layers and modular polyphony presets for multiple keyboards. Having 32bit and 64bit release gives access of 20 years of digital sound design of older vst.
The best thing is, Mulab dont load all your vst libraries but only those you really want to use. In some way it remember me Buzzmachine , a modular system 20 years ago. There are thing i'm missing like better midi and device management, but other product have missing options too. Nothing is perfect.

[Scrubbing Monkeys]

Revisiting this as there have been updates. I really like Mulab and use it alot especially for composition. However when I go to mix a song that has several tracks and lots of routing and fx I choose Reaper because I have an old machine and Mulab maxes out pretty quick whereas Reaper allows me nearly twice the track count before maxing out.

Oddly enough....If I use Mulab inside Reaper ...Mulab becomes far more efficient.

Great combo those two.

[sdv]

The #1 feature I'm missing from MuLab is the ability to 'draw' my automation like in other DAW's. I've been requesting this feature for about 5 years now. FL Studio has a great implementation with its 'paintbrush' tool which allows for drawing very intricate automation curves that just aren't possible with Mu's straight-line pencil-tool. In 2023 I'm amazed how archaic the automation component is implemented in Mu, even compared to Cubase in Atari in 1993. I've mentioned this in other posts and if this feature were to get better I could probably give up using FLS.

[mutools]

I understand you constructive criticism. It's on the wishlist to further improve the automation options.
I assume you know you can also automate using MuLab's multi-point envelopes (aka MSEGs), right?