Need Advice: Cubase vs Sonar

[KAI]

Hi all. Recently I'm considering to get a new DAW software. Just want to find out that,
Cubase 4 and Sonar 7 Producer Ed., which one is better?

I know this is a very hard question to have a good asnwer, but any comments are welcome, esp. anybody who has the experience in one or both the software.

Thank you.

 

[Cheez]

There is a very good comparison of the major DAW software on this link (a must read):

http://www.digitalmusicdoctor.com/shootout/shootout_summary.htm

According to them, Cubase leads Sonar by a very slight margin (if you ask me, negligible). The price is one big factor as Cubase 4 is much more expensive than Sonar 7 Producer ed. You should do your own analysis. You can look at each of their analysis in detail (they did a very good job). And you'll have to ask yourself which feature you'll be using most of the time and which feature you probably won't use (or very rarely). Then just add those up. Each software has its own strengths and weaknesses. You don't want to get a software whose strengths you will not be using.

Resolutions told me that they provide very good technical support for Cubase. If you are new to DAW software, this may be a consideration. Good technical support can help you overcome that learning curve.

Another consideration - you don't have to get the high-end version if you are not going to be using all the features. Sometimes, all you need is the lower-end version (eg Home edition). Once you purchased one, you are on an upgrade path if you want to upgrade later. And yes, you have to decide carefully since you don't want to switch later on. On the other hand, the difference is probably not much between them. Users of Cubase will swear that Cubase is the best; Sonar users will swear by Sonar.

 

[KAI]

Hi Cheez. Thanks for the reply.

Somebody claims that Cubase has a better audio engine than Sonar. Is that true?

Also, from the internet forums I found out that Cubase seems to have a bad technical support for the users, whereas Sonar seems to have a better attitude in technical support.

 

[teraslasch]

lol seriously i don think "cubase" has a "better" audio engine, they said logic sounded better than any other DAWs. but seriously, wad the heck, if at the end of the day ur music sucks then it sucks really ,doesnt matter which DAW u use.

I have used sonar and cubase, and i still prefer my sonar in terms of audio editing, for cubase, theres slightly more things for the midi editting side, but i think sonar 7 has added some interesting feature to the midi editting (im using 6). But i have used sonar for a much longer time than i have used cubase, and i don use cubase as much (only in sch), so i can't comment much actually.

Both are ok, as long as the music gets out at the end of the day .. one thing to take note is that, in SONAR, u can export everything out as once (individual raw tracks, or options to select, e.g with efx, with automation etc. or without).. you cant do this in cubase, u can only export one track out a time (correct me if i'm wrong), but at least theres fast bounce. unlike pro tools (which is a pain in the arse).

Get either and u wont be disappointed, u can try Cubase Studio 4 from resolution or get SONAR. If u have a mac, get the new logic studio (has alot great stuffs inside for a great price)! ..

 

[Cheez]

Agree with tera. If you look at the link, their ratings of the audio functions of Cubase and Sonar differs by 0.1 points. We certainly can't take their ratings as the absolute truth, but they do have the best rating criteria I've seen in any place. You also need to ask yourself whether you'll be doing more audio editing, recording, or sequecing.

As for Cubase technical support, as I said, Resolutions is pretty committed to give you live technical support.

Personally, I prefer Logic. Too bad Logic stopped their support for PC. But their plug-ins are so powerful I'm still using the super old version 5 even though it is outdated. I've used the older Cakewalk in the past and they did have midi timing issues then (that was Cakewalk Pro 7 - again, super old). But Sonar has come a long way and got a lot of hype - their audio editing functions like the audio-snap is very enticing.

As I said, if you ask Cubase users, they will say Cubase is the best. If you ask Sonar users, you'll get the opposite. In the end, the difference is probably minimal. As Tera said, if your music is bad, no high-end software or hardware is going to help. These are only tools.

 

[widdly]

@teraslasch You can definitely export a complete mixdown from cubase. I think it's under File > Export > Audio Mixdown

 

[ac]

i think he meant per track output, not a full mixdown.

 

[teraslasch]

yep. thats what i meant, export all the individual tracks at at once.. not the full mix down heh.. so far from what i know, cubase/logic/pro tools cant do this ;P...

 

[blueprintstudios]

cool edit can... hahah.. cool edit audio engine sucks , I know how to make it do more than it should, I can mix a bigger sound than it was planned for. but give me a cubase or sonar audio engine I also not experienced enough to make full use of it's real capability.

But if I had to choose, I'd choose cubase since alot of my friends are using it, and no one (at least I knew one guy last time la) i know personally uses sonar. so I'd rather stick to cubase for "friendly" support, then from there when i'm experienced enough then start toying with sonar.


40¢ worth

 

[Cheez]

Blueprintstudios, the likelihood of changing to another DAW software after you got used to one is pretty slim. So if you are going to use Cubase, you'll probably never use Sonar. Once you are used to one interface, learning another one is a hassle esp for DAW software. It's not like a wordprocessor software whose interface is about the same. DAW software are pretty different from one another - interface-wise. That's why choose wisely.

 

[KAI]

Well, thanks for all the inputs.

I might be getting Sonar, as I got some experience using it.

Anyone got the idea where to get it from local?

Yes, I will use it mainly for midi, composing. But I would also like to mix it down to a final product without the use of another audio editing software.

 

[Cheez]

Can get it online. If you're a registered Cakewalk user (any Cakewalk product), you get a good discount.

 

[blueprintstudios]

cheez - actually, before I touched cubase for the first time I did try playing/fooling around with cakewalk. It seems alot more user friendly/easy to pick up than cubase. but I've seen VSTs crash more often on sonar (that time i used is v4 la, now i heard there's new versions 6 or 7) and run way stable on cubase/nuendo. after a while you'll tend to realise there's a similar pattern/purpose that runs in all DAWs. when I was at this other recording studio using protools, it's pretty much same structure if you look at it another point of view. better to learn to pick up more DAWs to be more universally versatile in this industry right? heheh but this's my say so far for myself la I pick up fast on the computers, for others like what cheez says you still gotta choose wisely

 

[Cheez]

Actually, blueprintstudios, if you're a producer, I agree. You may have to familiarise yourself with all the standard DAW software out there. Never know which software you may get on the spot - although I imagine most would have their own hardware gear.

 

[KAI]

That's a good point. It's good to be versatile.

And I think most of the DAWs have lots of similar functions, just a different interface.

That's why, since I'm experienced in Sonar (school uses Pro Tools and Sonar), it might be the good for me to pick up another DAW software......

I am undergrad, that's why trying to get a DAW software and some soft synth/samplers (with student price) before I graduate....

 

[blueprintstudios]

I've been in situations ah, where bands have done their own recording at home in cubase and they asked me to record drums on my side, then they pass me their tracks in their session formats and they don't seem to understand or know how to do it when I asked them to "export the individual .wav in fixed timing" like

[rhythm guitar-------throughout--------].wav
[drums-----throughout-----------------].wav
[intro---blank----solo background guitar].wav
[-----verseriffguitar-----verseriffguitar--].wav

where ---- = blank/silence especially verseriff guitar e.g

so end of the day, maybe it's more of a professional "image" that you're able to know at least how to operate basics in different DAWs when you're at different places

besides, i don't think I'll be wrong to say that different DAWs come with their own useful "plugins". (i'm not talking about VSTs here, but the inbuilt plugins on the DAW itself) like how sonar's "Audiosnap" function looks interesting, I still like cool edit's editor (especially noise reduction and the stereo/phase / EQ analyser etc) compared to Soundforge's. and other stuff that comes with cubase. power of one may be enough, but power to use them all together to your advantage could be more of a bonus. just to explain in detail for example, lets say for one this recording I did, the guitarist recorded/wrote the song on cakewalk , recorded with shitty drums sounds and sent to me, I was at my friend's studio using cakewalk sonar 4 arranging clearer drum samples to metronome sync with the recording. then another friend who's a composer suggested pads/strings on the intro, and he did it on his cubase, sent me the .wav , then I recorded the rest with cool edit.
cool edit doesn't have MIDI, so i wouldn't be able to do the pad/strings. cakewalk sonar 4 drum arrangement was quite userfriendly as i described earlier that was the first time I tried sonar.
and yeah it's costly to be BUYING so many different DAWs. so that'll be the cost efficient plus point if you got alot of different friends with different DAWs that each can't do what each can kinda character.