switching from PT to Cubase

[~ufo~]

I know Silvano and I appreciate that.

I can understand that from a developer's perspective Avid can be problematic.
But like I said, I really don't need that much more from DTouch for Pro Tools.
Of course, this doesn't mean I wouldn't like to use useful features once they are added.

If I had the time, I'm sure I could get used to Cubase and I would find useful things in DTouch for Cubase that are currently impossible in DTouch for PT.
I really didn't get to spend the time required in this trial month to really make a good decision.
I might ask Steinberg to allow me another month of trial, to give me some more time to learn Cubase.
Right now I don't want to spend 500 bucks on Cubase or 300 on Studio One.

For what I do, right now, Pro Tools HD on Windows with DTouch is superior to Cubase with DTouch.
This may change, but after the limited time I had with both Cubase and Studio One over the last month, neither of them feel like they can compete with Pro Tools in the ways I need them to, even though they both beat Pro Tools in other features.

I can see Cubase or Studio One becoming better for me for composing once I get a bit better at controlling them, for mixing..... I think Pro Tools will be my preferred DAW for the foreseeable future.

[DT_bettinzana]

For what I do, right now, Pro Tools HD on Windows with DTouch is superior to Cubase with DTouch.

Just out of curiosity: have you extensively used DTouch for Pro tools on Windows? Because I consider it worse than on OS X.

[clonewar]

Hi Michael,

I must stay, after spending nearly a month with the cubase session here and there, I still find myself shouting at the screen way more than I'd like to.
I'm sure I'd be able to get used to most of it eventually, but I'd need more time, but my trial is over in a few days and I won't be in a rush to buy a license.

As it stands, I found out that Pro Tools is running smoothly for me on windows (the issues I'm having appear to be mainly related to PT and Mac).
Avid have given me a free one year extension and told me they are working on a fix and told me to get back in touch around September to see how I got on. So as it stands I don't NEED to transition to another DAW, only another OS.
I may toy around with a few DAWs, just to see if they're nicer to compose in. Studio One feels a cooler contestant there, if they'd just get their native multi touch support in order.

Cubase has been more stable for me than PT on Mac is at the moment, BUT, it has not been night and day.
Pro Tools on Windows has been so stable for me it is night and day with both Cubase and Pro Tools on Mac.

Regarding DTouch in particular:
(take this with a grain of salt, I really didn't get into DTouch for Cubase deeply enough to form a real opinion)

- The new floating windows seems like a logical evolution, it would allow you to avoid the mixer screen altogether.
- I dislike the current mixer screen because it has the macros in the left top corner. I understand it makes sense because of the Cubase GUI, but I don't think it makes sense ergonomically. It feels like function is following form here. So the new floating mixer, at least for me, feels more logical.
- I don't like the way set to zero and set to infinity works in DTouch for Cubase, with that latching toggle to activate first.
I want a button for it in the channel strip, that can be swiped, not a two step action.
- Even though DTouch for Pro Tools is more limited, I feel it's a more elegant implementation at this point. But take that with a grain of salt since I just don't know Cubase that well, it all feels alien to me.
- Honestly there's not much functionality I'm missing in DTouch for PT, if I can start customising my channel strip and I could get a separate zoom and scroll pad open at the same time, possibly supporting gestures (only in those hot zones) I think I'll be okay.
- The matrix window... I'm not sure about it. It might not be for me (I hardly used the matrix on the Pro Control either).
If you are used to having a lot of tracks/channels visible at a time, it may be fantastic. However, even though I run huge sessions, I rarely have more than 24 channels visible at a time, usually less than twenty. That's just because I have everything organised in show/hide markers which recall the open plugins too. That workflow leaves little to be desired and I don't see there matrix helping me much there.
That said, like most functionality, in the end I usually find a way to make it be helpful to me. I just haven't found it yet, nor have I looked for it.

I hope this helps.

Very interesting, does Avid have an explanation to why you're having issues on Mac and not Windows? What Mac model do you have? There are other DAWs that are more CPU efficient in Windows (especially Studio One), but I didn't expect that from PT. I really don't have issues with any DAWs on my Mac (Mac Pro), but I'm not running PT yet. My PC workstation is very solid in Win 7, but like I've said I've been really unhappy with Win 10.

I agree with you about the placement of macro and other buttons in the DTouch Cubase mixer, but I have most of those mapped to my physical keyboard so there isn't that much reaching, even on the big touchscreen. The new floating mixer is going to add a lot of customization possibilities for DTouch. I'd really miss the matrix window, years of using SmartAV control surfaces has gotten me used to having instant access to any track in the mix without having to predefine sets/layouts/groups/etc. I love being able to open it and quickly tweak or mute/solo a few tracks without having to change the visible faders. That said, I agree that its usefulness is related to how many tracks are usually visible in your projects.

Question for your or Silvano.. When you're using DTouch with PT, are you free to display as many insert and send slots as you want in the Edit window? From what I can tell the DTouch interface is only displayed at the bottom of the screen so I'm thinking that there shouldn't be any limitations in the Edit window. One of the things that I really prefer about the PT interface is that you can show a lot of track insert and send info.

[clonewar]

Just out of curiosity: have you extensively used DTouch for Pro tools on Windows? Because I consider it worse than on OS X.

Silvano, I've seen you mention this before, what would you consider worse about DTouch for PT on Windows compared to the Mac version?

[clonewar]

Hello guys!

I want to say one important thing about "DTouch for PT" Vs "DTouch for Cubendo" from the perspective of the developer (mine):

DTouch for PT is at 95% of its evolution path. Due to the lack of a good protocol, we cannot add much.

DTouch for Cubendo is at 25% of its evolution path. We can do a lot more. I don't want to be too much excited, but I could say that we are 90% limited only by our imagination.

That said, you can use the DAW that you wish. I have already chosen mine. Not because Cubase is perfect but because PT is COMPLETELY closed. If you plan to upgrade your studio based on PT, sooner or later you will need to purchase their control surfaces, etc ...
And don't forget that Avid is a pro-video, not an audio, company.

I repeat: this is my very personal thinking, but I am a registered AAX developer and I know their policies.

If DTouch for Cubendo is only at 25% of it's evolution I can't wait to see what's in store for the remaining 75% !

I really wouldn't be looking at other options if the Mac version of DTouch for Cubendo was available. I know that you've been really busy with the new DTouch features, but do you have any timelines for the Mac version yet? I've had people ask me about a Mac version on YouTube, so besides my selfish reasons I think that the Mac version is going to open DTouch up to a lot of new users.

[DT_bettinzana]

Question for your or Silvano.. When you're using DTouch with PT, are you free to display as many insert and send slots as you want in the Edit window? From what I can tell the DTouch interface is only displayed at the bottom of the screen so I'm thinking that there shouldn't be any limitations in the Edit window. One of the things that I really prefer about the PT interface is that you can show a lot of track insert and send info.

You are totally free in the Edit window!

[DT_bettinzana]

Just out of curiosity: have you extensively used DTouch for Pro tools on Windows? Because I consider it worse than on OS X.

Silvano, I've seen you mention this before, what would you consider worse about DTouch for PT on Windows compared to the Mac version?

Oh, not easy to answer, but in general some actions are slower (resync, scroll, for example).
Another big disadvantage is the track-name length limited to 4 HUI chs on Windows.
On the Mac we can use some OS tricks to speed-up the interfacing with PT. (I don't want to say that in general the Mac is better than the PC. In this case it has some very interesting advantages. Anyway, I am a Windows (and Cubendo) fan; I will never purchase a Mac )

I hope that ~ufo~ will chime in. He is a PT power user and works with DTouch on Mac from a lot of time. From what I have read here, he has tested DTouch for PT on Windows too. He should be a trusted tester .

[~ufo~]

For what I do, right now, Pro Tools HD on Windows with DTouch is superior to Cubase with DTouch.

Just out of curiosity: have you extensively used DTouch for Pro tools on Windows? Because I consider it worse than on OS X.

Not super extensively, I haven't run into big things that are considerably worse than the Mac version other than that the sync seems a little slower, but I'm not even sure that's true.
I'm sure I will though. But the fact is that PT on Mac is just unusable for me at the moment and PT on Windows is quite solid.
So it's less of a pain to deal with a version of DTOUCH that may be slightly inferior to the Mac version.

[~ufo~]

Very interesting, does Avid have an explanation to why you're having issues on Mac and not Windows? What Mac model do you have?

I have the 2012 3.33GHz 6 core Mac Pro.

There's some GUI issues between PT and Mac OS since recent versions and Sierra seems to have made it worse in stead of fixing it.
It's related to the beam sync thing but not exclusive to that I think. I think it's a system that sort of limits the frame rate of the OS to what the app actually uses. Makes no sense to have the OS and GPU put resources into working at 60fps if the app is only outputting at 30fps for example. Something like that. However, in stead of freeing up resources it has caused major CPU spikes with PT.

[~ufo~]

Another big disadvantage is the track-name length limited to 4 HUI chs on Windows.

I didn't notice that yet. Does that mean that DTouch can only display 4 characters per track or what's the deal?