What's the Best Program for MIDI?

[PBuryk]

Ok... So after reviewing the various discussions here having to do with this topic,
I've decided to ask:

What is the best program to use for a MIDI-heavy song recording/composing session?

I've tried a number of programs that are, and have been, available and still have yet
to come across a more user-friendly, capable and reliable program than the 30+ year old:
- Voyetra Sequencer Plus / Orchestrator (My absolute favorite!)
- Cakewalk
- Sound Forge

These all excelled in all areas of MIDI processing:
- live & step recording
- note and other event editing
- tempo variation
- device (keyboard and effects processors) patch management (including library).
- multiple device sync and control ( using SMPTE, MTC, MMC, etc.)

Back then, I could easily conduct a song session where all keys, effects, drum
machines, etc that were MIDI based could co-exist with audio, being recorded on
my Tascam 38 (1/2" tape) - and all controlled via JLCooper Master Sync clock
module. Since then, DAWs have focused, and excelled, on audio manipulation
(as they should!) and, other then that - Sample Loop Production - and it seems
that MIDI has taken a far back seat in the theater. And, as practically all of today's
DAWs do offer MIDI recording and editing as part of their ensemble their MIDI
portion is still not as good as other products did it "back then".

So... I open this post - NOT as a dig on Harrison Mixbus or Ardour, but rather as a
discussion on what "serious" users of MIDI are using today. I'm interested in knowing
what the strong points, and weak points of your MIDI DAW are. Does it fulfill all the
criteria that I provided above? Does its Patch Library support all of your instruments and effects processors
(access to their sound banks, performance setups, etc.)? Poly-expression? Aftertouch?
Can you inject different time signatures and tempo changes into a performance stream?
Can you edit sound patch changes and expression changes in an existing track?
Is the interface intuitive or, at least, usable without reading the entire usage manual?

Y'all have the floor...

With Very Best Regards,
Patrick

[keefaz]

I use midi sequencing with hardware (Roland MV8000), I sync it from mixbus with MMC. I tried software before but got annoyed by midi interfaces glitches...

[Subzero]

For me personally it's Studio One. The other best option is Cubase. I believe those are the leading DAW's when it comes to Midi...

[Tassy]

Yes Cubase +1

[Milt]

Reaper works well for me.

[bapu]

For me personally it's Studio One. The other best option is Cubase. I believe those are the leading DAW's when it comes to Midi...

I'm not a big MIDI guy so my needs are minimal that are now mostly served by Toontrack toolset: EZDrummer, Superior 3 and EZKeys. I have EZBass for fun but I'm a bassist so...

Anyway I used Cakewalk SONAR for a good number of years and still occasionally use the Lazarus version: Cakewalk by BandLab. The heavy users there say CbB (as it is known) is far better than Studio One for MIDI use.

My understanding is that Cubase is by far the best MIDI implementation out there today.

[johne53]

I've had a long involvement with DAW's but it's entirely in the Film & TV sector. I've never used a DAW to make music so I'm gonna ask a really dumb question here... what exactly is the advantage of MIDI

I get that it'd be useful for experimenting - e.g. if I record a MIDI track I can assign it to a MIDI device and produce (say) a cello sound - then if I don't like that sound I can quickly change it to some other sound - I get that...

But let's say I've got 3 x MIDI tracks. Can I assign them all to the same device and make it produce 3 x different sounds simultaneously? Or would that need 3 x different devices?

'cos if I need a new device for each sound, surely it'd be simpler just to record them as audio

[bapu]

I've had a long involvement with DAW's but it's entirely in the Film & TV sector. I've never used a DAW to make music so I'm gonna ask a really dumb question here... what exactly is the advantage of MIDI

I get that it'd be useful for experimenting - e.g. if I record a MIDI track I can assign it to a MIDI device and produce (say) a cello sound - then if I don't like that sound I can quickly change it to some other sound - I get that...

But let's say I've got 3 x MIDI tracks. Can I assign them all to the same device and make it produce 3 x different sounds simultaneously? Or would that need 3 x different devices?

'cos if I need a new device for each sound, surely it'd be simpler just to record them as audio

In the MIDI world 'devices' are more commonly known as soft synth's (VSTi), such as KONTAKT, which can have multiple sound libraries and thus the cost of multiple devices is a one time cost and the sounds are all in the box.

[johne53]

In the MIDI world 'devices' are more commonly known as soft synth's (VSTi), such as KONTAKT, which can have multiple sound libraries and thus the cost of multiple devices is a one time cost and the sounds are all in the box.

Ah, that makes sense! So if you need 3 x different sounds you can presumably purchase Kontakt (once) but then run 3 x copies at the same time?

[bapu]

In the MIDI world 'devices' are more commonly known as soft synth's (VSTi), such as KONTAKT, which can have multiple sound libraries and thus the cost of multiple devices is a one time cost and the sounds are all in the box.

Ah, that makes sense! So if you need 3 x different sounds you can presumably purchase Kontakt (once) but then run 3 x copies at the same time?

Correct. As well the same can be said for a multitude of other VSTi programs/libraries.