Reaper or Cubase Elements?
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DudeManBrother
Hey...how did everybody get in my room?
You can download Reaper and use it fully featured and free for 60 days. Give it a shot and if you don’t like it after that time you can look at Cubase. I personally think a full featured DAW is better than a stripped down version.
Winspear
Tom Winspear
Reaper. Not only is it a full featured DAW, it's actually more flexible and powerful than the full version of most expensive DAWs. It doesn't come with 'sexy looking' plugins but it comes with lots. Given the price tag and how powerful it is I don't really see sense in looking elsewhere until you have a reason to move. Only real downside is no included virtual instruments at all.
trem licking
SS.org Regular
Cakewalk by bandlab. Full featured, legit free and updated frequently. THIS is the one to get
Lax
SS.org Regular
I used cubase for decades, upgraded each year my cubase element license, couldn't be happier and don't even bother to try something else 
EmaDaCuz
Brutal yet soulful
I would say Reaper, but the MIDI editor is really bad compared to the one in Cubase. I have been a Cubase user for 20+ years, I started using Reaper a few years ago and I love it for audio recording and editing, but every time I open the piano roll I want to die.
Cakewalk is also excellent, it's free, it has amazing effects on board, including a stripped down version of TH2 (or TH3, don't remember), but once again MIDI editing is not the best. Also not a big fan of how automation works.
Cakewalk is also excellent, it's free, it has amazing effects on board, including a stripped down version of TH2 (or TH3, don't remember), but once again MIDI editing is not the best. Also not a big fan of how automation works.
Lax
SS.org Regular
CerealKiller
SS.org Regular
I recently spent a couple of days trying out Cubase Elements, Reaper and Cakewalk, and in the end went with Cubase - I had a very old AI licence I could just upgrade, so it was pretty cheap.
As others said, MIDI editing is much nicer in Cubase. Also the Arranger feature is veeeeery cool and easy to use. I guess Reaper and Cakewalk have something similar, but I couldn't be bothered after trying the one in Cubase.
As others said, MIDI editing is much nicer in Cubase. Also the Arranger feature is veeeeery cool and easy to use. I guess Reaper and Cakewalk have something similar, but I couldn't be bothered after trying the one in Cubase.
Kaura
matching headstock fetishist
Cubase, because Reaper is designed by and for crab people.
I dont know what this means xD
Kaura
matching headstock fetishist
nickgray
SS.org Regular
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Reaper has a strong DIY mentality to it. It's miles ahead of any other DAW in terms of custom configuration, and you really have to tweak it in order to get the most out of it.
thebeesknees22
SS.org Regular
I had cubase 10 elements. I think it was a good starting point for me. I've since moved up to pro, but elements was enough for me to record guitar/bass and do basic stuff and get my head around the basics. I haven't tried reaper, but a buddy of mine loves it.
What did you need that you had to move to pro?
Same, I did a whole bunch of albums and DVD releases on Elements with no real problems. I've just moved to Pro because a ridiculous deal fell in my lap, the main advantages are:
- Control Room - You can set up monitor outs seperate to your master buss. No more forgetting to turn off Sonarworks and ending up with it on your mix.
- Cue mixes - You can set up one-click A/B referencing, no more jumping back and forth between solos and mutes to reference
- Enhanced Midi function - Things like Random Velocity within a specified range are god-send if you have to 'Humanise' programmed drums
And as of the Pro 11 release last week:
- Spectralayers one - Isolate vocals from stereo tracks and vice versa
- Imager - Four band Stereo widener as a native plug-in
- Frequency 2 - Adaptive EQ with a threshold control and multiple sidechain keys
- EQ overlay - View two channels EQ curves together to see if they are fighting. Extremely useful for kick and bass.
- A new export interface that allows you to cue up mix elements. Ideal for printing wet and dry takes, stem mixes etc
- Control Room - You can set up monitor outs seperate to your master buss. No more forgetting to turn off Sonarworks and ending up with it on your mix.
- Cue mixes - You can set up one-click A/B referencing, no more jumping back and forth between solos and mutes to reference
- Enhanced Midi function - Things like Random Velocity within a specified range are god-send if you have to 'Humanise' programmed drums
And as of the Pro 11 release last week:
- Spectralayers one - Isolate vocals from stereo tracks and vice versa
- Imager - Four band Stereo widener as a native plug-in
- Frequency 2 - Adaptive EQ with a threshold control and multiple sidechain keys
- EQ overlay - View two channels EQ curves together to see if they are fighting. Extremely useful for kick and bass.
- A new export interface that allows you to cue up mix elements. Ideal for printing wet and dry takes, stem mixes etc
thebeesknees22
SS.org Regular
honestly, nothing for just doing basic rock/metal. But Pro has a more audio warp/editing features, metering, vt's. etc.. And as Lozek mentioned above you get all that goodness he listed if you go with Cubase pro too.
Maybe reaper would be better to try first instead of elements if you're on a tight budget since it should have more editing features from the get go.
https://new.steinberg.net/cubase/compare-editions/
Exactly, Pro is worth it from a time-saving and comfort perspective if you are doing large volumes of projects day in , day out. It is perfectly easy to do full albums on Elements but it may just take a little more work in some aspects.
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