DAW's and Kronos

[4GodnWV]

I am relatively new to Kronos (about 6 months) but have worked through basic combi building, splits/laters, ifx, etc. I am a worship leader and have always wanted to create a Christmas CD. The Kronos is literally the answer to my prayers.

I have noted that many here are into recording. Can some of you suggest the best way to use Kronos to create a CD? I could just use the 16 track in the Kronos, or a multitrack digital portable studio, but either way I still need to xfer to a CD, so I thinking of purchasing a DAW.

I have been looking at DAW's. Many to choose from, some allowing entry level options, some (like Avid Pro Tools) even allowing monthly subscriptions.

One final note: I do not currently own a PC, (use an iPad) but I am also interested in Native Instruments products and was about to purchase a i7 3.6GHz 16GB ram, 2T memory PC. Enough to run a DAW?

Any suggestions as to which DAW works best with Kronos?
Avid Pro Tools - Cubase Nuendo - Cakewalk SONAR - PreSonus Studio One - Bitwig Studio - Propellerhead Reason - Ableton 9 Live

Tia, 4God

[CharlesFerraro]

Cubase and Nuendo are two different DAWs. Nuendo is overkill for what you need and so are the specs on that PC. You can just plug a USB CD RW drive into the Kronos and burn a CD from there.

Of course that route means no NI products.

[BobTheDog]

That I7 is totally fine to run any DAW as long as you don't want to go totally mad with huge track counts.

I guess you want to record audio and midi tracks from your Kronos, maybe apply some FX and mix the songs.

So If you want to look at DAWS (and guessing that you are buying a windows machine) I would initially try the "free" end of the scale.

You could look at "Pro Tools First": http://www.avid.com/pro-tools-first

And also "Reaper": https://www.reaper.fm If you actually use Reaper to produce your CD then you should buy a license, as long as you are not going to make more than $20,000 from your CD the license will cost $60.

If you are getting a Mac, just buy logic.

[SanderXpander]

I'm pretty firmly in the DAW camp, personally, but the simplest solution for you would be to get a USB CD/DVD burner. You can stay within the platform yoy know and burn your songs to CD right from the Kronos. You couldn't get them on Spotify or iTunes though (I haven't used a CD in ages).

As for DAWs, I don't think there is a lot of difference in the way they treat the Kronos insofar as they all record and play back MIDI and audio. PreSonus I believe doesn't do SysEx (part of the MIDI spec) which might become a nuisance.

There can be large differences in workflow though, it might help if you could explain a little bit about your process (how you like to start, work on and finish a production) and what kind of music and instrumentation you generally use.

[GregC]

I am relatively new to Kronos (about 6 months) but have worked through basic combi building, splits/laters, ifx, etc. I am a worship leader and have always wanted to create a Christmas CD. The Kronos is literally the answer to my prayers.

I have noted that many here are into recording. Can some of you suggest the best way to use Kronos to create a CD? I could just use the 16 track in the Kronos, or a multitrack digital portable studio, but either way I still need to xfer to a CD, so I thinking of purchasing a DAW.

I have been looking at DAW's. Many to choose from, some allowing entry level options, some (like Avid Pro Tools) even allowing monthly subscriptions.

One final note: I do not currently own a PC, (use an iPad) but I am also interested in Native Instruments products and was about to purchase a i7 3.6GHz 16GB ram, 2T memory PC. Enough to run a DAW?

Any suggestions as to which DAW works best with Kronos?
Avid Pro Tools - Cubase Nuendo - Cakewalk SONAR - PreSonus Studio One - Bitwig Studio - Propellerhead Reason - Ableton 9 Live

Tia, 4God

Not trying to talk you out of a DAW if you are convinced its the way to go

I record all the time and distribute a CD with 16 songs. i record all parts on the SEQ and burn CD's using iTunes.

I like the less is more approach

For even less, folks organize their Songs on the Kronos and burn it directly to a USB CD.

[4GodnWV]

CharlesFerraro

You wrote:
"Cubase and Nuendo are two different DAWs."

Ah, I see that now. Thnx

You Wrote:
"You can just plug a USB CD RW drive into the Kronos and burn a CD from there."

Did not know I could do that. Interesting. Thnx

[4GodnWV]

BobTheDog,

Actually Avid was the first one on the list that reviewed. They suggested 8gigs of RAM and recommended 16, which is why I questioned the capabilities of an i7 w/16GB. I use my Kronos live for worship. Don't need a PC for that, but when I started looking at Native Instruments I began researching PC's as well.

Doing the CD project is a completely different ballgame, but I want to make sure the 16gigs will handle both programming needs. The "free" version of Avid Pro Tools might work for me. If not, I can always sell it back to them, lol. Thnx

[CharlesFerraro]

That's not to write off the power of a DAW and Native Instruments. But strictly speaking, the Kronos has you covered when it comes to burning CD's. Pretty sure you can export your songs to a USB thumb drive straight from the Kronos too for easy transfer to the computer. Then you can upload your music to iTunes without dealing with the painfully slow process of ripping from CD.

As Sander alluded to, CD is sort of going the way of the dinosaur and it's all about digital distribution these days. If you needed a physical medium to sell, just purchase a bunch of cheap memory sticks: https://www.4imprint.com seems to be a good site for that.

[BobTheDog]

Thinking about that the only cd player I now have is in my car! Probably because it is 10 years old, I bet a new one wouldn't have one.

[4GodnWV]

SanderXpander

You Wrote:
"There can be large differences in workflow though, it might help if you could explain a little bit about your process (how you like to start, work on and finish a production) and what kind of music and instrumentation you generally use."

Haven't done a project yet. I want to do approx 60 minute CD of instrumental Christmas music. My plan is to lay down a scratch piano track. Then start replacing each passage with orchestral instruments. Strings, woodwinds, brass, reeds, flutes, etc etc right back to the percussion, bells, or whatever I "hear". Using combis I believe I can avoid having to use more than 16 tracks. At least that's my plan.

[4GodnWV]

GregC

You Wrote:
"Not trying to talk you out of a DAW if you are convinced its the way to go - I record all the time and distribute a CD with 16 songs. i record all parts on the SEQ and burn CD's using iTunes. - I like the less is more approach..."

Much appreciated. I was unaware I could burn directly to a CD RW drive. Seems a simple way to get started. If unhappy, I can always add the free version of Avid that Bob suggested. Thnx for the input.

[4GodnWV]

CharlesFerraro

You Wrote:
"As Sander alluded to, CD is sort of going the way of the dinosaur and it's all about digital distribution these days. If you needed a physical medium to sell, just purchase a bunch of cheap memory sticks"

Heck yeah!! Could even offer both. This is just for the congregation. Prolly just give them away. Thnx!

[SanderXpander]

SanderXpander

You Wrote:
"There can be large differences in workflow though, it might help if you could explain a little bit about your process (how you like to start, work on and finish a production) and what kind of music and instrumentation you generally use."

Haven't done a project yet. I want to do approx 60 minute CD of instrumental Christmas music. My plan is to lay down a scratch piano track. Then start replacing each passage with orchestral instruments. Strings, woodwinds, brass, reeds, flutes, etc etc right back to the percussion, bells, or whatever I "hear". Using combis I believe I can avoid having to use more than 16 tracks. At least that's my plan.

This is good info. In that case I would quickly discard Ableton Live, FruityLoops and Bitwig. While they are technically capable of that workflow, their strength lies elsewhere. Your looking for a traditional "linear" sequencer. Like the Kronos, but in DAW form. Are vocals and possibly easy vocal pitch correction important to you? If so, StudioOne and Sonar currently offer the best integration with Melodyne, which is kind of the standard for that stuff. If it's not a huge priority or you won't be using vocals or many acoustic instruments at all, you have wider choices.

Reaper has gained a large following in a short time - it's cheap and very capable. The biggest drawback (possibly) is that it doesn't come with a lot of content, meaning audio loops, software instruments (like the Native Instruments stuff you were looking at) and fx. On the upside the few fx it does come with are quite good, and you can use most of them for free in other DAWs.

ProTools Free is, well, free, but very limited. Their paid plans are pretty awful in my opinion, where you lose your functionality if you stop paying (similar to Adobe PhotoShop). Sonar for instance also has a monthly plan but once you've paid for a year you get to keep the version you have then.

If you are getting a computer anyway, I would recommend downloading a few demos. Perhaps Cubase, Reaper, Sonar and StudioOne, and I guess ProTools if you're not bothered by their subscription system. Try to get through the basic setup in each and maybe record a few parts, noodle around. Make sure to check out the notation view/editing if that's important to you. Usually, one of them will "click" with you more than another and that's really what you're looking for. Feature wise they're all very similar and with all of them you can expand the available sounds and fx through third party offerings.

Most importantly, buy a dedicated interface to use for music production. And NOT a Soundblaster. Interfaces come in many shapes, sizes and price categories. You don't seem to have very demanding needs yet, basically stereo audio recording and play back I guess (obviously you can have many individual tracks running in the computer, I just mean you need to record two tracks at the same time and also play back in stereo to your speakers). I have often heard the Focusrite Saffire interfaces recommended in the lower end of the market, though I have no experience with them. I think the decent ones are about 150 to 200 euros. I can also heartily recommend RME which I do own but they start more around the 500 euro range and I don't think you need all the options they come with. Having a dedicated interface will save you a ton of headache and improve your sound. And 150 bucks won't break the bank compared to the price of the computer and software, even if you need to upgrade in a few years.

[GregC]

T

As Sander alluded to, CD is sort of going the way of the dinosaur and it's all about digital distribution these days.

Yes, thats been said for about a decade.

Same with books, 'everything' was suppose to be digital/digitized by now.
But it has not completely happened. Not even close.

The electronics mfg.'s still offer CD players in the under $100 boombox and under $50 in clock radios. Definitely a low price point thing.

But its far from dead. As I distribute my Songs, I notice a few things. It costs extra $$$$ to distribute a full CD. Next to nothing to point folks to a SoundCloud to D/L and stream my Playlist.

Especially in the over 50 something demographic , they are not as excited to D/L and stream and be subjected to spammy stuff and other non relevant distractions.

So cheap is not nirvana or what its all completely about.

Folks enjoy the CD and the Song info I provide. Yes, the CD is a full album. Its super convenient , more tangible and CD's sound darn good.
Its played in the home stereo, in the car stereo, during dinner time, etc, etc.

I listen to what people like and prefer. A good format and even more than 1 type is the way2 go, IMO

[Bertotti]

If you have an iPad have you tried using GarageBand in it?