What is a good alternative to a DAW for those with "computer anxiety"

[Maguchi]

@Maguchi , are you using PC or a Mac? If it's the latter, GarageBand is easy to use.

I'm using a Mac and GarageBand came with it free. I've played around with it a little, but need to spend more time with it.

 

[northernguitar]

I'm using a Mac and GarageBand came with it free. I've played around with it a little, but need to spend more time with it.

It’s very easy to use, but you are still putzing around with virtual sliders and knobs. I share your irritation with using these.

Maybe a better mouse? I’m thinking for me, anything would be better than the Apple trackpad.

 

[klasaine]

Maybe a better mouse? I’m thinking for me, anything would be better than the Apple trackpad.

Things definitely became more comfortable with me when I got a better mouse.
As I briefly mentioned earlier, I don't want to deal with hardware anymore other than micing an amp and using one outboard preamp/eq.
I'm also not tech savvy at all. I never played video games (other than console games like Asteroids and Galaga) and I'm not into building my own PC. Hence I'm a Mac guy.
I really wanted to be able to record 'for real' at my place and just use my computer. I had to put in some work but it ended up not being as daunting as I thought it would be. The Pandemic actually gave me some time.

UAd 'Luna' timeline view ...



Luna 'mixer' view ...



You can see that it really looks like a recording desk. All the standard knobs, sliders, switches and buttons are in the expected locations.

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

I'm dyslexic , chemobrained, and use Reason 11 and make a lot of noise

 

[klasaine]

I'm dyslexic , chemobrained, and use Reason 11 and make a lot of noise

That is cool!

 

[Daddydex]

I learned a little about recording in professional studios as a guitar player in the late '80s and early '90s. Back then it was mostly 16 and 24 track magnetic tape and a mixing board. So now because of my initial experience and difficulty with computers, instead of a DAW, I use a Tascam Model 24 Mixer/Interface/Recorder that saves your work to SD cards (see the pic below). I pop in an SD card, save my work, label it, pop out the card and pop the SD card back in when I want to work on it again. I use the onboard compressors, reverbs, delays and occasionally the onboard chorus. There is still some menu diving, but it is easier and less stressful for me than the DAWs I've tried to work with. I like using the physical faders, knobs and pushing buttons instead of mouse drags and mouse clicks.

Still seems to me like you answered your own question here.

Dan

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

That is cool!

thanks, for listening.
I have some fun times using REASON 11.
with Reason I can entertain myself, learn about the limits of my ability to manifest my intent.
while not having to deal with the messy details of make-believe-love as a temporary thing

 

[KATT]

I sincerely appreciate the confidence boost. However I've been down the digital recording road before and I'm looking to try alternatives. You say "if I choose the right DAW, it is simpler." In your opinion, which DAW is the right one?

The post title says you are looking for alternatives to a DAW (although other responses it seems you are open to using them). This one says you are looking for alternatives to digital recording. Your current set up is digital recording.

So if DAWs and all digital recording methods are out of the equation, that only leaves analogue recording it seems.

You already have a tape multitrack, but perhaps four tracks are not enough tracks for you.

I have a Tascam 688 which, with some outboard compressors and effects can do quite good recordings and is great fun. Admittedly, it will never sound as clear, noise free and full as a digital recording, but it depends how professional you need it to sound. I'm not sure how plentiful or expensive they are in your area and it comes with a steep learning curve of its own!

 

[ping-ping-clicka]

to DAW or NOT TO DAW the is the question. Oh digital where is thy sting?

 

[Jwalker99]

The older tape based porta studios from tascam or fostex are probably the easiest to use but are limited.

the new Tascam multi tracks have a difficult learning curve and the manual is poorly written, YouTube tutorials limited.

Best option is Logic Pro or garage band, which is free with any Mac.

 

[soundcloset]

Frododobro wrote my very story: I had a few cassette decks, the simplest mixer radio shack had, and a bunch of patch wires. I stayed up all night adding guitar tracks to a song I recorded a girl (on whom I had a crush at the time) perform. Phil Keaggy's "Rejoice". By morning I had "discovered" harmonized lead lines and doubled vocals and I was hooked. And smitten with female voice as well. I was 16, which of course means smitten with anything female. Portastudios were fun and fixed how re-recorded tracks got murkier but they were limited to 4 tracks (but made backwards guitar solos easy!). When I got Garageband I never looked back nor needed to try anything else. Now that I'm no longer a teacher where I work they're gonna realize I don't rate a Mac anymore and I'll have to learn a new setup. I don't guess I'm helping the OP very much, but echoing the notion that if you find what works for you and allows creativity then you're good to go. Unless the limitations of the tech and the struggle to keep fidelity and all are part of the idea of what you're trying...like maybe if I daisy chain a series of wax recorders together, with a unidyne III at each horn, going into a '80s Peavy 2002 into a micro-cassette answering machine, then I can make a statement in music about the increased banality of recorded information as technology improves and permeates society. Or just have fun wasting time.

Similarly I could discover why they took me out of a teaching role...

 

[Muadzin]

First step, get a decent audio interface, even a Behringer ain't that bad. If you keep it stationary in your home studio it might even last you a lifetime. 2 or 4 inputs will usually suffice.
Second step, get a friend who is computer savvy to install the interface and Reaper and make sure that it works.
Third step, get a good Reaper tutorial to help you get acquainted with the DAW.
Intermediate step for when things get difficult, keep telling you, this is mental, not rocket science. 8 year kids can do this. It's all in my mind. Fear is the mindkiller.
Additional intermediate step for every successful step along the way, give yourself a reward, a treat. Give yourself something to look forward too.

As for a good Reaper tutorial, this is probably one of the better and most comprehensive ones. https://promixacademy.com/course/the-ultimate-guide-to-reaper/

 

[gigmaster]

I've had "computer anxiety" for almost 25 years. In 1996 or '97 I was required to start using a computer and software programs at work, and have struggled with computers, programs and software since. Despite my almost 25 years of both professional and personal experience with computer programs and software, I've struggled with all types of computer formats. I'd like to keep this post to the best recording formats for those who struggle with digital recording and DAWs, and not posts about advice on how to improve or overcome "computer anxiety." That is perhaps a worthy subject for another post.

Digital recording is unquestionably the way of the present and the future. I've spent months working with Audacity, Avid, Garage Band and even worked a little with Pro-Tools in a professional studio. I've really struggled with menus and commands and under what pulldowns things were hidden. I don't have the recall to remember multi-step commands. Some of our brains don't work that way and some of us are challenged and stressed out by DAWs.

I learned a little about recording in professional studios as a guitar player in the late '80s and early '90s. Back then it was mostly 16 and 24 track magnetic tape and a mixing board. So now because of my initial experience and difficulty with computers, instead of a DAW, I use a Tascam Model 24 Mixer/Interface/Recorder that saves your work to SD cards (see the pic below). I pop in an SD card, save my work, label it, pop out the card and pop the SD card back in when I want to work on it again. I use the onboard compressors, reverbs, delays and occasionally the onboard chorus. There is still some menu diving, but it is easier and less stressful for me than the DAWs I've tried to work with. I like using the physical faders, knobs and pushing buttons instead of mouse drags and mouse clicks.

I use a physical outboard Alesis SR-16 drum machine for scratch drum tracks. An actual electric bass with strings that goes direct to the board. An outboard physical Korg SV-1 73 key keyboard also direct to board or a 73 key Rhodes electric piano that gets amplified and mic'd. For guitar it's an acoustic to mics or a Telecaster and tube amp with a mic or two in front of the speaker, and vocals with a mic or two. I usually use a good outboard hardware preamp in front of any mics. For effects I like to use outboard hardware rack effects or pedals with bass and guitar.

What do you here on TDPRI recommend for recording for those of us that have "computer anxiety."

https://www.researchgate.net/profil...ence-and-Satisfaction-in-Higher-Education.pdf

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Not my photo and not my Recorder/Mixer

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No brainer. Just get an iPad, a Focusrite iDock, and you'll be set for life.

 

[northernguitar]

No brainer. Just get an iPad, a Focusrite iDock, and you'll be set for life.

I do think working on GarageBand on an iPad would be better than the computer version. I can see sliders being easier to manipulate.

FWIW, here's a GB recording. All apologies for the very sloppy playing (on both guitar and bass...drums sound good because they are courtesy Apple), mostly just posting this to demonstrate that GB does sound good on recordings.

 

[dvh2]

There are a lot of great sounding stand alone DAW's out there. I used a Roland VS-880 for YEARS before I used a computer. Paid a fortune for it at the time. Now you can find 'em for under $100. Mine still works great. It's yours if you want it.

 

[Maguchi]

I do think working on GarageBand on an iPad would be better than the computer version. I can see sliders being easier to manipulate.

FWIW, here's a GB recording. All apologies for the very sloppy playing (on both guitar and bass...drums sound good because they are courtesy Apple), mostly just posting this to demonstrate that GB does sound good on recordings.

Thanks. Nice work, guitar and bass sound good, didn't hear no slop.

 

[Maguchi]

Lot's of good advice and equipment recommendations. Thanks. What are some good recommendations for a control surface? The last couple of studios I was in before the pandemic used Pro Tools for their software program and had big mixing boards for control surfaces, patchbays and hardware rack effects. Although a control surface (mixing board) is optional, there seem to be several options available.

 

[northernguitar]

Thanks. Nice work, guitar and bass sound good, didn't hear no slop.

Thanks! Bass is direct to GarageBand. Guitar is a Gibson P90 to VOX Night Train to H&K RedBox

 

[nausearockpig]

Audacity or if you wanna use plugins to modify your sound as you’re playing/inputting it, use Reaper. Spend time in YouTube watching tutorials.

good luck!

 

[Direwolf]

I'm an old guy and I've been using Reaper for at least 10 years. I think it's one of the best DAWs out there. They have a great forum and it's free to try. Start off slow. You can learn using an mp3 or wav file in just one track. Just copy/paste into the first track and start experimenting. All editing is non-destructive so you don't have to worry about messing anything up. It is pretty daunting when you start but you'll find that you use certain features more than others. Once you learn those it gets easier. I was about your age when I started using Reaper and it didn't take me that long to learn how to be proficient. Am I a master at it? Heck, no, but I can record multiple tracks and make them sound pretty good. There are also a lot of videos on YouTube that will walk you through just about anything you want to do from the very beginner stuff all the way to pretty advanced. Whatever route you choose, best of luck to you.