The road to Mixcraft 8

[MIDIMonster323]

Upgrade routes...lemme count the pain points.

In 1998, I started with Cakewalk 4 and did my $99+ or so upgrades through CW Home 9. Then got a Mac. Ditched it all because I felt I was on the Golden Ticket for music DAW.

I continued with GarageBand (Free and love the layout!) but it was so limited on features, so upgraded to Logic Pro 7 for like $600...upgrade was like $399 to LP8...and another $399 to L9...but a low $199 for LPX. Instruments included in this one.

Ditched the Mac and went back to Cakewalk. Paid $499 for Lifetime Sonar Platinum vs $49/month for lifetime upgrades thinking I was getting lifetime upgrades for the one BIG $499 purchase pricing. Nope. Got tattooed on that one and it is a confused mess layout. After a year, I stopped getting updates and STILL couldn't figure out how to use it without hammering the forums to get answers. If it's this hard, then I can't create out of consistent frustration. Installing and using my Garritan Library? Forget it. It works...somehow. But I was done.

Then, Mixcraft 7 Pro happened. It was curiously familiar (Dare I say GarageBand familiarity?) and easy for me. Comes with a great load of sounds and for $169, it hit the sweet spot. Along comes Mixcraft 8 for a $39 upgrade. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a no-brainer.

I've edited and created more music in Mixcraft than my other DAW's combined. Sure, I saved $$$, but more importantly, found my creative outlet that fits me best. Don't let it's simple looking interface fool you...it's got the power underneath.

Much Thanks to the Acoustica Team for a most excellent piece of work. I actually smiled giving up a measly $39 for this upgrade. Well done!

[Stevethesearcher]

Good post. I am also a Sonar user. It's a good DAW but it's not user friendly. The mixer or console view was great. Excellent in fact. However I hated the Piano Roll in it and the Step Sequencer. I found Sonar clunky. Too many options buried in layers of menus. I never worked out how to work the Rex Loop Player! I use Reason as well which is a great DAW but no VST support which you need so I am on the verge of getting Mixcraft 8. It just looks so user friendly compared to complicated Sonar.

[shakin_fingers]

I've edited and created more music in Mixcraft than my other DAW's combined.

Oh my word, yes.

I started out in the 80s with an Atari ST running Hollis Research Trackman for Midi sequencing, recording on to a Tascam 4-track. Limited, but I learnt how to produce work that I was happy with. Then came PCs and, with years-long intervals between attempts, I tried and failed to get to grips with Cubase, Sonar (both paid for) and trial versions of several others.

Never managed to get a note of audio into the computer. I thought it must be me. And it probably was: I'm not a recording engineer, after all...

But every few years the scar tissue would have thickened enough that I'd search again for The Answer. Most recently, it was Mixcraft 6 and for once my hopes weren't in vain - enough made sense and, well, just worked, that I was able to start actually producing recorded work straight away and I haven't stopped since. Even though I don't (yet) understand the new features, upgrading from 7 to 8 was a no-brainer.

Onwards and upwards. I'd appreciate an upgrade that improves my compositional ability, but that might be a tall order.