Final Decision-Going to Continue!!

[Johnbee]

When I posted my last project (State of Mind) I was in doubt about the direction I wanted to go in with my music or whether to even continue making it or not.  Most of my problem was a disappointment with the DAW I was using.  I've been using Cakewalk for 10 years now.  I started with X3 Studio in 2014.  Long story short, I'm tired of dealing with such rude administrators and managers there who instead of actually listening to their customers, they'd rather just "shut us up" by locking any thread where somebody is complaining.  The biggest complaints are about offering perpetual licenses as opposed to monthly subscriptions which very few want but they insist on monthly subs and if you dare complain they just lock the thread or sic one of their trolls on you to degrade and insult you.  They don't want to hear it!  I got an email from them a few weeks ago offering 50% off one month., which I took advantage of.  Not 3 days later they announce on their forum 25% off for 1 year, which came to $112.00 for a years sub.  But I couldn't partake of it because I signed up for the 50% deal and that deal had to be expired to take advantage of the 25% year deal.  How fair is that?!  If I wouldn't know any better I'd say it was intentional.  Entice me to take a deal to screw me out of taking a better one.

I didn't want to change platforms at this point because I know Cakewalk pretty well now after using it over 10 years.  But I decided I can no longer tolerate such arrogance and rudeness by the management and moderators over there.  So, I decided to go with Presonus Studio One Professional.  I got a special deal off of that.  $100.00 off for the crossgrade because I own a Reason license.  So instead of paying $400.00 USD I'm paying $300.00.  So, it will take some time for me to learn this new system but I consider it an adventure and I'm learning it faster than I thought I would because of all the wealth of videos and other information on the internet.  There's TONS of stuff out there about Studio one and I'm really having fun learning it.  So, it might take me a bit of time till my first S1 project but at least I'm still "in the game".  I love music and even more, I love making it.  Nothing short of my death bed will kill that love.

  John B

PS:  In case you're wondering, they still offer the use of the freebie Cakewalk by Bandlab, which is a good thing but given their attitudes I don't foresee that lasting much longer.  They can cut that off at any moment.  I don't trust them.

[Jean Pierre]

Peut etre que cette video t'interessera Reaper versus Studio One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GKE8T77FaI

[chapperz66]

I'm glad you decided to continue musically.  I often take hiatus periods but always come back.   I find it best never to make final decisions unless the world depends on it.  I have yet to encounter a bridge so important that I want to burn it down.

I'm a Studio One user and find it pretty intuitive.  I'm a real fan of the project page for mastering a collection of songs.  Drag and drop etc.

Having said that, the subscription model vs outright licence ownership is an issue with Studio One as well and getting somewhat contentious too.  You can still buy a licence - which I have done since version 2 and am now on version 6.  But they are actively pushing the subscription model, Increasingly so since Fender bought Presonus.  They say they will maintain the 2 models but increasingly they make some new features restricted to subscription members.  Said features are not really massively important to me so Not really a problem as far as I'm concerned.

I think the subscription model issue is yet another disappointing feature of the world these days.  I guess that's life.

[Johnbee]

I'm glad you decided to continue musically.  I often take hiatus periods but always come back.  I find it best never to make final decisions unless the world depends on it.  I have yet to encounter a bridge so important that I want to burn it down.

I'm a Studio One user and find it pretty intuitive.  I'm a real fan of the project page for mastering a collection of songs.  Drag and drop etc.

Having said that, the subscription model vs outright licence ownership is an issue with Studio One as well and getting somewhat contentious too.  You can still buy a licence - which I have done since version 2 and am now on version 6.  But they are actively pushing the subscription model, Increasingly so since Fender bought Presonus.  They say they will maintain the 2 models but increasingly they make some new features restricted to subscription members.  Said features are not really massively important to me so Not really a problem as far as I'm concerned.

I think the subscription model issue is yet another disappointing feature of the world these days.  I guess that's life.

I tried the subscription for a few months at Cakewalk (Bandlab) and I was thinking I might be OK with it but what really got to me was the attitudes of the management and the administrators and moderators on the forum.  I don't like doing business with people who don't seem to like their customers, especially the long time ones.  This guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1yTFoOZZlM sums it up pretty good.

[Johnbee]

Peut etre que cette video t'interessera Reaper versus Studio One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GKE8T77FaI

I was considering Cubase 13 but I would need to upgrade to Windows 11, which I could do but don't want to. 

[AndyR]

I love Studio One. I'm sure you will too.

I'm actually a subscription customer, for a few years now. And it was Studio One that taught me that subscription was ok. I used the free version that came with my interface at first, and when I realised how good it was I wanted the top-flight version.

I was very VERY wary of subscription, but when I priced up purchasing licences vs subscription, considering what I was about to take on, and what I would get, subscription was a far better deal. I get ALL the PreSonus software, automatic upgrades for as long as I subscribe. Support is superb, there's even more training content if you are a subscription member (now known as "Studio One+', was originally "Sphere" when I joined) and there's a community you can join if you want.

Studio One+ is even better value now. If/when I need to cancel my subscription, I get a perpetual licence for whatever the lastest version is when my subscription runs out. They introduced that in the last year or so.

I'm also a Plugin Alliance subscriber now - I wanted a couple of specific things and, again, subscription was a better deal. HOWEVER, I may cancel that one next year because, through free full licence rewards at the end of subscription periods, I now have Full Licences for most of the PA/Brainworx plug ins I actually use!

[AndyR]

On the keep going versus chucking it all in. Never say never! (either way!)

I've stopped doing music a few times over the years. It was when I found it not giving me the rewards I'd felt previously.

Now, if it doesn't feel good, I give it a rest and do something more exciting/relaxing/wotever.

It might seem on here that I'm on a hiatus at the moment. Nope - I just don't have anything I want to post yet. I have about 12 songs actually on the go in demo form. I'm using Studio One extensively at least once a week and having a lot of fun doing it.

Music can be a bit of an obsession for most of us. And like any obsessive behaviour it can get us down. Years ago I believed that music was what kept me alive. I was becoming increasingly suicidal in the mid to late 90s. Luckily, I realised that it was actually my obsession with music, and failure to get where I'd dreamt I was going to get to, and the lack of recognition I was receiving, and the effect that was having on my self-worth... THAT "music" I'd lived for was what was actually killing me. So I just stopped. For a few years. I thought permanently. But it came back.