[3rd Degree]

I had the beta of record but I didn't have much time to actually learn how to use it, I just messed around. It was visually hard for me to understand very quickly but so is Reason and that is my main tool these days. It seemed like it was a fair amount worse than reason interms of having to remember where things are visually, etc.

I have a few goals here. I currently own Protools M-Powered 7.1 which I love for mixing and ease of setting up my I/O easily to record hardware samplers but I don't like much more about the program. I also found it to be buggy for a long time until I found that I could only use both my m-audio sounds cards with a weird driver setup (one needs to have the newest driver and the other needs the second newest driver or it will crash unexpectedly). Lastly, I don't want to be limited to M-Audio or Digi-Design hardware so I have never really become all that reliant on PT.

Some of my goals:
A better mixing platform. I have become happy with my in Reason. I find when I do take the time to rewire to PT, I get slightly better results but it is tedious to setup. I like how simple PT is. It looks like Record has a much more powerful mixer and I don't have to have racks and racks of things spread out all over Reason. My least favorite part is if my compression needs some tweeking on say my drums and I have to find that particular compressor. I want something a bit more "friendly" than this. I want something a bit more powerful in general. I am guessing the records mixer will be a source of headaches at first and then slowly become a powerful tool.

I would also like a more streamlined approach to using both hardware and software together (software being reason). If I am on my MPC, I have to have reason open and track into protools so I rewire. It just doesn't work for me and I tend to just avoid it. Fuctionally, it is fine, it is just a pain to navagate and takes up time.

I want something I can use as a DAW but I don't need it be totally comprehensive. My studio is basically a scratch pad for vocals. Nothing recorded here will be a final recording so it isn't an issue if many tracks are hard to deal with. I just want something quick and easy.

Basically, I am looking to do all that is stated above (which I know the program can do) with better flexibility than reason and protools combined, or reason on it's own. It is a cheap program but I am also hesitant to move on to something new as if I am happy enough, I don't want to spend alot of time learning.

I would like to hear peoples personal experiences with this and where it works well and lacks. Again, I have messed around with the beta but didn't get as deep as I wanted due to time constraints.