Favourite DAW with NI

TimABRT

I use Pro Tools Studio and my Native Instruments software works fine for me.

1neflame

My fave Daw to use with NI is FL studio and many don't know how to use it together.

I found the easiest way possible and it doesn't require templates or anything of that sort.

You simply do the following

1. open your daw.
2. open your plugins and find Maschine 2 or Kontakt Kontrol
3. for Maschine 2, create your beat pattern to the tempo and then export as a audio file.
4. There you can drag and drop to your pattern timeline
5. for creative expression, try using FL studio's edison or even audacity and go wild.
6. 
   

ShelLuser

For me it's Ableton Live all the way. Once you worked with Push + Maschine then it can be hard to bother with other things anymore. I used to play melodies and such on my keyboard but these days I'm becoming a lot more fluent with playing both Push and Maschine.

The reason why this is my #1 is simple... once I powered up my controllers and fired up Live I can then fully concentrate on my hardware. Nothing else. I mean... I even use Push to load up the Maschine VST so that I can get started on Maschine. Both controllers give me full control over their software counterparts, meaning that I can do pretty much everything. Even set up complex routing schemes.

It sounds cliche perhaps but being able to nearly completely avoid my mouse & keyboard is one of the biggest advantages for me.

chk071

I wonder if NI will release a DAW at some point. Seems kind of logical, when they have Maschine and Komplete Kontrol.

LostInFoundation

I second the Studio One answers. It makes routing Maschine’s outputs so easy and then you can save this as your template and recall it back with the push of a button.

But as everybody said, it is more important that the DAW workflow clicks with you. Nowadays ALL those DAWs can accomplish the task.

But…once again…Studio one makes it a breeze

pbthrash

Any DAW that works with NI is the same good. Everyone uses program they like. There is no answer "which DAW is the best" because there is no person who uses them all and can tell us which one is the best. And without using all of them it's impossible to answer. The only answer is "I am using XXX", but it's not the same as "the best DAW is...".

bosone

cakewalk! is also free! :)

Hord

I just want NI to invest more time in Maschine 2 and make it full fledged DAW. So we can use it without any other DAW's or better ideas Maschine 3 DAW and Maschine 2 as it now to be used as extension to others DAW's. That would be great!

Rick in Ely

I use Digital Performer with NI VIs and plug-ins (and all my others, for that matter). For a musician who reads music and likes to work in score format, DP is just the most “musical” DAW I’ve tried. I think that’s why so many film composers use DP. (FYI: I’m on a Mac and am running Audio Units VIs and plug’s exclusively.)

Donkey Oaty

Is there a DAW that allows Kontakt and Komplete Kontrol to be scaled up? If so, that's the best one for using Native Instruments. I use Studio One and its generally great, but it seems the majority of 3rd party product in either Kontakt or Komplete Kontrol reqires you to have either a massive monitor, a dedicated one, or a magnifying glass. It's like stepping back to the 1990s.

ProfessorChaos

I'm still very new at this stuff, and I only know Logic Pro X and Cubase Pro 12. It seems to me that NI plugins are very stable in both, although Logic has a bug in M1 Macs that shows in all plugins, not just NI's, for which many times the keyboard focus doesn't shift to a plugin when you open it.

So for example, if you create a new track with Kontakt 7, and you go to the new GUI to type a search, not only it doesn't type anything inside Kontakt 7; it takes every keystroke as if you had no plugin open at the time, and it starts messing with your workspace because it thinks you are sending shortcuts to Logic, not typing a search.

But this happens in every single plugin that has any type of filter or search field, like Komplete Kontrol, Arturia's Analog Lab V and every other plugin I have.

However, this doesn't happen in Cubase Pro 12, and I find it to be more stable and dependable than Logic, both in Rosetta and Native modes.

be082839

I have experience with only one DAW, so I can’t really compare. Yet, I’m surprised that it does not show up here: Cakewalk by BandLab. I started using it when it was a brand of its own (and it was not free). Now it has been purchased (or rescued) by BandLab, it is a free DAW, but it did not loose any of its power…

Maybe some of you can tell me what I am missing by not using another DAW…

Cheers!

EFTHIMIS

I enjoy making music using the Maschine software. I have realized that many people don't choose it to create a complete piece, but I really like it. However, I would like others to see it from my perspective. It has some limitations but also some positives. It suits me well.

just_jump

I use Logic and Ableton Live for different things along with Maschine. I tend to suggest Bitwig more than Live these days between pricing, a lack of vst migration support from Ableton, and what looks like really good Maschine integration from Bitwig.

From Maschine I just want automation envelopes like DAWs rather than the janky grid based pin system…

John Pennington

Logic audio as I’ve always used Mac, But I use Ableton, Protools and Reason for many other purposes.