Just a post so the forum looks like a forum...

[Saz]

I felt like I got more for my money AND SHS4 didn't hog my CPU.

You gotta go with what makes(and keeps) you happy.

For me, it's been MTS...

I've been using it for over three years now - completely trouble-free. I bought the ProPlus version when it was $99 and have paid $60 for 2 upgrades since(I'll pay the $40 for the newest upgrade as soon as I have time to get back to my projects). Some may feel the continuing upgrade cost is a bit excessive, but I've found the upgrades to always be excellent additions and rock-stabile as the program itself.

Continued joy and confidence of use are priceless to me in this instance. Now my car, well that's a different story.

The demo was running at a very high CPU usage (40%, if I remeber correctly) even tho I hadn't added any FX or plugins yet.

I just checked the last project I was working on. I have 20 tracks, 46 plugins/effects, lots of automation and am peaking at 47% CPU usage on a 3 1/2 year-old P4 based PC. Man, I need to get back to my music.

You gotta go with what makes(and keeps) you happy.

[Mac]

CPU usage with MTS may not be the same deal as it is with other programs.

Seems like MTS likes to "idle" at somewhere around that 40% mark, yet doesn't keep on draining CPU cycles as tracks are added or effects invoked at nearly the rate that other proggies might. As SAZ mentioned, you might see only an 8% or so rise in CPU usage as the project gets larger. I've never seen my CPU get hogged out of existence by MTS but I'm not the type to open CPU monitors or watch any existing ones unless there is trouble and MTS has caused no troubles along those lines for me.

Assumptions are something to avoid, sorry, but jumping to conclusions can often lead us down false paths. In this case, assuming that CPU usage would necessarily be higher with more tracks etc. may not be correct, although the vast differences in machines makes it somewhat dynamic to put it mildly.

All I know is that MTS has proven to be the most stable audio recording program available at these pricepoints I've ever used and I've used quite a few. It has been as stable as the fullblown older version of Protools here. Considering that there are thousands of dollars of price differential between the two, that is an awesome statement in and of itself.


--Mac

[Robomusic]

Beag, SHS4 is a great program for sure, but for me the real reason i prefer MTS is that it just never lets me down, i have had so many problems with all other program, cakewalk has a lower CPU consumption, but it will drop out on me at far less CPU use than MTS will. but the real kicker with MTS is the signal routing, the ability to take a midi track, add a sampler or softsynth, with out fooling with a synth rack, no need to wrap or configure a VSTi and then route that synth thru an effects buss and see the results in real time, no switching screens, no hassles with plugins, no trying to figure out what aux or main buss you have, no worries about finding better effects, just record, no worries about driver mode setup, no my sound card won't wrok i can't hear my midi crap that we all deal with over at cakewalk. This software would solve 95% of the problems that newbies all face with cakewalk from the jump. Those and the sound results sold me. Cakewalk SHS4 is $140 at guitar center, this is $119 online with 19 effects, each so far ahead of any plugin that cakewalk has unless you buy sonar 5 Producer, and then they are still just as good, think of this, Sonar comes with Perfect space convoluter, MTS has one too, they fuss all the time on the Sonar forum wanting sidechaining and ducking, already here! there is always a forum discussion on stability here even after several bug fixes, here we average 1 fix per version, and those are minor fixes. MTS Just rocks.

[Beagle]

hmm...no dropout even with higher CPU rate? idles around 40%, but doesn't really rise much from there? no worrying about wrapping and synth racks?

I may have chosen incorrectly. But at this point, that's what I have. I have considered upgrading to Sonar SE (especially while it's on sale), but I may reconsider that with your testimonies here.

what about plugins other than the native ones? what about external softsynths?

[mcairenius]

Yup!.. It's a good program. (sigh)

[Mac]

I've had success with plugins and softsynths with MTS but there are certainly no guarantees that any and all other will work with it, that would be out of the control of the developer in most cases.

Although reporting a plugin or synth that has problems is a good idea, I've already seen some fixes come in the upgrades, like we just saw happen for Jamstix.


--Mac

[Robomusic]

I use Sampletank free 1 and 2, sonik synth free, SFZ, all the classic effects, Plug sounds,, a guitar plug i forgot about, and about forty others, oh jamstix, nine gazillion sound fonts. Don't get me wrong, Sonar is a great program, it has tons of feature, many i do not use, but overall this program is the most stable, and easy to use. Sometimes it is so simple and easy i forget how many features it has, It's kinda funny how little problems you have, and all the fussing and messing over at cakewalk sometimes frustrates me, cause i can't say to much, but so much of it would be eleiminated with MTS, MC3 is a nice program, but it has some big flaws, i am shocked that cake has not patched it, and just let it ride, even though it is only $40 it still should be supported. Sometimes cake just lets a major flaw ride until the next build, then tries to fix and fails again. Even Sonar Producer 5 struggles with VSTi support, and you hear the subtle complaints, This is the third version since the wrapper, and many just revert to using DXI stuff to work around it.

[Beagle]

Mac - I realize that NO software can guarentee that all plugins made by other companies or individuals will work with their software. Maybe I should have rephrased my question:

As a user, how many non-native plugins have you tried to use with MTS and how many of them won't work? Including FX plugins, DXi's VSTi's, including free, low cost and the expensive retail boxes (maybe someone has used East West, GPO or NI with MTS?).

Robo answered more what I was asking. And I've read the threads here talking about Jamstix working with the last upgrade. I was just hoping others might have more insite. Maybe I should have started a new thread for that...

[Saz]

I don't use any DX or DXi's, but here's a partial list of VST and VSTi plugins that I've found to work fine with MTS...

AlienSoloV11_ST.dll
AutoGate_mono.dll
AutoGate_st.dll
AutoPan.dll
Baxxpander.dll
BJ Ringmodulator.dll
BLOCKFISH.dll
BlueCatStereoChorusVST.dll
Boss DS-1.dll
Boss SD-1.dll
Chainer VST.dll
Chainer VSTi.dll
Classic Auto-Filter.dll
Classic Chorus.dll
Classic Chorus.pdf
Classic Compressor.dll
Classic Delay.dll
Classic EQ.dll
Classic Flanger.dll
Classic Master Limiter.dll
Classic Phaser.dll
Classic Reverb.dll
CloneEnsembleV41.dll
CompactDistortion.dll
Crystal.dll
dfx Monomaker.dll
endorphin.dll
Externalizer.dll
FLOORFISH.dll
Free_Amp_SE.dll
FreeAlpha.dll
FreeAmp2.dll
FreeverbToo.dll
fxpansion!DR005.dll
GreaseTube.dll
GreenWah.dll
Hexaline2.pdf
HIMproMasterEQ.dll
Inspector.dll
JCM900.dll
Juicy77.dll
Leveler.dll
LoopaZoid.dll
LPGEQ.dll
LPGEQ_mono.dll
MadShifta.dll
mda Combo.dll
mda De-ess.dll
mda Dynamics.dll
mda Envelope.dll
mda Leslie.dll
mda Limiter.dll
mda RezFilter.dll
mda RoundPan.dll
mda Splitter.dll
mda TestTone.dll
MyMag.dll
Mysteron.dll
Octaver12B.dll
padawan.dll
P-Bugger.dll
phazVoc.dll
PreAMP_TGR-18.dll
PS-1.dll
Puncher.dll
pvaccu.dll
pvexag.dll
pvtransp.dll
Rednef Twin.dll
Retrosyn.dll
Reversinator.dll
RMF.dll
RoomMachine844.dll
RoomReverb.dll
RubyTube.dll
simpleshifter.dll
SIR_1005.dll
Slightly_Louderizer.dll
Sonogram SG-1.dll
Spartacus.dll
SPITFISH.dll
Stardust.dll
StereoEcho.dll
StereoExpander.dll
StereoPan.DLL
StereoTools.dll
Strings.dll
Synth1 VST.dll
TapeIt.dll
TapeStop.dll
TerVoxSyn.dll
Texture 1.2.dll
TickyClav.dll
TLs_Maximizer.dll
TLs_SaturatedDriver.dll
TLs-Pocket_Limiter.dll
ToolsOne.dll
ToW_Compressor.dll
Triangle II.dll
TripleComp.dll
Tube Screamer.dll
TubeLimit.dll
Univibe.dll
VoxengoBoogex.dll
VoxengoEssEQ.dll
VoxengoMSED.dll
VoxengoSPAN.dll
VoxengoStereoTouch.dll
VoxengoTubeAmp.dll
VPingPong.dll
X-cita.dll
XmasTubeD.dll

[Beagle]

Pretty nice list, Saz, thanks for the info!

[Robomusic]

Kinda looks like my list with a few exceptions!

[The4ofme]

OK.... I've been using MTS on and off for about a year now and here's the thing that gets me on it. When I do an edit the program melts the edit points together in the editor view. Some of the hacks I have in my studio require me to go back on edits I did a week ago, and when the edit points are all gone, it makes it a pain in the ass.
Another sticking point is having to manually configure the automation curves. If I had the capability to record my moves on the sliders in real time I could save a ton of mix time, but as it is, it takes 4 times as long for me to automate a track with MTS as it does with Sonar, Vegas or Reaper. Not a good ratio at all.
My other bone with the program is the ability to only have one FX window open at a time. I need to be able to tweak on an eq and see the effect that it's having on the master curve or the curve in the bus mix. Don't get me wrong, this program is hands down the most stable thing I've ever used, and I've blown a ton of money trying them all out..... this is the one. It just turns me off of the program when I have to open an effects chain, then the effect, then opening the master chain, seeing what effect my changes had, then going back and opening the chain, then the effect again.......... and so on. I would love to see this part of the program change, but I've seen on the forum that it's part of the architecture of the program that creates this limitation. Is that true? Maybe someone has the 411 on wether that is scheduled for a change or not.
I'd love to use this software full time, but these limitations are just costing me too much time in the studio, and time is money.