What is the best budget sequencer software for Mac?

August 23, 2005 3:53 AM

Recently, I've started learning the guitar. Up to now, I've been recording and arranging my compositions on my Mac with GarageBand. However, I'm outgrowing it, so I want to find a new budget ($50 to $200) piece of software to use. I just basically want to do multitrack recording and sequencing of .wav based sound files. Also might want to add some effects to tracks, plus probably other stuff I haven't learnt about yet.
posted by pollystark to media & arts (10 comments total)

Tracktion is good. It's very easy to pick up. I find it frustrating to use other sequencers after it's simplicity. Seems to be $149 at the moment. The download price might be cheaper.
posted by lunkfish at 4:30 AM on August 23, 2005

You can find a Mac version of Cubase SE for $99.
posted by deshead at 5:13 AM on August 23, 2005

If you are a student you can get Apple's Logic Express for $150 or you can get the retail version for $300, a little out of your budget but might be worth it.
posted by captainscared at 6:44 AM on August 23, 2005

CoolEditPro 2 is what I've been using. Straightforward multi-track recording, a good collection of effects, decent wav editor functionality.

It's now officially obsolete -- Adobe bought the IP and now it's Adobe Audition ($300, no personal experience with it), but you may be able to pick up an old copy at a discount. It's been a decent workhorse for me, and I've grown into it from where you seem to be to significantly more elaborate tracking and mixing projects.
posted by cortex at 8:23 AM on August 23, 2005

If you saved up a little more money you could buy an Mbox. I've seen them on Ebay for about $400. Check out the bundled software- you get ProTools LE, Reason, and a bunch of other stuff. A friend of mine pursuing a production degree says that the Mbox is somewhat underpowered for his needs, but another one pursuing the same degree says it's perfect for just doing home recording and experimentation. It's also Mac compatible, and is highly portable.
posted by baphomet at 8:57 AM on August 23, 2005

Would Soundtrack Pro do the job? Soundtrack Pro:Garageband as Final Cut:iMovie. ST Pro costs about $300, so it's not in your price band.
posted by joaquim at 11:02 AM on August 23, 2005

My friend raves about Reason 3.0 non stop. YMMV
posted by meta87 at 12:47 PM on August 23, 2005

Audacity, it's free!
posted by mr.dan at 2:44 PM on August 23, 2005

I use Bias' Deck, as well as others mentioned already.
posted by tomierna at 7:50 PM on August 23, 2005

Thanks very much for your helpful responses, everyone.

I like Tracktion a lot. Really awesome. This is the frontrunner at the moment. I thought Logic Express sucked - really hard to use and just seemed to get in the way every time I tried to do something.

Could someone explain Reason to me? As I understand it, it's basically a bunch of racks that you can connect together and then send to tracks on the sequencer. However, how is this better than the rack system in Tracktion? (which seems much more intuitive). I must admit to being a little in love with the coolness of Reason, if only I could find some function behind the form,
posted by pollystark at 1:51 AM on August 24, 2005