GarageBand alternative?

[607]

Hi, it's me again!

In the title I am asking for a GarageBand alternative. With that I mean the following: does anyone know of an affordable (<€50) piano roll-based composition program for Windows? It needs to have at least stereo panning and 'automation' (gradually changing the volume of individual instruments; I don't know why it's called 'automation' in GarageBand or what it is normally called, as I can't find it on Google), and it needs to have good instrument sounds (better than the default Windows MIDI library) included.
It does not need to have features like loops or automatic chords. I can compose myself.
Thanks, I hope there is something for me.

[607]

None! Huh, that's a little surprising. Or might this forum be decreasing in activity?

[LeviR.star]

Or might this forum be decreasing in activity?

Definitely this.

You cannot view this attachment.

If you're looking for activity, 607, go to our Discord server that we keep linking forum members to.

[607]

Definitely this.

You cannot view this attachment.

If you're looking for activity, 607, go to our Discord server that we keep linking forum members to.

Hm, that's unfortunate. I am in the Discord server, but I thought that surely the forum would be a better place for questions. If I'd ask a question like this in a Discord server it'd be buried too quickly.

[Libera]

The only affordable DAW I know of is Reaper, but that doesn't come with any VSTs at all so you'd have to separately find those yourself.

<€50

And even Reaper is not that cheap.  So you're probably out of luck unless you want to increase your budget.  (Or there might be something that I haven't heard of before.)

[LeviR.star]

Hm, that's unfortunate. I am in the Discord server, but I thought that surely the forum would be a better place for questions. If I'd ask a question like this in a Discord server it'd be buried too quickly.

That's exactly with the problem with it. I agree with you, and feel your pain, but it's just the fact that all the buzzing activity has been moved to Discord entirely, and there's not much we can do about it.

[Latios212]

That's exactly with the problem with it. I agree with you, and feel your pain, but it's just the fact that all the buzzing activity has been moved to Discord entirely, and there's not much we can do about it.

You're not really helping by constantly redirecting members to the server while complaining about it. If we want to use the forums, we can use the forums.

[LeviR.star]

You're not really helping by constantly redirecting members to the server while complaining about it. If we want to use the forums, we can use the forums.

I don't see many of us regular Discord members stepping into the forums here very often to help outside of submissions. At least let them know that we're not dead, and maybe they can appreciate being part of this community.

[AmpharosAndy]

At least let them know that we're not dead

what if we are whups
i don't really get the diskord

[607]

The only affordable DAW I know of is Reaper, but that doesn't come with any VSTs at all so you'd have to separately find those yourself.

And even Reaper is not that cheap.  So you're probably out of luck unless you want to increase your budget.  (Or there might be something that I haven't heard of before.)

Alright, thanks! That's unfortunate, but not wholly unexpected. Honestly, I am grateful that nowadays there are sheet music and tracker based programs available for free, as I don't think that has always been the case! I guess these 'DAWs' (I didn't know that's what they were called) are just generally more expensive. I guess the only reason GarageBand is so cheap is that Apple devices are so expensive that the earnings of the platform cover for the expenses of developing GarageBand?

I don't see many of us regular Discord members stepping into the forums here very often to help outside of submissions. At least let them know that we're not dead, and maybe they can appreciate being part of this community.

Eh, there's a banner for the Discord server on all pages on the forum, don't most people notice that?

[607]

It turns out that this is not actually true! I got to know through this video that there are in fact cheap DAWs. Namely, free ones. I tried Cakewalk, but couldn't manage to do anything with it. I am now learning LMMS. I have not tried Ardour.

[cashwarrior1]

Ayy, that's good news! Also, bonus points for Andrew Huang. If you're still looking for sounds other than the basic midi, you can always download some plugins. Andrew has a video with a bunch of recommended plugins, I don't remember which video it is though