If your computer is the heart of your DAW system, then the software you choose is the brain! The software is where it all comes together, creating a virtual studio living inside your computer. There are a number of DAW software packages, and finding the one that's best for you can be a challenge. But the good news is, all the DAW software applications out there - even free ones like GarageBand - are amazingly powerful, and can do more than most of us are likely to ever need (not that we don't all have our wish lists for features the manufacturers can add to the next versions, of course). Here's a look at the major components found in just about every DAW application.
Cakewalk SONAR X1 Producer Edition |
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| SONAR has evolved from a MIDI sequencer to a full-featured DAW with extensive MIDI and audio recording and editing capabilities. |
MIDI Sequencing
Many DAW applications such as MOTU Digital Performer, Apple Logic, and Cakewalk SONAR began life as MIDI sequencers. In and of itself, MIDI sequencing produced no sound, rather a series of control information that told external synthesizers and other MIDI-equipped hardware what to do and in what order to do it in. Initially, notes took the form of bars in a grid with a piano keyboard (usually on the left of the grid) as a reference for pitch and octave. But even when MIDI sequencers were DOS-based "musical data entry" programs, they still offered capabilities for creating and controlling music that were previously unattainable.
Steinberg Cubase Artist |
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| Cubase Artist features high-resolution audio recording with track count limited only by your computer's power. |
Audio Recording
Whether you just need to record your voice and a guitar or track an entire ensemble, DAW software combined with an audio interface can handle it. Many times the limitations of your setup lies directly on the number of inputs provided by your interface. However, some DAW software limits the number of tracks you can record simultaneously, while others have a total track limit. It's important to know what your end goal is when you're looking for DAW software. If you find yourself running out of tracks before you've realized your creative vision, you may want to look into getting a DAW with more available tracks.
Digidesign Pro Tools |
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| Pro Tools offers extensive editing tools for both audio and MIDI tracks. |
Audio and MIDI Editing
Here's where DAW software really shines! You can edit phrases, tracks, or entire arrangements with ease. In many cases, the mouse (or the mouse in combination with a modifier key) can handle many of the basic edits such as trimming dead space or adding fades - really just about any edit in a DAW is handled with a mouse. Just about every DAW has a Zoom function that lets you get up close and personal with the waveforms to perform precision edits. Mastery of editing audio in a DAW opens the doors to other creative ventures like loop creation.
In the MIDI world, the editing tools found in a DAW offer even greater flexibility for crafting a performance than for audio. With MIDI, you can change the volume and duration of each individual note in a performance, change the pitch of a note just by dragging it with a mouse, "pencil-in" notes, "glue" separate phrases together, split chord notes into separate tracks, change tempo without affecting pitch and vice-versa, and change instrument sounds at any time, even after your composition is finished. MIDI also allows you to control plug-ins and software synthesizers, and all the automation of an entire mix from a MIDI-capable keyboard or control surface - all of which you can go back and edit at any time.
MOTU Digital Performer |
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| Digital Performer's mixer can appear as part of a Consolidated Window, which gives you an overview of your entire project on one screen. |
Mixing
Every DAW application gives you the power to mix, and most allow you to automate the entire mix including fader moves, panning, plug-in processing, and more. DAW mixing also gives you some options that even the largest recording consoles can't, such as the ability to create additional tracks, aux busses, and aux sends and returns, as you need them. Most DAWs also offer you the ability to send signals to external effects processors as well. Perhaps the greatest advantage of DAW mixing is total recall of all your mix parameters. You can come back to a mix months later and have everything set up just as you left it. Plus, you can store multiple versions of your mixes as well.
Plug-in Support
The ability to employ plug-in effects and virtual instruments makes DAW software an even more powerful creative tool. Plug-ins offer every conceivable aspect of music production - plus some additional perks that simply can't be found in the hardware world. For example, the sound of a hardware effects processor costing thousands can be duplicated (for a fraction of the cost) via a plug-in on as many tracks as your computer will allow. Similarly, a virtual instrument plug-in may model the sound of a monophonic vintage analog synth with the added advantage of polyphonic performance. With virtual instruments, you can have anything from a symphony orchestra, big band, or rock band to a complete analog synthesizer museum resident in your DAW and at your disposal.
Additional Features:
MP3 creation - Most DAWs now offer the ability to bounce (or convert) your finished songs into MP3 format, which allows you to upload your music to the Internet, create podcasts, or transfer to any portable MP3 player.
Video support - Composers have been using DAWs to create film scores for many years now, but initially, they had to sync their sequences to video tape machines via SMPTE. As computers have become more powerful and memory plentiful, major DAWs such as Digital Performer, Pro Tools, and Logic allow you to import video and score directly within your DAW's main track window.
Music notation - Along with the traditional piano roll-style MIDI editing, today's sophisticated DAWs allow you to use standard music notation for composition and editing. Working in music notation gives you the added advantage of being able to print out your score in music manuscript.
Surround support - Most major DAWs now support multi-channel music production in a number of formats (5.1, 7.1, 10.1 etc.). Some can even convert mono or stereo plug-ins automatically to surround format. With a surround-capable DAW, all you need is an audio interface with sufficient analog outputs, surround monitors, and a subwoofer, and you're ready to enter the world of surround mixing.
60-second DAW Profiles
Watch Sweetwater DAW pros in action as they share their insight into why they use and recommend their favorite DAW platform. From Pro Tools and SONAR to Digital Performer and LIVE, learn why we stand by the pro audio software we sell!
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