A modern studio relies just as much on software as it does on hardware. Your software deserves the same thoughtful care as a microphone or a pair of monitors since it shapes every decision you make from the very first note. The DAW is where a song gets written, recorded, and assembled while the plugins you use provide the instruments, mixing tools, and finishing touches that carry it all the way to release. Whether you’re building your first production setup or fine-tuning one you’ve used for years, this guide will help you find the tools to round out your digital studio.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Best DAWs
- Best Plugin Bundles
- Best Virtual Instrument Plugins
- Best Mixing Plugins
- Best Compressor Plugins
- Best Reverb Plugins
- Best Tape & Saturation Plugins
- Best Mastering Plugins
- Get Expert Advice on Your Software & Plugins
Note: At Sweetwater, we know there’s no such thing as “best” when it comes to music gear. Every player and artist has unique tastes, which is what makes selecting gear so fun! The items on this list feature some of our favorite products from top manufacturers to help you start your buying journey! Explore these recommendations and dive into Sweetwater’s massive collection of gear on our online store. For personalized picks and expert advice, please contact our knowledgeable Sweetwater Sales Engineers at (800) 222-4700!
Best DAWs
Every digital audio workstation (DAW) is designed for recording, editing, and mixing, but each one goes about it differently. So, the real question is: What suits the way you like to work? If you think in loops and clips, then there are DAWs that let you build a track by performing it. If you got your start tracking bands, then a linear timeline with deep editing tools may feel like home. And if you’d rather keep everything under one roof, then more DAWs now combine instruments, mixing, and mastering. Ultimately, the “best DAW” is the one that feels intuitive to you. None of the options below is the wrong answer, and exploring them is the surest way to find the one that clicks.
From Download to First Session: A new DAW inevitably comes with a little homework before the first session. You’ll need to confirm your system meets its requirements, install and authorize it, and get your audio settings configured correctly. SweetCare, Sweetwater’s free support resource, walks you through it all, including Mac and PC optimization guides that tune your computer for recording and mixing. Start your setup at SweetCare.
Best Plugin Bundles
Buying plugins one at a time can add up quickly. A bundle lets you build your tool kit with a single purchase, often for much less. Plus, tools from the same developer tend to share an interface, and what you learn on one can carry over to another. Bundles cover a range of needs, from complete production collections for building a track from scratch to focused sets of EQ, dynamics, and effects for shaping and polishing a mix. Think about which part of your process you’d like to build out, and you’ll know where to start among the bundles below.
Best Virtual Instrument Plugins
Virtual instruments can bring anything from a single guitar to a full orchestra or an entire rack of synthesizers right into your DAW, no studio rentals or vintage-synth repair bills required. Many are sampled instruments, built from recordings of real players on pianos, drums, strings, guitars, choirs, and more, with dynamics and articulations that respond naturally to your touch. Synthesizers take a different route, generating sound from scratch with oscillators and filters, which frees them to go anywhere from faithful re-creations of vintage hardware to modern engines with no physical counterpart. Whatever your song needs, you’ll find an instrument in our selections below that’s ready to play it.
Best Mixing Plugins
Every engineer has a few go-to mixing plugins, and no matter the genre, they tend to handle the same essential tasks. Start with EQ to carve out space so the kick and bass aren’t competing for the same frequencies. Then use dynamics processing to tame resonances and harshness only when they pop up and add saturation for the harmonic richness that helps a part stand out in a busy arrangement. Cover these three jobs with the plugins here, and you’ll have the backbone of a mix that sounds right on any speaker.
Best Compressor Plugins
If there’s one tool that holds a mix together, then it’s compression. It keeps a vocal or bass line steady from the first verse to the last chorus. Its attack and release settings shape tone, too, tightening a snare or bringing out a guitar’s sustain. Hardware-modeled designs re-create studio classics, and multiple developers often offer their own takes on the same unit, each a valid choice. Whether you’re looking for band-by-band control in a multiband compressor or a limiter to catch the mix’s final peaks, start with the lineup below.
Best Reverb Plugins
Reverb gives a mix its sense of space, helping each part feel closer to or farther from the listener. The little details matter, and a touch of pre-delay is often enough to keep a vocal clear of its reflections. Algorithmic reverbs create spaces from scratch while others re-create real rooms or capture the sound of classic hardware behind decades of hits. Most engineers keep a few options on hand since the space that flatters a ballad vocal may overwhelm a busy drum bus. Our picks below take a few different approaches to space, and any of them would make a welcome start to your collection.
Best Tape & Saturation Plugins
Digital recording captures exactly what you play, which is great until you miss the character analog gear adds to everything that passes through it. Tape and saturation plugins can bring it back by adding harmonics for fullness and gentle compression to smooth out peaks. Tape emulations re-create a real machine’s low-end bump and softened transients while saturators range from a hint of warmth to full-on distortion. Tape delays bring that same character to slapback and doubling. Reach for any of the picks below to add a subtle glow to your mix bus or some serious grit on a drum loop, each with its own spin on analog color.
Best Mastering Plugins
Mastering is the last step before release, giving your finished mix its final tonal balance and a loudness level that holds up on any system. It’s detail work, with loudness meters showing how your track will come across on streaming services. All-in-one suites and dedicated limiters put that control in your hands while automated services can deliver a finished master in just minutes. Whichever path you take, this is where a mix becomes a record, and the tools below will help you cross the finish line.
Get Expert Advice on Your Software & Plugins
Not sure which pick is right for your setup? Your Sweetwater Sales Engineer is standing by at (800) 222-4700 to give you expert advice tailored specifically to your needs.
