DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION
A DAW is the core of your home studio computer configuration. A DAW is nothing else than a very advanced recorder. It's a multi-track recorder, allowing you to edit audio data as well as MIDI data coming from virtual instruments. There are many DAWs, more or less expensive and comprehensive, audio- and/or MIDI-oriented, and each user has a favorite one, and they will defend their treasured DAW, sometimes with objectivity, more often than not with dishonesty. Ask 10 musicians which DAW has their favor, you will probably get 10 different answers. Unless you have the opportunity to try and test them all, you will have to get information from music sites and magazines, users, and once you start with one DAW, you usually keep using it for a long time.
The best DAW is in fact the one you are used to, the one you know best and helps you get things done.
Sonar
Reaper
Cubase
Logic
ProTools
Live
Kristal
Audacity
Commercial DAWs
Cakewalk Sonar X1 Producer
Sonar is the D.A.W. I have been using for several years, since version 5. I did try other D.A.W.s but I find this one simple to use and comprehensive. He also has the advantage to come with many plugins of all sorts, which prevents the user to need to buy some extra stuff.
The latest version (X1) comes with several synths, including Dimension Pro which provides lots of different sound banks including a classical orchestra, plus the sounds you can create yourself. Sonar also comes with TruePiano, a very good piano simulator, Session Drummer, a good virtual drum system, V-Vocal, a tone editor made for arranging and fixing vocals.
You also get the demo version of Guitar Rig, a guitar amplifier simulator. The demo version includes a limited number of simulated amps and you cannot save your settings, but you can still play a bit with it and have some fun. Lots of other plugins come with Sonar so you can use it immediately without having to buy extra software. It's probably the richest D.A.W. when it comes to plugins. There are both 32 and 64-bit versions.
Cockos Reaper
Reaper is one of the most recent DAWs on the market. It deserves attention for a whole bunch of reasons: because it is very comprehensive and allows for a good workflow just like the other major DAWs out there; because its IN/OUT routing system is one of the most efficient ones; because its user interface is entirely customizable; because it is updated very often and last but not least, it is much less expensive than its competitors. 60 dollars (about 45 euros) for a comprehensive DAW, to be compared with 400 dollars/euros for the other major DAWs in their most comprehensive version.
Now, Reaper is not perfect but no DAW is. It's a question of habit. I am used to Sonar, which I like very much and I don't feel like changing and learning all over again everything I already know. But I did try Reaper and it is obvious to me that if I were a beginner now in home studio, I would definitely go with Reaper. Unexpensive and comprehensive... why hesitate? Furthermore, it is available for Windows, Wine and Mac OS X, and is compatible with VST, VSTi, DX, DXi and AU plugins.
Reaper is downloadable and freely usable without any time limit. However, it is a commercial program and you have a moral obligation to pay for it if you use it on a regular basis. It has an incredible value for the money and buying it would only seem fair.
Steinberg Cubase
Cubase is a D.A.W. from Steinberg, designed for recording, editing and arranging music. Cubase 6 is the latest version. It includes among other things: a virtual drum, a vocal editor with real-time tone correction, VST expression tools to easily edit instrument articulations, enhanced data automation and handling, and a convolution reverb plugin. Cubase supports Windows Vista and Windows 7 64-bit technology.
Apple Logic
Logic Pro is a 32/64 bit audio and midi D.A.W. for Mac OS X. it is part of Apple's profesional music software range. A light version, Logic Express with the same interface and the same audio engine but less options is also available at a lower price.
Avid Pro Tools
Pro Tools is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film and television post production. Pro Tools has three types of systems; HD, LE, and M-powered. HD is the high-end package and is an integration of hardware and software. The hardware includes an external A/D converter and internal PCI or PCIe audio cards with onboard DSP. Fundamentally, Pro Tools, like all Digital Audio Workstation software, is similar to a multi-track tape recorder and mixer, with additional features that can only be performed in the digital domain. The high-end version supports sample rates of up to 192 kHz and bit depths of 16 and 24 bit, opens WAV, AIFF, mp3, SDII audio files and QuickTime video files. It features time code, tempo maps, automation and surround sound capabilities.
Ableton Live
Ableton Live is a loop-based software music sequencer and DAW for Mac OS and Windows by Ableton. The latest major release of Live, Version 8, was released in April 2009. In contrast to many other software sequencers, Live is designed to be an instrument for live performances as well as a tool for composing and arranging. It is also used for mixing of tracks by DJs, as it offers a suite of controls for beatmatching, crossfading, and other effects used by turntablists, and was one of the first music applications to automatically beat match songs. It does not support traditional musical notation.
Free DAWs
Let's be very clear, these free DAWs are no match for the commercial ones. Kristal has not been supported in years and does not change anymore, so it might even be incompatible with the latest plugins. As for Audacity, it is more of an audio editor than a true DAW. Should you start computer music editing now, you'd better start with Reaper, which only costs 60 dollars (45 euros), and is much more modern and comprehensive than free DAWs. Much more complicated to use too, but you can at least give it a try for free. These free DAWs may come in handy as a temporary solution, but do not even think about working seriously with those guys.
