Page 36 - Zone Magazine Issue 011

STUDIO TIPS 001 - DAW's
Daneil Daly
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When it comes to music production and audio recording, one of the main tools you will need, is a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). There are over 50 DAW's to choose from, each one with different interfaces, plugins and workflows, but the core purpose remains the same with each of them. Which DAW is the best is a constant debate found on online forums and on social media , but it is near impossible to choose one as the best. The best DAW is simply the one that works best for you and suits your needs. That is why instead of trying to tell you which one is the best, I have listed some of the more popular DAW's below, including a bit of information on each so that you can decide what you think might be the most suitable for you.
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Logic Pro X (Mac)
Logic Pro is a Mac only DAW that is very affordable and has something to offer musicians of any genre or background. Though a lot of electronic music producers use Logic Pro as their DAW of choice, it is a very popular program to use within the film and tv scoring industry.
Pros-
Huge library of built in plugins Very clean interface
Remote use on an iPad
Cons-
Mac Only
Only supports 32-bit AU plugins
Can be difficult to use on smaller screens and
laptops
Price - €199.99
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Ableton Live 9 (Mac/PC)
Ableton Live has been offering consumers a unique and different style of workflow for the past 15 years. Ableton's mix of both live performance and music production capabilities, have made it a popular choice within the electronic music production scene. The clip based sequencer and audio warping capabilities of Ableton Live are just a few of the stand out features.
Pros-
Amazing for both DJ's and Producers Endless amounts of free online tutorials Slick GUI design
Cons-
Some native effects could be better The piano roll is a bit too basic Basic audio editing can be tedious
Price - €79 to €549
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Pros-
Great for music production as well as audio recording
Straight forward for beginners
Supports both 32 and 64bit VST2 and VST3 plugins
Cons-
Requires a usb dongle key
GUI is pretty dull
Not as many video tutorials as other popular DAWs
Price - €99.99 to €599 ___________________________________
FL Studio 12 (PC)
FL Studio has solidified itself in the DAW history books as one of the best production tools in both Hip Hop and Dance Music, mainly because of its easy to use step sequencer. Though audio recording did not become an option until later on, its popularity has grown even more ever since. For years it has been a favourite of beginner musicians working out of their bedrooms but don't let that fool you, FL Studio is a very powerful DAW.
Pros-
Straightforward and easy to use
Possibly the best automation capabilities of all DAW's mentioned
Huge library of loops, samples and native plugins
Cons-
PC only
The price of the total bundle is costly
Multitrack recording not possible with the Fruity edition
Price - €89 to €680.27
Steinberg Cubase 8 (Mac/PC)
Cubase is like the wise grandfather of the DAW world having been a staple in many studios around the world for the pas 25+ years. Though it is both PC and Mac compatible, it has traditionally been favoured more within the PC community. It is a great all around program which performs editing, recording, quantizing and music production to a very high standard.
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