Daw Study Series Pt5 - The Other Pack Members
Cubase
Cubase has been around in many incarnations for over 26 years a product of infamous audio company Steinburg. It hasn’t always hit the mark but neither has many of its competitors with their updated versions either. Already among the best DAWs in the world today, the new versions of Cubase, currently version 8, are said to be sleeker, more efficient, more creative and offer new audio tools and instruments, while also delivering an exceptionally intuitive workflow.
Cubase Pro 8 maintained everything you loved in its previous version, and it improved on what it was missing. The addition of new plugins, VCA faders, unlimited recording capabilities and in-place rendering not only makes this software more powerful than ever, but it streamlines your workflow and keeps you recording and editing. This is certainly a top-rated DAW.
Ableton
Ableton is another German based audio sequencer\DAW whose founders are musicians, DJ’s and producers. In contrast to many other software sequencers, Live is designed to be an instrument for live performances as well as a tool for composing, recording, arranging, mixing and mastering. It is also used 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 beatmatch songs.
Ableton Live 9 is a powerful and versatile piece of software. It is unlike any other DAW, so it takes some time to get used to – especially the relationship between the arrangement window and the session window. Once you learn this software, you can use it for much more than just recording audio, which makes it desirable for not only studio, but also live settings.
Cockus Reaper
Reaper may not be a DAW that comes up on everyone’s radar that doesn’t mean it should be dismissed as inferior. In fact it gets the job done very well. REAPER is distributed under two licenses as well as a 60 day evaluation trial option. Users can choose between a license targeted to private individuals or one targeted to organizations. There is a nag screen which is disabled through licensing the product, and there is no copy protection.
Comparatively, it is inexpensive, easy to use and every bit as professional.
Link: http://www.reaper.fm/
Propeller Reason
Reason continually makes improvements to the interface and processes with each edition of its recording studio software. Reason started as a drum-sequencing program to create beats. Reason 6 was the first edition of the software that was capable of recording external instruments. Now that this recording software program has the capabilities of other digital audio workstations (DAWs), the newest edition – Reason 8 – is all about improving workflow.
Reason 8 has made some great improvements from previous versions of the software. It has great virtual instruments and a large loop library, but the plugins are only expandable through the Propellerhead rack extension format. Reason is unique among DAWs in look and feel, but this software makes it well worth stepping outside the box.
Summary
There are so many DAW’s to choose from it can become confusing and the eternal debate will carry on throughout the eons as to which one is best but with many manufacturers kindly offering demo versions to try out, you will inevitably find the one that suits your budget, learning curve and needs.
For more in depth reviews on the top 10 DAW’s be sure to check out the link below.
TopTenReviews: http://recording-studio-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
