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Digital Music Revolution 2020
Top Daws for recording:
The world of digital recording has advanced so much in the last 20 years that even on a budget, any musician has the ability to record a top-notch, Grammy award-winning multi-platinum record from their bedroom. Don’t think it’s possible? Ask Billy Ellish and producer Finneas O’Connell.
The two recorded most of their record at home in their bedroom with minimal gear.
Video Below: Credit – SPACES: Inside the Tiny Bedroom Where FINNEAS and Billie Eilish Are Redefining Pop Music
So where to start? Let’s take a look at the top 3 DAW’s, Logic Pro X, Pro Tools and Ableton Live. As your choice in music style will have a slight impact on your choice, these three powerful DAW’s are professional and powerful enough to work on any genre.
Pro Tools:
As an industry-standard, Pro Tools is viewed in the industry as a digital tape replacement and the workflow is similar.
Pros:
- High-quality Sound
- Cross Platform integration
- Available at most/all professional studios
- Industry Standard
- Tons of learning resources
- Getting better at audio interface compatibility
- May great legendary albums made with this DAW
- Latency is professional
Cons:
- Price is very high
- Pricing is a SAS rental model
Cost: $389.00 1-Year Subscription, Paid Upfront
Logic Pro X:
As Apple’s flagship music production software, this contender is well versed in songwriting and music production.
Pros:
- Professional Quality Sound
- Stable platform
- Lots of Youtube Tutorials
- Price is one-time fixed
- Lots of great albums made on this DAW
- Latency is low and well maintained
Cons:
- Mac Only (Not cross platform)
- Macs are Expensive and quality has gone down
- Still not seen as 100% professional
Abelton Live
Another versatile DAW, Abelton Live is suited well for samples and manipulation of sounds. Suited well for DJ, dance and hip hop genre, Abelton offers a huge range of audio tools and ways of cutting up and manipulating sound.
Pros:
- Sound Quality
- Sample Manipulation
- Great for Dance Music / EMD
- Integrates into a live setup
- MAC/PC cross platform
- Price
Cons:
- Not ideal for bands/recorded music
- Not available in many professional studios
- Latency of tracking
Bonus:
In the end, all three work well and I recommend them as a great starting point. With these tools you can effectively have the resources to produce professional and radio friendly audio. A professional studio is no longer a prerequisite for professional sound. In 2019-2020 many great albums are being made this way even from peoples homes. A great DAW is the perfect place to start.
Budget:
If the recording budget is non-existent, there is still good news, the Lite versions, free samples and trial versions are can be used as well. Even though these DAW’s are not as popular with musicians and professional audio engineers, they still provide the same or similar functionality and quality. The downside is they may have a smaller community and therefore less resources to help you learn, create and capture your sounds. Plugins may not be available as well, however you will still be able to record professional sounding music with any of these.
Best FREE DAWS:
