Digital Audio Workstations
Having a DAW is similar to having a car in which you can sometimes, alter, customize, acquire add ons and remove features, seemingly at will. Digital Audio Workstations are structured very differently but utimately serve the same purpose, compiling audio, mixing and producing. Finding the DAW that works best for you depends on your budget, current studio specs, preffered plugins, computer processing power, and other things of that nature.
Studio One 6, created by Presonus, is compatible with macOS, Linux, Windows and is a powerful DAW that's fairly easy to use once you've gotten familiar with the interface. Some features are unmatched such as the ability to record multiple inputs simultaneously without having to use a separate mixer. The implication of "smart templates" that are programed to only show what you need for the project you're working on makes getting started fast and easy. To make the process even easier, Studio One 6 has a drag and drop feature that, if you've ever used Wix, will make you feel right at home. The vastly customizable workstation for beginners as well as advanced users makes ridding fluff and distractions a breeze. also presents an amazing feature known as "video tracks" can be used with an unlimited number of videos/reels for editing right from within the software. Studio One 6 has an insane array of production tools such as scratchpads, patterns, multitrack tools, harmonic editing for audio/MIDI, lyrics track and advanced Melodyne integration. If you're looking for a DAW that can do what a lot of software can't wrapped into a powerful and diverse platform, Studio One 6 is definitely for you.
Cakewalk by Bandlab is something quite special. User friendly and optimized to for pros and newbies alike. A complete music production package that's been keeping the process fairly simple since 1987. 64-bit mix engine, VST3 plugin/ARA support, touch enabled (touch device compatible) vocal sync alignment technology and resampling to decrease the possibilities of audio degradation make for a competitive work environment. If you're still feeling a bit intimidated by the interface, Bandlab also has another software option, even simpler to navigate and utilize which is its main page. With 1000's of royalty free loops and a social interface, Bandlab is a complete interface for the casual or beginning producer with Cakewalk being its much stronger counterpart for those looking to kick it up a few notches.
Pro Tools has been an industry leading DAW for pros who take the process seriously. One of the, if not the best workstation for mixing, editing, and mastering. The software houses two interesting features known Groove Cell (a sampler and drum kit) that you can drag and drop samples in for a custom kits and Synth Cell (polyphonic synthesizer) with custom controls and 16 presets. With over 2GB of loops, 65+ supported plugins, a vast list of piano shortcuts, it's no wonder why Pro Tools is the industry standard.
The System Usage window shows activity on each core during playback. Clip Gain, one of my favorite Pro Tools features, lets you adjust volumes on the fly using a pop-up volume slider, without having to install Gain plug-ins or manually add automation data everywhere. Beat Detective picks up grooves in audio tracks, letting you fix timing issues across multiple instruments. Groove audio editing maintains relevant grid positions when copying, cutting, and pasting unquantized audio and MIDI clips.
You can search through tracks, instruments, and more using a type-ahead search capability, and you can also select multiple items in a menu simultaneously. The program captures performances retroactively if you weren't recording
FL Studio is a powerhouse amongst digital audio workstations. This program comes with renowned native plugins and a slew of features to bolster your audio production prowess. With a bit of a learning curve and over 20 years of experience, FL studio (once dubbed Fruity Loops), houses a full library of synths for immersive sounds and allows for the integration of third-party plugins.
FL Studio can be a bit intimidating for beginners and new users alike for upon launching the software users are presented with a screen preloaded with a recording/mix ready interface. The program has a lot of built-in features to ensure editing MIDIs, mixing and mastering tracks, and so much more flows well in your workstation. Aside from a fully functional software they also have an iOS mobile app with stripped down features that maintains its presence as a useful tool to have. The software is compatible with Mac and Windows operating systems and has multiple price points for different versions of FL Studio allowing for comparisons to be made to find what works best for your needs.