With the number of music production software and hardware increasing on an almost daily basis, and with the overload of information available, it can be quite daunting for beginners to figure out where to start producing music.
This article is part of a three part series taking a look at the getting started in music production if you are a beginner. Here will will take a look at the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
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What is a DAW & how to choose one?
Firstly, let’s take a look at what a DAW is. The DAW refers to the software that runs on a computer which allows you to record audio, and create sounds using virtual instruments, such as software synthesisers and drum machines. It also allows you to be able to process sounds through effects plugins such as equalisers, distortion units and audio compressors. It’s like having a fully fledged recording studio with racks of equipment and instruments, only its all packaged in a virtual environment on your computer.
There are many different available DAWs such as, Logic Pro, Propellerhead Reason, Ableton Live, Studio One, FL Studio and Cubase to name a few. Each software has their pros and cons and have a different type of workflow.
In order to decide on which one to go for, I recommend researching the workflow of each and seeing what best fits your way of doing things. Most popular DAWs have an abundance of free tutorials and reviews online. Some even have a free trial so that you can try before you buy.
Ultimately it is always best to pick a DAW that gets your creative juices flowing and one that doesn’t get too much in the way of your music production process. Once you make a choice, dive in and learn as much as you can about it’s workflow, plugins, and menus. Practice doing the things that you need to be able to do in your style of production. Once you master these core things then you can start experimenting.When you come up on problem, I can almost guarantee that someone will have been there before you and have a tutorial or other solution for you online. This approach will help you to become efficient during you music production sessions.
And there you have it. You should now have an easier time deciding what DAW software to use.
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Below you will find some links to some useful resources. If this article has helped you out, please do us a favour and share our content.
Until next time, happy music production.
-An article by Marlon McPherson, Media Producer.