Millennial Mind Sync has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Millennial Mind Sync may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
A digital audio workstation (DAW) is an electronic device or music production software used for recording, editing and producing audio files.
Finding a top notch DAW that meets your needs is essential.
Continuously developing your skills will enhance the efficiency and workflow of your music creation and editing.
Whether you’re an audio engineer, composer or music producer; understanding the ins and outs of a DAW can separate you from the crowd.
The better you know your DAW, the better your results will be. Let’s take a look at the top DAW’s of 2021.
10 Best DAW’s
Not all DAW’s are created equal. From price tag to functionality, it’s important to find what works best for you. This will help you stick to one and prevent the need to open multiple programs to accomplish multiple things.
- Pro Tools
Long considered the industry standard for music production software, Pro Tools is the best DAW for sound professionals. For an all-in-one DAW for recording, editing and mixing, Pro Tools is simply the best. Whether it’s music for the top of the charts or film and TV compositions, Pro Tools can do it all. Once you master the workflow of Pro Tools, it’ll be hard for you to look elsewhere for a DAW.
Purchase ($599): Amazon / ZzSounds - Logic Pro X
With a more affordable price tag than Pro Tools, Logic Pro X might just be the all-in-one DAW you’re looking for. If you’re on a Windows system, unfortunately you won’t be able to work with this music production software. With a ton of out the box virtual instruments and sounds, you’ll be ready to start composing some great music from day 1.
Purchase ($199): Apple - Abelton Live
Abelton Live is more than just a DAW. It almost feels like an instrument of its own. Throw in integration with its Push or Push 2 control surface and you’ll be creating compositions like never before. Live also boasts a massive and growing community of users and many sound designers are creating packs for use in Live. Abelton Live is your choice when you’re looking to break free from your standard mixing/editing DAW.
Purchase:
– Intro ($99): Amazon / ZzSounds
– Standard ($499): Amazon / ZzSounds
– Suite ($799): Amazon / ZzSounds - Reaper
If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, Cockos Reaper is definitely the way to go. While a license will run you under $100, you can actually evaluate this piece of music production software fully for FREE. And that’s free without an expiration date. For audio recording and mixing/editing, Reaper can do it all. It’s also fully customizable to the workflow of your choice. A truly powerful DAW for the price tag.
Purchase ($60): Reaper - FL Studio
If the main use for your DAW will be strictly beatmaking then FL Studio may be your choice. This DAW is extremely popular with hip-hop and edm producers because of the quick and easy nature in which you can put a track together. However, there are still a ton of features available and depending on your needs, you can select from 3 different tiers and price points of the music production software: Fruity Edition, Producer Edition and the Signature Bundle. If you’re a FL Studio user, we recommend pairing the software with the Akai Fire (Amazon / ZzSounds) controller that is built specifically for a workflow within this DAW. It’s a powerful 1-2 punch.
Purchase:
– Fruity Edition ($99): Amazon / ZzSounds
– Producer Edition ($199): Amazon / ZzSounds
– Signature Bundle ($299): Amazon / ZzSounds - Propellerhead Reason
If you’re looking for a virtual rack-based DAW, Reason gives you exactly that. Because of that, this really hits a sweet spot with many analog gear-heads. Reason is another DAW that feels like its own instrument becomes it comes loaded with a slew of signature virtual instruments. For hip-hop and edm production, this is often a popular choice as its another DAW that allows your to sketch out your musical ideas in no time.
Purchase ($299): Amazon / ZzSounds - Studio One
Another all-in-one DAW. I think we’re sensing a trend here. What I love about Studio One is it’s intuitive interface. It’s drag-and-drop feel doesn’t make it seem so daunting to pick up as a newcomer to music production. Chord Track is one of its latest features that allows for easy harmonic editing and chord progressions. This DAW is packed with what you need to get started on your journey to sync licensing placements.
Purchase ($290.25): Amazon / ZzSounds - Cubase Pro
Cubase has been around since 1989 which speaks loudly from a music production software standpoint. Another great all-in-one DAW that has stood the test of time and continues to be used some of the worlds best music producers. It’s an extremely feature rich DAW, and while it may come with a learning curve, it’s still an excellent choice for your audio editing and musical composition creation.
Purchase ($290): ZzSounds - Maschine
Looking at this purely from a software standpoint, Maschine would likely not make this list. However, you don’t get Maschine strictly for the software. The beautiful and intuitive Maschine MK3 hardware makes this an all-in-one music making wonderland. And if you don’t like to create all your music directly in its software, you can load it into the DAW of your choice as a VST. I’ve constructed and composed many musical pieces strictly in the Maschine for years.
Purchase ($629): Amazon / ZzSounds - Adobe Audition
For those who remember the Cool Edit music production software from the 90’s-early 00’s, that original look and feel still exists in today’s Adobe Audition. Great for audio restoration or working in a flow with video locked in Adobe Premiere, Audition is a powerful DAW. The workflow can be a little complex at times which drops it to the back end of our list.
Purchase ($240): Amazon
Conclusion
To get the most out of your DAW, you’ll want to make sure you have a great music production computer to support it. And if the preset sounds that come out the box don’t meet your needs, take a look at our top 25 sample and loop packs that are available on Splice.
Are you ready to start getting your high quality music into television and film? Our strategic method that automatically generates you high paying sync licensing opportunities with the worlds leading music supervisors is truly a game changer.
1 comment
Studio One is my choice. However, it can be a bit wonky with quantinization.
Comments are closed.