Why do so many people dislike this software? It’s very expensive, as is the outboard hardware sold by Avid, the brand that owns Pro Tools. Many studios put off updating their computers for a very long time because of this, and it’s why Pro Tools lacks many of the modern features I’ve seen in other DAWs, such as the drag-and-drop functionality for plug-ins offered by Logic and Studio One.
Still, this is a great piece of software, and if you can get past its old-school interface, it’s capable of any musical task you can dream up. There’s a reason it’s stood the test of time; it (generally) works well, and it’s never annoying enough to make it worth switching for power users.
Best for DJs and live performers: Ableton Live
Screenshot of the digital audio workstation program
Photography: Terrence O’Brien
Ableton Live was originally created for live performances. It was a way to stage the electronic music that people were creating on their computers. It’s still the best DAW software if you plan on playing live with a computer. But over the past 20 years, it’s become a true studio machine.
Its unique workflow based on loops of scenes and clips has its origins on stage, but it also makes it easy to rehearse ideas, experiment with different combinations of song components, and sketch out an arrangement. For deeper dives and precise adjustments, there’s Arrangement view, which offers the kind of timeline-based recording and editing you’d expect.
All of Live’s native synthesizers and plug-ins are excellent and can hold their own against expensive VSTs. Plus, Ableton has a purpose-built MIDI controller in the Push 3 ($999), which is one of the best ways to access the full power of your DAW without having to spend all your time fiddling with a mouse and keyboard.
The biggest problem is that Ableton Live is expensive. The Intro version costs $99, but it’s pretty limited and often comes free with even the cheapest MIDI controllers. Live Suite, which includes all 20 instruments, 58 effects, and over 70GB of sounds, will set you back $749. And if you go for Push, that’ll cost you another thousand dollars. —Terrence O’Brien
Best for Apple users: Logic Pro
Screenshot of the digital audio workstation program
Photography: Ryan Waniata
Logic Pro is an extension of Apple’s GarageBand, making it a natural choice for Apple fans looking to take their skills to the next level. You can think of Logic as a GarageBand graduate program, elevating your efforts from amateur demos to professional-quality recordings. You’ll find a wealth of ways to explore and expand your skills, from powerful plug-ins and effects to notation and editing tools that let you customize your workflow.
I’ve been using some version of Logic in my home studio for over 15 years because it’s my go-to program for music creation. Logic’s takes are a key part of my process, making it surprisingly easy to rehearse instrumental tracks or vocal lines on the fly, dial in the best of each, and manipulate them to perfection. With a balanced mix of advanced features and intuitive creative tools, Logic is a must-have program for any home studio running on Apple hardware.Ryan Waniata
Best All-in-One for iPad: Logic Pro for iPad
Screenshot of the digital audio workstation program
Courtesy of the Apple App Store
Since its launch about a year ago, Logic Pro for iPad has quietly gained traction as the easiest DAW for beginners to use. A hands-on tutorial system and an impressive array of built-in synth engines, drum machines, loops, and effects make it a great starting point if you’re new to iPad music production or digital music production in general. Whether you’re an experienced Logic user on a desktop or a newbie ready to take the next step from GarageBand, the portable iteration of Apple’s go-to music production suite is simple, affordable (just $6 per month or $50 per year), and packed with advanced features that can turn a collection of loops into a polished final product in under an hour. Desktop users will also appreciate that their projects are also transferable between the two devices.
I recently downloaded Logic Pro and a few YouTube tutorials onto my iPad Pro before a 4-hour flight, and within an hour I had created a high-energy chillwave track with bouncing arpeggios, shifted ping-pong delays, and warm analog pads smoothed out with heavy sidechain compression, all with built-in instruments and effects. Logic Pro handles third-party AUV3 plug-ins like a pro, but the handy indexing of the built-in kits makes it super easy to type in a few keywords, like “chillwave” and “analog synth,” which is an unbeatable workflow improvement that solidifies Logic Pro’s position as the best in its class. Whether you’re a complete newbie or just hungover and uninspired, Tim Cook’s walled garden’s in-house DAW is a near-perfect option for producers on the go.Pete Cottell
The Simplest Beatmaking DAW: FL Studio
Screenshot of the digital audio workstation program
Photography: Terrence O’Brien
FL Studio (born Fruity Loops) is the software that countless bedroom music producers cut their teeth on in the late ’90s and early ’00s. Its easy-to-understand Roland TR-style step sequencer and powerful sample manipulation tools make it a favorite of countless hip-hop and dance producers like 9th Wonder, WundaGurl, Deadmau5, and Avicii. Despite its apparent simplicity, FL Studio is also extremely powerful once you master its sometimes convoluted workflow. It’s designed for creating electronic and sample-based music rather than following a band, but you can record live instruments if you want.
Perhaps FL Studio’s best feature is its value for money. The $99 Fruity edition is even more limited than Live Intro, but the premium All Plugins version is just $499. It includes 113 instruments and effects, and no matter which edition you choose, it comes with free lifetime updates. —Terrence O’Brien
Brave New World: Studio One
Screenshot of the digital audio workstation program next to the physical packaging
Photography: Amazon
For several years, Fender-owned PreSonus has been making waves with its Studio One software, and I’m a big fan. Studio One offers the same awesome drag-and-drop functionality as Logic, the same easy tracking, editing, and mixing as Pro Tools, and the same live performance features as Ableton, all in one. I especially like how you can integrate the software directly with PreSonus interfaces, controllers, and other outboard gear; when you use Studio One, everything seems to work together seamlessly, which seems uncommon in the recording world.
Now that Fender owns the brand, we’ve gotten better instrument and amp plug-ins native to the software, as well as some nifty new hardware/software collaborations between the brands, like a Fender-logoed instrument input on the new Presonus interfaces. I’ve now recorded many albums for many artists using Studio One, and the only downside is that most professional mixing engineers don’t use it, so you have to export your stems rather than a whole backup file. Frankly, it’s good practice to be able to bounce stems properly, and it doesn’t take long in this software. If your friends also record with Studio One, it’s very easy to share entire projects online, and the company makes it very easy to master and export tracks directly to Soundcloud, if you still want to share your latest work without much extra effort.
I was impressed, especially with its lower price point than other premium recording software. Each update comes with more and more features that users have been asking for, which is something I can’t say about the other software above (*cough, Pro Tools, cough*). I highly recommend giving Studio One a try if you want something easy to use on Windows, Mac, and iPad (although the iPad app is just a remote control for the software).
The good news
You can make amazingly great music using virtually any modern recording equipment or DAW, cheap or not. I kid you not: there have been award-winning albums recorded on iPhones, mixed in GarageBand or other free software, or even recorded to four-track cassette (I’m looking at you, future Elliott Smiths and Bruce Springsteens). This list is meant to highlight the reasons why you might want to choose one software over another rather than claiming that you can’t make good music with any of them.
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