Hi Everyone,
In this blog post i wanted to talk about some simple software for the musician wanting to do some home recording. I am going to assume you want to use your computer for recording, and have a simple interface box to get audio into your computer. There are usually two parts to recording with a computer, the software, often called a DAW, or Digital Audio Workstation, and the interface, which is usually USB or Firewire. The interface is what you connect your mic up to, and it converts the recorded signal into digital to be stored on the computer. Some common interfaces include the Digidesign Mbox, Motu Ultralite, Apogee Duet, or the Presonus Firebox. There are a ton of interface options out there, whether you are looking for two inputs or ten. But i digress, as today i wanted to look at software.
One of the first things to consider when choosing DAW software is will it run on your chosen operating system. Some options are Mac or Windows only, or example Logic Pro only runs on a Mac, and Sonar only runs on Windows. So get that part out of the way, make sure what you are looking at is compatible with your computer.
Secondly you want to make sure that the DAW software you are using is not restricted to using a certain proprietary interface. To my knowledge the only place you need to worry about this is Digidesign’s Pro Tools, it will only run with Digidesign interfaces or M-Audio interfaces which are Pro Tools M-Powered compatible. Not necessarily a bad thing, as Pro Tools is fine software and makes good interfaces. But some folks don’t like to be restricted in what they can use, so if that is you, think twice about making a purchase. Otherwise if you are looking at Mac software make sure it and the interface support Core Audio Drivers, which is the universal Mac audio driver. For Windows the equivalent is ASIO/WDM. So as long as your software and audio interface are compatible with those standards you should be good.
So what that out of the way lets look at some actual software. I will try to list a few different packages for both Mac and PC that i feel cover different areas along the price spectrum.
At the high end of the price point we have Logic for Mac. Logic was previously owned by Avid and was purchased by Apple around 2007. They then released Logic 8, which uses a similar visual footprint as Garage Band, and other Apple programs. The current version is Logic 9 For about $500 street price it includes 10 gigs of royalty free loops, and 16 gigs of sound effects. This is truly professional level, and the various samples and loops i have heard sound astounding. The basics are not overly difficult, but expect to put in some serious time to use this software to its full potential.
On the PC side we have Sonar Producer Edition for about the same price. It includes a ton of virtual instruments. So you can use your computer or a USB keyboard and record strings, acoustic guitars, and anything else your heart desires. This is very handy if you want to see how that string quartet or electric guitar sounds alongside your composition, but don’t have an electric guitar or can’t bring in string players. One thing that seems cool about Sonar is that you can rip, burn, and manage your cds and audio files from within the software. It apparently will convert to and from almost any format. Not that separate software won’t do this, but i can see it being one less step if you just recorded something, and want to quickly convert it to mp3 to email to someone.
Other top end contenders include Cubase for both PC and Mac, Digital Performer for Mac, Ableton Live for PC and Mac, as well as Pro Tools, which also runs on both operating systems. Ableton Live is interesting, being marketed mostly at electronic musicians and those working with loops. It offers a pretty unique recording mode that allows you to record while triggering different loops and sections, allowing for a very improvisatory and free flowing approach to making music. I have not used it extensively, but the demo is worth checking out if you are into that.
Pro Tools is probably still the most widely used recording software, being at the forefront of many large recording studios. It offers top notch effects, virtual instruments, and improved midi editing. Like i mentioned above Pro Tools only works with Digidesigns audio interfaces, but that is fine for some folks. If you plan to record at home but then take the session to a professional studio that uses Pro Tools, its as easy as saving the session to a portable hard drive and bringing it over. Music sessions recorded on the consumer LE based version of Pro Tools are perfectly compatible with the more expensive version found is larger studios.
So the above options are great, but what if you don’t feel like spending $500?
One of the most popular recommendations is Audacity. It is free, and runs on both PC and Mac. You can record up to 16 mono channels at once, slow down audio and keep it at pitch, and apply a handful of effects. So while its not as full featured as some other choices, free is good. Plus if you decide you want to delve more into home recording you can always purchase a different software package later on.
While not quite free the company Propeller Head recently released a software package aptly titled Record. Its aimed a musicians, not recording engineers, and features an intuitive, streamlined work space. Its priced at $250, and runs on both Mac and PC. It features a bundle of effects and synths as well, and can record up 64 tracks per project, which should be plenty for the home musician. One thing is it does not allow the integration of third party effects, so that is something to keep in mind if you want to buy an expensive reverb plug in later on.
One of my favorite affordable priced recording software packages is Reaper. It runs on Windows and the Mac version is still in Beta, though i have used its basic features fine with no problems. Reaper emphasizes usability, and does not include any loops or any extra fluff in its install package. At 4 megs, the install file is quite small, and can be run off a thumb drive for the ultimate in portability. Reaper includes a multitude of good effects, and most importantly allows you to try the full version for thirty days. After that thirty days they ask that you buy a license, which for the individual at home is a very reasonable $60. I highly recommend folks check it out if they are looking for a recording software option but are not sure where to start. It also features a very good online instruction manual.
So there are a few options for home recording software. Many of these companies have full featured or partially usable demos, so i always recommend trying those before dropping a load of cash on the full version. I think with the higher priced stuff its hard to go wrong, its more a matter of what works with your computer and hardware, and which software package’s workflow you like best.
Anton
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