A digital audio workstation (DAW) is a computer-based electronic system that records and edits digital audio. As most music nowadays is done in digital audio, the DAW has now become the heart of the modern recording studio. The DAW is composed of specialized audio hardware and software. At its most stripped down configuration, it is really a computer specifically set up for digital audio with an external powerful soundcard, monitors and microphones. At the core of all DAWs is the music recording software. Depending on how powerful this software is and the kind of external hardware used, you can actually interconnect all the recording equipment and control and manage everything from the computer.
Professional grade music recording software is always proprietary and therefore only commercially available. Each company that develops one tries to differentiate its product by focusing it features in particular areas or conversely try to encompass as many features as possible. Some are better at editing, some are more flexible when it comes to plug-ins, and others have more enhanced MIDI sequencing functions. Most of them bundle their software with audio hardware, meaning it's possible to purchase a single package that includes both the application and the external or internal soundcard that was designed specifically to work with it. Others also develop their own line of audio hardware products. As with all other software and hardware installations, one should always take note of the system requirements. Recording and editing digital audio is a process that uses up a lot of memory. Computers with fast CPUs, a lot of RAM, huge hard disks and sturdy motherboards are necessary to maximize the features of professional music recording software.
The following are a few examples of such applications:
Cakewalk - Their Web site is also an online store where you can order and the product will be shipped to you. You'll also find on their site a US Dealer Locator which will help you find retail stores within a state. They also have a listing of distributors in international regions complete with contact information. This software is primarily for the Windows platform.
Pro Tools - Digidesign is the developer for this music recording software but they also develop applications and hardware for other media. Their Web site is also an online store and they can ship to various international regions. MAC OS is the main platform for this application but they also have versions for Windows.
Some open source developers have also focused on building music recording software. It has been said that in terms of basic features these applications are already at par with their proprietary contemporaries. These applications are free to download from their developers' Web sites. They naturally don't come bundled with audio hardware, but their community sites offer a lot of information on possible issues and various methods of configuring the software to fit well into a system.
Here are a few examples:
Audacity - This application was created by Dominic Mazzoni. It can be installed in Windows, MAC OS and Linux based systems. The homepage is audacity.sourceforge.net. There is also a wiki at wiki.audacityteam.org.
Ardour - The main author of this application is Paul Davis. The software can run on the Linux, MAC OS X, and FreeBSD platforms. The official Web site is www.ardour.org. Tutorials are available at out-of-order.ca.
It's really up to you to choose between proprietary or free music recording software as both have their pros and cons. Once you've picked the one you think is best suited to your system and work objectives, most experts recommend that you stick to mastering it. Some of these applications have a steep learning curve and the only way to maximize them is to become a power-user.
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