Digital Recording Software

Finding One That's Right For You

Using digital recording software for computer based home recordings is an excellent way to get some of your songs recorded.

It requires that you have a fast computer with lots of memory as well as sound card or audio interface so you can capture what you want to record.

There are many different digital recording products available today, with the four big names in the world of digital recording software being....

Digidesign Protools
Steinberg Cubase
Cakewalk Sonar
Apple Logic Pro

Digidesign has been a pioneer in the develop of digital recording software with Protools being considered the industry standard and used by top professionals all over the world. They are well known in the digital recording industry.

You can get the Digidesign's Mbox (audio interface) and Protools LE (software) for around $550US as a bundle.

The newest versions of Cakewalk Sonar 5 Producer (for about $500US) and Steinberg Cubase SX 3 (for about $600US) are definitely giving Digidesign's Protools a run for its money. Both of these are also exceptional products when considering digital recording software to buy for computer based recording.

Apple Logic Pro 7 is also a good product. It's the most expensive of the bunch, a $1000US, and is strictly for Mac users.

Using digital recording software is great, but you do have a little of a learning curve that you'll need to go though. It helps if you are familiar and know your way around a computer.

Benefits of using digital recording software would be...

Visual based editing, can work and edit audio on a computer screen instead of a little LCD screen like you see on the workstations.

Hundreds of compatible plug-ins can be used with them.

Can have more tracks to record too.

Can work with higher bit resolution audio files.

Having a computer you are able to upgrade components as your studio grows.

Greater flexibility and ease when manipulating and working with your audio files.

They usually come with extra bundled software and plug-ins which is great.

Some of the negatives to using digital recording software could be...

Start-up costs may be higher if you need to buy a computer that can handle the processing power and requirements of the software.

It may take a little longer to learn how to use the software when compared to a workstation.

Need to be fairly good with computers.

May also need to buy an audio interface that is compatible with the software, if it's not included.

Some of the things you should look at and consider before you drop the cash for any digital recording software should be.....

Try out any trial versions of the programs first and do lots of research on each, to get a taste of what they can do.

Ability to record high bit resolution audio files. 16 bit or higher and a sample rate of 44.1kHz or higher, will produce professional quality results. All four programs mentioned above meet this minimum requirement.

Make sure it has good support for the wide variety of plug-ins that are available on the market. All four programs have support for tons of plug-ins.

Make sure your computer has the proper system requirements to run the software.

Digidesign's Protools LE with Mbox

Protools pic

Digidesign's Pro Tools LE–based portable studio, offers novices and pros alike command of any project and full session compatibility with other Pro Tools systems, all the way up to Pro Tools|HD systems.

The Pro Tools LE software included with Mbox 2 shares many of the same features as the award-winning digital recording software used by professionals worldwide.

Mbox 2 is a full-featured, USB-powered studio-in-a-box that works with your Window XP or Mac OS X based computer to give you a compact, portable, professional-quality audio production system.

With a distinctive hardware interface that delivers exceptional sound quality, Mbox 2 works in conjunction with your computer and your Pro Tools LE software to provide the creative power you need to achieve professional results.

Complementing the hardware interface's analog, digital, and MIDI I/O, Pro Tools LE software offers 32 tracks of simultaneous recording and playback, 128 virtual tracks, 256 MIDI tracks, and a host of additional features.

As with all Pro Tools|HD and Pro Tools LE systems, Mbox 2 also ships with the Pro Tools Ignition Pack — an impressive array of added composition and production tools to extend the power of your system. From beginning to end, Mbox 2 places you in an ideal position to realize your creative vision. Learn more

Steinberg's Cubase SX

Cubase pic Cubase SX3 takes music production to a new level by adding more than 70 new features; including powerful Audio Warp real-time time stretching, an intuitive Play Order track, convenient in-place editing and many new editing functions.

For the first time, a native music production system combines full-featured audio and MIDI recording and editing, virtual instruments and powerful audio mixing with the added flexibility of loop and pattern based arranging and mixing. Cubase SX3 supports Windows XP, Mac OSX, and works with a multitude of audio interfaces. With seamless integration of external audio and MIDI hardware, Cubase SX3 redefines virtual studio technology.
Learn more

Cakewalk SONAR Producer

Cakewalk pic Striking the perfect balance between passion and precision, SONAR 5 shatters the limitations found in ordinary digital audio workstations. Offering a complete spectrum of creative technologies, SONAR 5 inspires your artistic expression.

These technologies are fully integrated within a cutting edge engineering and mixing environment to transform your musical dreams into professional finished productions.

Version 5 adds an arsenal of responsive instruments, more effects, and powerful editing tools including Roland V-Vocal VariPhrase technology. These features are complemented by a double precision floating point engine that delivers dramatic increases in dynamic range. SONAR’s pristine 64-bit audio engine, seamless and accessible even on 32-bit computers, sets new standards for digital mixing.

In addition, SONAR 5 introduces ground-breaking advances in RAM and native processing power on systems running Windows XP x64 Edition.
Learn more

Apple Logic Pro

Apple Logic pic The industry-leading application for music creation and audio production dramatically broadens the capabilities of computer-based studio environments with Logic Pro 7. The first choice of many prominent musicians and producers, Logic Pro 7 provides the most comprehensive collection of music creation tools, hands-down.

Logic Pro 7.2 gives you the ability to take full advantage of the next generation of Mac computers. You’ll also enjoy integrated support for the Apogee Ensemble FireWire interface, compatibility with Pro Tools HD 7 DAE, and project compatibility with Garageband 3, as well as a complement of feature enhancements and improvements. Learn more

My Home Studio

My studio pic For myself, I ended up buying Protools for the fact that it has been accepted as the world standard in digital recording software. My projects would be fully compatible with all the big studios, and I could share projects between Windows XP users and MAC OS X users that are running the software as well.

It is also fully compatible with all Digidesign's Protools higher-end HD and TDM systems, giving me the option of easily upgrading to a bigger studio in the future.

I'm looking at getting Digidesign's Command 8 or the Digi 002 soon. Which will give me hands on control over my mixes instead of using a mouse to adjust things like faders and other buttons on screen.

I also liked the fact I could buy the audio interface (the Mbox), designed specifically for Protools LE software, as a bundle. All for an extremely affordable price.

It can save the hassle of finding a compatible interface for your digital recording software.

The program was fairly easy to install and I was recording tracks about 45 minutes after that. It helped that I had a book specifically on recording and producing in the home studio.

Here is a great book by David Franz.

This essential guide will help you set up your studio, begin producing projects, develop your engineering skills and manage your projects.

Recording and Producing in the Home Studio A Complete Guide. Berklee Methods. Size 8x10 inches. 246 pages. Published by Berklee Press. (50448045)
See more info...

Knowing that Protools is the standard used by big studios around the world, has made other digital recording software companies like Steinberg and Cakewalk to start designing their software to be compatible with Protools.

Using digital recording software like the four mentioned, gives you way more options and tools to work with, allowing you to work with your audio files with greater efficiency.

Take your time, do your research, and think of your needs before making any decisions on which digital recording software application you choose.

All four mentioned above are excellent choices if computer based digital recording is the way you want to go.

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