Recording Software For Computer Based Music Studios
There are a lot of recording programs to choose from when youre creating your first computer based music studio. The choices may seem overwhelming at first but once you consider a few basic details (such as what kind of computer you are using) youll be able to make a wise choice. There are a lot of things to consider when making this choice. The first is what kind of computer system you are using. I am not going to tell you whether you should use a PC or a Mac as that argument long ago became tedious. You can create a top quality computer based music studio with a PC or a Mac. That being said, it is important to consider what type of computer you are using when choosing your music software because some programs only work with one or the other (or work much better with one or the other.) If you are basing your system on a PC then you first of all want to cross MOTUs Digital Performer and Apples Logic off your list as they are Mac only programs. I recommend that you dont choose Pro Tools if you are using a personal computer. Yes, I know Pro Tools is the "industry standard" but thats mostly because people love to do what everyone else is doing. Theres nothing special about Pro Tools. Sure its a great piece of software, but so is Nuendo. And the problem is that Pro Tools just isnt a good choice for PC users. Currently it doesnt even work with Windows Vista and while the next version is supposed to be Vista compatible we dont know when that version will be available and even then, it will only be compatible with the "Ultimate" version of Vista (if you currently own the regular version of Vista that will be a $200 upgrade.) On top of that, even on XP Pro Tools doesnt work nearly as well as it does on the Mac. Its definitely a good choice for Mac users, but you should avoid it if you are on the PC. So whats left for PC users? Steinbergs Nuendo & Cubase along with Sonys Acid and Cakewalks SONAR. Acid & SONAR are only to be used by Windows based computer but Steinbergs Nuendo & Cubase are well suited for both Windows PCs and Macs. If you are looking for the best audio quality you can get (and youre willing to pay more for it) and you do not use MIDI very much then Nuendo is probably your best choice. Its also the right choice for those working with audio for use with video and for those interested in working with surround sound. Cubase & Sonar are great choices for those who use MIDI a lot. But you shouldnt think that these programs are only for MIDI, they also work exceptionally well for recording and mixing audio. Sonys Acid is for loop based music like techno and hip hop. Really, I dont think its a very good fit for most people. Unless you make loop based music, dont choose Acid. Mac users will probably end going with Pro Tools but Digital Performer & Logic are also great choices. I would recommend downloading the demo versions of each of these programs and seeing which one works for you. You may also want to choose Cubase or Nuendo. Remember that software also works well on PCs so it may make you more versatile in a way to learn those programs. ------ Marvin J. Markus believes you can build a great home studio with a good quality computer (plenty of RAM) along with high quality recording software and some high quality microphones.