9 best DAW software for making music on your computer

Choosing a software environment for recording and editing music is a complex and individual question. There can be no universal recommendations: every program from the collection is capable of producing a decent sound quality, they all offer approximately the same functions and have a similar interface. However, they are not at all the same, and finding the perfect DAW can take years. In this article, we will tell you what is special about this or that music recording software, and we hope that it will save you a little time.

To begin with, we will reveal the meaning of several terms that will often be found in this article:

DAW (sequencer) - the software environment in which music is recorded and edited.
VST, VSTi, AU, AAX, RTAS - plug-in formats - additional software that allows you to add new virtual instruments or processing effects to your DAW.
MIDI - in the context of the article, these are external sound sources: keyboards, pads, controllers.
Piano roll - area for editing parts of virtual instruments. Notes are drawn on the piano roll, their duration and volume are indicated.

1. Ableton Live

Platforms: Windows, macOS.

Price: from € 79 for the Intro version to € 599 for the Suite with a one-time purchase.

For whom: for electronics engineers. Especially those who play live.

According to a survey conducted by Ask. Audio, Ableton Live overtook all other sequencers in 2015: 23, 14% of respondents admitted that they use it as their main DAW software.

Ableton Live combines the qualities of a classic sequencer and control station for live sets. Two display modes are responsible for these two roles: Arrangement View for arrangement and mixing and Session View for improvisation and DJing.

Arrangement View resembles the interface of most other sequencers, but with an important advantage: in the work area, we see only the essentials. The panel, not overloaded with buttons and knobs, is well seen even on the screen of a 13-inch laptop, and minimal skills in the program are acquired intuitively.

The developers are not only engaged in Live: for example, they released the second version of the Ableton Push controller (the first was created by Akai), and also created the Ableton Link synchronization protocol, which many prefer to the aging MIDI Sync, tied to the Master / Slave relationship. All this was created with the expectation of use in conjunction with a sequencer: Ableton Live perfectly interacts with MIDI and integrates into live sets.

It is also convenient to work with samples and loops in Ableton, set up automation and wind up plugins. It is used by many famous artists such as M83, kedr livanskiy and renowned music blogger Andrew Huang.

Ableton Live →

2. Logic Pro X

Platforms: macOS.

Price: 14,990 rubles. It is also supplied to some groups of the population in a set of programs for education for 13,990 rubles.

For whom: for makovodov who are cramped within the framework of GarageBand.

Logic Pro X is a serious apple sequencer, and moving to it is a natural evolutionary step after working with GarageBand. The sequencer has a number of advantages, the most important of which is its belonging to the Apple ecosystem. Anything that works with macOS works with Logic. Additional convenience is provided by the use of the touch panel and iOS devices for remote control.

VSTs are not supported - only AU plugins can be used. However, many people point out that Logic Pro X already has all the tools and effects that you might need. The track Drummer, a simulator of a virtual drummer, deserves special praise.

The disadvantages of the program include the high cost and work area, which is inconvenient to use on small screens. Despite its shortcomings, Logic Pro X can be found in almost any serious recording studio, and dozens of famous artists and bands use it. Among them are Disclosure and Foster the People, and Anton Sevidov from Tesla Boy, for example, also confessed his love for the sequencer.

Logic Pro X →

3. Avid Pro Tools 12

Platforms: Windows, macOS.

Price: Pro Tools First is available for free, Standard Pro Tools costs $ 24.92 per month with an annual subscription, and the Pro Tools HD version costs $ 999 per year.

For whom: for owners of certain audio cards who want to get the most out of their hardware and know what they want.

Perhaps the most serious sequencer in the collection. The seriousness of Pro Tools is ensured not only by the abundance of features, but also by its rich history: the first version of the program was released in 1991, had four tracks and cost 6,000 dollars. Its interface then strongly influenced the way we see sequencers now. The first chart-topping song made in a DAW program was Livin’la Vida Loca by Ricky Martin, mixed with Pro Tools in 1999.

The Pro Tools advantage is that it interacts privately with certified audio interfaces. This allows for maximum productivity. This advantage also turns into a disadvantage: using the HD version of Pro Tools with uncertified hardware is fraught with additional bugs and lags. Pro Tools gives the impression of a modular workstation: the program requires certain hardware, and some users recommend allocating a separate computer for DAW.

The program has a decent set of tools and effects sewn into the program, it works well with MIDI and live sound. The range of capabilities of this DAW is wide, and it can take a long time to understand all the functions, even for a confident user of sequencers. For beginners, Avid offers a free First version with the ability to record 16 tracks.

The sequencer has issues with VST integration, but works well with AAX and RTAS plugins. Like Logic Pro X, Pro Tools is used by sound engineers in many professional studios.

Avid Pro Tools →

4. Image-Line FL Studio 12

Platforms: so far only Windows. The macOS version is in test mode, but you can run the program using Boot Camp. There are apps for iOS and Android devices.

Price: from $ 99 with a one-time purchase.

For whom: for electronics engineers and beatmakers working on Windows.

Image-Line FL Studio 12 is one of the favorite sequencers for those who like to mix samples and instrument parts, but don't want to bother with a deep dive into the mechanics of DAW software. The path from turning on the sequencer to saving the project is perhaps the shortest in FL Studio, and in order to get the simplest beat, you may not have any skills at all.

FL Studio's interface is really different from the look of other sequencers, but it still has all the features you need. FL Studio is used by many famous artists, including Martin Garrix, Avicii, Tyler, The Creator or Enjoykin video blogger musician.

It is extremely inconvenient to perform live recording here, but it is easy to work with track composition, samples, MIDI, VST and fill notes in piano roll. The complete program includes instruments and effects, some of which deserve special attention. For example, Gross Beat, with which you can wind tremolo and crazy glitches, or the saturating and thickening Soundgoodizer mix, which has become a meme among FL Studio users.

An important advantage for those who prefer to use legal software: you have to pay for FL Studio only once, after which all updates will be available for free.

Image-Line has also developed mobile versions of the sequencer for iOS and Android devices. Projects from there can be exported to full format FL Studio.

Image-Line FL Studio →

5. Steinberg Cubase Pro 9

Platforms: Windows, macOS, iOS (iPad only).

Price: the buying process on the official website is very inconvenient. You must first buy the younger version of Cubase Elements and then pay for the upgrade. It is easier to purchase Cubase from a Russian distributor "out of the box", the cost in this case starts at about 5,000 rubles for Cubase Elements 9 and ends at 27,000 rubles for Cubase Pro 9.

For whom: for those looking for a decent and nimble sequencer without unnecessary bells and whistles.

Other veterans of recording are Cubase and Nuendo from Steinberg. The programs are written on the same engine and are similar to each other, but the first - as it happened historically - is more popular among musicians. It was Steinberg who stood at the origins of the technologies, without which it is difficult to imagine a modern sequencer: time warping (the ability to stretch sound fragments while maintaining the key), VST and VSTi plugins.

For many years Cubase has been at the top of the list of popular DAW software. Steinberg products are used by Chvrches, Dub FX, New Order and even Hans Zimmer with Igor Matvienko.

An important plus of Cubase is that, as a shell, it does not slow down even on weak computers. The rest of the program is similar to a classic sequencer with a set of necessary instruments, effects and intuitive controls. True, many find it inconvenient due to the many work areas open at the same time.

In addition to the full-length version, there are stripped-down sequencer options for the iPad.

Steinberg Cubase →

6. PreSonus Studio One 3

Platforms: Windows, macOS.

Price: the Prime version is free, Artist costs 6,240 rubles, Professional - 25,151 rubles.

For whom: for those who are more interested in writing music than poking around in programs.

One of the youngest DAW software around and my personal favorite is Studio One. The sequencer interface has logic and convenience. Nice built-in effects, the ability to concentrate all control on one screen (as well as leave only tracks), correct work with MIDI and convenient recording of live instruments - this is implemented in Studio One so that it is pleasant to use. There is almost no need to be distracted by technical troubles in the process, it is enough to turn on Studio One and start creating.

The sequencer is approaching the top positions of the DAW ratings, but is not yet ready to match the mastodons either in popularity or in the number of proposed innovations. But his merits are noted by composers, DJs and authors of music for films and advertisements, and On-the-go guitarist Maxim Makarychev admitted that he considers Studio One to be much better than Logic.

Apart from the fact that everything works as it should in Studio One, the sequencer has no special advantages. The Track Management or Scratch Pad functions can be noted. The first allows you to customize the display of track data and save it to a preset, and the second allows you to create quick drafts on an additional screen to find out how certain changes will affect the track.

The disadvantages of the sequencer are not the most convenient piano roll and the need to use a large enough monitor with the program - otherwise the whole tirade about the convenience of Studio One loses its meaning.

PreSonus Studio One →

7. Propellerhead Reason 9.5

Platforms: Windows, macOS.

Price: € 369 for the first purchase or € 129 for an upgrade from version 9.0.

For whom: for those in whom not only a musician lives, but also an engineer who loves to understand complex systems.

Reason has always stood apart: the sequencer interface looked much more complex than the usual set of tracks, and the program itself did not support plugins and sound recording.

Now everything has changed. Propellerhead has incorporated all the key skills of modern sequencers into the product, while retaining the previous strengths of the program. The main difference between Reason and other stations is that it does not hide the mechanics of the ongoing processes and settings. Synthesizers, samplers, processors and mixers are selected on a rack-like panel (in other words, a cabinet with equipment), and are connected with virtual cables.

Previous versions of the software were used in conjunction with other DAWs and VSTs in which the Reason rack settings could be applied. The latest version of the sequencer is a self-contained product suitable for recording music and supporting the Ableton Link protocol.

All of this makes Reason a little weird, the most difficult, but arguably the most interesting of the sequencers out there.

Propellerhead Reason →

8. GarageBand

Platforms: macOS, iOS.

Price: is free.

For whom: for Apple computer owners who prefer not to bother with finding, buying and learning complex programs.

GarageBand is a lightweight version of Logic Pro X that shouldn't be underestimated. Perhaps the sequencer lags behind full-length stations in technical characteristics, but the emergence of GarageBand is an important event in the world of amateur music. Now any owner of an "apple" gadget can create high-quality music, regardless of skills in working with DAW programs and knowledge of sound engineering.

Don't compare GarageBand with eJay's DIY crafting software: you have to compose, not combine pre-made loops. The lightness of the sequencer translates into cross-platform functionality: iPhone and iPad apps are powerful enough to do something worthwhile in them, and projects can be exported to GarageBand or Logic Pro X on macOS.

If you have an apple on your computer and are wondering which DAW software to start with, the simple, efficient, and free GarageBand is your best bet. It has built-in instruments and effects, a virtual guitar pedalboard, amp emulators, a virtual drummer Drummer and the ability to install AU plugins.

Also GarageBand (naturally, not as a main DAW software) is used by many famous artists, such as Rihanna, Nine Inch Nails and Noel Gallagher.

GarageBand →

GarageBand Apple

9. Cakewalk Sonar

Platforms: Windows.

Price: Annual subscriptions range from $ 99 for Sonar Artist to $ 499 for Sonar Platinum. There are student discounts. So, for the platinum version of the program, students will have to pay $ 349 per year.

For whom: for those who for some reason do not like other sequencers, and those who have to work especially a lot with piano roll parts.

This powerful and easy-to-use sequencer is sometimes referred to as Logic Pro X for Windows. The advantages of Sonar include an elegant and customizable interface, Addictive Drums and Cakewalk samples included, and a convenient piano roll.

You may notice that Cakewalk does not number its station version. This is because she switched to a monthly subscription system. In addition to the three main editions of Sonar, the developers offer Sonar Home Studio at half the price, which has many restrictions, but is excellent for mastering the skills of working with a sequencer.

One of the unobvious advantages of Sonar is the Pattern Tool function - this is an additional brush in the piano roll that allows you to quickly copy musical fragments.

Cakewalk Sonar →

The life hacker has already conducted a short educational program on creating a home recording studio. Choosing a DAW is arguably the hardest part to achieve this goal. What sequencer do you use? Share your answer in the comments.