Ask an Electronics Technician Online

Recording studio software allows anyone with a computer to create professional digital music with multitrack production quality in the privacy of their own home. Proper software is without a doubt necessary equipment in your audio production. Here’s a runthrough of the industry’s top recording studio software and some free options for beginners…

Audio software.

Cakewalk Sonar (PC) from Twelve Tone Systems. This software offers both a simple interface and a high level of production power. It’s a great piece of software for those who have used free production tools like the ones discussed later. I Cakewalk initially before moving on to ProTools, and the learning curve was not nearly as steep with Cakewalk.

ProTools (PC or Mac) from DigiDesign. This is the highest quality audio recording software on the market today, and one of the most expensive. Also, it’s not as easy to learn as some of the other software. However, if you want the best and are willing to invest the time and money, look no further than ProTools.

Logic Audio (Mac) from Apple. Offers a comprehensive package with a full audio workstation and MIDI sequencer capabilities. Like most Apple workstations, it’s very easy to pick up.

Cubase (PC/Mac) from Steinberg Media. Professional producers enjoy this software for its robust composing and recording funtionalities. This recording studio software is top notch.

Digital Performer (Mac) from Marc of The Unicorn (MOTU). Intuitive and easy to use for video as well as audio. Provides similar functionsin editing, mixing and mastering as ProTools.

Recording Studio Software for Loops

If you are a DJ and looking to make beats, consider these software.

Acid Pro (PC) from Sony. The ProTools of this field.

Fruity Loops from Image Line Software. A favorite among DJs worldwide.

Free Recording Studio Software

Unfortunately, many aspiring producers shell out thousands of dollars on audio recording software, only to lose heart at the intense learning curve. I recommend you take a test drive with the following free software to learn the basics. Once you find your knowledge and passion require it, move on to the high end models previously discussed.

The two software I recommend are Audacity and Kristal Audio Engine. Both offer 16 audio tracks, recording, editing and mixing features. While there are hundreds of free alternatives, I recommend these two for their ease of use for the novice. You can pick it up and start recording music within an hour or two.

A few years ago there was a revolution in recording technology. As computers became more powerful, they started to replace traditional tape recorders that were the heart of most recording studios. Today, computers designed for home use are powerful enough to emulate an entire recording studio, and can be used for everything from multitrack recording to audio editing and scoring music for videos.

This “democratizing” of recording techniques has opened up the entire recording industry to anyone with the proper software and hardware. With software packages costing a few hundred dollars and professional-quality audio interfaces costing less than $100, anybody can have a virtual recording studio in their home.

Some of the big names in the audio recording field are Cubase, ProTools, Sonar and Sound Forge. Each of these Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) can be used for multi-track recording and editing and have the ability to combine recordings with “virtual instruments”.

Virtual instruments are computer-generated sounds that can be played via MIDI. Traditionally, MIDI was used to send music data to hardware devices like keyboards and sound modules, but computers are now powerful enough to emulate sound modules. Instead of hooking up cables to an external device to play MIDI tracks, virtual instruments can be loaded into the computer’s memory to play any type of sound.

MIDI tracks can be combined with audio tracks and all of it played back in perfect synchronization. All tracks can be processed with effects like reverb and chorus, and the entire mix can be compressed for a professional sounding result.

Although professional sound recording packages can be fairly expensive, you can get your feet wet by trying out one of the shareware programs that are available. They will allow you to see the capabilities of digital recording, and if you want to develop your interests further you can later buy one of the professional programs.