Choosing the right DAW can be a daunting task, even for an experienced musician. Before making your final purchase decision, there are a few things worth clarifying.
There is no better DAW
Until the mid-2000s, Cubase was considered the king of MIDI, Logic possessed the highest quality virtual instruments, and Pro Tools had no equal in working with audio tracks and their contents. Today, the differences between DAWs are so small that they are unlikely to play a significant role in daily work.
We each have our own best DAW.The days when some DAWs did better at some tasks are long gone. When asking experienced musicians and sound engineers for advice, remember that their suggestions and comments are biased. Each person will advise the program in which it is convenient for him to work. People tend to overestimate the merits of what is close to them, and belittle unfamiliar things. You don’t have to run out of cash for Pro Tools just because someone called it the best DAW.
Platform means nothing
The operating system the DAW runs on does not affect the software’s capabilities in any way. When choosing a program for recording music, be guided by the operating system of your computer, but nothing more. 95% of digital workstations ship for both PC and Mac, and some support Linux.
Some DAWs are only released for specific operating systems. GarageBand and Logic Pro X only exist on macOS, while Cakewalk SONAR is still exclusive to Windows computers. Any comment about the exclusivity of Macs or the flexibility of the PC is complete nonsense. Choose based on your preference, available hardware, and budget.
Musicians raise expectations for Logic Pro
Logic Pro X is expensive, especially now. Logic costs $ 199 (12,990 rubles), for which the musician gets a convenient program and an impressive set of samples, loops, virtual instruments and other goodness. Buying such a set separately would cost significantly more than the stated $ 200, but the problem is different. Logic Pro X is no different from any other DAW.
Sample library? Cubase, Studio One and even Mixcraft have it. Industry standard? Cubase and Pro Tools are even more standard than Logic. Working speed? It’s still a long way from Reaper and Studio One. There is nothing in Logic that other music recording software cannot do.
Apple loves to make money, that’s okay. In order for sales to grow, Cupertinos need to sell computers and laptops on macOS, the target audience of which is also musicians. This is why Apple is so fond of celebrating the exclusivity of Logic Pro X.