This and the soundcard are what turn your computer into a home studio.

Free

• ProTools Free
  Well, if you're running Windows 9x or OS9, then ProTools makes a free version of it's software. The only drawback is it only supports 8 tracks. At this price it may be worth it to dust off that Windows 98 disc. Another plus of this software is that anyone can install it. Your friend doesn't have to buy a copy in order to share your sessions. So you can take your USB based sound card over to you friend's house and continue working.
• KRISTAL Audio Engine is a powerful multi-track recorder, audio sequencer and mixer - ideal for anyone wanting to get started with recording, mixing and mastering digital audio. It is designed as a modular system. The main application provides a mixing console, while the audio sequencer, live audio input and so on are loaded as separate Plug-Ins. (Windows Only)

• Audacity is a free audio editor. You can record sounds, play sounds, import and export WAV, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and MP3 files, and more. Use it to edit your sounds using Cut, Copy and Paste (with unlimited Undo), mix tracks together, or apply effects to your recordings. It also has a built-in amplitude envelope editor, a customizable spectrogram mode and a frequency analysis window for audio analysis applications. Built-in effects include Echo, Change Tempo, and Noise Removal, and it also supports VST and LADSPA plug-in effects. (Windows, OSX, Linux)
  Transom.org has a good overview of Audacity with tips and tricks. Audacity: Editing wants to be FREE! An audio editing solution for Mac, Windows and Linux.

   

• Cubasis VST, Cakewalk Home Studio
  If you need more than 8 total tracks, or aren't running Windows 9x (which includes Windows Me), then you can buy Cakewalk Home Studio for $90. I honestly don't know anything about it. For $99.99 you can get Cubasis VST.
• ProTools LE
  You can't purchase ProTools LE without purchasing some hardware - the Digi001, M-Box or Digi002. This is the same software the pro's use, with a couple of differences. It's limited to 24 or 32 tracks, and uses your computer's processing power rather than proprietary cards.
• Cubase VST, Cubase SX
  Cubase SX is fast becoming the application of choice for live and sequenced audio. VST is the previous version, which will run on Win9x. All version support ASIO drivers for low-latency audio and VST instruments. Cubase VST: $200 on eBay, Cubase SX: $600.
• Logic, Sonar
  I'm not really familiar with these products, but they're worth checking out. Logic was recently acquired by Apple, so don't expect any further PC editions.
  
  The following was submitted to me by Keshlam on July 21, 2004:

Re Cakewalk Home Studio: I've been using it. Haven't pushed it very hard, but so far it's been fairly straightforward. Early versions were limited to recording 2 channels at a time; I believe the current version has lifted that limit. It accepts industry standard plug-ins.

One possible advantage, for folks who care about this, is that since Cakewalk is from the same folks who sell Sonar there's a discounted upgrade price from Cakewalk to Sonar, and you *may* save some retraining time versus moving from another package. They're also the same folks publishing Finale, and there are occasionally discount offers across those two product lines, which may be of interest if you want to produce high-quality printed scores.

(I believe there are also "competetive upgrades" to Sonar -- if you own another pro package, they'll give you a price break to encourage you to move over.)

I haven't used the other packages enough to do a proper comparison of Cakewalk Home Studio, and as I say I haven't pushed it hard enough to really do a proper review... but if you've got specific questions I can try to come up with answers.

• Audio Desk & Digital Performer
  If you're a Mac person, you may want to look into Digitial Performer. Audio Desk is the audio editing suite that comes with any MOTU hardware. For around $450 you can upgrade to Digital Performer, which adds the ability to work with sequenced audio. Like Cubase and ProTools, Digital Performer is a widely embraced, world-class audio editing platform.
• Cool Edit Pro
  The underdog of the DAW world, Cool Edit Pro is recognized for it's accuracy and low price tag - $250. This software is definately worth a look.

What To Get?

Even more than with a sound card, this is where it really pays to be able to try before you buy. Download demo's of anything you're interested in, or find a friend who has it and sit down with it... don't let them help you too much, see how well you can figure it out on your own. Download any manuals that are available and see which ones make sense to you.

Of course, that's more work than I did, I just bought the Digi001 with ProTools LE so I'd know I'd have something to fall back on if nothing else worked. Plus I knew people who were happy with it, and I could record drums at the studio down the block and bring them home to mix. On the other hand, I spend a lot more time in Cubase because it works with Reason (see sequencers), so I paid for software twice. ProTools, on the other hand, is easier to use and works with all the channels of the Digi001, so I'd rather use that. ProTools also has Kontakt, which is supposed to be good, so I may have taken a shorter route by buying Kontakt and using it with ProTools....

As you can see, this is a tough decision. Again, talk to users and be very explicit about your needs. I needed sequenced audio editable in realtime with live audio, which, I think, is one of the more difficult question to answer because the technology to do it in software realm is relatively new.

Digidesign & Steinberg run demo's of their products all the time, especially at places like Sam Ash & Guitar Center. Check the website of your local music store and see if they're running one near you. Just realize you're going to a sales event and they're going to try to sell you on their product.

On January 15, 2003, David Lemire sent to me:

In regard to DAW software, here are some inexpensive and/or free candidates I've come across in my searches that I didn't see on your page.  I've not personally tried any of these other than a coupla minutes playing with n-Track.

• FASoft n-track
  shareware program, try-before-you-buy option, seems to have a really good rep on AM4T. http://www.ntrack.com/
• Quartz AudioMaster Freeware
  limited freeware version of their commercial products.  "Quartz AudioMaster Freeware will allow you to record, edit, mix, share and deliver your productions driving a fully integrated 4 tracks digital mixer, recorder, sound and time line editor in perfect synch with a 16 tracks MIDI sequencer."  www.digitalsoundplanet.com
• Audacity
  Open source audio editor.  "Version 1.0.0 is the final, stable version of the original Audacity. It is a good, simple audio editor suitable for recording, mixing, and editing ordinary tracks of CD-quality audio, on many platforms  including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux."  http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
• PowerTracks Pro
  From the web site:  "PowerTracks Pro Audio is a professional, fully featured digital audio and MIDI workstation, packed with features for musicians, students and songwriters. With seamlessly integrated digital audio / MIDI recording, and built-in music notation, PowerTracks turns a typical soundcard equipped Windows PC into a music production powerhouse!" (From the same folks who sell "Band In A Box").  This was discussed a little bit recently on alt.music.4-track, and I've seen positive things about it in other newsgroups.
  http://www.pgmusic.com/powertracks.htm

For Linux Users:

• Wired supports unlimited Audio/Midi tracks playback and recording, and introduces a Plugin system for instruments and effects. It can also read AKAI CDs and import 18 different Wave formats.
• Rosegarden is a professional audio and MIDI sequencer, score editor, and general-purpose music composition and editing environment.
• Ardour is a digital audio workstation. You can use it to record, edit and mix multi-track audio. Produce your own CD's. Mix video soundtracks. Experiment with new ideas about music and sound. Generate sound installations for 12 speaker gallery shows.
• Audacity (see above)
• AGNULA's main task is the development of two reference distributions for the GNU/Linux operating system completely based on Free Software (i.e. under a FSF approved Free Software license) and completely devoted to professional and consumer audio applications and multimedia development.

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