PreSonus is another brilliantly designed platform that reduces the learning curve when new to music production or starting with a new DAW. Additionally, the community you can tap into for inspiration, collaboration, and general support is now extensive. User reviews have reported transition from Logic to Studio One as an alternative easier than you might expect.
Another great feature with Studio One is the 40GBs of samples , loops, and one-shots that it comes with by default. Many other DAWs require annual upgrade purchases. They have a very active community on their forum, and FL studio has some of the most tutorials and courses online.
Sound Forge is focused on the mastering aspects of the production process. With Sound Forge, you should be able to achieve commercial standard volume in your mastering process, while also reducing noise. Outside of being a free DAW desktop platform, their community is essentially a social network for musicians, producers, and music fans that help you collaborate and make money off of your music.
In addition to Cakewalk, Bandlab has an online mix editor to start making beats, recording audio, and much more. Read our review of Cakewalk here. You would need run a virtual machine with macOS, or try a Hackintosh. Even then, you for the purposes of having a quality DAW, you are more likely to be satisfied with a quality alternative to Logic, like Soundtrap. Yes there are some free DAWs available. Typically they come with a beginner version of the software. Soundtrap by Spotify, is hands down the best online daw with built in autotune.
Sign up for free, and make music faster. Soundtrap is available as a completely online DAW powerful enough to produce music at a professional level.
The Studio makes projects are available as collaborative efforts for band members or producers. An affordable option, that comes with a day free trial.
Built-In Plugins Logic has a myriad of reliably built plugins that it comes with, including their vocal compressor , and their amp designer is capable of endless guitar altering configurations. Search Users by Talent Category or Genre. Try Soundtrap. Try Reason. Try Pro Tools. Try PreSonus Studio One. Try FL Studio Try Sound Forge Pro. Try Cakewalk. The only way that you can do this is by downloading an emulator or simulator to act as Apple. After a few weeks of working on another DAW, you will notice that you can do basically the same things, you just have to get comfortable.
You will then be prompted to download an emulator such as Virtual Box. Cubase provides producers with an incredible workflow experience as well as countless features that make your life easier when making music. As far as user experience goes, Cubase has a great online community that is super helpful via forums and on Youtube. Cubase also provides producers with a super clean interface that is user friendly. I will say that most producers who use Cubase typically swear by it.
While it can be expensive, it is upgraded regularly and it is an incredible product. Ableton is an extremely popular DAW this is hands down the best for live performance. What makes is Ableton so popular is the fact that it is easy to use. While all DAWs are similar in a sense, Ableton seems to have the most tutorials available for users on Youtube. As far as community goes, Ableton Live has an incredibly active community that is always helpful to users.
Logic Pro X is also known for having a great community to lean on when you need help. This is one of the reasons why I think Ableton is so great. With so many producers using Ableton, you can pretty much always find answers to problems. Reaper is the most cost-effective alternative. While it can be tricky to learn at first, it only costs what you afford per month. Fl Studio has risen in popularity over the years after starting as more of a budget option.
With that being said, it works with Windows and it is very popular and worth the mention. Pro Tools was widely considered the most professional DAW for years.
Cakewalk has quite the story as it was once an expensive DAW. Since going through company changes, Cakewalk is now free and just as powerful as it once was. You will need Windows 7 or higher and I would recommend a moderately fast PC overall for the best user experience. Should you be familiar with Logic Pro X, but be wanting to try something free before purchasing, this is a great option.
