11/27/2012

Home Computer Recording Studio Software Guide

By Lucile Jacobs


Technological advances have completely changed the shape of music. While once an up and coming artist needed to get the backing of a major label before they could even see the inside of a recording studio, now bands of any size can record and produce high quality tracks in their bedrooms. The big element of change in all of this is recording studio software.

Do a quick search online and you will garner hundreds of results, with all kinds of different programs offering all kinds of different features. Though you might assume they all do roughly the same thing, this is not the case. Each piece of software is designed to perform best in certain situations and for certain types of music. Here is a guide to the most well-known brands and their pros and cons.

Perhaps the first name that pops into people's heads when they think 'music software' is Reason. It's been around for ten years now and has gone from strength to strength in that time. Its latest pack gives the user a fantastic level of choice in terms of how they compose individual tracks as they record. There are plenty of synths and instruments but the real kicker is the ability to manipulate individual parts of the song.

If you want to take your bedroom twiddlings into the live arena, you probably will get more use out of Ableton Live. The bank of samplers, sequencers and loops give electronica artists a brilliant live set up all stored on the convenience of a laptop. Perhaps its stand out feature, however, is its ease of use.

While the two programs mentioned above can both be considered reasonably priced considering the sheer scope of their capabilities, Komplete is notable for its inflated price tag. That high price, however, gets you an incredible array of synths, samplers and sounds all of which are as good as you can find. The price is high, yes, but the program is essentially limitless in terms of what it offers.

Far cheaper but also far more popular is pro tools. Pro Tools is most notable for how simple it is to pick up and its easy interface makes it highly recommended for first time users of recording programs. It is straightforward and comes with a minimum of fuss so it's perfect for those learning the ropes. Chances are, however, that you will need to upgrade your soundcard as it requires at least a Digidesign audio card to run.

For those looking for something to foster their children's interests in music recording, the Flexi Music Kids Composer program is a terrific start. As with all the best software aimed at children it is easy for first time users to figure out the basics and have fun with putting simple tunes together. More advanced composers, however, can also use it to put together much more complicated work.

With all those options on the market it makes for a dizzying choice for the buyer. The best thing to do is think about what, exactly, you are hoping to do with the program and buy the one which corresponds best with that. Keep an open mind and download a demo for each piece of recording studio software to test it out first.




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