Home Recording 101, Part III: Digital Workstations

So you know some of the most popular studio terms, you've got your microphone(s), and you're ready to go. There's just one thing though, you're going to need some sort of recording workstation. I've chosen to detail the digital ones because in this day and age, analog recorders are harder to get your hands on and they're much less commonly used. Digital workstations are cheaper as well.

Cakewalk

Cakewalk is responsible for the development of a few recording programs. Namely Sonar, Sonar XL and Metro 5. Cakewalk programs run specifically on PC, so if you've used them before you you think you're going to be comfortable with them, it's a wise to know that they're not going to be able to run on your Mac. Cakewalk was one of the first to boast an easy to use (relatively) workstation. Sonar and Sonar XL do a fantastic job at recording audio, and they have a lot of options. Editing is a bit lacking, but it'll still get the job done. Cakewalk programs are entry level, but they'll still get done what you need to get done.

DigiDesign

You may have already heard about DigiDesign, or at least their programs. They're the makers of the ProTools family. For years, they were exclusive to Macintosh products. As of late though, they're adapted their programs to work on PC as well. Producers now have more options than ever as companies compete over the different markets. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that ProTools works, and works great. This has been the premier audio recording software for the last half decade or so. Pro Tools works great (if not the best) if you're recording and editing audio. If you're trying to get into MIDI though, Pro Tools isn't really the best choice. They boast so much power behind the recording and editing side, they all but forgot about MIDI. Protools is quite expensive though. I'd recommend starting with something else unless you already know what you're doing.

Emagic

Emagic is the owner of Logic Audio and Logic Audio Platinum. They kindof went backwards where ProTools went forwards. Logic Audio is a great recording software but as of late, they've been acquired by Apple, so it's only available on Macintosh systems. A lot of pros use Logic Audio Platinum, but I haven't had much experience with it. I just thought I'd let you know that is a fairly popular digital workstation.

Steinberg

When I first started recording audio, I used Steinberg programs almost exclusively. They're responsible for the launch of Cubase and all of it's other relatives. Cubase is a great program for recording and editing, but mostly for MIDI. Think ProTools, then go the opposite. Steinberg is the current leader in synthetic instrument technology and it's a highly versatile program, Cubase is a powerhouse. I'd recommend Cubase for anybody that can't afford ProTools.

Adobe

Adobe makes a host of different programs for different purposes. The one we'll talk about here though is Audition. Audition is a great entry level program, but due to it's clunkyness isn't really efficient enough to be called a great program. It is though, the cheaper of the programs and it will get the job done. New users might find themselves a bit frustrated though, as you'll need to learn keyboard shortcuts to get the full efficiency out of the program. Adobe Audition is commonly used at radio stations for simple editing jobs.

Check my other articles for Part IV.