The Best DAW In The World

The Best DAW in the World

We all get stuck in a creative rut from time to time and this makes us willing to try whatever we can to help find our 'muse' again. One such option, all be it a very major change, is to throw in the towel on your existing DAW of choice and go to a new platform. " It's new"," It's groundbreaking" there is an "online buzz" about it... everybody you speak to seems to be using it right?...It's the latest ">put your DAW here< killer "...so it must be perfect, right? Well, perhaps not. We all know really just because something is new doesn't mean it's naturally better, and also 'hype' has never really been the basis for a considered review. But does that mean what you're using is currently perfect as well? Well, perhaps not. Every piece of software we use has unbelievable functionality and time saving creative controls. We can do things with audio that was unheard off previously ( literally ) and our creativity should have an easy journey to artistic euphoria. But again we all know that with every positive, there are numerous workarounds and missing features that we stare at longingly on other platforms where it appears better.

Is the grass always greener?

If you like a DAW for a particular function, then use it. If this means you end up having a few DAW's that you turn to then I really don't see it any different than picking up a different Guitar into a different Amp. Or using a different Synth or Mic or Preamp. Every artist requires tools. What we do with them is up to us, and perhaps combining two DAW applications may provide more power than ever achievable on a single platform? Which is how many musicians work. There is always a learning curve with any DAW, and if you feel committed to learning something new, have you felt you've looked the same way about your current DAW? Until I've squeezed every possibility out of a piece of software I already own I'm reticent to jump ship.

Dare you pick a DAW and stick with it?

If you find yourself unable to be creative, then I dare say it's not the DAW that is causing creative turmoil, it's usually something else...Seeing another new DAW I guess can either make you want it or make you want to learn what you have better. And this is my point. I don't think in the history of music production have we ever been so spoilt by what we can achieve. Likewise, I've never heard an end-user ( i.e. the listening public ) turn around and say ' oh this track would've been so much better if you had used : 'Logic/Live/Cubase/Bitwig/StudioOne/ProTools/Digital Performer/ etc ' instead of what you used. I've changed platforms many times from Notator to Cubase on an Atari though to Digital Performer, Logic, Ableton Live, Studio One and Pro Tools - was I better off for this journey? Have my recordings improved? Yes, of course, they have. But I now feel this is down more to my ability improving and the fact I've actually learnt my DAW thoroughly and I no longer view it as an obstacle.

Focus on the music

Maybe it's better to 'Love The One You're With' rather than the one you think / or have been told you want? The best DAW in the world is whatever YOU'RE using. It's about YOU. The constant hunt for the perfect solution may be just a distraction. It's like any session - at some point, you need to commit allowing you to move on. If you do change your DAW you need to be really prepared to commit to it, otherwise in 6-12 months time you'll be in exactly the same place again. Maybe, though, it's time to learn all those little functions and secrets that your existing DAW holds before giving up on it? There must have been a reason you chose it in the first place.