Which Software?
THE TRADITIONAL BIG BOYS
 Avid ProToolsA studio powerhouse, and an industry standard. Still more of a traditional recording studio program (recording real instruments) rather than a tweaky programmer’s delight (not so suited to electronic/dance music). Comes in pro version that requires expensive hardware, or a budget version that runs native. PC & Mac |
 Steinberg CubaseA great all-rounder, with some fantastic hardware controller and interface options. PC & Mac |
 Apple LogicThe Macintosh owner’s natural preference: owned and designed by Apple engineers to run perfectly on Mac hardware. Very powerful, and a great upgrade from GarageBand. Mac Only |
 Cakewalk SonarAnother stunning all-rounder with a swag of VST instruments included. Although not as popular as the above three DAWs, Sonar users swear by it. PC Only |
 Magix SamplitudeFantastic and powerful program, but potentially not as much forum support for newcomers. PC Only |
THE LOOP/ELECTRONICA SPECIALISTS
 Ableton LiveThe dominant loop/mashup DAW on the market. Super easy to audition and bang audio loops together, and to then control/torture the results in real time. PC & Mac |
 Apple GarageBandCheap and very cheerful. Great way to learn the basics of arranging and mixing a project. Basic set of loops are a bit limited, but certainly no toy. GarageBand is part of the Apple OS iLife pack. PC & Mac |
 Propellerhead ReasonA favourite of electronica/remix producers. Build virtual racks of your own making – perfect for something unique. Can be easily used in conjunction with other DAWs. PC & Mac |
 Sony Acid LiveThe loops specialist that started it all. Still going strong with MIDI and audio support added. PC Only |
THE NEW GUYS
 Cockos ReaperAn Australian designed upstart. Very well regarded and very cheap. A favourite amongst the open-source studio counter-struggle, who want to support ‘the little guy’. PC & Mac |
 PreSonus StudioOneA full-featured DAW without the thousand extra buttons and controls that you’ll never use. Growing in popularity. Studio One Free can get you started. PC & Mac |