Choosing and Using DAWs: an outline

Choosing a suitable DAW can be simple. More often it requires some careful study. It depends upon your realities. Here in outline form are some of the points that we consider while advising you. We'd be happy to discuss any of them with you.

basics

questions for you

• What brings you to this? What do you want to accomplish?
• What sorts of projects do you do, and envision doing? What is your experience regarding workstations? What kind of system do you envision for yourself? What is its appeal/value to you?
• Will you be working with music? Video? Voice? Mastering? Archiving? Restoration? Forensics?
• What products will you be producing? CD, DVD, cassette, MiniDisc, video, TV broadcast, radio broadcast , Surround (Dolby Pro Logic, AC-3, DTS), CD-ROM, Enhanced CD, Internet audio?
• How many tracks of simultaneous recording and playback will you need?
• Do/will you spend lots of time creatively on one piece? Or is speed paramount in your production environment?
• Sound quality. How good is good enough? Only the best (24-bit, 192kHz, for now) or less?
• Are you familiar with computers? Have a preference? Would a standalone system (as opposed to computer-hosted) suit you best?
• Price range. What is realistic; suits your enterprise? How and how fast will your new DAW repay you?

concepts

DAWs are relatively new technology. It is helpful to have a grip on these terms, concepts, and techniques: non-destructive, non-linear, digital audio, digital mixing, open and closed architecture, storage, bit depth, sample rate, synchronization (digital audio, video, MIDI, etc.), file format (AIFF, snd, .WAV, SDII, etc.), EDL, play list, waveform display, etc.

product differences

What differences are how important to you?

suitability to your uses:

• music production: multitracking? MIDI integration ( with sequencers, MMC, etc.)?
• sound-for-picture: digital video playback, machine control, spotting, EDL import & autoconform, ADR, OMF compatibility, etc.
• multimedia: Internet audio?
• radio
• mastering: noise shaping, subcode editing, PMCD & DDP support, DVD premastering, etc.
• CD recording

sync protocols supported: LTC, MIDI, VITC 9-pin, DA-88, ADAT, tach, bi-phase, etc.

platform requirements (computer, RAM, monitor, input devices, storage); computer-based vs. standalone

speed and ease of operation

• gives you edge on your competition? makes you more productive? breeds client satisfaction and loyalty?
• duration of operator learning curve
• how quick and capable you are after the learning curve
• friendly (and perhaps simple) interface: how skilled will your operators be?
• number, complexity, and capability of screens and menus

creative power: important to you? gives you edge on your competition? breeds client satisfaction and loyalty?

editing

• non-destructive?
• easy to change? levels of Undo?
• macros?
• external controller needed or helpful?
• background operations?
• flexibility
• scrubbing
• crossfades
• spotting to picture
• MIDI integration

tracking: punch-ins/outs, autolocation

mixing:

• virtual, digital
• integration with surrounding systems: auxes
• internal busses, automation
• efx/processing. What's inboard: EQ, dynamics, reverb, time comp/exp, miscellaneous plug-ins? Aux's for outboard efx?
• routing/patching, automation, grouping

sound quality ( important to you; gives you edge on your competition; breeds client satisfaction and loyalty?), noise (bit depth of recording and of internal processing, jitter — importance of noise floor?), bandwidth (sample rate), imaging (integrity of sound stage — depth, accuracy). Most DAWs sound very good, but sonic differences do exist. What differences matter? Is future remastering likely or possible, for DVD or whatever?

expandability — if you decide to add more I/O's, tracks, filters, onboard processing, storage time, etc. in the future

future upgrades: stability of company, amount of R&D, frequency and capability of revs (including their backward compatibility!), openness of product architecture, responsiveness to customer wishes and changing markets.

What product life cycle will be necessary in your case? How immediate must be the return on your investment? Can you justify the purchase based on your current needs and solid possibilities? DAWs tend to become cheaper and more powerful within a few years at most. On the other hand, some systems also evolve/develop in valuable ways. Also, depending on your work, a system can remain valuable to you for many years without growing at all.

client satisfaction with your work process. Will sessions be client-attended? Will actual client participation be important, or at least clear understanding of what is happening? Is the system's name recognition (by clients) important?

new market potential. Many DAW buyers find themselves getting into new markets that they didn't anticipate.

DSP allocation. To what extent is system speed and power dependent upon the CPU, or is the power in outboard processing or cards, leaving the CPU free to draw screens, handle disks, do general housekeeping, etc.?

software options: plug-ins, filters, efx (reverb, time comp/expand), NoNoise, etc.

backup: hardware and media, cost, ease, etc.

networking: facility networking; digital media workgrouping; # of systems networkable; what media being moved; speed required

transportability, for portable applications: field use at performing venues; direct-to-hard-disk recording on location

help: on-line and paper documentation; installation; training; manufacturer tech support see after-sale support below); user groups; helpfulness ofdealer

after-sale support: quality, availability, responsiveness, and cost of support resources; upgrades: bug fixes and new features

price. What is a comfortable price point? What investment repays you best?

In summary, what differences matter most in your case? Most of the above may be of little or no relevance to your situation.

nuts & bolts of your system

basic system hardware:card or unit, I/O's, controller or input device

hardware integration with your external devices, via audio (with your console, processors, monitor speakers, patching, routing, etc.), time code, MIDI, clock, video, CD-R, tie lines, etc. Room acoustics.

software: for recording/tracking, mixing, and editing; integration w/ plug-ins or software efx, external devices (recorders, processors, MIDI, etc.)

computer, etc.: CPU, storage, RAM, display, keyboard and other input devices, backup

conclusion

system configuration: Prepare written quotation for you?

Where do we go from here? What needs thinking about, or further investigation? What choices remain (options, etc.)? Are there specific questions to answer? Concerns to resolve? Ignorance or fear to dispel? People at your facility who need to be be "sold"? Talk with factory specialist desireable? Money issues we might help with (through leasing, etc.)? Uncertainties about your market direction and potential? Will the system be of sufficient value to you — a profitable purchase?

to top of page

back to learning