If You Know One DAW, You Know Them All

MARJORIE LOPRESTI

Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) are multitrack recording and editing software programs, which are key to any school's music technology department. These platforms provide opportunities for hands-on music-making with built-in loop libraries, MIDI, and audio recording capabilities. Experienced music-makers and novices alike can experience immediate succes due to the scaffolding provided by tempo and tuning controls. Many teachers also use DAWs to build custom practice tracks for ensembles

Many educators are comfortable with at least one DAW, often GarageBand or Mixcraft, which are the standard-bearers for introductory DAWs. But GarageBand, Mixcraft, such higher-end DAWs as Logic, ProTools, FL Studio, Ableton Live, and Acid must be locally-installed on computers and are not available for mobile devices. Student access, therefore, has been limited to the time that they have access to the computer on which the software has beeninstalled.

With the emergence of highly-functional online DAWs, learning and music production has extended beyond the classroom and music lab. Students can access cloud-based software at any time, provided they have access to the internet. Any experienced musician knows the importance of capturing inspiration when the mood strike, so 24/7 access is a game-changer for students.