Last post we covered some of the better programs available to use if you have an Apple computer running your studio. It used to be that in order to have a proper computer recording set up, you needed to run a Mac, but fortunately times have changed, and that is no longer the case. Recent advances in technology have made it easier for all computer users to record audio in a home studio environment. Although I would still recommend using a Mac if at all possible for that type of application, PC’s are coming around and offer a substantially better solution than they did even a few short years ago.
Among the most popular programs for PC DAW software is Steinberg Cubase 5. If you’re using a PC as your DAW workstation I would recommend Cubase 5 as your first choice. Every revision of this software has brought refinements and improvements that improve its features and functionality.
Cubase also has an excellent feature called Studio Connections. Studio Connections allows for your compatible external hardware, such as a Yamaha Motif to show up inside of your software for total hardware and software integration. With Studio Connections you can store your external hardware settings inside of your Cubase projects so when you load up a project it loads your external hardware settings as well. Very cool.
The premier program to use for PC when doing audio recording where it is necessary to have more extensive video sync and editing features is also made by Steinberg Nuendo. Nuendo is a powerful program for editing and recording audio in the digital environment, and as stated above it has more extensive video editing and syncing features.
Nuendo also offers plug-in’s for editing various surround sound formats for film scoring and other video related production, such as Dolby Digital and DTS. Both of these programs mentioned do run on Macintosh, however because they are also PC options where as Logic and Digital Performer programs that I mentioned in the first post are not, I consider them to be more a PC type application. Ultimately there are a ton of viable choices for recording audio in a computer based recording environment. Which software works best for you is in some cases merely a matter of personal preference. As always I’m available to help you figure out which program works best for you. Just give me a call at 800-373-8393 X100 or email bfoley@daddys.com and we’ll get you set up with whichever product will suit your needs.
