Digital audio recording on the computer was just starting to become affordable.

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With version 10.5, Apple Logic Pro X now incorporates full-fledged, non-linear recording and a top-class Sampler instrument.

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Its a stellar update to a best-in-class DAW, and if you already own Logic Pro X, its free.

GarageBand offers easy music recording for novices and pros alike, and it comes free with every Mac.

The app is still the best way to learn piano or guitar on a computer and easily earns our Editors Choice nod.

In its latest iteration, Ableton Live is a powerful all-in-the-box solution for composing and performing live music, particularly electronic-influenced tunes.

If youre looking to get started in podcasting or recording music, its tough to go wrong with Audacity.

A powerful, free, open-source audio editor thats been available for years, Audacity is still the go-to choice for quick-and-dirty audio work.

Reaper offers nearly all of the features and flexibility, if not the ease of use or visual appeal, of powerhouse digital audio workstations like Pro Tools, at a fraction of the cost.

Samplitude is a full-featured digital audio workstation and audio editor.

Its an ideal stepping stone on the path to pro-level mastering.

Sequoia is the industry standard for a complete mixing and mastering environment, particularly for classical recordings, live broadcast, and prepping recordings for vinyl or high-resolution digital distribution.

Its price puts it out of range of all but the highest-end users, however.

PreSonus reinvented the common digital audio workstation in 2008 with Studio One; the latest version is the most inspired yet.

Steinberg Cubase Pro is a top-notch digital audio workstation particularly suited to MIDI and virtual instrument composers.

Audition is a comprehensive audio editor for video post-production, podcasts, and audio restoration.

Its expensive for what you get, though, and makes the most sense as a supplement to a video editor or as part of an existing CC subscription.

If you want to produce some of todays slickest beats, right up to full electronic dance music tracks, FL Studio could be the ideal key to unlock your creativity, although its not the best choice for an all-around digital audio workstation.

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Twenty years ago, to record a music album at a professional level, you needed a sizable mixing console, several eight-track digital records (such as ADATs or DA-88s), and a good selection of outboard compressors, reverb units, and other effects, plus a two-track deck to mix down to.

In other words, you were looking at about 10K to 15K worth of gear to startand thats before you got to microphones, speakers, and other accessories.

If you were on a budget, youd probably stick with a tried-and-true Tascam or Yamaha four-track tape recorder and Alesis compressor, get used to bouncing tracks in mono, make peace with tape hiss, and remember to clean the tape heads every week.

The only easy multitrack recording you could do at the time was with MIDI, with hardware synthesizers or samplers, and maybe with a Mac or an Atari ST computer attached as a sequencer.

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