Digital audio workstation

(Redirected from Digital Audio Workstation)

1 Overview
2 Development
- 2.1 Proprietary
- 2.2 Open Source
3 Common Layouts for Computer-Based DAWs
4 Examples
5 External links

Overview

A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is a system designed to record, edit, and play back digital audio. A key feature of DAWs is the ability to freely manipulate recorded sounds, much like a word processor manipulates typed words. DAWs generally come in two varieties:

Integrated DAWs consist of a mixing console, control surface, and digital interface in one device. Integrated DAWs were more popular before personal computers became powerful enough to run DAW software. As computer power increased and price decreased, the popularity of the costly integrated systems dropped. However, systems such as the Orban Audicy still flourished in the radio and television markets.
Computer-based DAWs generally consist of three components: a computer, a sound card, and Digital audio editor software. The computer acts as a host for the sound card and software, and also provides some amount of processing power for audio editing. The sound card acts as an audio interface, usually converting an analog audio signal into a digital form, and also optionally assists the computer in processing audio. The software controls the two hardware components, providing a user interface to allow for recording and editing. Many radio stations in the U.S. prefer using computer-based DAWs over intergrated DAWs. Adobe Audition (formerly known as Cool Edit) is one of the more widely-used PC-based DAWs in the radio industry.

Development

Musicians, composers, and many other types of audiophiles have long had a desire to interconnect audio devices, stereos, recording equipment, MIDI keyboards and even electric guitars into their PCs and Macs. Since before the days of the Amiga and the first Moog synthesizer, enthusiasts have sought out more integrated, easier-to-use and higher-performance tools for combining audio tasks into a complete and manageable whole. Hence the advent of the DAW.

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Proprietary

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Open Source

Open source computer-based DAWs are becoming popular because they are free-to-use and are designed to run on a variety of operating system platforms. For example, Audacity is an open-source DAW that can run on Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux operating systems. Ogg Vorbis is an open-source codec that Audacity can edit, in addition to the mp3 and wav audio file formats.

Open source development of digital audio workstations has been accelerated by the ALSA drivers and JACK. The Linux Audio Development mailing list, LAD has come to be a major driving force in developing standards like the LADSPA plugin architecture for Linux systems. The LADSPA plugin architecture, the JACK API and the ALSA soundcard driver perhaps represent the 'cutting-edge' for continuing DAW development for professional audio production.

Another development course for audio on Linux and BSD comes in the form of the aRts ( audio Real-time synthesizer ) platform, which is distributed with the K desktop environment, KDE. The aRts system is a modular software synthesizer and soundserver that serves as the default platform for system sounds, recording and playback and other audio tasks within KDE. While not considered a professional audio platform, aRts modules can be put together into custom layouts and configurations using aRts Builder which has a user-friendly graphical interface.

Common Layouts for Computer-Based DAWs

Most computer-based DAWs have a standard layout which includes the standard transport controls (play, rewind, record, etc), track controls and waveform display. In single-track DAWs, only one track of audio can be displayed at a time (in mono or stereo form). Multitrack DAWs are capable of displaying – and playing back – multiple tracks at a time. All waveforms are contained within tracks. Each track usually contains controls that allow the user to adjust the overall volume and balance (pan) of all of the waveforms contained within the track. [The pan control allows the user to adjust the ratio of left vs. right channel loudness in a stereo waveform.] In addition, each track can adjusted to apply multiple sound effects all of its waveforms.

Many DAWs will also allow the user to adjust the waveforms and pan (the balance between the left and right channels) of a waveform. This is commonly performed through "envelope points". Each dot represents one envelope point. By creating and adjusting multiple envelope points along a waveform, the loudness and/or pan of the waveform can be dynamically altered. In other words, using envelope points, the waveform can be adjusted in advance so that the volume and pan characteristics of waveform can change over time (as the waveform is being played back).

Examples

Some free and open source PC-based DAW systems are:

AGNULA – a set of Linux distributions optimized for audio work.
Dynebolic – a LiveCD GNU/Linux distribution by Dyne.org geared towards multimedia production.
MusE (not to be confused with MuSE; see below.)
Planet CCRMA – a set of RPMs for audio production work.
Rosegarden
Ardour
Audacity for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux operating systems.

Some integrated DAW systems are:

Some Macintosh or PC-Based DAWs are:

Adobe Audition, from Adobe Systems, previously known as CoolEdit from Syntrillium for Microsoft Windows
Sony's Sound Forge and Vegas
Digidesign Pro Tools
Steinberg Nuendo & Cubase
Mark of the Unicorn Digital Performer
SonicStudio HD
Merging Technologies PYRAMIX Virtual Studio
SADiE
Apple Logic (formerly emagic logic)
SawStudio
Tracktion
Ableton Live
Reason

Categories: Audio engineering | Computer workstations | Workstations