Mac: Yes
Win: Yes
Linux: No
Audio: Yes
MIDI: Yes
Virtual: Yes
Notation: No
Rewire: Yes
Plug-In: VST
Driver: ASIO/Core Audio
Price: $60/$225
Reaper is a DAW designed and supported by Cockos. It is configured to be completely customizable be the user while maintaining pristine audio quality. Reaper is a digital audio processor, MIDI sequencer and it supports VST and DX virtual instruments. It isn’t open source, but some of the coding is open to manipulation by users. Reaper actually has two prices, one is a professional license for $225 and the other is a personal license (personal use, educational institutions and businesses grossing less than $20,000 per year) for $60.
Reaper’s big strength is that it is customizable in every way. It will allow you to manipulate the order of your mixer, rearrange your window layout and even change the behavior of your mouse. Because of this customizability, Reaper has a decent learning curve and demands it’s user to understand signal flow and processors to make it work for them. This isn’t a Garage Band type application that will do a lot of functions in the background or create and connect tracks for the novice user. On the flip side, it can be a great learning tool for those interested in knowing everything that is happening in the signal path. Reaper is made for both Mac and Windows and is really a boutique program for people that are tired of the hype and constant updates (that don’t fix the real problems) of big and heavily marketed DAWs. If that describes you then check it out. It even has a FREE 30-day trial.
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Reaper.fm for more information.
This post is part of a larger series of articles comparing the top DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) in a
DAW Comparison Chart and answering the following questions:
What is a DAW? and
Which is the Best DAW for You? 
Mac: No
Win: Yes
Linux: No
Audio: Yes
MIDI: Yes
Virtual: No
Notation: No
Rewire: No
Plug-In: VST
Driver: ASIO
Price: $995-$4,995
Merging Technologies Pyramix has an advantage to some of the other DAWs discussed here. It came into the game late, so it was designed borrowing ideas from what had succeeded while avoiding the mistakes made in the evolution of other DAWs. Pyramix is not a DAW for the casual user. It is a serious audio program. It is used in major complex installations in broadcast facilities, post-production houses and mastering suites. Pyramix doesn’t hold back with advanced audio features from all real-time processing to support of multiple audio formats in a single session without conversion. 
Pyramix has multiple versions and is similar to Pro Tools in that it has both Native (harnesses the computer’s processing power) and DSP Accelerated (uses dedicated hardware cards) versions. It also comes in four different configurations or packs; Broadcast, Music Mastering and Post. Each has a different combination of software and features that is suited for the designated workflow. Finally, Pyramix is Windows only.
Visit Merging.com for more information.
This post is part of a larger series of articles comparing the top DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) in a DAW Comparison Chart and answering the following questions: What is a DAW? and Which is the Best DAW for You?
Mac: No
Win: Yes
Linux: No
Audio: Yes
MIDI: No
Virtual: No
Notation: No
Rewire: No
Plug-In: VST/DX
Driver: ASIO
Price: $349-$499
Magix Sound Forge (originally owned by Sonic Foundry, then Sony, and now Magix) is a DAW dedicated to high fidelity audio production. It is focused specifically towards professional audio recording and mastering, sound design, audio restoration, and Red Book CD creation. Similar to the relationship between Steinberg’s Cubase and Nuendo, Acid Pro and Sound Forge Pro split the duties of music production and audio production. Sound Forge Pro is also commonly used for creating Acid Loops. 
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Mac: Yes
PC: Yes
Linux: Yes
Audio: Yes
MIDI: Yes
Virtual: No
Notation: No
Rewire: No
Plug-In: VST
Driver: Core Audio/ALSA/FFADO
Price: Donations
Ardour is an open source DAW that is designed for both Mac OS and Linux. It is open source in the sense that all users are invited to make changes to the code in order to create a better product. Development and changes are slow at times because of this model and the fact that everything is driven by donations. Ardour is commonly used by tech-savvy home studio and audio enthusiasts who prefer to be more intimately connected with the development of their DAW. If you are into Linux, want to feel more connected to the inner workings of your DAW and know a little C++, you might want to check out Ardour. 
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Mac: No
Win: Yes
Linux: No
Audio: Yes
MIDI: Yes
Virtual: Yes
Notation: No
Rewire: No
Plug-In: VST/DX
Driver: ASIO
Price: $7.99/month, $199, or $299
Magix Acid Pro (originally owned by Sonic Foundry, then Sony, and now Magix) was the original loop production program. It allowed users to toss any loop on the timeline and have the loops automatically conform to the key and tempo of the project (or the first loop). Over the years Acid Pro has become a full DAW with multi-track audio recording and MIDI functionality. These features continue to be developed, but Acid Pro still is first and foremost a loop-based creation program. MIDI and audio recording functionality simply doesn’t compete with most of the other DAWs on the market. 
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Mac: No
Win: Yes
Linux: No
Audio: Yes
MIDI: Yes
Virtual: Yes
Notation: No
Rewire: Yes
Plug-In: VST
Driver: ASIO
Price: $199
Image-Line’s FL Studio (formerly known as Fruity Loops) is very popular as a starter DAW because it is inexpensive and easy to learn. FL Studio is Windows only and sadly is often passed around for free from user to user. This adds to its popularity, but hurts the creators. It is inexpensive from $49 for a simple version to $299 for a decked out version. It is very popular among high school and college students doing MIDI and loop-based production. There are some professional producers who use FL Studio, but the key to getting professional sounding productions from FL Studio is using 3rd party samples. All of the stock sounds are over-used, familiar and not terribly amazing. 
The sequencer is setup similar to a drum sequencer (a pattern-based sequencer) on a sixteenth note grid, so it is great for ‘making beats’ and is therefore insanely popular in hip-hop and rap genres. Many arguments rage between current and former FL Studio users about using it to produce professional music. The truth is that FL Studio can produce a professional product if the user is good enough, but there is a world of advanced features, higher quality processors and sounds in other DAWs that could take that ‘good’ user to an even higher level.
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Mac: Yes
Win: Yes
Linux: No
Audio: Yes
MIDI: Yes
Virtual: Yes
Notation: No
Rewire: Yes
Plug-In: VST
Driver: ASIO/Core Audio
Price: $1,800
Steinberg Nuendo was originally a more professional version of Cubase, but later became an advanced audio for post-production DAW that is a favorite at many post facilities. Nuendo is powerful, modular and always on the cutting edge of technology. Pro Tools HD is still the favorite of large post facilities and big budget films, but Nuendo provides a less expensive yet very powerful and feature rich option for smaller facilities and budgets. 
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Mac: Yes
Win: Yes
Linux: No
Audio: Yes
MIDI: Yes
Virtual: Yes
Notation: No
Rewire: Yes
Plug-In: N/A
Driver: Core Audio/WDM
Price: $499
Propellerhead Reason is a unique player in the DAW game. Reason has traditionally been a MIDI sequencer and a virtual instrument. If you wanted a vocal, you had to record it somewhere else and then import it into the sampler in Reason to be triggered in order to play. If you didn’t want to go that route, you could rewire Reason into another DAW that did let you record audio. Rewire is really what has made Reason famous. It started as a simple collaboration between Steinberg and Propellerhead, but has allowed Reason to interface intimately with nearly every DAW out there. Rewire basically connects two things, multiple audio outputs from Reason to the rewired DAW’s mixer and MIDI from the rewired DAW’s sequencer to the virtual instruments in Reason.
Reason is setup like an equipment rack that keeps going and going. You can add mixers, synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, effects, etc. The best part is that when you hit the ‘tab’ key the rack flips around and you can see the backside of the rack (with dangling cables and all). You can move cables around route things however you want to, but don’t worry the software automatically connects things for you if you don’t want to mess with it. A big strength of Reason is the Refills. They are additional sounds that you can purchase that work with the various virtual instruments in Reason. In 2009 Propellerhead decided to add a new program called Record to work in conjunction with Reason to record audio. It didn’t really take off so in 2011 Propellerhead axed Record and finally put audio recording into Reason. Now Reason can officially be called a full DAW. The jury is still out on where Reason will stand in comparison to the other DAWs, but so far it looks to be a very functional music-making tool. It’s not a post-production or straight up audio editing program, but Reason will let you record guitar parts and vocals, edit and comp them and even time stretch them to compliment your MIDI production.
Mac: Yes
PC: No
Linux: No
Audio: Yes
MIDI: Yes
Virtual: Yes
Notation: Yes
Rewire: Yes
Plug-In: AU
Driver: Core Audio
Price: $199
Apple Logic Pro (originally made by Emagic) has been around for a long time, since the it was a simple MIDI sequencer. Emagic developed Logic for both Mac and Windows, but the Windows version was discontinued after Apple acquired Emagic in 2002. After a few versions, Logic was officially Apple-ized being the first truly single window DAW while still allowing multiple window workflows. 
This helped to make Logic one of the most popular DAWs in addition to Apple adding a suite of program an amazing library of loops and cutting the price in half. Logic is most commonly used for music production with an expansive feature-set of loops, virtual instruments and processors. It functions like an instrument, assisting in the creative process and is used by countless composer and electronic musicians. You will also often see Logic Pro in full recording studios completing every step of the production process. The lack of significant updates in recent years has caused Logic’s popularity to wane. There are rumors of a Logic Pro X (10) release that will hopefully revitalize the program, but only time will tell.
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