A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is an application or software used to create music. DAWs are used for producing and recording music, songs, speech, radio, television, soundtracks, podcasts, sound effects and nearly any other situation where complex recorded audio is needed.
History[]
A photo of the DEC PDP-11/60 computer. Used to make what we call the first DAW.
The making of Digital Audio Workstations started around the 1970s to 1980s. It faced multiple adversities such as the high price of storage, slower processing, etc. In 1978, Soundstream built a program that is said to be the first DAW. It was called Digital Editing System at that time. The program incorporates a DEC PDP-11/60 minicomputer running a software package called DAP (Digital Audio Processor), a Braegen 14"-platter hard disk drive, an oscilloscope to view audio waveforms, and a video display terminal for control. Interface cards were plugged into the PDP-11's Unibus slots (the audio interface), allowing analogue and digital audio input and output for Soundstream's digital recorders and conventional analogue tape recorders. This software could perform simple, essential edits such as crossfades.
Consumer computers around the late 1980s have enough power to handle audio. Audio engineers used Macromedia's Soundedit combined with Microdeal's Replay Professional and Digidesign's "Sound Tools" and "Sound Designer" to edit audio samples for sampling keyboards.
A picture of the DAW Soundedit, used around the 1980s to edit audio samples.
The release of Pro Tools in 1991 made digital audio workstations conspicuous. More audio engineers started to change from analogue to digital. As analogue recording diminished gradually, more DAWs were innovated and manufactured. At that time, most DAWs were made for the Apple Mac. However, around 1992 came the first Windows-based DAW, which was Samplitude.
More Windows-based DAWs appeared. A renowned DAW called Cubase, made by Steinberg, was one of them. This particular DAW was released in 1993. In 1996, Steinberg introduced a revamped version of Cubase, featuring many new attributes such as VST, which digitally modelled the entire mixing desk and effects rack common in analogue studios. This change made DAWs prevalent all around the world.
Common Functions[]
A photo of a MIDI editor. This feature is available in most modern DAWs.
Like an application, DAWs are made with many user interfaces. However, DAWs are based on a multitrack tape recorder. Thus, all DAWs have a common layout similar to a multitrack tape recorder.
DAWs can be single-track or multitrack. Single-track DAWs only allow the user to display one track, mono or stereo, at a time. Multitrack DAWs let the user display and edit any number of tracks.
Tracks typically have controls that allow the user to control the volume, equalisation and panning, like a mixing console. Additionally, DAWs let users use effect plugins to manipulate and change the audio in different tracks.
An automation track in Logic Pro X (DAW for Mac). The automation lines show the level of volume. When the line goes higher, the volume becomes louder. When the line goes lower, the volume becomes. softer.
The most significant function of a digital DAW is the ability to undo. The undo function allows the user to revert to a previous state. This function can be important when the user makes a mistake or an unwanted change. Cut, Copy, Paste and Duplicate are included in all DAWs to control audio.
All DAWs also have some form of mix automation. Automation uses procedural line segment-based or curve-based interactive graphs to enable users to control a parameter over time. Producers generally use automation to create effects and movement.
MIDI recording, editing and playback are included in all DAWs. Quantization and synchronization can also be achieved in a DAW to change the rhythm.
Sub-instruments[]