Summary of "I produced the same song in 10 DAWs to find the best one"
Product reviewed
A comparison test of 10 music production DAWs (and related music software) using the same song workflow, constrained to stock plugins and sounds. The goal is to find the “best” DAW overall and identify which are worth learning.
Key method & setup
- Created the same song in 10 DAWs to compare capabilities.
- Used only each DAW’s stock plugins/sounds, making outcomes “slightly different” by default.
- Compared across categories like recording, editing, price, sounds, plus workflow usability.
- Full results/scores and audio examples are said to be available on the creator’s website.
DAW-by-DAW unique points, pros/cons, and verdicts
1) Pro Tools
Pros
- Strong track grouping and seamless editing.
- Integration with Melodine described as a standout, especially for editing big vocals and background vocals.
- “Advanced features” feel powerful (but can be overwhelming).
Cons
- MIDI workflow not as intuitive as other DAWs (reviewer prefers arranging elsewhere, then polishing in Pro Tools).
- Intimidating UI: too many buttons/menus for beginners.
- Subscription model is a major negative.
- Mentioned: $10/month plan but only 32 tracks, which fills up quickly for vocal-heavy work.
Rating
- 8.5 / 10
- “Oldie but goody” award.
Overall
- Industry-standard choice; best when you want serious professional workflows and can handle subscription/complexity.
2) Reason
Pros
- Rack-mount-style plugins: visually satisfying (“feels like you’re in a studio”).
- Good instruments and presets bundled in.
- Positioning has shifted toward being an additional plugin for your main DAW.
- Integration depends on the reviewer’s main DAW setup (question asked to optimize the workflow).
Cons
- Still “feels dated” and can’t compete with other options on the list.
- Mixing can feel overwhelming if you don’t understand a console/knobs.
- Subscription is still required.
Overall
- Not bad, but needs updates; more appealing to intermediate/advanced users who don’t need typical mixing visuals.
3) Ableton
Pros
- Highly customizable; easy MIDI/controller mapping.
- Strong for live performance (reviewer uses it for live shows).
- Good fit for pop/EDM/hip-hop.
Cons
- Volume/fader workflow less intuitive; requires switching tabs.
- Plugin visuals aren’t the reviewer’s preferred style (expects to adapt over time).
- Joking negative: “most likely to be used by terrible DJs.”
Overall
- Favorite for live workflow and electronic/pop/hip-hop production, but mixing workflow/presentation is a drawback for this reviewer.
4) FL Studio
Pros
- Strong in drum patterns and MIDI editing.
- Unique MIDI pattern behavior: changing one MIDI note affects subsequent patterns (described as unique among DAWs tested).
- Mentions a hidden gem: Sound Goodizer.
Cons
- “Least intuitive” for making music overall (per the reviewer).
- Requires manually assigning each track to a fader number.
- Routing/setup didn’t work as expected; took ~20 minutes.
- Mouse/shift-scroll horizontal navigation caused tracks to go off rhythm.
- Automation workflow requires a physical track in the arrangement window.
Overall
- Powerful for pattern-based production, but workflow friction made it the reviewer’s least-favorite in this category.
5) GarageBand (Logic’s “younger free brother”)
Pros
- Free price.
- Beginner-friendly: intuitive and not overwhelming.
- Looks good out of the box.
- Good “stepping stone” for new producers.
Cons
- Exporting stems is painful: must solo each individual track.
- Stock plugins/included tools are limited for advanced work.
Overall
- Excellent entry-level option, but not ideal if you regularly export stems or need broader advanced plugin depth.
6) Reaper
Pros
- Very fast/lightweight performance.
- Strong customizability.
- Separate pop-out MIDI editor liked.
- Affordable:
- Generous free trial
- Full version stated as $50–$60
- Works on Windows and Mac
Cons
- Lacks built-in instruments and sounds; third-party searching can be a headache.
- Not as good as “all-in-one bundles” for beginners.
Overall
- Great for tech-nerdy users who want to build a setup cheaply; less friendly for quick-start users.
7) Qbase
Pros
- Designed for composers/cinematic scoring; reviewer likes:
- Simple, comfortable, intuitive workflow
- Easy automation
- Many MIDI editing options
Cons
- Stock sounds/instruments described as lackluster; likely need third-party libraries.
- Less popular than other DAWs → fewer tutorials/people to learn from.
Overall
- Strong for composition/scoring workflows, but weaker stock library and learning resources.
8) Cubase
Pros
- Called a “sleeper pick” that the reviewer enjoyed.
- Good when you need more MIDI editing than your normal DAW.
Cons
- No specific drawbacks stated in the provided subtitles beyond general comparison context.
Overall
- Unexpectedly liked, especially for MIDI editing tasks.
9) Studio One (Studio One)
Pros
- Modern aesthetic.
- Splice integration seemed to work better than expected (reviewer referenced seeing it in tutorials).
- Melodine integration also referenced positively (reviewer personally couldn’t get it working, but others did).
- Generally easy to navigate.
Cons
- Recording/input setup took time (beginner hurdle).
- Reported glitching/lag:
- plugins loading slowly (seconds)
- weird mouse cursor behavior
- slight lag (none of the other DAWs reportedly had the same issue)
- Attempts many features but doesn’t clearly excel at any specific area.
Overall
- Tough recommendation due to performance/glitchiness and a “middle of the pack” feel.
10) BandLab’s Cakewalk Next (described as free DAW)
Pros
- Extremely simple: no bells/whistles; helps you focus on writing music.
- Free; works on Windows and Mac.
Cons
- No visual aids for mixing (turning knobs only).
- Reviewer expects beginners benefit from seeing waveforms/frequency changes.
- Limited plugin variety (expected for a free DAW).
Overall
- Good beginner “toe in the water” option, but mixing learning support is weak.
Final winner & overall recommendation
Winner (favorite DAW): Logic
- The reviewer is “a thousand percent biased” toward Logic and claims strong familiarity (read most of the manual).
- Pros:
- Great sounds and presets
- Overall ease of use for beginners
- Still deep enough for advanced use
- Cons:
- Less workflow/workspace customizability
- Some MIDI editing options not as robust as desired
- A final numeric rating is mentioned as “final rating,” but no score is included in the subtitles.
Verdict
- Logic is recommended as the overall best pick for this reviewer’s needs (sounds, presets, balanced beginner-to-advanced usability).
- Pro Tools gets the highest explicit score (8.5/10) for professional editing and vocal workflows—while costing more in subscription complexity and showing MIDI/UX drawbacks.
Unique user experience themes across the DAWs (consolidated)
- Subscription pain
- Pro Tools and Reason criticized for monthly subscription requirements.
- Beginner intimidation vs. simplicity
- Too complex/intimidating: Pro Tools (menus/buttons), Reason (console/knobs), FL (track/fader routing + automation complexity).
- Very beginner-friendly: GarageBand, Cakewalk Next, generally Ableton for MIDI/customization (though mixing UI disliked).
- Mixing workflow visibility
- Reviewer prefers having mixing visuals/faders/plugins on screen.
- Dislikes Ableton tab switching and Cakewalk Next lack of visual mixing aids.
- Performance/technical stability
- Studio One flagged for glitches/lag; others reportedly didn’t show the same issues.
- Included instruments
- Reaper and Qbase criticized for requiring third-party sounds.
- Reason praised for built-in instruments/presets.
- Logic praised for sounds/presets.
Mentioned awards / callouts
- Pro Tools: “Oldie but goody award”
- Logic: described as the “favorite DAW” after the experiment; also noted as an expected pick by returning viewers.
- Ableton: award (joke) “most likely to be used by terrible DJs.”
Different speakers/views
- Only one speaker is present in the subtitles; no distinct additional voices are credited.
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