Bedroom Producer has a nice article describing what the different tools are that many beginners encounter when starting in music production. ++ Article Link ++

Thanks for that.
I haven't started using as DAW yet so really unsure what they are going to do for me. I am trying to construct backing tracks for an acoustic/vocal set which seems to be going ok without a DAW just using real tracks etc.
I have however, Audacity which I have used over the years just for cut and pasting MP3's for one reason or another. Is this a "proper" DAW and will for instance Traction5 (which was mentioned in the article you highlighted) do anything more for me.
I have used Audacity to "normalize" my backing tracks trying to get a constant sound level so when I load it onto my ipad I don't have to alter my volume pedal too much to get the same level for each song.
I won't even got to virtual instruments yet but interested later.
Appreciate your link.

Audacity is not a real DAW, eve tho you CAN use it in a similar way. It is really made to be an audio editor, just like you are using it for.....normalizing files,editing mp3's, etc ,etc.

Traction 5 IS a "real DAW" in the sense that you can record multiple tracks, have them in sync, and mix them to taste. You can record, say, 2 guitar tracks, pan them Left-Right, and then sing a vocal line. THEN you could play a bass track, then a keyboard track, and mix them together.

There are as many different opinions as there is DAW's, because everyone works in a different way, and in a different comfort zone. Today's DAW's, most ALL of them, WILL allow you to record album / radio / net ready tracks. It just takes TIME to learn how it all works together.

And by buying BiaB you also get Real Band, a totally capable DAW, for free! Check it out, you just might like it.....

Cheers

I have Audacity but do not consider the program to be a DAW because it can not use or manipulate midi or loops embedded with tempo and key signature data.

As others have mentioned, the Windows version of Band-in-a-Box includes a second program, RealBand that combines many DAW features with BiaB features. RealBand is a great companion product because both programs have strengths that minimize the other program's weakness. For example, many people want BiaB to have more than 8 instrument tracks so RealBand's 48 tracks minimizes that BiaB limitation.

What does it take for a program to rightly be called a DAW can be debated just like there is no "right" answer to the question, what DAW should you use. ++ THIS ++ is a link to an article that compares a bunch of DAWs and audio editors.

I disagree, the right one is the one that I use.......

<< "I have used Audacity to "normalize" my backing tracks trying to get a constant sound level so when I load it onto my ipad I don't have to alter my volume pedal too much to get the same level for each song." >>

Audacity does a good job with normalizing files. A tip on how to make it be a little more precise, first select the entire track, select compressor and allow the track to be slightly compressed. After that procedure, then normalize.

Compressing the file first does two things. It increases the overall volume of the track, lowering peaks and raising the quieter areas without increasing the noise too much. Second,in most cases, normalizing the file will reduce the overall volume rather than increase it. In my opinion, this is preferable to raising the volume, which is also raising the noise floor in your audio. I have found this process works best with WAV files. I convert MP3 to WAV, process and then convert that processed file back to MP3 unless I am using it in a recording. For recording, I leave the file as a WAV.

I normalize most times to -1db. An exception is unless I will be using the audio in a recording. If that is the case, according to the file I'm working with, I normalize at -6db or on occasion, -3db. This allows room to manipulate the audio in balancing it with the other recorded tracks in my project.

Charlie

I also use an audio editor, in addition to my DAW. I find some things just easier in the audio editor. I just make the changes, save the file, and bring it back into the DAW (usually RealBand, but sometimes Sonar and sometimes Reaper).

My audio editor of choice is Diamond Cut DC8.5, which unfortunately just went off the $59 sale and is back to $159. And in full disclosure, while I don't work for the company, I am also a beta tester for their products, as with PGMusic, and I have been using DC products since the late 1990's.