![]() Software packages that cost a few hundred dollars now deliver hundreds of audio tracks and incredibly flexible editing. Digital audio recording on the computer was just starting to become affordable. ![]() The only easy multitrack recording you could do at the time was with MIDI, with hardware synthesizers or samplers, and maybe with a Mac or an (aging) Atari ST (Opens in a new window) computer attached as a sequencer. And you'd be sharply limited in the kinds of projects you could produce. If you were on a budget, you'd probably stick with a tried-and-true Tascam or Yamaha four-track tape recorder and Alesis compressor, get used to bouncing tracks in mono, make peace with tape hiss, and remember to clean the tape heads every week. ![]() In other words, you were looking at about $10K to $15K worth of gear to start-and that's before you got to microphones, speakers, and other accessories. Twenty-five years ago, to record a music album at a professional level, you needed a sizable mixing console, several eight-track digital records (such as ADATs or DA-88s), and a good selection of outboard compressors, reverb units, and other effects, plus a two-track deck to mix down to. There has never been a better time to buy digital audio workstation (DAW) software. Read our editorial mission (Opens in a new window) & see how we test (Opens in a new window). Since 1982, PCMag has tested and rated thousands of products to help you make better buying decisions.
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