What guarantees daw software performance???

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rimisrandma

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Isn't there differences in programming and software structure that would make DAW's perform different from one another. I have a hard time believing that all DAW programs are going to "record a track" with the same accuracy. Just because something is advertised to record a track, does it mean it can with the same vigor/etc??? There is a serious standardization issue that is overlooked in favor of reviews and opinions that I myself have trouble getting over.

If this was BS, then you could pick up the cheapest software and produce the same quality albums as the most expensive and there would be really no reason to buy them or for them to stay in business. What insures digital media software is doing what it is supposed to or performs up to par??
 
I believe it's regulated by the Bureau Of Silly Walks.
 
I thought it was the Bureau of Willy Salks?

Rimi - all the major DAW apps work. People mostly decide on DAWs for features not for accuracy - they are all pretty accurate thanks to the digital computer revolution.
 
rimisrandma said:
you could pick up the cheapest software and produce the same quality albums as the most expensive
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And you can. Don't forget, until only about 10-15 years ago, all the greatest music in history was made without DAW's, without instant editing, without being able to copy/paste, without being able to "Un-do" anything, etc.....But you're over-looking something. The DAW, or tape-recorder, or whatever someone is recording into is just a tiny part of the equation.

You need talent, knowledge of recording/mixing/mastering, knowledge of mic placement and many other studio techniques, good recording skills (which aren't always the same as good live/stage skills) a good room to record in, a good room to mix in, having a vision of the final product, experience, good ears....and many other things that aren't just acquired by accident.

The DAW is probably the least important part of that whole equation.
 
rimisrandma said:
If this was BS, then you could pick up the cheapest software and produce the same quality albums as the most expensive and there would be really no reason to buy them or for them to stay in business. What insures digital media software is doing what it is supposed to or performs up to par??
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The fact that you can pick up the cheapest software and produce the same quality albums as the most expensive. :D
 
You are right...it's in the programming and writing of algorithms.
Just because they all work in the digital realm, not all DAWs sound the same or have the same processing quality...and that's before you even get to their plug-ins and features.
Each DAW has an "audio engine"...and they are not all the same.
 
If anyone thought that all DAWs are equal then there would be allot more people using audacity.
 
A few thoughts:

First, for basic recording, DAWs have little or nothing to do with the quality. It's your interface that samples your analogue music signal and converts it to a string of 0s and 1s. Your DAW just tells your computer to put these 0s and 1s in a place on your hard disk that it can remember. I'd be surprised if any DAW performs any manipulation at all on the digital stream during the recording process--and probably wouldn't want to use any software that tried to do so.

Second, a lot of the processes carried out by the DAW also don't make any actual changes to the digits recorded by your computer. When you simply play back a track again it's your sound interface that is doing the work of converting the digits back into an analogue signal and your DAW shouldn't be changing anything.

For this sort of process, the differences in software are much more about the user interface and ease of use.

Once we get beyond this into the realm of making actual changes to the recorded tracks, THEN differences in the software can affect the sound. When you add EQ or reverb or even just convert a sample type, somebody has written an algorithm to manipulate the digital as recorded and, with any such process, there are good and bad ways to handle them. If you're trying to add 3 plus 2, an algorithm that performs the exact task is likely just a bit better than one that rounds both numbers off to the nearest even number! That sort of thing can result in differences in sound quality.

And, beyond that, the way software is written can make a big difference to the reliability and to the way it uses your computer hardware. Clever software writers can achieve the same thing will a lot less pressure on the CPU time...and this will likely give you a product that's less glitchy and/or faster to use.

Add in the differences in the facilities and features provided and there you have the big differences between DAWS. Frankly sound quality is the least of it.

Bob
 
In other words, they all work. Same way all portastudios, reel to reels and digital standalones work. The key is personal preference.
 
Bobbsy said:
First, for basic recording, DAWs have little or nothing to do with the quality.
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Mmmmmmm.....yes they do. :)

Actuallly...as soon as you pull your audio into the DAW it makes changes to the numbers because it uses a higher/different math structure than the converter. So even if you don't add any digital processing, the DAW app has to address the digital audio stream with its audio engine, and each DAW has it's own proprietary engine...some better some worse.

Here's a link to a DAW audio engine shootout on GS. The "findings" of which DAWs had better/worse engines is not the point, rather the fact that each DAW in fact DOES sound different, and they are talking about pure recording and playback...no summing or processing:

A comprehensive native DAW audio engine shootout - Gearslutz.com
 
Thanks for the replies. In the end, people have to actually make a decision and ACT or they just fall over dead without EVER ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHING anything.

Basically, for the lay man, at this point in time, my conclusion is that buying anything for music tech boils down to choosing one of the reputable products, or one with a pretty good record, but in the end it always ends up being Russian Roulette with software and there is nothing you can do about it.
 
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This is just one of those things that no one really cares about in normal life, but somebody brings it up and suddenly everybody has an opinion. :D
 
guitaristic said:
This is just one of those things that no one really cares about in normal life, but somebody brings it up and suddenly everybody has an opinion. :D
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Or that they assumed was unimportant and were surprised that someone asked the question on the topic and others were interested. Funny how philosophy works and will show up time and time again in life kicking your butt every time it shows its face.:spank:
 
rimisrandma said:
... but in the end it always ends up being Russian Roulette with software and there is nothing you can do about it.
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Ahhh...why do you think that?
New software can leave you aprehensive....but you can find lots of feedback about stuff that's already in use with just a few mouse clicks on the interwebs. Of course, if there are a dozen similar apps, it's up to you to find out which one suits your working style the best...but none of that has to be like Russian Roulette unless you just want to buy "something" and THEN find out what it does and if it's a good or bad piece of software.
Most DAW apps have their own user forums, and that's one of the best places to get the "inside" scoop on a given app.
 
What audio engines, digital audio streams, other stuff people know about because they are better at computer stuff etc. are there that are the best and WHAT DAW's are using them??
 
Look at the DAW audio engine shootout link I posted earlier...they mention some best, good, bad DAW apps.

You have to do some research if you want to glean some deeper information...or just buy the first thing that comes along and then work with it as-is.
 
rimisrandma said:
Or that they assumed was unimportant and were surprised that someone asked the question on the topic and others were interested. Funny how philosophy works and will show up time and time again in life kicking your butt every time it shows its face.:spank:
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lol easy there, grasshopper. Don't get so hyped up.

Like I said before, nobody cares about this in practical use. The main DAWs people think of (Cubase, Logic, Pro Tools, etc.) all are basically more or less around the same level of quality. Are there differences? Sure. But let me know next time someone is able to listen to a song and determine what DAW it was recorded on. :laughings:
 
miroslav said:
Ahhh...why do you think that?
New software can leave you aprehensive....but you can find lots of feedback about stuff that's already in use with just a few mouse clicks on the interwebs. Of course, if there are a dozen similar apps, it's up to you to find out which one suits your working style the best...but none of that has to be like Russian Roulette unless you just want to buy "something" and THEN find out what it does and if it's a good or bad piece of software.
Most DAW apps have their own user forums, and that's one of the best places to get the "inside" scoop on a given app.
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Basically it boils down to this, how do I tell the person (or people) on the other end of the internet connection(s) are not bolted down to a hospital bed, strapped into a protective chair wearing a helmet, and/or are not retarded in general or some way?? If I think of someone I could actually believe, trust or take seriously, I would have trouble coming up with more than a dozen people I actually know in real life let alone the internet, and the sad thing is, I am quite sure they are not the ones posting or the type of people who post things on the internet. More times than not, it is teen-agers that want to fight, people who really don't know what they are talking about, people that don't even own the gear they rave about, others that do not have an open mind, still others that are stuck on certain brands or methods etc etc OR a combination of these people or even things I did not think of or list like the mentally ill, demented etc.

That is the problem with reviews and opinions and why I can't understand why some sort of audio standard or method for comparison exists.
 
guitaristic said:
Like I said before, nobody cares about this in practical use.

...................

But let me know next time someone is able to listen to a song and determine what DAW it was recorded on. :laughings:
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Mmmmmmm...not really the case. A lot of guys are concerned about some aspect of their studio rig. Audio engine quality is actually a real concern with people doing things a bit more seriously even at the home/project level....and not so much how many plug-ins it comes with or how extensive is the MIDI capability.
It's no different than buying a mic preamp that sounds really great VS one that doesn't but has a couple of built-in EQ filters, both priced competitively.
Which would you buy?
DAW sound quality is no different, but a lot of folks do focus primarily on how many bells-n-whistles come in the box because they are looking to buy a complete studio in a box solution, rather than viewing the DAW as just another component of a studio.

I agree no one will guess what DAW something was recorded on...but certainly everyone could appreciate better sound quality VS poor...(not counting the iPod earbud set). ;)
 
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