There are a lot of different choices you can make when choosing a recording program for your computer. You need to pick a software program that has the features you need. Most software comes in several different grades starting with some sort of light version on up the ladder until you get to the full-blown professional version.
I bought a soundcard one time that had lite versions of a couple of the most popular programs available. Since I normally record by myself or with one other person my needs are modest. I still use these programs today.
We will look at a few of the most popular computer recording software programs and look at the differences in each one.
Sonar: this is the program I started with back about 98 or 99. It was called Cakewalk back then. It was and still is a great program. It is a full featured professional program cable of doing work on any level. The latest versions of the programs have all the features you will likely need.
Cubase: This program is manufactured by Steinberg and is one of the more popular audio and midi recording software there is. It comes in different varieties stating with Cubase LE all the way to Cubase SX. It works on both Windows and Macs and has a great look and feel to it. When you open the program you can see a lot of thought went into its design.
Acid: this program takes a little different approach to the way things are done. Acid uses loops to make your music, which are recorded snippets of music. You can find loop libraries all over the Internet so this can be a good way to get your music up and going without having to play all the instruments yourself. The software starts out with a free version called Acid Express. The next step up is Acid Music Studio. This has many more features than the free version. Last up is Acid Pro with all the features you could need. This is a great way to make music. Download the free version and give it a try.
All of these programs have web sites, many which have demo versions of the software for you to try out. Explore each one and try out the demos to see which program fits your working style.
