Creating music is the process of painstaking and not everyone in force. Someone owns musical letters, knows notes, and someone is just a good rumor. Both the first and second, work with programs that allow creating unique compositions can be equally difficult or easy. You can avoid inconvenience and surprises in work only with the right choice of a program for such purposes.
Most software solutions for creating music are called digital audio workstations (DAW) or sequencers. Each of them has its own characteristics, but there is also a lot in common, and what specifically the software solution to choose, first of all, is determined by the user needs. Some of them are focused on newbies, others - on the pro, who know in their business. Below we will look at the most (well-deserved) popular programs for creating music and help you decide which one to choose to solve certain tasks.
Nanostudio.
This is a software studio of recording, which is absolutely free, and it could not affect the functionality. In its arsenal, only two tools are a drum machine and a synthesizer, but each of them is equipped with a large library of sounds and samples, with the help of which you can create high-quality music in various genres and process it with effects in a comfortable mixer.
Nanostudio takes quite little space on the hard disk, and even the one who first encountered such a sofa will be able to master it. One of the key features of this workstation is the availability of a version for mobile devices on iOS (iPhone, iPad), which makes it not so much the "all in one" tool, how much is a good tool for creating simple sketches of future songs that can later be brought to mind in more professional programs.
MAGIX MUSIC MAKER.
Unlike Nanostudio, Magix Music Maker contains much more tools in its arsenal and provides significantly more opportunities for creating music. This program is paid, but the developer gives 30 days to familiarize with the functional features of his brainchild. The basic version of MAGIX Music Maker contains a minimum of tools, but new can always be downloaded from the official site.
In addition to synthesizers, samplers and drum machines, with which anyone who wants (and knowing) will be able to play and write its melody, in Magix Music Maker there is also a large library of ready sounds and samples, of which it is also very convenient to create their music. The above-described nanostudio is devoid of this possibility. Another nice MMM bonus - the interface of this product is fully Russified, and only the units of the programs presented in this segment can boast of this.
Mixcraft.
This workstation is a qualitatively new level, which provides ample opportunities not only to work with sound, but also with video files. Unlike Magix Music Maker, in Mixcraft, you can not only create unique music, but also bring it to studio sound quality. To do this, there is a multifunctional mixer and a large set of built-in effects. Among other things, the program has the opportunity to work with notes.
The developers equipped their brainchild a large library of sounds and samples, added a number of musical instruments, but decided not to stop. Mixcraft also supports work with Re-Wire applications that can be connected to this program. In addition, the functionality of the sequencer can be significantly expanded due to the VST plugins, each of which is separately a full-fledged tool with a large library of sounds. With such wide possibilities, Mixcraft puts the minimum requirements for system resources. This software product is fully Russified, so every user can easily understand it.
Sibelius.
Unlike Mixcraft, one of the features of which is a tool for working with notes, Sibelius is a product that is fully-oriented to create and edit music scores. This program allows you to create not digital music, but its visual component, which will only turn into a living sound.
This is a professional workstation for composers and arrangers, which simply have no analogues and competitors. An ordinary user who does not have musical education that does not know the notes will be able to work in Sibelius, and it is hardly necessary for him. But composers who are as used to creating music, so to speak, in a notice notebook will clearly be delighted with this product. The program is Russified, but, like Mixcraft, is not free, it applies to a subscription on the monthly and annual payment. However, given the uniqueness of this workstation and its user audience, it is clearly worth their money.
FL Studio.
FL Studio is a professional solution for creating music on a computer, one of its best. The program has a lot in common with Mixcraft, except for the possibility of working with video files, but it is not necessary here. Unlike all the above programs, FL Studio is a workstation that many professional producers and composers use, but beginners can easily master it. In the Arsenal FL Studio immediately after installation on the PC there is a huge library of sounds and samples of studio quality, as well as a number of virtual synthesizers, with which you can create a real hit. In addition, imports of third-party sound libraries are supported, for this sequencer there is a lot. Also supported by the connection of VST-plugins, the functionality and the possibilities of which cannot be described in words.
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FL Studio, being a professional DAW, provides a musician with limitless ability to edit and process sound effects. Built-in mixer, in addition to a set of own tools, supports third-party VSTI and DXI formats. This workstation is not Russified and worth a lot of money, which just advocates. If you want to create really high-quality music and, which is welcomed, also to make money on this, FL Studio is the best solution for the implementation of Ambitions of a musician, a composer or producer.
Read also: How to create music on a computer in FL Studio
Sunvox.
Sunvox is a sequencer that is difficult to compare with other programs to create music. It does not need to be installed, does not occupy a hard disk space, is Russified and distributed free of charge. It would seem that the perfect product, but everything is far from as it may seem at first glance.
On the one hand, in Sunvox there are many tools for creating music, on the other, all of them can be replaced with one plugin from FL Studio. The interface and the principle of work of this sequencer will understand, rather, programmers rather than musicians. The sound quality is something average between Nanostudio and Magix Music Maker, which is very far from the studio. The main advantage of SunVox, in addition to free distribution, is the minimum system requirements and cross-platform: to install this sequencer can be almost any computer and / or a mobile device, regardless of its operating system.
Ableton Live.
Ableton Live is a program to create electronic music that has a lot in common with FL Studio, in something surpassing it, and in something inferior. This is a professional workstation that such famous representatives of the industry, like Armin Van Bouren and Skrillex. In addition to creating music on a computer, this DAW provides ample opportunities for live performances and improvisations.
If in the same FL Studio you can create studio quality music in almost any genre, then Ableton Live is oriented, first of all, the club audience is a set of tools and the principle of its work appropriate. Here, also supported exports of third-party libraries of sounds and samples, there is support for VST, only the range is noticeable than the above-mentioned FL Studio. As for living speeches, in this area, Ableton Live simply has no equal, and the choice of world stars confirms.
Traktor pro.
Traktor Pro is a product for club musicians, which, like Ableton Live, provides ample opportunities for live performances. The only difference is that the tractor is focused on DJs and allows you to create mixes and remixes, but not unique musical compositions.
This product, like FL Studio, and Ableton Live, is also actively used by sound professional professionals. In addition, this workstation has a physical analogue - a device for DJing and live performances similar to a software product. And the developer itself Traktor Pro - Native Instruments - does not need a presentation. Those who create music on a computer know perfectly what merits belong to this company.
Adobe AUDITION
Most of the programs described above are to some extent provide the ability to record audio. So, for example, in Nanostudio or Sunvox you can record what the user will play on the go using the built-in tools. FL Studio allows you to record from connected devices (MIDI keyboard, as an option) and even from the microphone. But in all these products, the recording is only an additional feature. If we talk about Adobe Audition, it is impossible not to note that its toolkit is focused solely on recording, sound processing and its reduction.
In Adobe Audition, you can create CDs and perform video installation, but this is just a small bonus of its functionality. This product use professional sound engineers, and to some extent this is a program to create full-fledged songs. This can be downloaded a used tool composition from FL Studio, write a vocal batch, and then reduce everything with built-in tools to work with sound or third-party VST plugins and effects that are also supported are also supported.
Just as Photoshop from the same Adobe is a leader in working with images, Adobe Audition has no equal in working with sound. This is not a tool for creating music, but a comprehensive solution to create full-fledged musical compositions of studio quality and any other audio content. It is this software that is used on many professional recording studios.
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Now you know about what programs for creating music on a computer. Most of them are paid, but in the event that you are going to do this professionally, sooner or later you will have to pay, especially if you yourself want to start earning on it. What kind of software solution to choose, solve you and, of course, go to the goals that you in front of ourselves, whether it is the work of a musician, composer or sound engineer.