This week we discussed DAWs or Digital Audio Workstations. A DAW is an electronic device or application that allows the user to record, edit, and produce audio files. DAWs come in different configurations or setups, for instance Garage Band is a much simpler and user-friendly version, while LoopMasters can be more difficult to understand. Regardless of the software, all DAWs are used for the production of music, radio, television, multimedia, and any other product in which complex audio recordings are needed. DAWs began to become available in the 1970s, but they were very expensive and very limited. Throughout the late 1980s they became increasingly more available and affordable, until today when building a powerful system like that could be done inexpensively. I have personally never used a DAW, until attempting to begin my final project for this class. I have played around on the Garage Band application, but never anything serious. It is definitely not something you can understand at first glance, but upon taking the time to look through everything the application provides you with, it is fairly manageable. I do not think there is a right or wrong way to use a DAW, as long as you consider certain factors such as compression and which loops sound better together.

http://thegaragebandguide.com