The 10 Best DAWs In the World

fl-studio-laptop

Which DAW is best has always been a hotly contested topic.

Some would argue that there is no ‘best DAW’ – that it depends too much on each user’s requirements. And some would argue that the ‘best DAW’ is the one that you know inside and out, so you can make music without barriers.

We asked Synthtopia readers their choice for the best desktop DAW in the world. And the response was massive – there were 14,076 votes cast in Synthtopia’s 2014 DAW poll

FL Studio took the top spot with 26.6% of the votes cast, followed by Ableton Live with 21.9% of the votes and Apple Logic Pro with 8.3% of the votes.

bitwig-studioThe biggest surprise in the poll was how well newcomer Bitwig Studio ranked. It took the number 4 spot, with 8% of the votes.

Rounding out the top 5 is Cubase, with 5.6% of the votes cast.

Here are the results:

The 10 Best Desktop DAWs In the World

Check out the top 10 DAW list and let us know what you think!

122 thoughts on “The 10 Best DAWs In the World

  1. Somehow I have a feeling that some of those DAWs did some work promoting this topic here to their user group. Just like Virus promoted SOS best synth poll year ago.

    1. I haven’t tried them all, but I’ve worked with 5 of the DAWs in this top 10 list over the years and I would rank all of them above Pro Tools.

        1. Well, there are also some ppl who are too thick to adapt their workflow to a different DAW so they become snobbishly evangelical about the only one they know how to use, even if it is saddled with onerous copy protection, proprietary plug-in formats, a never-ending cycle of quasi-mandatory hardware upgrades and lack of interoperability. xD

          1. Honestly, I was checking out Pro-Tools years ago. It’s been around since the early 90’s. I jumped on board with Ableton for the Live 4 release and jumped back out for 8. These days I’ve been enjoying Native Instruments , but still find myself opening up (my legal copy of) Live 7 for warping time. It helps with being able correct the wow/flutter and drag from doing thins like vinyl rips and to correct the timing in live acoustic recordings.

      1. Well, most post production facilities and a lot of music studios, sound editors, sound designers do use Pro Tools.
        To be honest, these few years I’m working in the film industry I have never seen anyone scoring a film with fruity loops, neither editing dialogues with it, nor doing sound design.

        Well, you can’t just say that some of those people are outdated.

        1. Well, duh, of course people will use Protools for film since they probably already have some corporate relationship with Avid because of Media Composer. The questionnaire asked the best DAW not what is a film studio most likely to use. Besides man, you Protools guys are even behind the curve on being snobs. The really snooty snob studio uses full analog everything. I guess if you are forced to use Protools for work, fine, but why bring it up in public? It’s like if your job makes you use a Windows Phone – it’s not something to brag about.

          1. Not at all snobs. There is nothing to be snobbish about. It’s just a DAW we learned to work with and to be honest the best DAW for a personal use is above all the one that you know better isn’t it?

            However, when it comes to professional use though, I will only ask a question:

            Is there any chance any of the above DAWs to run let’s say 500 tracks packed with plugins and linked with another 3-4 machines of the same track numbers, all running locked, frame-accurate and steady for a mix in a theatre that will give 1500+ tracks?

            Of course the answer is: No way.

            That is just one difference with fruity loops and all the above DAWs.
            They are all great, each one for its own reasons, but Pro tools are not industry standard so many years for nothing.

            1. This poll is pretty skewed, Protools is without a doubt the most accurate and stable platform, in terms of phase accuracy, timing, syncing and integration into professional post production setups.

              They should have stated its a poll for the best DAW for electronic dance music. Fruityloops is a joke for trying to record a multi-mic setup, but it has a superb workflow for creating basic EDM type stuff.
              Also trying to integrate hardware into a Fruityloops setup is a major headache, with very inaccurate and limited syncing and midi clock issues galore. Then again, someone using say an Eventide H8000 is unlikely to be working on Fruityloops.

              That said, i still think Ableton far surpasses Fruityloops on all fronts.

              1. Totally agree with you. Live is a mature platform that carried out very well the purpose and functionality that started with. I was so glad to watch it expanding its instruments, features and adding expansions like Max for live etc. Pro Tools have a lot of discouraging issues also. Apart from being expensive, they are also the last ones to follow with developments. It was just a while ago that the system became 64bit and added offline bounce. Not to mention that just a few years ago there wasn’t even note editor, no included instruments, very low tracks allowance, just a few fx in LE systems and the midi functions were very basic – up till V8. There wasn’t even Frame rate counter in LE systems – you had to purchase that option in bundles for more than 700EU. Semi-pro users had to spend dozens in add-ons just to see these features a couple of years later added in the basic systems. Prices and value for money is on the downsides that Avid didn’t change so much after purchasing Digidesign.

        2. I grew up and learned how to use a Daw with Reason 2.0 when I was 16 (2004) along with DP3 and Emagic’s logic 2.3 and later with Pro Tools 5. Along my early years I got very involved with all kinds of Daws and Plug Ins, FL, Live, Rebirth, Reaktor, Acid, Cakewalk, Sonar, Nuendo and many many others. 10 years later I can proudly say I now do music and audio for a living and there are many Daws that serve many purposes…it all depends on what you’re looking for. The best audio engine on any daw has to be Pyramix’s…trust me. But mostly all audio engines are competitive now a days although I still have my doubts with Reason…
          In the end I chose 3 Daws for all my work…Pro Tools, Logic and Live. I use Pro Tools for all audio recording (NO PLUG INS) with real instruments and hardware, the way and tools can be so solid that you can become extremely fast with it, people who do Post know this, also, Post Production…I’ve tried doing post with Logic, DP, Steinberg’s and Live and god they suck! I’d never do Post on anything else than Pro Tools and that includes editing, sfx and 5.1 On the other hand I use Logic for midi and virtual instruments when needed and Live is just hands down the best live performance tool…I’d never rely on any other program on stage. Hope you guys can find the right tools for the right tasks…the rest are just stinky and silly opinions.

          1. I agree. For me, PT is king for live audio, while Logic and Live provide inspiration, instant experimentation and of course much better midi implementation. Live and Logic are instruments to me. Eventually everything gets mixed in PT, it’s served as my tape machine.

          2. Pyramix use Hypervisor RTOS -> … regarding performance burns all other native!
            ProTools HDX user dedicated DSP -> same issue!
            So these are the best PRO Daw.
            On the other hand, regarding native software: Cubase and Sequoia 😉

      1. eerm no, i guess staying with the more professionals…. like said, you wont ever find fruity loops or reaper or kindalike in a professional broadcasting environment… in fact, pro tools is state of the art according casual recording/mixing/mastering/post production…. i never experienced anything better… and im used to pretty much all of the wellknown DAWs from the top5. whos the old guy anyway?

        LOL if you dont have a clue, just better stfu next time… 😉

        1. you have to look at it like it was a software steal list.

          what software got stolen the most so everyone has and likes it : fruity loops
          what software is not that easy to steal: pro tools 🙂

          the iloks ruined that poll hehe

      1. You’ve obviously never really tried to work with Fruityloops in a hardware synth setup, trying to record and edit audio and keep everything locked and midi-synced is a nightmare.

        1. It’s not difficult. I do it all the time. I find audio recording to be incredibly easy with the likes of Edison, and MIDI timing has never been an issue – the only consideration is that you have to offset the latency if you want it to sync up with virtual instruments.

    1. That’s elitist BS.

      Pro Tools has always been expensive and proprietary, and they made themselves a niche player because of it. Logic Pro gives you way more, for the price of a Pro Tools plugin.

      I’ve yet to meet an electronic musician that does their creative work in Pro Tools.

    1. FL studio only made the list cuz its the #1 most pirated DAW since the 90’s and you can thank “trap music” for its continued relevance over the years.

      also… how is bitwig on this list? didn’t it just come out????

  2. This is actually really interesting, but I fear that the discourse of commentary on this post will be incredibly counterproductive.
    I also think that ja has a good point about the DAWs creators promoting this poll for their users to vote for their DAW, and some of the poll positions wouldn’t change, but there are some darn close ones, which might have been different. I just don’t know how big or small of an impact that a DAW company could have, maybe it was massive and the results are way different than if the standard Synthtopia user group would have just voted.

  3. I think this probably answers the question “Which DAW do you use?” more than “Which one is the best?”. Who really has time to learn every single DAW inside and out to really answer this? It’s all subjective of course. At the end of the day, the best DAW is just the one that lets you make the music you want to make.

  4. Surprised FL took top spot, but as an Ableton user even I can’t knock it. There are tons of people out there making better music, and more money from it than I (or most any commenter disparaging it) ever will. Let’s all keep in mind DAWs like synths, plugins or any other gear for that matter are just tools to capture creativity. Fucking Mozart made all his music with pieces of goddamn paper.

  5. It’s a great list that says a few things about the DAW nerd community. One being that most peep’s would rather be a loop library producer than musician.

      1. True. But if you want to comp anything that was recorded with more than one mic, then protools is way better than all of these DAWs. Its definitely lacking in the midi programing department which is why its not on this list, but it slays every other DAW in the audio editing department.

        Side note, the best engineers are usually musicians too.

        1. Being a “KICKASS DJ” does not entitle you to criticize neither engineers nor bands nor musicians. In the end you are NOT a musician. You play other peoples music. You may have started creating music at some point but you are NOT a musician, as you immediately separated yourself by stating that you are a DJ… I know truly great DJs, some who I are musicians that know instruments and have performed as musicians, and they never disrespect musicians or engineers or bands. Calling yourself a “KICKASS DJ” says a lot about your talent, you time in the business and the quality of music you create, because it says that your full of it. Before speaking like that you better have something to show for in your talent, your wallet, your tour schedule, your awards, your success list and career history. As of now just by stating what you are does not prove a thing.
          Real DJs respect musicians because without them they won’t be playing music to begin with.

  6. FL Studio all the way – still the best solution in my book !!

    people use what works

    most DAW’s (including FL Studio ) are just filled with things i will never use and do not want

    all i need are 4-8tracks ,a few vsti and vstfx, midi sync, sample playback
    and the ability to jam to a stereo .wav file

      1. i tried GarageBand 🙁
        but i like FL studio i have used it for YEARS
        FLstudio is better ……. “for me ” and the way i work
        i get free updates and it is FAST
        – i just wish they would stop adding stuff

  7. Not sure these polls are really that good. Actually there not really good. If 100 musicians who are really professionals in the music field use a daw and a 1000 noobs like another daw that would be cheap for instance. The noob’s tool would win. I’m not talking about any daw in particular.
    Kind of biased imo.

    Not saying that Flstudio doesn’t deserve the spot. It certainly is packed with features and a very competent daw.

  8. I just didn’t realize Fruity Loops was that popular! I mean, there’s some cool things about it, but it’s really tough to record anything other than MIDI. I’d say FL is really just a sequencer pretending to be a DAW. Which is fine! I actually like using that sort of thing to achieve different results. But try and do lots and lots of full-length audio parts, in multiple takes, and have all the control over editing that the others have. You can’t do that in FL, or it’s so completely buried I was never able to figure it out…

    I’ve tried out most of these programs.

    Ableton is pretty great for its underlying design– I had a lot of fun with cross-modulation tricks. And it’s cool that everything is integrated visually.

    Reaper is the other one that’s held my attention for a long time. You can do just about anything that Ableton can, and there’s a lot of fun stuff in the jplugins.

    Basically, if you are good at understanding the structure of these programs it’s pretty easy to jump from one to the other. Getting deep into them can be a challenge, though, so like some others have said, it’s often best to just stick with one and pretend it’s the best thing in the world.

    1. Actually, When I record multiple takes (in Logic), I often go to my old laptop to stitch them into the final track in FL: despite image line time-stretching algorithms are not as sophisticated as they could be, I prefer the ease of workflow and freedom of cutting individual tracks into small bits and rearranging them click-free (with a little help of automation clips). I use FL mainly for pure audio-editing — cutting slicing etc, that’s just feels more natural to me (not only because I played with it as a kid, but because of the free workflow and ability to rearrange everything without strict track-to-track paradigm (this sometimes leads to chaos, but basicly what is creativity without it?)

  9. The reality is that Pro Tools is a standard in studios, but there are a hundred indie/home studios for every commercial studio, and the results reflect that.

    This doesn’t make readers ”noobs’, it makes us people that have no need to pay more for the studio standard app.

  10. Well, that’s some really loopy poll results. 🙂 By the way kids, all those cool loops you use, they’re made in Cubase/Sonar/logic. *tihihithihithi*

  11. Usually people that talk elitist BS make terrible music. FL is good, not my favorite, but it has come a long way over the years. Some also may not take into consideration what people use these various DAWs for… Many different ways to use them.

  12. Give me a friggin break. What is this crap? FL as #1?! Go back to your pirated games little kiddies, dinner will soon be ready…

  13. FL studio only made the list cuz its the #1 most pirated DAW since the 90’s and you can thank “trap music” for its continued relevance over the years.

    also… how is bitwig on this list? didn’t it just come out????

  14. I’m an Ableton guy through and through, only because it’s the first DAW i ever bought and got into and learnt. If i had done alot more research before i got Ableton, i might have gone for Reaper as it sounds pretty damn good. If i got Protools, i probably would mix everything down in it, as i had to do that once (for an assignment) and the results were better than i expected, BUT i really can’t be stuffed having to do that all the time, but it IS done alot by some of the more ‘established’ electronic musicians. Mixbuss is a newer one that i’d like to try out (for mixing purposes, it doesn’t have midi), as some have told me the results sound better than Protools. Unfortunately PT will always be the ‘industry standard’ now that it’s in just about every pro studio aswell as film and tv, cos it is very good at recording a shitload of tracks all at once, and yes the comping aspect.

    1. How many electronic musicians need to record “a shitload of tracks at once?”

      Nothing wrong with that, but that’s kind of the opposite of what most electronic musicians I know do.

      1. everyone that has hardware machines and doesnt want to record track by track ? ^^

        i need about 20 channels just to get my drum machine and a few synth/fx pedals together

        and iam not “that” highly equipped with hardware, so i imagine others will have way more tracks that me.

  15. Fairly useless poll of a very narrow readership. There are so many wonderful styles of music in the world and any one of these DAWs is quite capable of bringing them to our ears. In this minute segment of our musical world, FL Studio appears to be popular. Congratulations to Image Line. Unfortunately, the results of the same type of poll are different at every site.

    askaudiomag – 28% Logic Pro, 16.67% Ableton Live, FL Studio 4.65%
    reddit – 45% Ableton Live, 35% FL Studio, Logic Pro…. 7%
    musicradar – Ableton Live 1st place, Logic Pro 2nd place, Reaper 3rd place, FL Studio…. 6th place

    All very unscientific, useless data to quibble about for an evening.
    Now go make some music, I’ll do the same. 😉

  16. I wish we’d stop throwing around that “elitist BS” thing.

    If we were to do a real comparison of features, stability, work-flow, connectivity, interconnectivity, MIDI features, audio features, bundled FX & VI’s, etc. I’d expect to see Logic Pro, Digital Performer, and Samplitude to rate very highly. I got no problem with ProTools, and it has to be said it is a powerful DAW.

    I think some of the DAWs on this list are quite popular and have strengths in one particular area, but might not be very versatile.

    So, perhaps one take-home is that versatility means different things to different poll-takers.

  17. The irony is that Pro Tools is behind more record label releases in 2014 than any DAW in this list – With Logic being the distant second. This indicates synthopia as being primarily an amateur hangout. I guess the pros making money in the music world are too busy to vote…

    1. “The irony is that Pro Tools is behind more record label releases in 2014 than any DAW in this list – With Logic being the distant second.”

      A lot of stuff gets tracked & mixed in Pro Tools, but show me the electronic musicians creating music in Pro Tools. As somebody else said, you can get Logic, Live or FL Studio for the price of one Pro Tools plugin.

      “This indicates synthopia as being primarily an amateur hangout. I guess the pros making money in the music world are too busy to vote…”

      You realize how douchy that sounds, don’t you?

  18. FL Studio of course, the best since it’s the cheapest, most affordable and able to crack DAW out there plus if you’re on a pc you can pack it with tons of cracked vst’s and shit. This is pure nonsense, guys this topic should be called what is the most used DAW out there and then we could maybe start making a little bit more sense, I’m an audio engineer and music producer who was worked with what I think are really some of the most popular and best DAW’s out there, (Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Cubase, Ableton and FL studio) I’ve done post production for animation and film and none of that get’s done on FL Studio, Ableton or in 99.99% of the times in something other than Pro Tools. In fact most professional recording studios where vocals and instruments get recorded to be added afterwards to beats made on FL studio and what not, record those with FL studio. Every DAW has a application that it fulfills better. In my opinion Pro Tools is the best when it comes to record anything that’s live, anything from a vocal performance to a live orchestra, Logic and Ableton are great for production since the work flow is super easy and they are pretty good as well when it comes to recording live music, cubase is very much like the previous 2 great for audio as well but not as easy as logic or ableton, and lastly FL Studio is great because it is a great tool for starting producers and even advance producers, it is very affordable and there’s tons of useful tools in it and a million tutorials in youtube, but on the recording side it is still developing, there’s many things that it will need to improve to even come close to a pro tools rig, and I can almost guarantee you you won’t be seeing FL Studio being use on any professional recording facility any time soon, and if you do be very sketchy of where you’re recording, In the end it all comes down to the producer and his skills with his DAW of choice. Again I just think this article should have been named, Most popular/ Used DAW’s out there.

  19. Just got off the phone with abbey road, air and angel. On the basis of this poll, they’re switching to fruity loops, with a bitwig chaser.

  20. I’m surprised that Fl Studio is on top as it’s only Windows (I don’t think the OSX beta counts yet). Apple might have a much smaller market share of all desk top/laptop but for people making music they have a large share according to other studies.

    I’m surprised that Reaper’s only 9 as they offer an unlimited demo and the price is really fair.

    I’m surprised that Bitwig is 4 as it’s just released. Changing DAW is not something you do every week.

    I think it’s important to consider the question “what it the best DAW” – it’s not “what DAW do you use”. People probably voted for a DAW that they never used.

  21. It’s interesting that the top two are DAW’s which are primarily used for triggering loops and samples from pretty looking boxes full of multicolored buttons? Could be a sign of the times?

  22. I’ve been 20 years in the record business as engineer, producer, composer and DJ in London sometimes .. Worked in top studios like Air (UK), Sterling Sound (NYC) and Ocean Way (LA)… I have always thought the DAW is simply the tool of the artists palette .. I use a combination of what’s available on a project, if I’m recording an orchestra or large rig, Pro Tools is my first choice, if songwriting with a rap / EDM act Ableton / FL / or Cubase. I have known great artists use a terrible laptop with an old version of Cubase make some excellent sounding records. I do know that analogue outboard gear used the correct way can make the recording process much easier when it comes to mixing. I worked with Prodigy’s engineer once and he said Liam had made the entire record in Reason on all the virtual stuff then when it came to mixing the record they had to replace all the parts with the hardware synths via outboard gear as the source sound from Reason’s internal processing was just not good/powerful enough … My opinion use what you know and anything that can ease the creative flow and then if it comes to releasing the record we’ll see what needs boosting or working on..

  23. So a popularity contest makes the software the best in the world? No, it makes it the most used …

    Both Ableton live as FL Studio are the most cracked pieces of software you can find (when it comes to DAWs) and therefor are logical winners, doesn’t make them better than the others.

    Its all about who you are and what kind of functionality and interface you prefer really … anyone can make anything in any DAW as long as they enjoy working with it

  24. based on these results, what shall we bet that if we did a poll called “best console in the world”, the number 1 would be a behringer or mackie instead of neve, ssl or api?

    of course, I’m aware that this is pure click bait and i have been effectively baited to click

  25. I started music on computer with FL3.56 cracked version. I bought it 2 years after, and had all the new versions for free.
    After that, lot of people told me, FL is not professional, you should try Live, Logic, Cubase, so I forced myself, and bought other DAW to be more “professional” but I lost my feeling. Now I came back to FL studio, and I refind the “thing”, I work fast and it don’t stop me during creativity moment.
    Who does that mean ? Is FL the best ? No, I don’t think so. I think that I find my way to work, I took habits (good and bad), and I work fast because I know well the software. This is the key point.

  26. All this bickering and snobbery (which is rife on this site) is pointless. The only thing that really matters is the end result…good music.

    1. but it brings in the ad revenue, though….

      with regard to the snobbery issue, my understanding of the word snob is someone who equates status with worth, and as i’ve argued here before, the people whose livelihoods depend on their choice of DAW never make that choice based on the perceived status of their DAW, they do it based on what their clients need and expect. in other words they make the choice based on worth alone. it is an indisputable matter of fact that almost all major studios, post houses and dubbing theatres use protools for audio. there are reasons for this, and they are numerous, but none of them are to do with status.

      all that said, i agree, and always have done, that it’s what you do with it that counts.

  27. In a few years, look for Logic Pro to climb up this list. With the Yosemite OS-X update, Garageband X has been redesigned to resemble the previous entry-level, Logic Express, with easy upward compatibility to Logic Pro. Learn the Logic DAW basics in Garageband X and you are good to go with Logic Pro, aside from adapting to its bountiful buffet of bells & whistles. Of course Garageband X is “complementary” when you buy a Mac and Apple thoughtfully makes it easy to pay the $199 (approximately half what Ableton or FL Studios costs) through iTunes Store for the upgrade, not to mention the ability to add MainStage for just $29 more.

    I’m not saying Logic Pro is better or worse than its competitors, but with the moves Apple has made, the installed base will expand quickly. And the DAW you know best is the one you (probably) like.

  28. I use renoise for midi, reason as an effect processor and logic for recording. It’s really a matter of personal taste. all the daws mentioned have they’re strengths…it’s how you use them. Creativity and inspiration should dictate, not your daw.

  29. Wow, a total lack of Pro Tools on the top 10 list?? I use Ableton quite a bit; but as a DAW, it is somewhat wanting (unbeatable for performance though! Interesting to see what people’s preferences are.

      1. Seriously, almost every major studio / the majority of professional recordings.

        It’s a bit strange looking through this thread and realizing how many peeps don’t realize how industry standard Pro Tools is… the neverending / fruitless arguments of what DAW is “best” aside, it’s a concrete fact that you will find it very hard to work within the industry (in studios, post, etc) without being semi competent with PT. To those that dismiss it as “old” – by all means, make music with the tools that work best for you – but don’t expect to be able to walk into any sort of large format mix room with a FL or Bitwig session.

  30. It’s nice to see Sonar finally drifting toward the top of the list. I’ve used quite a few DAWs over the years and still regularly tap Reason and Logic, but Sonar just feels light years ahead of the rest to me.

  31. Interesting that Bitwig has already reached such high appreciation.
    (I have not used it, but it is always good to have newcomers to boost competition.)

      1. The only thing I do outside of Maschine and Komplete these days is pop open live for warping time. I don’t even mind recording with the sampler in it, but then again I’m just using it to create my own stems. Although I find myself running Maschine along side Traktor more and more at home to challenge myself with live performance by syncing the midi clock using LoopBe.
        Is it Digital? Does it deal with Audio? Is Maschine a Workstation? I’d say yes, even though I realize that most would say that it is like my 808 that’s now collecting dust in the fact that it’s more like a groovebox.

  32. All the people asked were consumers im sure not one pro user was asked although I do love some of those top five programs. There is no way an engineer is mixing on any of them. Maybe logic consumer level 100

  33. 16 years ago I started on Cubase, then switched to Pro Tools, now I also use Logic and Abelton 9 as well as Pro Tools . For what I do, Nothing beats Pro Tools as far as tracking , in depth editing and basic arrangments ( that I’ve found) After working the session in Pro Tools I usually import the files in to Logic..Logic is my go-to for Midi and Virtual Instruments, And finally everything gets warped in to Abelton for my live performances…hard to believe Pro Tools isn’t on the list…as shitty as their customer service and upgrade policies are…it’s still where I start my sessions and take care of the tedious heavy work loads…

  34. ABLETON, ABLETON, ABLETON-YES GET IN THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!. Alls I get from inexperienced teenage moguls is “Pro Tools is the best”. They then completley snub facts, stats and my personal use of Ableton. Scientifically each software has strengths and weaknesses but Ableton in a proffessional recording enviroment is not to be missed out on. Its fast and accurate way of working gets jobs done 50x quicker than any other DAW. Believe me, ive worked with all the popular DAWS and for Abletons no nonsense graphics and extremly useable interface, it got me to teach my 6yr old nephew how to track a full band in 20mins or so and that my friends keeps us all focused and wiling to explore more than doing these Pro Tools exams in a University.

    ALL HALE ABLETON!

    WOOOOHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

  35. Why does it matter if your DAW is or is not on this arbitrary list? What matters is you have a DAW that works for you and you get results with it. Screw following the crowd. Do what is best for you.

  36. The survey will be biased by the number of people who use each DAW – or the number of artists in each DAW market. And what is judged best depends on the market or application. So, if more people use FL than ProTools, that statistic doesn’t say much.

  37. I agree with the Top Three, I used FL for years, and Transitioned to Ableton about 5 years ago, and im a new user to Apple Logic on my macbook pro….But i must say, i was using Reason for some sound design the other day, and its pretty damn good, its got potential and u can set up automation easy, Although i still Think Ableton is the Very best, because everything is super easy, automation, recording, setting up In’s and outs/routing ! Ableton All Day!

  38. I’ve used a lot of these top 10 and for I find for my use of production, cubase is best, logic and ableton a close 2nd. All these daw’s have different sound engines and you get different results from them. I’m not fully sure what level of production the people who voted for these for had, but there’s no right or wrong. I used reason from the beginning right up until 7 years later (have been doing this 12 years) and I had to switch to something that sounded better…reason had a scooped mid sound and I had to combat it with pre-rack mastering. Reason was too internal, I didn’t like that I could only use what was in reason. Then I played with logic and cubase. For me cubase was the obvious answer as I liked manipulating audio easily. A lot of the most respected producers in the industry use either logic or cubase…some also use reason or fruity loops but a lot of the most respected and looked up to producers, use cubase. But like I say…its preference, work with what you’re comfortable with in your production style.

  39. I think that the responses here are indicative of the users of the website. If you asked this same question on say Gearslutz ot KVR, I think you would see PT firmly in the top two. I have been saying for years that producers and composers hate PT while engineers love it. That’s just the way it goes. However Tracking vocals in Logic is the best. period, if you have never tried it you should. Ableton kicks ass with EDM and electronic music. Logic doesn’t really compete. FL is great for the loop-based / Sample guy. So on and so on. It just depends on what you like and what gets the job done. Music is the language the DAW is a tool to speak. So speak on.

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