Chapter 2

DAW Concepts

…What You Need from Your Digital Audio Workstation…

This chapter introduces you to the basic concepts of the DAW or Digital Audio Workstation. We begin by looking at some of the popular DAWs in use today. Then we explore the common audio plug-in formats that are used to add both effects and virtual instruments to a DAW. Next we consider the Logic Pro X system as a DAW for the Mac platform. We conclude this chapter with a brief explanation of some important terminology that you’ll need to know to work effectively with Logic Pro X.

frn_fig_010Learning Targets for This Chapter

frn_fig_009 Key topics from this chapter are illustrated in the Logic Audio Production Basics Study Guide module available through the Elements|ED online learning platform. Sign up at ElementsED.com.

Although this book is written for Logic Pro X, it is important for you as an audio production enthusiast to have at least a passing familiarity with other digital audio products on the market. Not only are you likely to encounter audio practitioners who favor these platforms, you may end up using some of them yourself from time to time, to supplement your work in Logic Pro X.

Functions of a DAW

The term DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstation. This term is used generically to refer to any software that can be used to record, edit, and mix audio, although most modern systems can be used for MIDI recording and editing as well.

What Can a DAW Do?

Some DAWs excel at audio editing, while some are primarily known for their MIDI features, but almost every modern DAW can do both to some degree. Logic Pro X is generally considered to be well-balanced DAW that provides powerful tools for handling both audio and MIDI content. In addition, Logic Pro X offers a plethora of software instruments and plugins giving users everything they need to start producing right out of the box.

In addition to basic recording and editing functions for audio and MIDI, DAWs often provide sound modules (or virtual instruments) for use with MIDI data. Such virtual instruments are commonly available in the form of plug-ins that use MIDI data to trigger sounds.

Most DAWs also use plug-ins for audio processing, to apply effects and polish to audio recordings. Additionally, DAWs typically provide mixing and automation functions, for blending tracks, creating an effective stereo image, and incorporating dynamic changes during playback.

Common DAWs

Many DAWs are available, ranging in price and feature set. Here, we provide an overview of some of the most popular DAWs and highlight some of the differences between them.

Apple Logic Pro X

Logic Pro X is essentially the professional version of Apple’s free entry-level DAW, GarageBand (discussed below). As an Apple product, it is available only for Mac OS computers, and it won’t run on Windows computers. The product was originally developed by a company called Emagic, which got its start creating MIDI sequencing software for Atari computers.

Logic features a huge number of plug-ins effects including pro-level EQ, dynamics, and modulation effects. It also features a convolution reverb effect that can be used to create ultra-realistic models of real acoustic spaces.

The included virtual instruments in Logic are equally impressive. Logic includes a number of synthesizers, a physical modeling synth, a sampler, several drum instruments, as well as an organ and clavinet. Many MIDI composers and producers select Logic as their go-to DAW due to its robust support for virtual instruments.

Additional power-user features in Logic include Flex Time and Flex Pitch. These features allow users to freely adjust the timing and pitch of recorded audio.

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Figure 2.1 Flex Pitch editing in Apple Logic Pro X

Apple GarageBand

GarageBand is an entry-level DAW, designed to be easy to use for beginners. Like Logic Pro X, GarageBand runs only on Mac computers (no Windows version); however, GarageBand is also available on iOS platforms.

GarageBand makes it easy to get up and running to start making music right away. This DAW includes a nice complement of effects plug-ins including EQ, compression, reverb, and delay, as well as excellent guitar amp and pedal emulations.

The included virtual instrument plug-ins span the gamut from synthesizers to acoustic instruments to an automatic drum pattern generator. GarageBand also features a large selection of Apple Loops, which are professionally-recorded sound files that can be used to build a song very quickly.

The mobile version of GarageBand can run on both iPads and iPhones, making it easy for users to sketch out a song on-the-go, and then transfer the files to a Mac OS computer for further polishing. You can also import GarageBand songs directly into Logic Pro X.

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Figure 2.2 The Drummer instrument in Apple GarageBand

Avid Pro Tools and Pro Tools|First

Pro Tools became the first commercially successful DAW when it was introduced back in 1991. Since then, Pro Tools has evolved from a tool built exclusively for audio professionals into a popular DAW for beginners and professionals alike.

The Pro Tools audio editing feature set is largely unsurpassed in its power and simplicity, making it a standard in professional music production and audio post-production for film and TV. Pro Tools has also made great strides as a MIDI production tool, adding a number of advanced MIDI features over the years. Cross-integration with the Sibelius notation platform has made it easy to exchange MIDI information between Pro Tools and Sibelius, for sophisticated, professional-grade scoring.

frn_fig_003 The Score Editor feature in Logic Pro X provides functionality similar to music notation in Pro Tools.

Pro Tools |First was released in 2015 as a free option for aspiring audio engineers. The product became a successful entry-level option for audio enthusiasts. Today, Pro Tools |First supports cloud collaboration workflows and interchange with standard Pro Tools software and Pro Tools|Ultimate systems.

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Figure 2.3 A project in Pro Tools First

Ableton Live

Ableton’s Live is a unique DAW that was created specifically as an electronic music performance tool. It offers a familiar track layout and audio and MIDI editing toolset in its Arrangement view. But where Live really stands out is the revolutionary Session view that took the DAW world by storm back in 2001.

In Session view, audio and MIDI clips are loaded into “slots” that can be triggered, stopped, and looped independently from one another. As a result, complex song arrangements can be performed on-the-fly in a way that isn’t really possible with many other DAWs. This has made Live a favorite among live performers, DJs, and electronic musicians.

The inclusion of Cycling 74’s MAX software with Ableton Suite (known as “Max for Live”) offers another unique feature—the ability to create custom effects and virtual instrument plug-ins without writing any code.

In recent years, Live has probably seen more development of dedicated control surfaces than any other DAW, with Akai’s APC series, Novation’s Launchpad series, and Ableton’s Push devices leading the way.

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Figure 2.4 The Session View in Ableton Live

Steinberg Cubase/Nuendo

Steinberg’s Cubase is one of the oldest and most respected DAWs on the market. The product began its development in the 1980s as a MIDI sequencer for the Atari ST (like Logic). Cubase has since evolved into a world-class DAW with outstanding MIDI capabilities and solid audio editing.

In particular, Cubase is very popular with hardcore MIDI users (such as film composers). This is due to several innovations that Steinberg introduced, including an ingenious chord track and elegant sampler articulation management. Additionally, the included VST plug-ins are top-notch.

frn_fig_008 For information on VST and other plug-in formats, see “Plug-In Formats” later in this chapter.

Steinberg also manufactures another well-known DAW, by the name of Nuendo.

Nuendo is essentially an enhanced version of Cubase with more advanced audio features that target the audio post-production industry. Cubase and Nuendo both run on Mac OS and Windows computers, making either option an excellent choice for users who need to work on Windows or move between the two platforms.

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Figure 2.5 The powerful key editor in Steinberg Cubase

And the Rest…

Numerous other DAW options are available, with more coming to market everyday. Some examples of other popular DAWs include the following:

Plug-In Formats

Most DAWs support plug-ins for both audio processing and MIDI virtual instruments. But not all DAWs support plug-ins in the same format. As a result, a fair amount of confusion surrounds the issue of plug-ins and plug-in formats.

What Is a Plug-In?

A plug-in is a small software program that runs inside of your DAW to extend its functionality. Plug-ins are typically inserted onto a track in the DAW to run in real-time, although some plug-ins can also be used to directly process a selected portion of audio on a track.

Plug-ins fall into two general categories:

Common Plug-In Formats

Some common plug-in formats include the AU format developed by Apple and the VST format developed by Steinberg. The AAX format, developed by Avid, is used exclusively for Pro Tools systems and other Avid products. Although discontinued, the RTAS and DSP formats used by older Pro Tools systems are also still common in many Pro Tools-based production facilities.

The following breakdown provides details on each of these formats:

Logic Pro X System

The latest update of Logic Pro X is version 10.4.8 (as of this writing). Notable capabilities and features are listed below. A comprehensive list can be found at Apple’s website.

Logic Pro X Software Capabilities

Version 10.4.8 of Logic Pro X provides the following capabilities:

Logic Pro X Software Options

Version 10.4.8 of Logic Pro X includes the following additional software options:

Logic Pro X Hardware Options

Logic Pro X works with Core Audio–compliant audio devices, including Thunderbolt, FireWire, USB, ExpressCard, and PCI audio interfaces. Logic Pro X automatically recognizes any installed Core Audio hardware, making it easy to plug-and-play with most audio interfaces.

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Figure 2.8 Focusrite’s Scarlett 2i2 is an excellent entry-level interface.

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Figure 2.9 MOTU’s UltraLite Mk3 is an affordable, mid-range interface.

Downloading and Installing Logic Pro X

If you are ready to proceed with Logic Pro X as your DAW of choice, you will need to start by installing the software. Several steps are required to download and install Logic Pro X.

System Requirements for Logic Pro X

Before installing Logic Pro X, confirm that your system meets the following requirements:

If you are running an operating system that is earlier than 10.13.6, you will not be able to install the latest version of Logic Pro X. You may, however, get a message box asking if you would like to install the last version compatible with your system. In that case, the installation instructions will be similar but may vary from the steps shown below.

Installation Steps

To install Logic Pro X, open the Mac App Store and follow the steps below:

  1. 1.Create an Apple ID—An Apple ID is required to download Apple products. In this first step, you will create an account for free on the Apple website. (See Figure 2.10.) If you already have an Apple ID, proceed to step 2.

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    Figure 2.10 Step 1: Create an Apple ID

  2. 2.Log in to the Mac App Store with your Apple ID—Open the Mac App Store application and log in with the credentials for your account.

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    Figure 2.11 Step 2: Log in to the Mac App Store

  3. 3.Buy or Get Logic Pro X—Browse the App Store or use the search bar to find Logic Pro X. Place your mouse over the blue price to reveal the BUY button to make your purchase. (See Figure 2.12.) If you have already purchased the software, this button will be replaced by a GET button or cloud-download icon.

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    Figure 2.12 Step 3: Purchase Logic Pro X from the App Store

  4. 4.Download and install Logic Pro X—Finally! In this last step, you will download Logic Pro X. The blue button will change to a GET button cloud-download icon. After clicking the button, Logic Pro X will begin downloading and will automatically install to your Mac.

    Once this process is complete, you will be able to launch Logic Pro X from the App Store or from your Applications folder. (See Figure 2.13.)

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    Figure 2.13 Step 4: Open Logic Pro X from the App Store

Launching Logic Pro X for the First Time

The first time you launch Logic Pro X, you will be prompted with a message box with links to additional information for beginners and descriptions of features of the current version. (See Figure 2.14.) A collection of essential audio resources will also begin downloading. This download provides a selection of sounds, instruments, and loops that let you start making music immediately.

You can click the DOWNLOAD LATER button, if desired, to cancel the download and complete it at a later time, or wait for the download to complete.

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Figure 2.14 Essential Sounds Download Message

Once you’ve proceeded past the initial dialog box, you will be presented with the Project Chooser. This dialog box lets you create a new project or open an existing one. For now if you’d like to explore, you can choose to create a new project. Details on working with projects are provided starting in Chapter 5.

Downloadable Content

Logic Pro X comes with a large selection of Apple Loops, patches, drum kits, plug-in settings, sampler instruments and their settings, impulse responses, and legacy content that you can use in your projects. Essential content begins downloading on first launch of the software. You can select additional content to be downloaded in the Sound Library Manager by choosing LOGIC PRO X > SOUND LIBRARY > OPEN SOUND LIBRARY MANAGER. (See Figure 2.15.)

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Figure 2.15 Select additional content to download in the Sound Library Manager

frn_fig_003 If you canceled the content download during the initial launch, you can restart it in the Sound Library Manager by selecting Essential Sounds and Instruments.

Important Preference Settings

While working on a project, you may need to adjust certain preferences and other settings. The Preferences dialog box can be accessed by selecting LOGIC PRO X > PREFERENCES. Along the top of the dialog box are various categories to choose from, including General, Audio, Recording, MIDI, and more. To get started, you’ll need to configure your audio device settings. You may also want to enable Advanced Tools to access all the tools Logic Pro X has to offer.

frn_fig_007 For this course, you will need to enable the Advanced Tools (LOGIC PRO X > PREFERENCES > ADVANCED TOOLS). Be sure to check all of the available boxes, so that everything is enabled, as shown in Figure 2.18.

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Figure 2.18 Show Advanced Tools enabled in Preferences

Project Settings

While Preference settings apply to the current project and all future projects (until changed), changes you make to Project Settings apply only to the active project. The Project Settings dialog box can be accessed by selecting FILE > PROJECT SETTINGS.

frn_fig_003 Logic Pro X supports importing audio files with any standard bit depth and sample rate without the need for conversion.

Important Concepts in Logic Pro X

You should master a few key DAW concepts before getting started with audio software such as Logic Pro X. These include understanding how the software handles audio files for your projects and recognizing the fundamental differences between audio and MIDI data.

Project Files Versus Audio Files

Logic Pro X manages two main file types: project files and audio files. It is important to recognize the relationship between these file types.

Referencing Versus Copying Imported Audio Files

Logic Pro X gives you the option to copy audio files into your project or reference them in another location. While referencing audio files reduces redundancies and saves space, copying audio files ensures your project will run smoothly if moved to another location. When saving your project, you can select whether or not audio files will be copied. You can change this setting later by choosing FILE > PROJECT SETTINGS > ASSETS.

Audio Versus MIDI

The differences between audio and MIDI data are very important to understand when you’re just starting out in the world of audio production. Audio files represent the audio signal that was recorded when the sound (from a voice, instrument, or other source) was captured using an audio interface. Therefore, the audio file itself actually contains the sound information that was captured. Audio files can be played back through the audio interface, allowing the sound to be heard using monitor speakers or headphones.

On the other hand, MIDI data is a series of note and control messages, typically recorded from a MIDI controller (like a keyboard or drum pads). MIDI data can also be manually entered in Logic Pro X. The resulting MIDI file does NOT actually contain any sound information. The MIDI file’s note and control messages must be sent to a real or virtual instrument, which can then turn the messages into an audio signal.

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Figure 2.21 A Software Instrument track with a MIDI region (top) and an Audio track with two audio regions (bottom)

Review/Discussion Questions

  1. 1.What are some tasks that can be completed using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)? (See “Functions of a DAW” beginning on page 32.)
  2. 2.What are some of the differences between the common DAWs? How are they similar? (See “Common DAWs” beginning on page 32.)
  3. 3.What is an audio plug-in? How are plug-ins enabled in a DAW? (See “What Is a Plug-In?” beginning on page 38.)
  4. 4.What are the two general categories of plug-ins? Give some examples of plug-ins in each category. (See “What Is a Plug-In?” beginning on page 38.)
  5. 5.Which of the common plug-in formats is/are supported in Logic Pro X? (See “Common Plug-In Formats” beginning on page 39.)
  6. 6.What are some audio interfaces that are supported in Logic Pro X? (See “Logic Pro X Hardware Options” beginning on page 41.)
  7. 7.What are some options you’ll be presented with when first launching Logic Pro X? (See “Launching Logic Pro X for the First Time” beginning on page 44.)
  8. 8.What are the two primary types of files that Logic Pro X manages? (See “Important Concepts in Logic Pro X” beginning on page 48.)
  9. 9.What are some of the differences between audio and MIDI information? (See “Audio Versus MIDI” beginning on page 49.)
frn_fig_009 To review additional material from this chapter and prepare for certification, see the Logic Audio Production Basics Study Guide module available through the Elements|ED online learning platform at ElementsED.com.