Did We Just Find The Best Free Daw?
We have been on the search to find the perfect Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for beginning audio engineers, musicians, filmmakers, and enthusiasts. The search is finally over. The software is called Waveform Free by Tracktion. This software has blown us away on so many levels. Let’s dive in and discover what makes this DAW our favorite program for recording and editing audio.
Waveform Free is the free version of Waveform Pro. This software is unlike any other free Daw we have tested out. It comes fully packed and doesn’t limit you at all. Tracktion’s goal is to get people to create and produce audio. A fine goal indeed but how is this free you might ask? Their plan is to get you addicted to Waveform Free's unique workflow while not limiting your creativity. Then once you are hooked, Waveform Pro can provide you with a deep selection of tools that will take your recordings to the next level.
Don’t be deterred, Waveform Free competes with some of the best Premium DAWs out there with just the basic tools that it comes with. Out of the box, you have great compression, eq, reverb, chorus, delay, and midi capabilities. There are even some instruments that come preloaded. Furthermore, it is AU and VST compatible which means you can easily scan for and use all your favorite AUs and VSTs to create your own fully decked out DAW. Finding a free DAW that has even just VST capabilities can be a challenge, let alone one with such a great interface and audio engine.
Planned Obsolescence and Apple
With all the Apple updates and a new OS, our copy of Ableton Live will no longer open. This was our DAW of choice for years and has served us well! Imagine how devastating it is when you are scoring a film, and you cannot open any of your work because Apple decided it doesn’t want to work with your software anymore. We used this time of transition and problem solving to see what other options are out there and then we struck gold –Waveform Free and we were not disappointed. We have found the perfect solution to Apple’s planned obsolescence in our situation and it is Waveform Free.
If you are a beginning artist, Waveform has created some great templates to get you recording right off the bat. For instance, if you are a singer songwriter, you can try the “singer songwriter” template which comes pre-configured tracks with proper EQ and compression. The EQ and compression daisy chains that are already set up are absolutely amazing for someone who just wants to jump record their piece with no frills.
Still better yet, they have a podcast template which is no fuss. You can just plug and go and have a professionally produced podcast with little to no setup. There are two vocal tracks that are set up with proper eq and compression for vocals, a sound effect track, and a music track. You don’t even have to make a podcast to use this template. We use it to create voiceovers and narrations and it is flawless.
The best part of this software is that it is cross-platform so you can use it on your Mac, Windows, Linux, or even a Raspberry Pi… yes, a Raspberry Pi. That means you can work with someone across town, and they are a Windows user but you are a Mac user. It is nice to know that they are thinking of the end consumer on this level!
Let’s get down to some of its features. First and foremost, their manual is by far the best manual I have ever referenced. They also have a massive collection of quick tutorials to keep you moving when stuck. Waveform Free by Tracktion gives unlimited audio and midi tracks, editable waveforms, reverse, pitch-shift, time-stretching, multi-output, send and receive bus tracks, looping, and sequencing...the list goes on and on. The automation feature is intuitive and keeps your tracks interesting. The side chain on the compressor is so simple it's a matter of a few clicks. The best part of this program is the rendering. There is a great render menu that comes fully packed with everything you need and it is lightning fast.
It is hard to find a free DAW other than Reaper that can handle both AU and VST plug-ins. I have been able to finally use VST plug-ins with Waveform that just wouldn’t work in Ableton Live. This software has been a godsend and we use it all the time. Once we get used to the workflow, Waveform Pro is our next purchase.
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