If you are going to produce electronic music, I recommend sticking with the most used paid DAW. Then, check out if there is a demo or free trial. These include, but are not limited to, Ableton, Fruity Loops, Logic, Cubase, and Logic.
There are many factors that you may not have considered before you use the free software. Let me explain my logic.
- A free program is perfect if you are just doing it for fun. Let’s say that you try this for a while and find you love it more than you thought. Keep going. In terms of the functionality and features available in free software, you’ll hit a wall pretty quickly. With a trial/demo version of Ableton, you won’t have to learn new software/interfaces. It’s been used for some time so you can just keep going. You can always pirate the software if you don’t wish to pay.
- Companies that provide support for the most popular paid DAWs such as FL and Ableton are always developing new features and updating them. Because they are incentivised to improve their flagship products, they fix bugs and address community-voiced issues. Once they’re released, the free programs are not as extensive and certainly not on the same level.
- It is likely that there is very little community support for free programs. This is a huge problem! This is a big one! You can do me a favor and go on Youtube to see the tutorials for FL or Ableton. Then, check out the free ones. Learning from your peers is one of the best ways to improve. These people will be your teachers. The best people are usually paying for their software. They also keep up with what the industry’s top producers/role models do. Learn from the best. This is the fastest way for you to improve.