Teacher Station
If your classroom is the ship, the teacher station is your control room. As captain of the ship, you will have access to a comprehensive suite of software and equipment, including both beginner and advanced digital audio workstations (what is a digital audio workstation). One of the first decisions you’ll have to make is which digital audio workstation to use. The DAW is an important decision that will begin your journey into music technology teaching and learning. Choose wisely and consider your goals, needs, and technology specifications.
⭕ Check it out! Setting Up the Teacher Station: A Step-by-Step Guide
Choosing your DAW
So you’re ready to choose a digital audio workstation (or DAW). Things to keep in mind:
- Do you have enough space on your computer? Check your storage and the specs of your DAW before installing.
- Make sure the DAW you’ve chosen works with your Operating System. This can especially be a consideration with Macs that have M-1 chips. Check your DAW’s website for the most up to date info. (See most introductory and advanced DAWs listed below.)
- Learning any new software can be challenging. Most DAWs have tutorials and sample projects to help you get started. Play around in these to familiarize yourself with the software. You might also want to visit your DAW’s website or YouTube page. They probably have a video or an article dedicated to exactly what you need!
Introductory DAWs
Introductory DAWs like Garageband and Soundtrap are your best bet for the classroom.
GarageBand offers an intuitive interface, comprehensive music creation tools, and seamless integration across Apple products. On devices like iPads and iPhones, many engaging touchscreen features make learning music technology fun and tactile. Garageband focuses primarily on powerful individual creation tools but does not offer many collaborative features. It only works on macOS and iOS, making it inaccessible for many classrooms. If your classroom is using iPads or other Apple devices, Garageband is the best choice for you.
Soundtrap uses a web-based platform, making it accessible across most devices including Chromebooks and PCs. It focuses on real-time collaboration, which makes it great for group projects and remote learning. Soundtrap also offers educational discounts and integrates with Google Classroom for streamlined assignment management, while GarageBand benefits from Apple’s support ecosystem and frequent updates. Choosing between these two DAWs comes down to device availability, collaboration needs, and integration preferences within your school.
🎯 Straight to the point: Choosing an introductory DAW depends on device availability, collaboration needs, and integration preferences within your school.
Table of contents
Advanced DAWs
Comparison Chart
| DAW | Price | Pros | Challenges | Best for… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ableton Live | Free-$750 | – Great for Live Performance – Highly creative – Tiered pricing model for different needs – Great built-in synths and sample engines – Non-linear creative composition functionality – Great online educational tools to help teachers and students get started like Learning Synths and Learning Music | – Full Suite is expensive, although they do offer educational pricing – Built-in sounds for “real” instruments are not as great as something like Logic – High CPU usage | – People looking to use technology in a live performance – People interested in producing using synths and other electronic sounds – People who like to improvise |
| Pro Tools | $9.99/mo or $99/yr | – Industry-standard used in most recording studios – Great audio editing functionality – Great for post-production | – MIDI functionality is lacking – Most expensive DAW – Steep learning curve and challenging to master | – People focused on audio engineering, editing, and quality. |
| Logic Pro | $199 | – Pretty intuitive and beginner-friendly – Fully compatible with Garageband, open Garageband projects easily – Comes with great built-in virtual instruments and – Built-in manual pitch correction – Comprehensive toolbox without the need for additional plug-ins – Best bang for your buck! | – Only works on Mac – Limited live performance capabilities | – Mac users looking for robust editing tools beyond Garageband – People looking to emulate real “natural” sounds, such as Singer/Songwriters – People looking to produce entirely “in-the-box” without needing outboard gear or additional plug-ins |
| FL Studio | $199 | – Easy-to-use step sequencer lets you create beats quickly and intuitively, even for non-musicians! – Easy to import samples | – Limited mixing, mastering, and recording capabilities – Works differently than other DAWs, making it difficult to transfer skills to other DAWs | – Beginners, including non-musicians – People who want to make beats quickly |
| Cubase | $549 | – Great MIDI functionality – Well-rounded and complete music production suite (MIDI, audio, notation) | – Steep learning curve | – Film scoring and composition |
| Reason | $499 | – Great MIDI functionality – Amazing built-in instruments – Will teach you a lot about routing | – More limited functionality – Less intuitive | – People who have an interest or experience using hardware – People who are primarily interested in designing sounds |
| Adobe Audition | $21/mo | – Great built-in audio tools, including restoration | – Lacks MIDI and virtual instrument support – Not geared towards musicians | – People mostly focused on non-musical or multimedia applications like podcasting, filmmaking, etc. – People planning on using it in tandem with other Adobe software |
The information in this chart is updated as of October 10, 2024. DAW prices and features may have changed. Save The Music does not represent or endorse any software listed above. See Full Terms of Use here.
– 🎯 Straight to the point: When considering common classroom applications of an advanced DAW, the most comprehensive and cost-effective tool is Logic Pro if you use Mac and Apple products. Logic is fully functional with Garageband, and you can open students’ Garageband projects directly in Logic. This is a huge benefit in an educational setting because the students can use a free, beginner’s tool while teachers can use a more advanced tool that looks and functions similarly to what the students use. You also can’t go wrong with Ableton Live for an advanced DAW. Ableton’s simple no-bells-and-whistles design is creative and intuitive, making it highly functional and easy to learn. They also have fantastic educational tools and support in the DAW and online. Shout out to FL Studio for its quick and easy workflow and affordable price.
What are Plugins and Do You Need Them?
Third-party plugins in music production are additional software tools that extend the capabilities of your DAW. They offer virtual instruments, audio effects, and utilities beyond what the DAW provides. Teachers in middle and high school classrooms might consider plugins to enhance learning by exposing students to industry-standard tools, fostering creativity through diverse sound exploration and advanced techniques, and preparing them for careers in music production or audio engineering. While being useful and fun to explore, most third-party plugins are non-essential in a classroom environment and are supplementary.
Before investing in third-party plugins, we recommend taking the time to learn the tools you already have access to, which will make you a better producer and give you a deeper understanding of which plugins you actually want or need.
🎯 Straight to the point: Plugins are additional instruments and effects you can purchase to use in your DAW.