Tracktion Waveform Free 2021 is proof that free DAWs are becoming more powerful. How will this make music production more accessible?
In an age where people can produce films on an iPhone and novels in Word, we are learning that cost no longer needs to be a barrier to create high-quality art. Music is no exception.
High-quality Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) — which have long been an option only to those who can outlay cash — are now increasingly becoming available for free. Now, more than ever, we are seeing feature-rich software with fewer restrictions, that can teach musicians who are just starting their career or expand the knowledge of a seasoned producer – for no cost.
Let’s take a closer look at a significant player in this arena: Tracktion Waveform Free.
Systems like Tracktion’s Waveform free, BandLabs Cakewalk or Studio One Prime are accessible, powerful and catching up to the demands of music producers on a budget. These DAWs force little to no compromise on your music-making, proving you do not need to sacrifice quality for a budget.
So what do these highly accessible systems look like? Are they really worth it compared to their pricier counterparts?
Traction Waveform Free is the world’s only cross-platform, unrestricted, fully-featured, free DAW. It boasts a no-fuss, intuitive workflow. Waveform Free is simply an older version of the current (and paid for) Waveform Pro — meaning the now free-to-use DAW was once Tracktion’s flagship product.
Traction Waveform Free:
- Is timeout and watermark-free.
- Unlimited track count.
- Has a wide variety of options and formats for rendering and saving projects, with no limits.
- Allows any 3rd party instrument and effect plugins.
- Has no copyright restrictions.
The DAW greets its users with a variety of templates and tutorials, which are a great jumping off point for those new to the Tracktion environment or in-the-box music production in general.
The editing of clips is aided by features such as Range Selection, Ripple Delete, and Heal (Consolidate) Silence, while the Step Clip Editor eases the process of clip programming. The Action panels allow you to save and customise your most used tools, which can easily be recalled by the click of a button.
The Pattern generator and Instruments & FX permit use of presets or your own generated material. To top it all off, the system includes a MIDI typing function so you can seamlessly jump between editing and performing.
Overall the Tracktion Waveform Free is designed to enhance your workflow. It is customisable rather than stagnant, and it encourages its users to interact with every part of the program, restriction-free.
Tracktion Waveform Free has been compared to REAPER, which is arguably a more flexible DAW that receives more regular updates and features. While it is incredibly versatile, REAPER is not technically free.
The system offers its users a free trial but does cost $60 to use legally once you pass the trial period. While this is a significantly lower price tag compared to most other DAWs, Tracktion Waveform Free is proof it is possible to create high-quality music with a completely free system.
Read more, or download Tracktion Waveform Free here.