Digital Audio Workstation
The software host for recording, editing and mixing, not a sound source
Related
A digital audio workstation (DAW) is the software host for recording, editing and mixing. It gathers multitrack capture, cutting, effects, automation and export into one project. The host makes no sound of its own: sound comes from microphones, instruments, sample libraries or software instruments.
A project usually holds both audio and MIDI tracks. Audio tracks store waveforms; MIDI tracks store performance instructions that virtual instruments turn into sound. Sample rate and bit depth are chosen when the project is created and set its bandwidth and headroom, while buffer size affects monitoring latency.
The usual mistake is to treat a DAW as a sound source, or to expect a different host to sound better. With the same plug-ins, levels and export settings, mainstream DAWs differ mainly in workflow, not in sound.
Related → MIDI Protocol
Sources
- 数字音频工作站作为录音、编辑与混音宿主的功能划分，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Computers and music" 与通行录音教材；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.