5 ways to write in a new DAW

As musicians, we know the technology we use to record is always evolving. This means that part of our job is to keep in step with these changes to digital audio workstations (DAW). Whether you’re using one of the ''big three'' DAWs (Logic Pro, Pro Tools, or Ableton) or another popular program such as FL Studio, any musician involved in the process of recording must shift with advancements and changes along the way.

Naturally, each of these DAWs have their own advantages and disadvantages. In fact, it's common for music producers to use more than one DAW: they might build a loop in Ableton but prefer to track vocals in another program such as Logic Pro or Pro Tools because they find that the workflow more efficient.

This leads to the question that only you can answer: which DAW is right for you?

It's best to play around with trials of each and seeing which programs work the best for you. There’s an endless world out there if you continue to explore, but for those who might not have time to learn an entire new program, we’ve got a few tips for getting started in a new DAW without impeding your workflow:

1. Try everything

The first tip when trying anything new in a creative realm is to discover what works for you. When opening up a new DAW, you may feel a little lost and unsure of what tool or function supplies which results. Instead of letting that fear freeze you, try everything.

Press the wrong buttons. Get stuck super zoomed in or out. The absolute worst thing that you can do is let yourself be afraid to fail here. Instead, use your lack of knowledge and your new DAW as a blank template to see what intuitively makes sense and works for you and your flow.

2. Play around

One of the best ways to quickly learn to write in a new DAW is to play around with it. If you’re new to Ableton, for example, try looping your vocal in a way you would have never thought to. Add in some splice loops and see if you can transform them in a strange way using the program's built-in functions. This is all going to take a bit of time, but you may discover a sound, technique, or even an 'incorrect' way of using something technical, and this could become a key signature to your sound. You can always learn the 'correct' or standard use for things later on.

It should be said that this tip works best as your second move if you have some sort of technical knowledge with DAWs already. If you don’t, you may want to move on to the tip below before beginning this process.

3. Check your resources

This tip is placed third to prevent the technical way of doing things from interrupting your creative intuitive flow. However, some people would prefer to learn technical steps before even opening up the DAW they want to try. Either approach is fine — these tips are just ideas to help you figure out what discovery process is best for you.

That said, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of this tip:

The internet is an incredible resource available at our fingertips. When learning new DAWs, technology, and software, most information is just a quick Google search away. Use that to your advantage; look up things you’re not sure about. Find TikTok videos about how to record, and seek out tips on developing new creative skills in your DAW. Whatever it is that you need, the information should be accessible to you online.

Find a creator whose sound you enjoy, or who has a set of skills you'd like to learn, and really study their workflow. While variety in these kinds of things will definitely help you as you begin to grow and adapt the new technology to your writing process, having a resource you already enjoy learning from can really help you stick around for some of the more boring parts of the learning process.

Additionally, it’s always cool to learn from people you look up to. Definitely take advantage of that.

4. Record, record, delete, and record

Now that you’ve tried everything, played around, and found some fun resources on the technical and creative sides of the internet, it’s time to take on what you've set out to do: write!

The best way to do this in your new program is to simply do it. As incredibly unhelpful as that sounds, me telling you to create a loop or a track to write over may hinder your own personal process. You should write in whichever way feels natural to you.

Something that is helpful when learning a new DAW is to record any and every little thing that pops into your head. Whether you end up using it as a background track or muting it indefinitely, sometimes the new workflow or the happy accidents that may occur from not completely knowing what you’re doing can inspire something you never would have considered trying in the first place.

5. Expectations and creativity

Last but not least, consider your expectations and concepts of creativity. While everyone would love to write a masterpiece the first time they pick up a pen, more often than not they need to put in their ten thousand hours before they can come close. Even after those ten thousand hours of writing, you’ve only put maybe a couple of hours into this new DAW - it's still early days. If your focus is on writing the best song you’ve ever written the first time you try to work in it, you’re more than likely going to find yourself frustrated and give up.

Like every other learning curve, this is going to require time and patience. The new creative element you’ve added to your routine is another tool in your writing toolbox. Instead of letting yourself get frustrated, or give up, take each hiccup as it comes, and keep sight of your end goal.

If you decide that this new DAW is one you'd like to work with long-term, you’ll have your ten thousand hours put into it too.

While the focus of these tips has more to do with the mental approach to working in a digital audio workstation, the technical perspectives are just as important. As outlined in step three, most of that information is easily accessible online. You can also check out Remote production for indie artists: Getting started.

We're all learning, and growing, and trying new things here; the world is our creative oyster. Enjoy exploring new DAWs, and happy writing!

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Sammy Hakim is an up-and-coming young songwriter based in Los Angeles. In May 2018 she graduated from Berklee College of Music with a Major in songwriting and a focus in music business. These days she spends most of her time in songwriting sessions with artists all over the country.