What DAW was used in the 90s?
Digital audio workstations (DAWs) emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the pioneering work of companies like Soundstream. In 1977, Soundstream introduced one of the first digital audio workstations that allowed audio to be recorded, edited, processed, and mixed entirely digitally. However, these early systems were complex and expensive, with costs upwards of $100,000.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that DAWs became more accessible and widely adopted. This was driven largely by the rapid advances in computer processing power, storage, and audio converter technology. As prices came down, DAWs like Pro Tools, Cubase, and Logic gained popularity in professional studios as well as with amateur musicians and producers.
Whereas early DAWs required expensive proprietary hardware, new systems were designed to run on standard computers with audio interfaces. This opened up digital audio recording and production to a much broader market. The 1990s marked a transformative decade where computer-based DAWs evolved from a niche product into a standard tool for music creation.
Pro Tools
Pro Tools was released in 1991 by Digidesign and quickly became an industry standard digital audio workstation (DAW). It was one of the first DAWs available for personal computers that provided a recording studio environment and tools for audio editing (Anyone tried Nebula? – Page 13). Pro Tools offered multitrack recording, MIDI sequencing, and plug-ins for effects and virtual instruments. It pioneered nonlinear, nondestructive editing of digital audio. The software was designed to work with Digidesign’s hardware systems but later versions were opened up to work with any interface. Pro Tools was widely adopted for professional music and audio production throughout the 1990s.
Cubase
Originally created by Karl Steinberg in 1989, Cubase began as a MIDI sequencer and recorder for the Atari ST computer. The first version, Cubase 1.0, quickly became popular for its user-friendly interface and robust feature set. Over the years, Cubase evolved into a full-fledged digital audio workstation (DAW), integrating powerful audio recording, editing, and mixing tools.
Some key milestones in Cubase history include Cubase v3 in 1996, which added support for VST plugins and effects. This allowed Cubase users to expand the platform’s capabilities with third-party tools. Later versions incorporated surround sound mixing, virtual instruments, and other advances. Today, Cubase continues to be a leading choice for music producers, composers, and recording engineers across macOS and Windows platforms. The latest iteration, Cubase 12, demonstrates the DAW’s ongoing innovation with features like AI-powered audio cleanup and surround sound mixing advancements.
Overall, for over 30 years, Cubase has cemented its status as one of the most capable and versatile DAWs for professional music production. Its storied evolution has continually raised the bar on what a digital audio workstation can achieve. (https://screechhouse.com/evolution-of-cubase-steinberg-cubase-history-versions-comparison-from-cubase-1-0-to-cubase-11/)
Logic Pro
Logic Pro was launched in 1993 by German software company Emagic. It originated on the Atari ST platform in the late 1980s before being developed into a fully-featured digital audio workstation for Mac OS and Windows. During the 1990s, Logic Pro became popular in the electronic music scene due to its MIDI sequencing capabilities, user-friendliness, and robust features for audio recording, editing and production.
Some key features of early versions of Logic Pro included:
- A 32-track MIDI sequencer for composing and arranging music
- The ability to record, edit and process up to 32 audio tracks
- A large library of software instruments and effects plugins
- Support for third-party hardware such as audio interfaces, MIDI controllers and synthesizers
- Powerful editing tools like Flex Time and Pitch for manipulating audio
- A user-friendly arrange window for sequencing music and arranging tracks
Throughout the 1990s, Logic Pro gained popularity among electronic musicians for its robust feature set at an affordable price. It became a go-to DAW for producers in genres like techno, house, trance and industrial music. Logic helped define the sound of 90s electronic music.
Ableton Live
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Ableton Live was first released in 2001, after the 1990s time period in focus. It was originally developed by Gerhard Behles as a tool for his live performances. Live is known for its session view, which provides users with a flexible environment for launching and sequencing audio samples and MIDI. It allows for improvised jam sessions as well as precision editing. Some key features include non-linear workflows, MIDI sequencing, automatic beatmatching, elastic audio, automation, and extensive audio effects and virtual instruments. Live has become popular for live electronic music performances as well as music production. While it was not used in the 90s, Ableton Live has become one of the top DAWs used by electronic musicians today.
Cakewalk
Cakewalk was one of the first digital audio workstations (DAWs) for Windows, originally released in 1987 for DOS. It was developed by Twelve Tone Systems and aimed to provide an affordable and accessible DAW for home studio musicians. Cakewalk quickly gained popularity as an entry-level tool for MIDI sequencing and audio recording (Wikipedia).
By the early 1990s, Cakewalk supported Windows and became a fully-featured DAW that could rival professional-grade software like Pro Tools and Cubase. However, it maintained its reputation as being easy for beginners to learn while still providing advanced functionality. Throughout the 90s, Cakewalk continued to be updated with new versions that added improved audio editing, more virtual instruments, and better MIDI features.
While it may not have had the prestige of some high-end DAWs used in professional studios, Cakewalk played an important role in making digital audio production more accessible to home studio musicians and amateurs in the 1990s. Its combination of approachable interface and powerful features helped launch many producers’ careers during the rise of computer-based recording (Cakewalk Discuss).
Digital Performer
Digital Performer was originally released by Mark of the Unicorn in 1985 as Performer and became widely used on Mac OS for MIDI sequencing. In the 1990s, it was commonly used for professional audio, MIDI and music production.[1] Digital Performer has since undergone numerous major upgrades, with the latest release being version 12 in October 2022.[2] It allows audio recording, editing and manipulation as well as MIDI sequencing and remains popular for its user-friendly interface, customizable workflow, and extensive professional audio and MIDI features.
In summary, Digital Performer has been a leading DAW for the Mac since the 1990s. It started as a MIDI sequencer but evolved to handle professional audio recording and editing capabilities. Numerous artists and studios adopted Digital Performer during the 1990s thanks to its MIDI sequencing strengths and it remains in use today due to its robust features and customizable workflow.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Performer
[2] https://motu.com/en-us/download/product/489/
Nuendo
Nuendo first appeared on the scene in 1997, launched by the German software company Steinberg. As one of the earliest and most advanced digital audio workstations (DAWs), Nuendo quickly gained popularity in the 1990s for its professional-grade mixing, editing and recording capabilities.
Built upon Steinberg’s VST audio technology, Nuendo provided an integrated environment for audio production, combining a mixing console, multi-track recording features, MIDI sequencing and virtual instruments all in one software platform. This allowed audio engineers, musicians and producers to have access to a fully-featured production studio and quality tools right on their computer.
Some of the notable capabilities of Nuendo in the 90s included configurable mixing desks, plug-in effects and virtual instruments, non-destructive editing and processing, surround sound support, and video/audio synchronization features for post-production work. While more limited compared to today’s versions, Nuendo offered cutting-edge DAW functionality for the time that appealed to many professional studios and producers.
FL Studio
Originally called FruityLoops, FL Studio was first released in 1997 by Image-Line as a step sequencer. It was one of the earliest mainstream DAWs available for personal computers running Microsoft Windows. FruityLoops quickly gained popularity due to its simple and intuitive interface, affordable price, and innovative features like pattern-based sequencing.
According to the FL Studio history page, the first version of FruityLoops was premiered at the Musik Messe in Germany in 1998. It offered basic functionality like a pattern-based sequencer, sampler, and several synthesizers. While initially designed for loop-based electronic music production, FL Studio evolved over the years into a full-featured DAW capable of recording, editing, mixing and mastering.
FL Studio continues to be one of the most popular DAWs used today by electronic music producers, DJs, and beatmakers. Its accessibility for beginners combined with advanced tools for power users helped cement its status as a top choice for music production in the 1990s and beyond.
Conclusion
The 1990s saw the rise of digital audio workstations (DAWs) for music production. Some of the most popular DAWs used in the 90s included:
- Pro Tools – Released in 1991, Pro Tools quickly became the industry standard DAW for professional studios.
- Cubase – Originally released in 1989 for Atari computers, Cubase was ported to Mac and Windows in the 90s and was widely used by electronic music producers.
- Logic Pro – Originating on the Mac in 1993 as Logic, this DAW grew in popularity throughout the decade, especially among home studio musicians.
- Ableton Live – A new approach to music production, Ableton Live first came out in 2001 but its unique live performance features made it a hit with DJs.
- Cakewalk – Available throughout the 90s on Windows, Cakewalk offered an affordable and accessible DAW for beginners.
While often expensive and running only on high-end computers, these early DAWs gave artists and producers the ability to record, edit, and mix music digitally for the first time. Their capabilities steadily improved during the decade, paving the way for the power and ubiquity of DAWs today.