Mac

Reaper

July 07, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Multimedia

reaper-logoAvailability: Free 60 Day Trial
Comparable: Audacity, GarageBand, Pro Tools, Audition

REAPER (Rapid Environment for Audio Production, Engineering, and Recording) is a digital audio workstation created by Cockos. It is distributed with an uncrippled evaluation license with a nag screen explaining the license cost. It is currently available for Microsoft Windows (XP/Vista/7/8) and Mac OS X (10.4-10.10). Reaper features multi-track recording, a non-destructive editing environment, real-time effects, and VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugin ability for the addition of effects, samples, virtual instruments, visualizations, and more.  Reaper has many of the features and basic abilities of far more expensive DAW’s (Digital Audio Workstation) at a fraction of the cost.

Here is a detailed comparison matrix of several DAW software pieces.

Tags: reaper

Pro Tools

July 07, 2015 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Multimedia

pro-toolsAvailability: Download
Comparable: Audacity, Audition, GarageBand

Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation for Microsoft Windows and OS X developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is a de facto standard for recording and mixing music and is used in most professional recording studios. It can run as standalone software, or operate using a range of external A/D converters and internal PCI or PCIe audio cards with onboard DSP.  Pro Tools records and edits non-destructively and has the ability to process multiple live effects on each channel without altering the original recorded waveform permanently.  This makes editing and tweaking effects and sounds very easy, fast, and intuitive.  Older versions of Pro Tools can also interface with VST’s (Virtual Studio Technology), that can add in virtual effects, instruments, visualizations, sound banks, editing tools, samplers, and more.

Here is a detailed comparison matrix of several DAW software pieces.

Tags: pro tools

Tableau

June 10, 2015 by Alex Chapin
Categories: Analysis & ModelingDesign & Visualization
tableauAvailability: Free Trial
Comparable: Google Earth, ESRI ArcGIS, Origin Pro

Tableau is tool for data analysis and visualization, allowing users to represent data in many different ways including: Cross Tab, Geographic Map, Page Trails, Heat Map, Density Chart, Scatter Plots, Pie Chart and Bar Charts, Small Multiples, Dual Axis and Combo Charts with different mark types and options for drill down and drill across.