Choosing the right program for your personal DAW could prove to be absolutely outright confusing, especially if you have been searching online for information on which music making programs would be the right fit for your personal production needs.

There's alot of gibberish on the net that you will soon find concerning which beat makers that you should use; but before we get started with the discussion, I want you to know that the best or right program for you would be the one that gives you the best user experience, and simplifies your work flow. Let's discuss.

What Makes For A Good Music Making Program?

Two things that you should consider upfront with any software beat making program are what types of sounds are included with the program and the size of the sound library, and also, what are the features of the MIDI editor.

The sound library will be the focal central point of your beat making endeavors, so if you have a crappy sound library or the amount of sounds included is small, you more than likely won't be able to make any tight beats! Any producer knows that his beats will only be as good as the sounds within the program that he is using, so starting off with a hard, solid sound library of drums, synths and pianos would be exactly what you want to do.

The MIDI editor would be the next consideration that I would take into account when choosing which beat making program that I would want to use; if the MIDI editor makes it complicated to sequence your tracks and make easy edits to the errors you make while recording your parts, then you will want to pass on that particular choice of software, and choose a program that has a better MIDI editor.

Well, Which Programs Have These Features?

Typically, most producers who do hip hop beats tend to use either Reason or Fruity Loops, now known as FL Studio for their choice of beat making software, mainly for the very reasons that I outlined above. They are easy to use, they come with a dope sound library, and you can get your beats done all within the same program without making any other purchases.

You also have Logic Studio, which is also popular amongst beat makers, but tends to be a little more complex as it comes with a learning curve, plus it only available for Mac users. Also, you may hear that Pro Tools is the best choice, simply because it is considered to be the industry standard for audio production, but in my opinion the MIDI editing is awful, and has been ever since Pro Tools 6.7, back in 2005. We're now currently on Pro Tools 9, and the MIDI editing is still awful. I tend to only turn to Pro Tools for mixing, which is where the program shines and excels. It doesn't get any better than Pro Tools for mixing.

So, my main man (or lady), take heed to these tips, and choose the music making program that will best fit your needs and work flow. It might take awhile before you find the right fit, but the key point is that you keep at it until you find the program that is right for you. Hold it down! Better Beats Ahead.