<s>
A	O
digital	B-General_Concept
audio	I-General_Concept
workstation	I-General_Concept
(	O
DAW	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
electronic	O
device	O
or	O
application	B-Application
software	I-Application
used	O
for	O
recording	O
,	O
editing	O
and	O
producing	O
audio	O
files	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DAWs	O
come	O
in	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
configurations	O
from	O
a	O
single	O
software	O
program	O
on	O
a	O
laptop	B-Device
,	O
to	O
an	O
integrated	O
stand-alone	O
unit	O
,	O
all	O
the	O
way	O
to	O
a	O
highly	O
complex	O
configuration	O
of	O
numerous	O
components	O
controlled	O
by	O
a	O
central	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
DAWs	O
are	O
used	O
for	O
producing	O
and	O
recording	O
music	O
,	O
songs	O
,	O
speech	O
,	O
radio	O
,	O
television	O
,	O
soundtracks	O
,	O
podcasts	B-Operating_System
,	O
sound	O
effects	O
and	O
nearly	O
any	O
other	O
situation	O
where	O
complex	O
recorded	O
audio	O
is	O
needed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
attempts	O
at	O
digital	B-General_Concept
audio	I-General_Concept
workstations	I-General_Concept
in	O
the	O
1970s	O
and	O
1980s	O
faced	O
limitations	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
high	O
price	O
of	O
storage	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
vastly	O
slower	O
processing	O
and	O
disk	O
speeds	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1978	O
,	O
Soundstream	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
made	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
commercially	O
available	O
digital	O
audio	O
tape	O
recorders	O
in	O
1977	O
,	O
built	O
what	O
could	O
be	O
considered	O
the	O
first	O
digital	B-General_Concept
audio	I-General_Concept
workstation	I-General_Concept
using	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
current	O
computer	O
hardware	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Digital	O
Editing	O
System	O
,	O
as	O
Soundstream	O
called	O
it	O
,	O
consisted	O
of	O
a	O
DEC	B-Device
PDP-11/60	I-Device
minicomputer	O
running	O
a	O
custom	O
software	O
package	O
called	O
DAP	O
(	O
Digital	B-General_Concept
Audio	I-General_Concept
Processor	I-General_Concept
)	O
,	O
a	O
Braegen	O
14	O
"	O
-platter	O
hard	O
disk	O
drive	O
,	O
a	O
storage	O
oscilloscope	O
to	O
display	O
audio	O
waveforms	O
for	O
editing	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
video	B-General_Concept
display	I-General_Concept
terminal	I-General_Concept
for	O
controlling	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interface	O
cards	O
that	O
plugged	O
into	O
the	O
PDP-11	B-Device
'	O
s	O
Unibus	B-Device
slots	O
(	O
the	O
Digital	O
Audio	O
Interface	O
,	O
or	O
DAI	O
)	O
provided	O
analog	O
and	O
digital	O
audio	O
input	O
and	O
output	O
for	O
interfacing	O
to	O
Soundstream	O
's	O
digital	O
recorders	O
and	O
conventional	O
analog	O
tape	O
recorders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
late	O
1980s	O
,	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
personal	O
computers	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Yamaha	O
CX5M	O
,	O
Macintosh	B-Device
,	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
,	O
and	O
Amiga	B-Device
began	O
to	O
have	O
enough	O
power	O
to	O
handle	O
digital	B-Application
audio	I-Application
editing	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Engineers	O
used	O
Macromedia	O
's	O
Soundedit	O
,	O
with	O
Microdeal	O
's	O
Replay	B-Device
Professional	I-Device
and	O
Digidesign	O
's	O
Sound	O
Tools	O
and	O
Sound	O
Designer	O
to	O
edit	O
audio	O
samples	O
for	O
sampling	O
keyboards	O
like	O
the	O
E-mu	O
Emulator	O
II	O
and	O
the	O
Akai	O
S900	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soon	O
,	O
people	O
began	O
to	O
use	O
them	O
for	O
simple	O
two-track	O
audio	B-Application
editing	I-Application
and	O
audio	O
mastering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1989	O
,	O
Sonic	O
Solutions	O
released	O
the	O
first	O
professional	O
(	O
48kHz	O
at	O
24	O
bit	O
)	O
disk-based	O
non-linear	O
audio	B-Application
editing	I-Application
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Macintosh	O
IIfx-based	O
Sonic	O
System	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
research	O
done	O
earlier	O
at	O
George	O
Lucas’	O
Sprocket	O
Systems	O
,	O
featured	O
complete	O
CD	O
premastering	O
,	O
with	O
integrated	O
control	O
of	O
Sony	O
's	O
industry-standard	O
U-matic	O
tape-based	O
digital	B-Application
audio	I-Application
editor	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
major	O
recording	O
studios	O
finally	O
went	O
digital	O
after	O
Digidesign	O
introduced	O
its	O
Pro	B-Application
Tools	I-Application
software	O
in	O
1991	O
,	O
modeled	O
after	O
the	O
traditional	O
method	O
and	O
signal	O
flow	O
in	O
most	O
analog	O
recording	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
most	O
DAWs	O
were	O
Apple	O
Mac	O
based	O
(	O
e.g.	O
,	O
Pro	B-Application
Tools	I-Application
,	O
Studer	O
Dyaxis	O
,	O
Sonic	O
Solutions	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Around	O
1992	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
Windows-based	O
DAWs	O
started	O
to	O
emerge	O
from	O
companies	O
such	O
as	O
Innovative	O
Quality	O
Software	O
(	O
IQS	O
)	O
(	O
now	O
SAWStudio	B-Device
)	O
,	O
Soundscape	O
Digital	O
Technology	O
,	O
SADiE	O
,	O
Echo	O
Digital	O
Audio	O
,	O
and	O
Spectral	O
Synthesis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1992	O
,	O
Sunrize	O
Industries	O
released	O
the	O
AD516	O
soundcard	B-Device
for	O
big-box	O
Amiga	B-Device
computers	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
could	O
also	O
integrate	O
directly	O
into	O
Blue	O
Ribbon	O
Soundworks	O
 '	O
Bars	O
&	O
Pipes	O
Pro	O
MIDI	O
software	O
or	O
NewTek	O
's	O
Video	B-Device
Toaster	I-Device
,	O
thus	O
providing	O
a	O
complete	O
package	O
of	O
MIDI	O
sequencing	O
and/or	O
video	O
synchronization	O
with	O
non-linear	O
hard	O
disk	O
recording	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1993	O
,	O
the	O
German	O
company	O
Steinberg	O
released	O
Cubase	B-Application
Audio	I-Application
on	O
Atari	B-Device
Falcon	I-Device
030	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
brought	O
DSP	B-Architecture
built-in	O
effects	O
with	O
8-track	O
audio	O
recording	O
and	O
playback	O
using	O
only	O
native	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
Windows-based	O
software-only	O
product	O
,	O
introduced	O
in	O
1993	O
,	O
was	O
Samplitude	B-Device
(	O
which	O
already	O
existed	O
in	O
1992	O
as	O
an	O
audio	B-Application
editor	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Commodore	B-Device
Amiga	I-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
integrated	O
DAW	O
consists	O
of	O
a	O
digital	B-General_Concept
signal	I-General_Concept
processing	I-General_Concept
,	O
control	O
surface	O
,	O
audio	B-Application
converters	I-Application
,	O
and	O
data	B-General_Concept
storage	I-General_Concept
in	O
one	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
DAW	O
"	O
can	O
refer	O
to	O
the	O
software	O
itself	O
,	O
but	O
traditionally	O
,	O
a	O
computer-based	O
DAW	O
has	O
four	O
basic	O
components	O
:	O
a	O
computer	O
,	O
a	O
sound	B-Device
card	I-Device
or	O
other	O
audio	O
interface	O
,	O
audio	B-Application
editing	I-Application
software	I-Application
,	O
and	O
at	O
least	O
one	O
user	O
input	O
device	O
for	O
adding	O
or	O
modifying	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
computer	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
host	O
for	O
the	O
sound	B-Device
card	I-Device
,	O
while	O
the	O
software	O
provides	O
the	O
interface	O
and	O
functionality	O
for	O
audio	B-Application
editing	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sound	B-Device
card	I-Device
typically	O
converts	O
analog	O
audio	O
signals	O
into	O
digital	O
form	O
,	O
and	O
digital	O
back	O
to	O
analog	O
audio	O
when	O
playing	O
it	O
back	O
;	O
it	O
may	O
also	O
assist	O
in	O
further	O
processing	O
of	O
the	O
audio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
controls	O
all	O
related	O
hardware	O
components	O
and	O
provides	O
a	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
to	O
allow	O
for	O
recording	O
,	O
editing	O
,	O
and	O
playback	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
they	O
can	O
provide	O
a	O
practically	O
limitless	O
number	O
of	O
tracks	O
to	O
record	O
on	O
,	O
polyphony	O
,	O
and	O
virtual	B-Application
synthesizers	I-Application
or	O
sample-based	O
instruments	O
to	O
use	O
for	O
recording	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Simple	O
smartphone-based	O
DAWs	O
,	O
called	O
mobile	O
audio	O
workstation	O
(	O
MAWs	O
)	O
,	O
are	O
used	O
(	O
for	O
example	O
)	O
by	O
journalists	O
for	O
recording	O
and	O
editing	O
on	O
location	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
software	O
systems	O
,	O
DAWs	O
are	O
designed	O
with	O
many	O
user	B-Application
interfaces	I-Application
,	O
but	O
generally	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
multitrack	O
tape	O
recorder	O
metaphor	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
easier	O
for	O
recording	O
engineers	O
and	O
musicians	B-Application
already	O
familiar	O
with	O
using	O
tape	O
recorders	O
to	O
become	O
familiar	O
with	O
the	O
new	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
traditional	O
recording	O
studio	O
additional	O
rackmount	B-Application
processing	O
gear	O
is	O
physically	O
plugged	O
into	O
the	O
audio	O
signal	O
path	O
to	O
add	O
reverb	O
,	O
compression	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
a	O
DAW	O
can	O
also	O
route	O
in	O
software	O
or	O
use	O
audio	B-Application
plug-ins	I-Application
(	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
a	O
VST	B-Application
plugin	I-Application
)	O
to	O
process	O
the	O
sound	O
on	O
a	O
track	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Perhaps	O
the	O
most	O
significant	O
feature	O
available	O
from	O
a	O
DAW	O
that	O
is	O
not	O
available	O
in	O
analog	O
recording	O
is	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
undo	O
a	O
previous	O
action	O
,	O
using	O
a	O
command	O
similar	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
undo	O
function	O
in	O
word	B-General_Concept
processing	I-General_Concept
software	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
many	O
free	B-License
and	I-License
open-source	I-License
software	I-License
programs	O
that	O
perform	O
DAW	O
functions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
are	O
designed	O
to	O
run	O
on	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
operating	B-General_Concept
systems	I-General_Concept
and	O
are	O
usually	O
developed	O
non-commercially	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jim	O
Miller	O
was	O
the	O
star	O
of	O
the	O
NAMM	O
show	O
in	O
1983	O
presenting	O
his	O
Personal	O
Composer	O
running	O
under	O
MS	O
DOS	O
2.0	O
including	O
a	O
MIDI	O
sequencer	O
,	O
synth	O
editor	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
Yamaha	O
's	O
DX7	O
)	O
,	O
universal	O
librarians	O
and	O
a	O
score	B-Application
editor	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Steinberg	O
introduced	O
a	O
revamped	O
Cubase	B-Application
(	O
which	O
was	O
originally	O
launched	O
in	O
1989	O
as	O
a	O
MIDI	O
sequencing	O
software	O
for	O
the	O
Atari	B-Device
ST	I-Device
computer	O
,	O
later	O
developed	O
for	O
Mac	O
and	O
Windows	B-Application
PC	I-Application
platforms	O
,	O
but	O
had	O
no	O
audio	O
capabilities	O
until	O
1993	O
's	O
Cubase	B-Application
Audio	I-Application
)	O
which	O
could	O
record	O
and	O
play	O
back	O
up	O
to	O
32	O
tracks	O
of	O
digital	O
audio	O
on	O
an	O
Apple	O
Macintosh	B-Device
without	O
the	O
need	O
of	O
any	O
external	O
DSP	B-Architecture
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cubase	B-Application
not	O
only	O
modeled	O
a	O
tape-like	O
interface	O
for	O
recording	O
and	O
editing	O
,	O
but	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
,	O
using	O
VST	B-Application
also	O
developed	O
by	O
Steinberg	O
,	O
modeled	O
the	O
entire	O
mixing	O
desk	O
and	O
effects	O
rack	O
common	O
in	O
analog	O
studios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Digital	O
audio	O
applications	O
for	O
Linux	B-Application
and	O
BSD	B-Operating_System
fostered	O
technologies	O
such	O
as	O
Advanced	B-Application
Linux	I-Application
Sound	I-Application
Architecture	I-Application
(	O
ALSA	B-Application
)	O
,	O
which	O
drives	O
audio	O
hardware	O
,	O
and	O
JACK	B-Application
Audio	I-Application
Connection	I-Application
Kit	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
JACK	O
allows	O
any	O
JACK-aware	O
audio	O
software	O
to	O
connect	O
to	O
any	O
other	O
audio	O
software	O
running	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
connecting	O
an	O
ALSA	B-Application
-	O
or	O
OSS-driven	O
soundcard	B-Device
to	O
a	O
mixing	O
and	O
editing	O
front-end	O
,	O
like	O
Ardour	B-Language
or	O
Rosegarden	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
this	O
way	O
,	O
JACK	O
acts	O
as	O
a	O
virtual	O
audio	O
patch	B-Protocol
bay	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
it	O
can	O
be	O
configured	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
computer	O
's	O
resources	O
in	O
real	B-General_Concept
time	I-General_Concept
,	O
with	O
dedicated	B-General_Concept
memory	I-General_Concept
,	O
and	O
with	O
various	O
options	O
that	O
minimize	O
the	O
DAW	O
's	O
latency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
kind	O
of	O
abstraction	O
and	O
configuration	O
allows	O
DJs	O
to	O
use	O
multiple	O
programs	O
for	O
editing	O
and	O
synthesizing	O
audio	O
streams	O
,	O
or	O
multitasking	B-Operating_System
and	O
duplexing	O
,	O
without	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
analog	O
conversion	O
,	O
or	O
asynchronous	O
saving	O
and	O
reloading	O
files	O
,	O
and	O
ensures	O
a	O
high	O
level	O
of	O
audio	O
fidelity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Audacity	B-Language
,	O
audio	B-Application
editor	I-Application
that	O
can	O
run	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
and	O
other	O
Unix-like	B-Operating_System
systems	I-Operating_System
;	O
it	O
is	O
particularly	O
popular	O
in	O
the	O
podcast	B-Operating_System
community	O
and	O
also	O
has	O
a	O
large	O
following	O
among	O
the	O
visually	O
impaired	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
keyboard	O
interface	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rosegarden	B-Language
is	O
a	O
multi-featured	O
audio	O
application	O
that	O
includes	O
audio	B-Application
mixing	I-Application
plugins	I-Application
,	O
a	O
notation	B-Application
editor	I-Application
,	O
and	O
MIDI	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
MusE	B-Language
sequencer	O
is	O
a	O
similarly	O
featured	O
audio	O
application	O
that	O
includes	O
an	O
audio	O
mixer	O
and	O
a	O
music	O
sequencer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dylan	O
Tallchief	O
created	O
a	O
DAW	O
in	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Excel	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
open-source	O
programs	O
include	O
virtual	B-Application
synthesizers	I-Application
and	O
MIDI	O
controllers	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
those	O
provided	O
by	O
FluidSynth	B-Application
and	O
TiMidity	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
can	O
load	O
SoundFonts	B-Application
to	O
expand	O
the	O
voices	O
and	O
instruments	O
available	O
for	O
synthesis	O
and	O
expand	O
the	O
ports	O
and	O
channels	O
available	O
to	O
synthesizers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Members	O
of	O
the	O
Linux	B-Application
Audio	O
Development	O
(	O
LAD	O
)	O
mailing	O
list	O
have	O
contributed	O
to	O
development	O
of	O
standards	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
LADSPA	B-Language
,	O
DSSI	B-Application
and	O
LV2	B-Application
plugin	B-Application
architectures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Virtual	B-Application
Studio	I-Application
Technology	I-Application
(	O
VST	B-Application
)	O
plugin	B-Application
standard	O
is	O
supported	O
by	O
some	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
