The Future of DAWs

[Slim ManDjango]

Where do you forsee your favourite DAW(s) going in the future? What will improve them? Is there anything you want that no software developer has thought of yet?

[Tibbon]

I'm sure most of the software developers out there have thought of most of the concepts. We probably aren't going to hear anything groundbreaking in this thread.

The problem often comes in implementation. Believe it or not, making software that works (and features that work in the workflow of your software) is really hard. It's easy to make things overly complicated.

The future of DAWs won't have too many massive leaps. This isn't an industry that wants to jump massively all at once to something totally different. Everyone wants to do the same things, but have options of how they want to do it.

Also, the best technology doesn't always mean a clear win. The Fairlight DAW system is amazing, and the pricepoint is really good. However people haven't all jumped ship onto it. Logic 8 with a Symphony system is really good, but it hasnt' made people all sell their PT rigs.

Digi will fall at some point, because the big guy that gets lazy always does eventually (Ford, Big Steel, Microsoft, IBM), but they will still be around.

Plugins will get better, control surfaces will get better.

The analogue vs digital war will go on, until they really are pretty much the same thing which will be a long time. The same thing is happening in film/video and film/digital photography.

There is some really cool technology out there, that's simply not being used enough. Multitouch exists and works, but nothing asides from the Lemur and iPhone use it. OLED buttons are cool, but rarely used. Quality A/D and D/A conversion will get cheaper and cheaper. I wouldn't buy stock in that industry.

[Rufuss Sewell]

Distant future:

Ears as microphones: Data transferred directly from your brain waves to the very tiny computer installed in your skull. That computer will be connected to "the net" and others will have instant access to anything you've heard. Playback will occur directly in the brain, so no need for monitors/speakers.

Human memory as a storage device: Not only will we have access to every experience someone has... but we'll also have access to every experience they've had in the past. Did your grandpa see Jimmy Hendrix live in 1968? Simply download his experience into your brain and enjoy.

Near Future:

The Mind as the next midi controller: Think of notes in your head, your synth will play them. It'll be hard at first, and only the most talented minds will be able to control it properly... but eventually people will develop the skill to improvise entire arrangements with just their mind controlling the software.

Stereo and mono summed audio files... basically any fully mixed song or polyphonic recording, will be able to be broken down into it's basic tracks. By that I mean, a stereo recording of a full symphony orchestra recorded with two microphones, will have the ability to be separated out so that each instrument in the orchestra will have it's own track. Each string on a guitar will be able to be edited separately. Old Elvis mono recordings will be broken down and remixed by every geek with a PC.

Back to analog recording: Digital is cool... but soon we will go back to recording completely in analog by etching wave forms into holographic material with lasers. The lasers will be controlled by an electro mechanical device to maintain the pure analog signal. The system will feature all of the perfect-ness of digital (meaning the signal will be pure and it won't degrade over time) while giving us the infinite resolution of analog.

[Rufuss Sewell]

I predict that Logic will feature Elastic Audio like Pro Tools... but it will show up on the Piano Roll and be editable like midi.

Thought about the possible future of music in general:

MP3's and lossy data compression will be a thing of the past very soon. Storage and internet speed will allow the easy transfer and marketing of much higher quality audio than CD's.

Artists will release LOUD masters and "Hi Fi" masters. At least my band will... haha.

All prerecorded music will be free and legal listeners for listeners to download. This will be a result of free market competition. Content owners will be paid by subscription, advertising money, live performances and related merchandise.

Korea will make robots that SLAY humans at any musical performance, and the emphasis will return to composition rather than physical ability.

People will grow tired of snare drums, kick drums, cymbals, guitars, basses, pianos and the same old instruments we've been hearing on every song for hundreds of years.... well probably not actually.

[Bob Olhsson]

I see DAWs becoming far more modular. A group of mini apps that will each do one task superbly. Like plug-ins only lots more functions than just signal processing. The Broadcast Wave audio file format can handle enough metadata for applications to simply bring up everything that's in the same folder.

This has been tried before but never with anything remotely resembling the horsepower of a contemporary personal computer.

[Mike Derrick]

DAW's will provide classic mixing board skins, with all appropriate electronics emulated, including summing amps etc,

...maybe they already do this, don't know, I haven't researched the latest stuff, I'm stuck in the ancient era of ProT 5, and Nuendo 2. When ya got something that works and does most everything ya need, no need to spend thousands on upgrading to a higher version.

[EstateMatt]

anyone with ideas is likely to be guarding them. myself included. here are the ideas that I'm NOT working on

altering track heights in different times of the piece.

DISC BURNING!

Control surfaces which aren't stupid.

algorithmic parameters which alter more than one thing on your track at a time like "tucked behind" or " verbed in the back" or "soaring"

being able to stick pictures (you can yank em of GIS) in the timeline.





looking at music through the traditional DAW xy time track is severely limiting many musicians. Many Many More guis than just edit and mix window.


Hierarchal/Object oriented track organization. (I shouldn't have to bus 14 backing vocals to an aux channel.) I should be able to hilite them all and put them into a "backing vocal object" where I can apply effects to the entire object. how would one view this?

Direct max msp integration.

takes/virtual tracks which dont span the entire track

separate prebypass and postbypass

click tracks which follow musicians rather than ruin them
//I'm working on that one

compressors which reset upon onset detection so that compressing drum samples doesn't ruin them.

connect any audio analysis signal to any automation-able parameter

javascript

preset effect chains

nonlinear distortion remover

automatically find best place to switch between regions instead of zooming and moving things into phase

morphing for edits



we have dynamic voicing, next we need dynamic routing of effects with NO CLICKS. we need plugin architectures that really give access to how the daw works (like firefox addons)

more than one person working on the same piece at the same time. (two engineers, ones doing sax parts, ones doing guitar over dubs)

engineering a session over the web.

integrated fill-in sheets for front end settings.

FFT editing on every track,
FFT editor where every track is a different color

displays for musicians so they know wtf is going on, where the in the song they are and if they are listening or recording

multichannel headphone bus directly integerated into software

[Tibbon]

EstateMatt- Have you used Logic 8? There's a lot of that in there. Most of it in fact that's not silly (Javascript?!?!? wtf?)

And for a control surface that doesn't suck... umm Fairlight, Digidesign and Euphonix all have really compelling surfaces. I love the Eurphonix MC. And if you wanted something more non-traditional... just get a Lemur.

MikeDerrick- I'm not sure why I'd want my computer to look like a mixing console with skins? The mixing consoles look like that because thats what made sense most at the time. Trying to fit one UI idea into another doesn't always work... like trying to use a mouse to turn round knobs... Doesn't work all that well.

[EstateMatt]

javascript.... yeah.. like macros etc.

make 20 new tracks, put eqs on them all and set up my headphone qs.


hilite 10 tracks and put my favorite drum effects on them.

[Tibbon]

Originally Posted by EstateMatt

javascript.... yeah.. like macros etc.

make 20 new tracks, put eqs on them all and set up my headphone qs.


hilite 10 tracks and put my favorite drum effects on them.

Funny, I can do all of that in Logic in about 20 seconds.
I understand the want for scripting functionality, but I think that it's a little unneeded for a DAW. What else is the "Protools Operator/Assistant Engineer" going to do?

[Lawrence]

To see how scripting can be (and is being) used, take a look at the Cubendo Logical Project Editor which can do some pretty useful things already. It's gonna get even better I suspect.

How long would it take you in Logic to ... say .. for example ...

Delete (or shift the positions by 15 ms or 20 frames) all mute automation on any track or part or even a region on a track (across multiple tracks and/or inside of closed folders) in the project with "vox" and/or "guit" as part of the name? Just a very simple single step example. How many steps would that take just selecting stuff?

The logical editor can do multiple things at once (to multiple different classes and types of tracks and parts) in one script with boolean logic. Really fast.

It comes in at about 2:35 of the Steiny video... very useful ... has to be used to be appreciated. People who used the midi logical editor will "get it" right away.

YouTube - Nuendo 4 - Additional New Features

Is there something your daw maybe doesn't do? Like maybe not have a button or function to turn on/off monitoring for all tracks or record disable/enable every track in the project at once?

Now it does, script it. Instead of adding every little different feature every one wants, they'll give you facilities to create what you personally want ... within limits.

Mute all guitars wherever they are (audio or midi or VSTI?) no problem. One click. Run a script. All you have to do (for this one) is have a commonality like "guit" somewhere in the name.

Trim level automation on all vocal tracks in the project by -5% (0r +5% for that "vocal up version" without selecting anything or even looking at the automation or audio tracks.

That kind of stuff. It's being done already. The future? Who knows...

[Mike Derrick]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

MikeDerrick- I'm not sure why I'd want my computer to look like a mixing console with skins? The mixing consoles look like that because thats what made sense most at the time. Trying to fit one UI idea into another doesn't always work... like trying to use a mouse to turn round knobs... Doesn't work all that well.

maybe I forgot to mention that the skins are 3 dimensional, and that your DAW isn't in a computer, it's in the left arm of your vitual reality sunglasses,...might've slipped my memory, there ya go,...can ya see it now,...over there on the far far right,...channel 547 is clipping cause you cranked the low-shelf-boost round knob!!!

oh well, back to my dreams

[Slim ManDjango]

Wow... I didn't expect such a massive response in less than 12 hours! I guess we all dream...

I'd like to see a plugin format (VST4 maybe) that has a back and front like a rack-mount piece of gear, where the back has virtual CV sockets so you can turn devices around and do crazy routing and modulation (a bit like Reason but far more open-ended). You could link any device to any other. There'd have to be a summary window showing the devices and their connections in a sort of editable mind map/flow chart. The mixer would also have to be flipped around. If all this gets too messy the software could just be a virtual rack, and outside developers would have to work within the dimensions to create the new plugin format.

I'd also like to see a simple looping program that does what analog loopers do - you record, and the moment you hit a button it loops, so you're not tied down to a tempo, just as with an analog looper. With technology though, you could loop live like this at the speed the drummer sets, rather than the computer, and you'd also be able to see each layer you've recorded and be able to manipulate/mute them for live sequencing - something no analog looper I've used can do. If there's something like this already please let me know!

[Rufuss Sewell]

I think the looper in Guitar Rig does that. But I haven't tried it yet.

[TankT34]

New Operating system created specifically for audio and video production would be cool thing, no WINDOWS or Mac OS problems... you load your Aiudio/Video OS and create music ! it's only a dream...

[tuRnitUpsuM]

TankT34

New Operating system created specifically for audio and video production would be cool thing, no WINDOWS or Mac OS problems... you load your Aiudio/Video OS and create music ! it's only a dream...

funny thing that ...cus it actually already exists.... yes indeed....just isnt utilized as well as it could be , why? great question ... it isn't a cash cow! Linux. just MHBO.


what id enjoy seeing in the not so distant future......

better playback standards

an FTP program that once the ftp link is clicked, launches the appropriate software to see a collaborating musicians (overseas) actions in real-time through the software... eg. virtual instruments....the knob tweaks or octaval changes displayed in real-time.

DAW software that not only displays value changes but true metering.

control surface protocol improvements.... or more controllers using cat5 instead of midi ,usb.

speaking of which ... a quicker implementation of USB3.0 (by that i mean seeing it used now instead of 2.0 )

chipsets built into MoBos with RAID capabilities and smart codes for automatic implementation... ie.. from RAID 0 to RAID 1 to JBOD etc ..automatically as needs require and or simultaneously switching to whatever is needed at that exact moment without compromises in data transfer rates nor stability.

cheaper higher capacity SSDs with the abilities to link to these new RAID chipsets (see above).

*
I know these have alot to do with hardware and not necessarily software in most cases....but DAWs really are an amalgomation of software and hardware so :P . and all these would certainly increase a DAWs ability to function better...faster...etc.
*

[nbarts]

Korea will make robots that SLAY humans at any musical performance, and the emphasis will return to composition rather than physical ability.

[ascottk]

What I miss is BeOS' 3DmiX. Automation via spline curves would be great.




I'll probably try Haiku OS (OpenBeOS) and ReactOS (Windows compliant OS) when they are stable.

[gsilbers]

I think a better way to control DAWs and their plugins. right now the icons are really cool for that where everything is more tactile and less use of the mouse.

with the iphone and touch-screen coming to the mainstream I think the use of the mouse will fade away.

maybe a mixer like in minority report.




for the inmediate future I think more and more DAw will implement what other DAWs do best.

like in DPs audio pitch shifter in the audio regions.

or like Lives elastic audio and awesome-fast way of assigning controllers to plugins/daw.

and so on from and to different DAWs.

and of course more realistic emulations of hardware units.

[Rufuss Sewell]

God, I want a multi-touch screen to replace my mouse and keyboard so bad! And Apple should be the one to create it and integrate it with Logic. Of course all applications would be designed to work with it. Let's do this! What's the hold up I wonder? Jobs said he didn't see a need for it with desk tops... what the hell? He was definitely lying through his teeth about that. He knows they'd sell a gazillion if they could get the price point right and develop the software.

I think they're working hard on it as we speak! And it'll be a surprise release on the day it's available at the Apple store.

[George Necola]

I think I know where the future of your signature is Rufuss..

it's going to die, because it's too fat, large and oversized

back to topic please.

[Rufuss Sewell]

Well, hopefully the board will sell! Or I'll just decide to keep it. But yeah... It won't be on there much longer. I need to get my girlfriend to shrink the image down a bit.

[initialsBB]

I don't think touch screens make sense for a desktop computer either since they have a basic ergonomic flaw. If you have it positioned vertically like your monitor then you're going to get very tired waving your arms in the air all day like Tom Cruise in Minority Report. If you have it lying horizontally on your desk it will be easier on your arms but you'll probably get a kink in your neck from looking down at it all day. Something in between like a drafting table might work but I just don't see it catching on. There's also an issue with the density of information on the display. Right now, at the font size I'm typing I can easily select a single letter of a word using the mouse and the cursor. I'm not sure how I would manage that with my fingertips. Touchscreens would have to be huge like that dumb microsoft coffee table concept.

I think they will be great for embedded devices though. Hopefully they will soon get cheap enough that we'll see them on the front panels of keyboards, rack gear and stuff like that.

[Slim ManDjango]

I don't see size being a problem because if there's not much on screen you can at least navigate quickly. On my laptop I can see I could easily "grab" my text to highlight it. A smaller size font would be hard though, but there's always the stylus option. For knobs and faders I'd like fingers but for office work a stylus would suit me just fine. It'd be awesome controlling good DJ'ing software live in surround sound using a screen like that.

[stag]

I imagine the PC becoming increasingly small. Something with the size of a tenis ball, without screen, because it´s going to be holographic. Mouse will have its days counted. It will be replaced by a wireless ring that translates the x and y axis, snapping fingers once selecting, twice opening, rubbing gently: context menu. The keyboard will be an holographic projection also.

So the size of an orange, or something like that, the future studio. No problem attaching "vintage" gear like UAD plugs doe. They will have several tiny ports that will do it all. So UAD fanbois: relax!

Monitoring will be done with special headphones, attached to the ears. they also will have pads attached to lower gut, gut, chest and base of neck to simulate better different kind of frequencies. Off course 20.4 surround systems will be the norm in 15 years.

All this made in China. This time around it will cost an arm and a leg doe. Chinese products will be regarded as the Japanese of today.

[Rufuss Sewell]

You simply have one at your finger tips and leave your old monitor in front of you. Font size is irrelevant because with multitouch you can zoom in with the "pinch" edit, then zoom back out. No contest in my opinion. I see absolutely nothing holding back multitouch screens. Especially after playing with an iPhone.

But, iPhone as a bluetooth controller might be good enough for now.

[stag]

Oh the OS will be irrelevant. that´s quantum computing, nothing available today will do.
Some high school drop out in Ukraine is getting ready, on his mom´s garage, to kick MS out of business.
Dimitri Gatinskinovitch will dominate then the market with an iron fist. Because of piracy, privacy went down the sewer of history.

Let the good times roll...

[initialsBB]

Originally Posted by Rufuss Sewell

You simply have one at your finger tips and leave your old monitor in front of you.

So your hands are on the touchscreen but you're looking at the monitor? Why not just use a wacom tablet then? I guess I have just never seen anything wrong with a mouse and it's so entrenched now that I think it will be hard to make it die. Kind of like how there are supposedly "better" typing systems but we're still all using qwerty because that's what caught on. Who knows though, I could be totally wrong. I think multitouch technology will be cool for specialist applications and will catch on big time for embedded devices. I just can't picture cubicles full of people manipulating excel spreadsheets with touchscreens. It just seems like it's the jetpack or videophone of 2007, where the technology is ready but there are insurmountable social or practical hurdles.

[Rufuss Sewell]

I guess you've never heard of the iPhone?

Multitouch is here and everyone knows about it... and furthermore just about everyone loves it! There are no social or practical hurdles. But I don't need to prove to you. You'll see it happen very soon! haha.

[bafonso]

Originally Posted by Rufuss Sewell

I guess you've never heard of the iPhone?

Multitouch is here and everyone knows about it... and furthermore just about everyone loves it! There are no social or practical hurdles. But I don't need to prove to you. You'll see it happen very soon! haha.

Multi-touch on an upright screen will never happen. Now, a wacom like device that actually is a multi-touch screen would be a welcome addition... in fact, I think very soon the laptops will have multi-touch interfaces like the ipod instead of a traditional keyboard... this would allow you to have a program like logic display a mini-mixer instead of a keyboard. You could then freely alternate between then. :-) each plugin could sport their own interface, etc.

It's only a matter of time...