You also get a larger library of effects and plugins. This offers the same clean interface as Studio One Prime, but with better virtual instrument support. To unlock more features, activate a 30-day free trial of Studio One Professional at any time. Presonus also boasts broad drag-and-drop functionality that lets you add effects, edit audio files, and work with sequencers.

Take advantage of Studio One's single-window interface to record, arrange, and mix your music with ease. But Studio One Prime is great for working with audio. Unfortunately, you can't use virtual instruments without upgrading.

Studio One Prime includes support for unlimited audio and MIDI tracks, nine Native Effects plug-ins, and almost one gigabyte of samples and loops. And it still comes with everything you need to make music. Each version comes with a different set of features, but we're most interested in Prime because it's free. Presonus offers Studio One in a variety of versions: Professional, Artist, and Prime. To bypass these restrictions you need to upgrade to Logic Pro. You're also capped at a total of 256 tracks, although you're unlikely to reach that limit. The biggest downside to GarageBand is that there's no mixer view. And use a powerful set of plugins from the smart controls view. Tweak your instrumentation in the arrange window. Work with audio and MIDI in the editor view. GarageBand has all the bells and whistles you need to make music on your Mac. The Drummer feature is particularly great, letting you choose between 28 different styles. But none of them offer the same streamlined experience across multiple devices.ĭon't let GarageBand's simple interface put you off. It's a powerful tool for composing, arranging, and recording music. You can access an enormous library of Apple Loops to get started or write something new using the impressive virtual instruments. The Performer MIDI sequencer reigned supreme on the Macintosh until Studio Vision came along and made inroads with professionals working on film music and. If you ever leave the Apple ecosystem, you might want to look at these GarageBand alternatives for Windows. GarageBand is free to download on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad and it lets you work on the same musical projects across all of your Apple devices.

Best music software for mac