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Add to SafariWhen comparing Digital Performer 8 vs GarageBand, the Slant community recommends GarageBand for most people. In the question“What are the best DAWs? ” GarageBand is ranked 27th while Digital Performer 8 is ranked 54th.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Notation support
Pro Made for small screens
Digital Performer is made to accommodate laptop screens so mixing can be done on the go.
Pro Easy organization
Chunks and Takes lets users record multiple projects within a single session file, and Takes allows users to save multiple recordings of a single instrument that can easily be switched.
Pro Great sounding instruments
Pro Free if you have a Mac
Pro Extremely easy
GarageBand is one of the most basic and user friendly DAWs, making it very easy to learn.
Pro Good MIDI editing with quantization, piano roll and notation
Pro Amp Sims/ Pedal Effects/ Mics
There are several amp sims for guitar and bass or other direct input instruments. Different style speaker cabinets, microphones and mic placements. It also comes with a good selection of pedal effects.
Pro Allows 3rd party plug-ins
Plug-ins for effects or sample instruments can be installed and work great. Must get the AU plug-in for Mac if available.
Pro Easy automated drummer
Cons
Con Unreliable plugin compatibility
Many AU and VST plugins don't load well with Digital Performer 8.
Con No send/buss tracks
Tracks can't be sent into a buss channel for grouping tracks together.
Con 44.1K sample rate
The maximum sample rate is 44.1K. No 48K or higher.
Con Mixer console panel not available
Mixing must be done on the channel strip or by smart control panel only. There is no mixer with fader, vu meter and effects chain listing.
Con No sidechain effects
Can't manipulate other tracks with a sidechain trigger such as ducking with a compressor.
Con Platform dependant
Only for Mac.
