{"id":12379,"date":"2020-09-24T18:25:28","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T18:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/audioordeal.co.uk\/?p=12379"},"modified":"2020-09-24T18:25:45","modified_gmt":"2020-09-24T18:25:45","slug":"how-to-become-a-power-user-of-your-favourite-daw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/audioordeal.co.uk\/how-to-become-a-power-user-of-your-favourite-daw\/","title":{"rendered":"How to become a power user of your favourite DAW"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mastering your DAW of choice takes years of practice and use, but there are some shortcuts to help you become a power user.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today’s guide will talk about the various ways you can become more efficient in your DAW which will save you time and more importantly, let you turn out more projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another key thing here is that having a solid grasp of your DAW means that you will not spend as much time setting up and working through menus. This will<\/em> help you by preventing ideas escaping as you are fiddling with settings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Learn Shortcuts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shortcuts are essential for any software but I would argue especially for creative applications. They allow you to get things done quickly and easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every DAW has a range of shortcuts, and while some (like Ableton<\/a>)<\/strong> aren’t changeable, others allow custom shortcuts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Keyboard stickers like this<\/a> can be a great way to learn shortcuts, especially if you are new to a DAW or prone to forgetting.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Consider Reaper for example. Not only can you completely reset all shortcuts to your choosing, you can also chain shortcuts<\/strong><\/a> together to single hotkeys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ MORE: Ableton shortcuts guide \u2013 what are they and when to use?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of how your DAW approaches shortcuts, one of the best uses of your time is learning them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my time teaching people how to use DAWs, one of the main things I’ve seen is that those using shortcuts are seen as wizards by those who don’t. You can really<\/em> speed up your workflow with them and editing becomes a super smooth process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. MIDI Control and Gaming Mouse<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Controllers such as the QCon Pro G2<\/a> may be pricy, but with motorised faders and lots of control options, you can really speed up your workflow <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Following on from the shortcuts thread, having additional surfaces and controls is a great way to speed up your workflow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many professional sound engineers use hardware mapped to their DAW to help with mixing. This hardware normally comes with faders and other tactile controls to accurately dial in settings and commands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a MIDI keyboard or DJ controller<\/a>, you will already be ahead, as both can be mapped to various controls and speed up your workflow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking for a MIDI keyboard, consider getting one with additional knobs and pads on it so you can add shortcuts to them and speed up the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more advanced control, nothing beats a dedicated mixing controller such as the Akai APC series<\/a> for Ableton or a surface with motorised faders that react to automation, such as the Presonus Faderport<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n