Introduction to the DAW Buyers Guide

Welcome to The DAW Buyers Guide: an independent guide to professional/prosumer digital audio workstations, disk-based multitracks and tapeless recorders.

You can search our database of over 300 different products.

Then see the product 'Summary' or, where available, the 'Full Details', and any 'Showcases' for additional product/company information.

The DAW Buyers Guide aims to include every existing product. It covers the whole range of tapeless audio systems, including turnkey systems, self-contained desktop DAWs, hardware and software packages, DAW controllers, disk-based multitracks and tapeless recorders.

The DAW Buyers Guide is available free of charge thanks to sponsorship and advertising, so in addition to the basic summary listings, manufacturers can provide more detailed and personalised information in the form of Full Details listings, banner ads, logos, and Showcases.

How is the DAW Buyers Guide compiled?
Since 1989, SYPHA has collated information on systems and manufacturers, visited leading facilities in the USA and Europe, and participated in numerous international trade events and conventions. In 1989 we conducted a survey, entitled 'A Review of the Hard Disk Recording Market', of over 200 facilities in the USA and UK, and in 1990 we published the first edition of The Tapeless Audio Directory. Ten years later this was re-launched as The DAW Buyers Guide, and in 2001 it migrated to the Web.

The basic listings are compiled from a short form that manufacturers must complete for each product. This confirms the basic specifications used by our search engine. Every manufacturer known to us has been offered this opportunity, but for those unwilling/unable to take it, the listing states 'no details were confirmed.'

Full Details are given for those manufacturers who have paid a nominal administration fee and have provided a data sheet, product image, logo and live links.

Due to the number of systems and amount of information involved, we cannot verify each detail, and must rely on the supplier to provide accurate information. The DAW Buyers Guide is completely updated annually, and suppliers are given the opportunity to update their listings regularly. However, given the changing nature of the technology, it is advisable to check with the supplier if a missing feature that is important to you, is planned or has recently been introduced.