14 Pieces of Software that shaped Modern Music

Wow. Seems like nobody has ever developed anything worthwhile for a Windows based PC.

This I know - but when Cakewalk gets completely omitted (it was a leader in midi before home PC's could do audio worth a darn) one may have to wonder . . . . . . .
 
Brian

Leaving out ACID but putting in the Playstation Music application seems like an odd choice.

Stone House Studios
Wow. Seems like nobody has ever developed anything worthwhile for a Windows based PC.

Many of the programs listed are for windows.Even Logic was dual platform until Apple bought the company.

I'm sure this article was previously posted here and the same omissions were noted. To me including Logic, PT and Cubase is somewhat redundant. At the least Logic should fall off the list. The redundancy is part of the reason it does not bother me that Sonar is not listed. It puzzles me more that Acid, Gigastudio ( or Kontakt) Sound Forge or Recycle were included. Loop based production required a lot of manual calculation prior to Acid. It introduced features now standard in all DAWs.

Considering Garageband is an extremly stripped down Logic variation, that may be the most laughable choice. IMHO the main criteria for such a list would be pioneering products, innovation and game changing impact. Garageband is a good program but is more result of combining features of other programs into an easy to use program. In other words, evolved Acid for Mac in a prettier package and better preset loops.

dubdisciple
I'm sure this article was previously posted here and the same omissions were noted. To me including Logic, PT and Cubase is somewhat redundant. At the least Logic should fall off the list. The redundancy is part of the reason it does not bother me that Sonar is not listed. It puzzles me more that Acid, Gigastudio ( or Kontakt) Sound Forge or Recycle were included. Loop based production required a lot of manual calculation prior to Acid. It introduced features now standard in all DAWs.

Exactly.
 
Acid and Giga were the reason Mac users started adding PC to their studio rig. What this tells us is that they must have done something quite unique and, thus, deserve to be on that list.
 
And, I've said it before, even as a die hard fan of Logic, I don't feel it needs to be on that list, due to redundancy. (So, there, Mr. StrickinglyHandsome. ;) )
 
Same for Digital Performer or Pro Audio and the rest.
 
Ultimately, Steinberg set the standard with Cubase. The alternatives may surpass it, but Cubase is the original.
 
I do however feel that Pro Tools has its place since, unlike other sequencers which were often the thing of musicians, Pro Tools became the audio engineer tool and the studio standard and also offered hardware based DSP, which allowed for things which were unavailable elsewhere for years, like monitoring through plugs).

See..you underestimated Rain. Logic is awesome. I use it. Just redundant to include it

it's a UK article.. and I was in the trade at the time a lot of changes were happening e.g. logic being bought out by apple etc.
 
cakewalk was more a midi sequencer back then, like everything else.. I remember using it on someones PC.. most people including pro studios i went were using an ST at the time, hooked up to samplers to 24 track tape etc.
 
all the audio that most folk messed about with was via SMPTE (for say a vocal) or sampler like an akai 950/1000/3000 etc.
 
it's a pity the ST didn't get a bigger look in, as it really did play a big roll (pun intentional) in dance music in the uk
 

Opinion is fact.
 
This is the 21st Century.

Stating that opinions are facts makes them no less opinions.

I'd have no complaints if he'd just left off the leading "The" from the title, leaving it as just "14 Pieces of Software that Changed Modern Music".
 
It's titled as though he's presenting a "Top N" list, rather than the very personal perspective that it is.
 
Which was more influential, Cubase or the VST standard? How about the SFZ specification? MIDI over USB? The MP3 encoder?
 
How about Facebook, YouTube and MySpace? Surely those have had a more profound impact than Max.
 
Which software instrument do you hear the most on TV and in movies? Reaktor? Mmm, no. Try Kontakt. 
 
Any one of us would have created a different Top N list, based on our own personal history.

Audio technology Magazine (Australia) ran a great article in Feb 2014 issue that talk about a similar concept except rather than just look at the software only they looked at techniques and technolgy a bit more. They called these things the Game Changers. This to me seems a little more relevent. Here are some of the things they suggested were real game changers.
 
24 bit digital recording (done right)
 
DAW Development (in two directions though. Tape Machine mixer model and electronic instrument sequencer model) PT lead the way for a long time in the Tape machine/mixer model concepts)
 
Ableton Live and Fruity Loops brought in a different crowd
 
DSP powered plugins brought ITB mixing to life
 
Mackie HUI interface
 
Automation without any zipping
 
Giga sampler with its non ram limited approach ie disc streaming
 
Sample replacement
 
Track comping
 
Time and pitch manipulation
 
DAW's that cost under $100
 
DAW wise it is silly to compare a whole lot of DAW's. PT really started the Tape Machine/Mixing model and Cubase/Logic probably started the instrument/sequencer model. (I was around then! Remember Steinberg VST technology etc)
 
All other DAW's are simply developments of those basic two approaches so it pointless to compare them. I think what has happed now is that DAW's are blending the two approaches rather well now eg Sonar and many others  etc... Of course these are more recent innovations, there were plenty of game changers before them too.