Presonus Prime

I haven't seen this discussed so I'll throw it out there. Presonus is offering a completely free version of their DAW, Prime, and I quite like it. It's got a fairly large number of virtual instruments. You can add/record unlimited tracks, but you are limited to 2 simultaneous tracks while recording. The only other downside I can think is that you can't do a quick mp3 export, it has to be .wav or a few other large format files. No biggie, though. For the price, it's a really good deal!

Thanks! I downloaded it. Will compare it to Audacity for my very limited audio recording usage.

Hmm there site is kind of a mess, and trying to install it is also troublesome if you have "purchased/created your account" via a social media site.

When you go to run it, they do not accept the typed version of your Social Media Login.

I hope others fare better. Free is AWESOME!


Edit: They just sent me an email telling me the temporary password that they created for my account, so I might be able to test it after all.

I'm going to try this freebie, but I've had a difficult and very unsatisfactory experience with their customer service over a piece of their equipment I bought on the local Craig's List. I don't blame them for stonewalling me on the problem, maybe I was in the wrong, but I didn't like their style. With the odd web site in addition, I decided from there they were going to have to earn my respect. Makes me think of high school. I would put up with a disagreeable girlfriend up to a point, but then an internal cost/benefit computer would cut in.

I've been a Studio One user since V1. I love it! It's way more intuitive, to me, than Pro Tools and Logic. The only negative is Presonus' tech support. Their forums and Youtube normally help me find what I'm looking for.

PS, like most software manufacturers, they run specials with discounts on upgrades several times a year....normally close to the holidays, at least!

Bookoo, Presonus Prime is the "artist" program made available in a free download version. So, if someone already has an interface but only the cheapo "LE" versions you speak of, they can use this. I agree with you, the artist/prime version they offer is actually capable of making recordings. It's no Logic, but it's also free1 Jaja!

So, I kind of like the idea of buying one complete product that works from one company from Presonus.

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Yes, if you have problems it's much easier to track down the problem!

I am no fanboy, I have criticisms of Presonus.

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I agree here too! I bought their 1818 and hated it. Their early USB 2.0 drivers were not ready for primetime, and still may not be. That said, their Firewire and USB 1 drivers are great on the Mac...never had problems to speak of!

That said, if you're on a PC, look into the chip set, drivers and controllers (make sure the hardware interface is compatible).

Again, I do love Studio One.

Free is nice, but there are several options for free & low cost DAW software out there. Like others I've plenty of trouble with Presonus. Never met a Presonus product that lived up to the hype. And, I've never used a digital product from them that didn't crash on me, from recording interfaces to digital consoles, all unreliable. But, their customer support is appalling too, so at least they're consistent.

Thanks for posting this!

I'm always open to trying new software. I've been very satisfied with Garageband on the Mac, but have been looking for a decent program to run on Linux that is not Audacity or Ardour, and will be testing the windows version of this running under WINE on Linux to see how it runs....

Otherwise, I will give the Mac version a go.

Aside from the program itself, there are also a bunch of other files as add-ons they offer for download, including 2 instrument soundsets, and a bunch of loops as well as tutorials, and PDF instruction manuals. I grabbed them all.

There are also instructional videos on the web site if you scroll further down that page, once you 'checkout' and purchase the free version....

:music: