Soundation review

This project was my first experience using Soundation.  Most of my composing in DAWs has been in GarageBand and Logic.  For my first composition attempt in Soundation I wanted to write something that contained a range of representative electronic sounds from the loop library since most of the free sounds were electronic.  When I write loop-based electronic music in a DAW, I typically make it a goal to keep consistent 4-measure phrases to maintain musical flow and avoid redundancy, which can happen easily with techno-type tracks.  I also wanted to connect one idea to the next by extending a loop from one particular phrase into the next while cutting and adding others. 

            The software was easy to navigate and I was surprised at how versatile it was being web-based and free.  The aspect I liked most was that you could use any prerecorded files regardless of the tempo or key.  When adding a new loop, Soundation gives you the option to stretch the time or alter the pitch of the loop to match the material in your tracks.  This gives you the creative freedom to use any of the loops in the library at your discretion.  It was also easy to add tracks, edit levels, cut, extend, and copy sound clips.  The solo and mute buttons are exactly like any other DAW available. 

            As a Garageband user, I missed all the keyboard shortcuts and the scrolling playback feature.  I found myself hitting the “Z” key trying to jump back to the beginning but nothing would happen.  I did not like that you have to manually scroll when the music goes past what you have written on the screen.  The track would sometimes skip or freeze during playback when scrolling across the screen.  I found the lack of MIDI sounds available for the MIDI keyboard limiting.  The DAWs I am used to have a substantial library of sounds to play through the keyboard. 

            In terms of educational value, I think Soundation is a good introduction to DAWs and working with loops and track editing.  Being free and web-based, it is assessable to most any student and school.  This makes it extremely valuable to music classes for simple composition projects.  I would use Soundation in any of my short, loop/MIDI assignments in which I give music tech students a required number of tracks, length and other phrasing or measure criteria to complete for a grade.  I would however continue using GarageBand and Logic in a studio setting with more extensive recording/composing projects. 

I think students would enjoy Soundation as an Internet DAW.  I have actually had music tech students who have already used it in their personal time.  Many of them do not own Mac computers so they cannot access GarageBand at home.  Logic and Pro Tools are expensive for high school students, so having something online that is free and can still give them a DAW experience at home is very appealing.