How is RiffWorks different than other recording applications (DAWs)?
From Guide
RiffWorks is an excellent songwriting tool for capturing ideas and complete songs easily. You may export RiffWorks recordings as .wav files for use in other DAWS like GarageBand or Pro Tools if you'd like.
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How RiffWorks is Different Than Other DAWs
- Built to be fun and easy to use for all levels of guitar players.
- Focus is on playing guitar, not engineering.
- Sketchpad that quickly captures ideas and complete songs.
- Great sounding drums and effects.
- Inspirational "real-world" interface - it looks like gear!
- Set the tempo and start recording by strumming a guitar using the Junt feature.
- Riff-based workflow - Record songs in bite-sized pieces (Riffs). This unique and fun way to record facilitates experimentation with song structure. Each Riff can include different backups, effects, tempos, lengths, and layers.
- Automatic Track Creation & Loop Recording: A new layer (track) is created each time you start recording and each time a Riff loops. Stack layers on top of each other (bass, guitar, vocals) to create a Riff. Use looping to create multiple tracks, do multiple takes, etc. Each layer has controls for mixing and effects.
- InstantDrummer: Tempo-synchronized backup drum recordings with adjustable intensity, variation and tempo. No need for tedious drum programming. One InstantDrummer Demo is included with RiffWorks T4. Nine InstantDrummer Sessions by top drum content companies (worth $9.99 each) are included for free with RiffWorks Standard. Also includes Metronome, REX player & ReWire mixer.
- Built-in RiffCaster instant song posting to RiffWorld.com.
- Enter RiffRumble Song Contests to win prizes like guitars, software, and bragging rights.
- Built-in RiffLink online music collaboration with a worldwide community of musicians. No issues with latency or distance issues. Listen to online collaborations created in RiffWorks.
- Quick Start Tuorial & Help: A Quick Start Tutorial begins at launch and is translated into 14 languages (Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Nowegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish). A help guide with further info is built right into RiffWorks with links to the online guide.
Explanation of Differences
RiffWorks is an inspiration platform. The interface inspires people to write songs using a familiar "real-world" interface - it looks like gear! The focus is on playing, not engineering.
With RiffWorks, recording musicians can keep their hands on their instrument and minds on their song, rather than on a computer. RiffWorks requires minimal set-up time with no need to continually refer to a manual. Also RiffWorks is the only program available with a feature called "Junt" that lets you set the tempo and start recording simply by strumming your guitar.
Using an intuitive backups interface, musicians can select one of the many authentic backup InstantDrummer sessions that were recorded live by professional drummers in high-end sound studios by recording engineers. Most recording applications require drum programming or searching through endless folders of drum loops with confusing names. If this is their preference, users can import drum tracks from a ReWire application into RiffWorks. Or they may choose to use RiffWorks' unique InstantDrummer to select a sweet-sounding drummer from a variety of fun styles. We have partnered with the best drum companies (Drums on Demand, Discrete Drums and Submersible Music) to bring our users an ever-expanding selection of real drums. These drummers are normally available within large libraries that cost hundreds of dollars. Our partners are offering their drum content to RiffWorks users in smaller pieces that are convenient and affordable, only $9.99/session.
RiffWorks is the only commercial audio recording application with built-in RiffLink online music collaboration. Like other recording apps, RiffWorks allows musicians to exchange projects via email like some other applications that require users to bundle up a project and email it to someone else, and wait for them to send it back in order to hear what they've done, then add more. RiffWorks goes a step further, by allowing musicians to share a song session at the same time and chat while they're at it. Thanks to RiffWorks looping capabilities, users can be playing along with collaborators tracks in what feels like real-time with no worries about latency. New tracks show up as soon as they are finished streaming and are always perfectly in sync. Songs are saved on the server so users can add to songs at the same time or when they have time. Listen to online collaborations created in RiffWorks.
What Reviewers Have to Say
Dan of GuitarGearHeads.com says, "RiffWorks was built from the ground up to be guitarist centric - although its design will appeal to nearly any instrumentalist. You will find that everything is controlled via a single window, with clever use of collapsing panels and familiar interface elements that promote an uncluttered design and efficient, intuitive workflow. I found that I had to break some old habits with RiffWorks. Almost all applications, including Garageband, use a "track" based approach. In RiffWorks, you work in song segments [Riffs]. For instance, you might work on the "Intro" as a segment, or the "Chorus", the "Verse", or the "Bridge". Taking the chorus as a segment, you could build up this segment using loops, backup drums, recorded guitars and other instruments all recorded as "layers" within that musical segment. This segment...is completely modular. This allows you to duplicate it, modify it, and move it around. Even for a novice, creating a song in RiffWorks is easy, and doesn't take much more than hitting "record" (in fact you really don't even need to do that with the "junt" feature)." Complete RiffWorks Review on GuitarGearHeads.com
Jim Dalrymple of MacWorld Magazine says, "There are a lot of applications available for guitarists to create songs. Most have a very similar interface design and, for the most part, work the same way. Sonoma Wire Works has taken a new approach to helping musicians create music and, in the short time I’ve been using RiffWorks, I have found that it really works for me. RiffWorks has changed the way I think about building a song. Instead of the interface I’m used to seeing — the audio and instrument channels on the left side and the timeline on the right, like GarageBand — RiffWorks presents itself as a collection of riffs split into three parts: Riff Recorder, Riffs and Song. The Riff Recorder is where all of your layers are recorded and where effects can be added. The Riffs section shows the collection of your recorded riffs and the Song section is where you put your different riffs together to build your song. RiffWorks is a brilliant application that is a must-have in my collection of music applications. With its built-in effects and drummer, RiffWorks has everything you need to create killer songs." Complete RiffWorks Review on MacWorld.com
What Recording Artists Have to Say
Michael Elsner (Guitar player for Chasing Saints was lead guitarist for 2 time Grammy Nominated artist Sarah Kelly) says, "RiffWorks is opening up a whole new world. It allows you to easily take your ideas and put them down to drums beats in the program or use REX files. You can record quick vocals and bass guitar very quickly without having to get into the big production aspects of ProTools. You can get your ideas down quickly. RiffWorks is a great value. You should check it out."
More RiffWorks Reviews by Artists
What Users Have to Say
pbbobkanobi, a RiffWorks user says, "I have been playing music for almost 30 years, and RiffWorks has inspired me to write more songs in the past 18 months than I have written in the past 18 years. Its user friendly interface and incredibly intuitive workflow allow me to lay down idea after idea without wrestling with complicated software. This is like a marriage of looped based recording with real time audio recording."
"There is absolutely nothing else on the market today that is as easy to use as RiffWorks. The quality of recording is superb, the possibilities are endless. Quite simply it changed my life. I couldn't imagine using any other software to record my music." ShredRex
"Sonoma, thanks for the fantastic environment you folks provide...not just a product, really more of an experience you've created! AND IT ROCKS!" gatorjj
