When choosing music software from the array of computer music resources available there are two programs that stand out and have become the industry standard.

These are Cubase and cakewalk. I prefer Cubase but this is because I have always used Cubase and before Cubase it was pro24, things have come along way since pro24 I can tell you.

Either of these music software programs will be more than enough for any music recording project, it is important to realise though that the results using this software will only be as good as the soundcard you have installed on your system.

The soundcard is the hub of your recording setup.

You need to check the spec of any soundcard you are thinking of using.

There are a lot to choose from as the computer music resources are ever growing.

You will be looking for a soundcard that has a very low noise to signal ratio and a full band width 20hz-20khz.
A sampling rate of 44.1 or greater and 16 bit or greater.

Also you want to consider how many channels you will need to record at the same time, many will only allow two.

The PC minimum spec should be Pentium 4 1500ghz 512mb ram the harddrive needs to spin at 7200rpm and be at least 80 gig.

A combination of these components will give you a recording system that is capable of producing world class results.

There are is also an array of music software plugins available to provide effects and processing.

Computer music resources are now fairly low cost so you can produce recordings that a few years ago would have cost tens of thousands of pounds.

See my article on recording tips and methods for more detailed information on how to use your medium cost computer to create world class recordings.