DAW (Digital Audio Workstation)

[derzehn]

I am a musical idiot (seriously: I know almost nothing about music) with enough love of music, interest, and money to indulge my whims (no matter how unrealistic). 

Here is what I am considering:  (1) the purchase of an Akai Professional MPK249 49-Key Keyboard.  (2) the purchase of the entire V Collection 5 package. 

Question 1:  Can EACH of the 17 instrument software programs in V Collection 5 act as an independent DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for the AKAI MPK249?  Or is additional software needed?

Question 2: If anyone knows, is the AKAI USB-MIDI sufficient to connect from hardware to software? 

Many thanks!

Hal

[jmcecil]

none of the instruments are a DAW.  THe collection are for sound playback sources. 

A DAW serves several purposes of which none are sound generation. 

You need to think of things in terms of sound source ..
How are the sounds generated or triggered
How do I record the sounds for playback on multiple tracks so I can work on them independently
How do I consolidate those sounds into a single file for other to listen to

A DAW provides the means for using the sounds generated by instruments (like the V Colleciton) so that you can trigger them, record them and edit the sounds and finally export the sounds into a single file such as a wave or mp3 or flac etc..

MIDI is kind of like player pianos from back in the day.  You have a role of paper with holes in it, that you load into the piano that triggers the keys on the piano.  MIDI is the role of paper.  The V Collection is 17 different pianos.  A DAW allow you to create your own roles of paper and point them at the various pianos.

You are in for a steep learning curve, but most people figure it out one AHA at a time without too much trouble.

[jmcecil]

If you are a traditional music kind of guy consider DAWs like
Reaper
Cubases
Sonar
Logic (if on a MAC)

If you are a modern dance music kind of guy consider
Ableton Live
Bitwig

If you are a real old school music notation kind of guy
Sibelius
Finale

There are dozens more ..  These programs allow you to host instruments like the V Collection and record and edit the data the drives them to make sounds.  Then convert the output of the instruments into audio tracks that can then be mixed down into the various audio file types you are used to,like mp3.

[LBH]

In addition to jmcecils posts:

VC5 can be used as plug-ins in a DAW.
You don't need a DAW if you just wan't to play the VC5 synths in stand alone modeas they are without recording anything or doing anything else.

Beside a MIDI controller that is connected to your computer via it's USB cable you also need this if you for instance wan't to record:
1. A DAW - there are many - and they all also have some plug-ins. Be sure the DAW support third party plug-ins if you want to use VC5 and other third party plug-ins.
2. A Audio Interface
3- Headphones
4. Perhaps powered monitors or amp + speakers, external mixer, microphones and what you else need for your tasks.
You can take alook at this list: http://ehomerecordingstudio.com/recording-studio-equipment-list/

Here is a list with some DAW's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio_workstation

You have to study.

[derzehn]

Thank you to everyone who responded!  Each answer had something of substantial value to me and my pitiful musical understanding.  My background is computers so everything you said that related to computers/software made complete sense to me.  I'm also pretty good at (Internet) research, so what you have told me really helps fill out some of the things I had found in my research.  What I understood loosely from my research now has a much more solid foundation because of the information you have shared.  I have used Cool Edit Pro software for many years to edit many of the "New Age" or Progressive Rock mp3 tracks I have (e.g. David Arkenstone and Porcupine Tree can sometimes be a bit musically verbose), so I understand the broad concept of a DAW, but not much of the fine-tuning.  But I feel much more confident that (as you said), although I have a steep learning curve ahead of me, because of what you have told me, I no longer feel like I'm stumbling around in the dark.  I'll never be a musician, that is an art beyond my ken, but maybe I can be an amateur technician.  MANY THANKS to everyone!!

Hal