If youre already versed in the system from previous versions of Elements then this will represent a significant upgrade.

In this article we bring you ten of the best music-production packages for Mac, as well as key specs and download links.

For mobile creators, meanwhile, theres How to use GarageBand on iPhone iPad.

GarageBand has for years been a simple, accessible yet very capable way of getting your songs recorded without needing to know too much about the mechanisms involved.

Instruments have reassuring graphical representations, and the menus are arranged in a way that you never feel overwhelmed.

Some of these make it worth the purchase alone, with the newly added Live Loops, Sampler, Step Sequencer, and Drum Synth all bolstering what was already an impressively offering.

Then theres Flex Pitch, which is a sort of auto-tune that allows you to correct any errant vocalists or wandering guitar solos, and Flex Time which can resolve any timing issues in the playing.

These can then be individually adjusted for timings all while having effects applied.

It replaces the ageing Piano Roll and is a big leap forward for Logic Pro X users.

All of these can then be recorded directly into your project, appearing as standard tracks on your workspace.

Some of the advanced features are initially hidden, but it only takes a couple of clicks to get them up and running.

Plus, Apple offers the option for iPad and iPhone users to upload Logic files to iCloud and then add to them when theyre out and about via the iOS version of GarageBand.

Plus AIFF, WAV (BMF), CAF, SDII, ReWire, MP3, MP4 and MIDI output options.

Now in its fourth major iteration Studio One is available in three tiers: Prime, Artist, and Professional.

Music Making Software Plus The Recently

These are aided by a plethora of effects, loops and samples, alongside the Instrument and Drum editor, plus the recently overhauled Ampire selection of guitar amps, cabs and effects.

But as an alternative to the free GarageBand, Studio One Prime is a great starting point in the PreSonus world.

It bears a passing resemblance to Logic and GarageBand with its darker palette, and shares a number of similar functions.

Music Making Software Software Works Better

Everything is intended to work on the one main screen, so no popup windows hiding behind each other to confuse, and while this keeps things simple it does mean that the software works better on larger displays.

With one clip playing you can jam something underneath, then another, and just experiment with creating textures and riffs.

When youre happy with the various elements you then press a global record button and trigger the clips live, usually via a MIDI controller.

Ideally youll need to invest in some sort of control device as well, but a computer keyboard can be mapped to trigger the various Clips.

Its not your normal stopstart kind of affair, as the name suggests, but if you can master the controls then you can even play new creations at a gig purely through your computer.

Those wanting to sample its delights without emptying their wallets will find the Elements 10.5 package an enticing proposition.

Pro-level mixing and editing tools give the user an enviable amount of control, while a plentiful selection of audio effect processors, plus the ability to simultaneously playback 48 audio tracks and 64 MIDI tracks gives you a very broad sonic palette to play with.

Free Music Making Software For Mac