Soundbridge review. Best free DAW software for music production?

In this blog post I am looking at the free DAW: Soundbridge.
Soundbridge is available for mac and windows.
The Soundbridge DAW is "free" if you donate, as a nag screen carefully explains.

File saving and opening are on the bottom of the screen, as are the transport controls.
The plugins you can find on the left, and you can drag and drop them on a track.
Which plugins are applied to the track, you can find on the right.
Also the sample browser is on the left, you can drag samples directly to a track.
The mixer is at the bottom, but its also possible to have a huge mixer in the middle.

The Soundbrigde DAW is pretty straight forward, and I think you’ll pick up very quickly if you have a little experience with a DAW.
The software is responsive and you can change bitrates and soundcard inputs, although it’s very basic, it`s enough to start.

To save CPU you can freeze a track, but freezing a track is a bit cumbersome and different in Soundbridge compared to other DAWs.
You have to set the freeze file settings explicitly and select your tracks from a long list every time you freeze.
It could be improved, because it`s time consuming.

Automation is also a bit cumbersome, you have to draw in a automation lane on an existing automation lane.
Next you can change the values in the lower editor.
You can’t click the points directly in the timeline.

Audio stretching and pitch shifting is very easy in the edit window on the bottom of the screen (if Soundbridge doesn’t crash).
Making fade in and out points of a clip/sample is pretty handy.

You have an unlimited number of tracks, and you can use your own 3rd party plugins!
There are also stock effect plugins in the daw, but I couldn’t find any instrument plugins

My midi keyboard was automatically detected and had it working in no time.
If you wondered if sidec haining is possible, yes it is!
Sidechaining is using the output of one track for a plugin like a compressor, for example to achieve the pumping effect in electronic music.
So nothing is standing in your way to make your first solid hit with Soundbridge.

Soundbridge is pretty complete and has enough features like to get you started and even grow as an music producer with SoundBridge.
Definitely check this free daw out.

If you are serious about music production and want to take it to the next level,
download my free music production e-book.
Besides information about music production basics and computers for music production, the book gives also a unique perspective on the world of DJs and music producers.