I'm trying to learn multiple DAWs without spending money on courses. Where can I find comprehensive digital audio workstation tutorials that cover everything from basic navigation to advanced features? I'm particularly interested in resources that compare different DAWs or explain concepts in a way that applies to any software. Official documentation is often too technical - looking for more practical, hands-on learning materials.
The DAW Nation" YouTube channel does comparison videos between different digital audio workstations that are actually helpful for learning. They'll take the same task - like setting up a drum bus or creating an automation curve - and show how to do it in 4-5 different DAWs. It helps you understand the concepts behind the specific software implementations.
MusicTechHelpGuy on YouTube has incredibly comprehensive tutorials for Logic Pro, but what's great is he explains the concepts in a way that applies to any DAW. His Logic Pro 101" series is 100+ videos covering everything from basic setup to advanced mixing. Even if you don't use Logic, the principles he teaches are universal.
The Produce Like A Pro" website has a free section with DAW-specific tutorials that are really well structured. They have "30 Days to Learn Your DAW" challenges for different software where you get one lesson per day covering a different aspect of the program. It's bite-sized learning that actually sticks because you practice each concept before moving on.
For learning multiple DAWs, I'd focus on concept-based tutorials rather than software-specific ones. Look for tutorials about how compression works" rather than "how to use the compressor in Ableton". Once you understand the concept, you can figure out how to implement it in any digital audio workstation. The "Audio University" YouTube channel is great for this approach.
The official manuals are actually better than most people think, especially for Reaper and Ableton. They're written by the people who made the software, so they explain the design philosophy behind features, not just how to click buttons. The Reaper manual in particular is famous for being both comprehensive and actually readable. Download the PDF and use it as a reference.