MuLab App

When I was a beginner in making music I've tested many DAWs but most of them seemed to be very complicated at the first look. Not Mulab, it was the only DAW that let me start making music without looking into the documentation. The workflow is fantastic, the interface is stunning simple. So I made my choice for Mulab. I thought that until I would become a more advanced user and recognize limitations in comparison with other DAWs I could change to an other DAW. Years gone by and I've never changed because there are no limitations. Mulab is simply great, all you need is onboard and if not, create it in MUX! The installation is super easy and it hosts 99% of all VSTs without any problem. It is fast and sounds remarkable good. The only advantage I see for the competitors is the lack of tutorials about Mulab...but who needs tutorials if a software is so easy to use? :-).

I've tried many DAWs over the years, but MuLab is by far my favorite and the only one I now use. I love the intuitive design of its UI, which means it doesn't get in the way of me being creative..and its powerful tools enables me to be just that.

The thing I really love most about it is its ability to record music like any other DAW, as well as giving you the option of taking a modular approach to creating music, with it's built-in tools and included sounds and presets. From a user's point of view, it's like owning two great DAWs seamlessly merged into one..and combining and/or switching between both interfaces (the standard DAW interface and the Modular interface) during a project is as simple as clicking a button. This makes it a great "first" DAW for people just starting out in music / beat production, as well as a really powerful tool for any seasoned Pro.

The detailed help documents found on the MuTools site covers every aspect of the program and does a really good job of explaining and walking you through the program's features. I found it to be a well-written guide, that serves to get you up and running with MuLab right from the very start. There's also really good, solid support offered through the official MuTools forum here on KVR, which clearly shows how fast help is given and issues addressed in general..

All DAWs do the same basic job..but the best DAW for YOU is the one that compliments / enhances YOUR workflow in general. MuLab seems to take this into account, perhaps more than any other DAW, with the options it gives you and the powerful creative set of tools it puts in your hands..but, unlike other DAWS out there, it doesn't leave you feeling "over-whelmed" by the whole experience..

In short, MuLab sounds great, looks fantastic and is a real joy to use..plus it's great value for money, which is always a good thing, too! Thanks MuTools, for creating this gem and keeping its development moving forward all the time. MuLab is my "go-to" DAW and I'm going to be using it for many years to come.

What a Beast.

I tested 20 DAW and decided to buy MuLab.

Why ?

- Best DAW Interface i found so far.

- Amazing Sound.

- Very Fast.

- Very Powerful.

- Much Fun.

- Fair Price.

First time i tryed mulab i created a small test Song just in an hour.

In that time i don't even find the Piano Roll in an overcomplicate FL Studio.

Absolutely top notch - specifically for MIDI management. Route anything to anything. I've tried every live host on Mac out there that I can find - they ALL had issues. I am heavily into arpeggiators & step seq's. NORA and NUMEROLOGY both have complex GUI's involving tabs and resizeable pages. I did not find a single live host that could successfully present those to me until I tried MULAB (except MainStage - but MIDI routing virtually non-existent). Like they say, everything just works, no surprises except happy amazement. Completely intuituitive - you can go a long ways before you need to crack a manual. AND it comes with MIDI tools that are essential for complex routing, such as a MIDI monitor. With Ableton they won't even give you that until you buy the most expensive edition - they sell you a carpentry kit and then withhold the hammer. And speaking of step-seq's, the one in MULAB is a monster.

This dev has mad coding skills and deep insight on what is necessary, what should be simple, and how to make it rock solid. Making it available as a VST on MAC changes Everything - MULAB inside LIVE is better than sex. OK, well, better than coffee.

In the world of free sequencer/DAW platforms, there are many contenders and just as many pretenders. MULAB stands out as a platform that delivers and then some. Exceptionally light on system resources and yet lacking nothing in terms of essential functionality, MULAB has become my new best friend; well....new best composition platform. Believe me when I say, "I tried them all..". LMMS looked promising but baffled me with its less than intuitive external keyboard routing which seemed to trigger all channels simultaneously; even after assigning separate MIDI channels to every track! Sequitur was equally alluring with its sexy interface and stripped down simplicity but again external keyboard frustration seemed built into the system. MULAB just worked straight away and the learning curve was refreshingly quick...everything made sense. Moreover, MULAB shipped with a bunch of synths and effects that weren't Casio rejects; no...there was real quality and depth to the instruments - the Hammond B3 was simply gorgeous. Suffice to say that if MULAB doesn't get your juices flowing then nothing in the GPL DAW menagerie will do it for you. The best free composition platform currently available and did I mention that it can be installed on a thumb drive so you can jack your studio into any available hardware...brilliant. (9 out of 10 only because I anticipate that it's just gonna get better)

Absolutely the best DAW I have ever used. It is user frendly, Modular/MIDI, and so far to date not one singe bug, flaw, crash, or problem of any kind. And what can I say..? it has unlimited undu & redu =)

What is the bottom line in audio? "That sound". Many DAWS, amps, amd audio gear work the same, but if you play guitar and want "that sound", you get a Marshall. This DAW has "that sound".

I have tried just about all the workstations out there, and in my opinion Mulab is hands down the best digital AUDIO WORKSTATION/AUDIO PRODUCTION software on the market today.

In my experience, MuLab helps me stay focused on my musical ideas and keep in the flow. It is a DAW that responds quickly to ideas, like an instrument. For example, it takes only one second (true!) to click the MuLab program and begin making music using the pre-loaded Basic Synth. You can instantly sketch it out your idea, and then jump down the rabbit hole to do almost anything.

Today, I loaded one of my recorded samples, then picked the best LFOs to modulate its pitch and filter to bring it to life. I wanted to add echo but modulate 'only' the echo, with complex sine waves stacked in fifths, pitched down an octave, etc.... To do that, I just dragged an empty 'mux' module to one slot in a rack, connected the MuEcho to the Ring Mod Synth that contains an oscillator module with the above wave parameters, and mixed them with the Audio Balancer. This took only a minute to set up and I stay in the flowww.....

MuLab is full of Devices (subtractive, sample, granular, wavetable and drum synths, reverb and echo), with many instrument and effect Modules that you can easily modify, build and link. All the modules use the same design logic, so you can take a musical idea and make it happen quickly without losing track of your main idea. The user community (MuTools Forum) regularly designs and shares new synthesiser and effect modules, the most recent being a Triple Filter Trance Gate, and a Multi-Form (dual-oscillator/ wavetable/ granular/ sample) Synth. And the sound is very clear-- hugely important.

I switched to MuLab one year ago due to its great workflow and open design that doesn't constrain me to one way of working. MuLab includes entire demo projects in different musical styles that you can take apart to learn how others use MuLab. I found this a very useful way to learn! I use the OS X version, and it's quite stable as a program and as a VST host.

If you're looking for a DAW which is light, intuitive and powerful you should definitely give MuLab a try. I've used many different DAWS over the years and have found the problem with a lot of them is that they are bloated with cluttered interfaces, which for me makes them cumbersome to use. As someone who creates electronic music with the focus on MIDI work and sound design using vsts I wanted a DAW with good MIDI and piano roll, is light on CPU, provides a nice smooth workflow but is capable of complex sound processing, routing and automation tasks. Of the products I demoed, MuLab instantly stood out. The interface looks simple, but this is deceptive, but a deliberate feature of the application. If you require complexity, it's available in the form of the MUX engine which underlies the application, but is not in your face and a distraction. The MUX is similar to, but more flexible than Reasons Combinator. In the MUX you can combine MuLabs own modules, but also third party vsts. For example, I have a MUX which combines a multi-out Microtonic drum VST and MuLabs own MuDrum for sample playback, effectively creating my own custom drum machine and achieving the same result as a drum map would in Cubase or Sonar, but more user-friendly. You can also create your own synths and effects with the MUX. The possibilities are limitless. The MUX is also available as a VST plugin if you already have a DAW. Of course MuLab comes with it's own set of synths, samplers and effects also. Other features I like are the dockable windows, drag and drop and nice touches like the ability to clear out unused audio files within the projects audio directory from within the daw. MuLab also has something called the 'Sequence Pool'. The idea behind this is that you can have two MuLab sessions open and use one as a kind of scratchpad for ideas. Clips created there are stored as sequences which are available in the other session in which you can build the track. A very nice touch and more evidence some serious thought has gone into this product. I've noticed that sound quality of daws differs. MuLabs is as good as any I have heard. Also, the interface is nice and responsive and not laggy, like some I have tried.

From using it for a few months now, if I've found a limitation, and it's only a minor gripe, it's that the effects don't have graphical visual feedback which can be useful for mixing/mastering. However, the obvious solution to this is to use third party plugins and there are plenty of good free ones if you don't have them already.

For the €69.00 for the full version, it's an absolute bargain. In terms of value, I'd compare it to Reaper, but where Reaper is more targeted at working with audio, MuLab is great for MIDI work and sound design, making it a great fit for what I was looking for. When it comes to software, I have learned that the higher the cost does not mean that the quality of the product will be better and the likes of MuLab/Reaper are testament to this.

Finally, I have to mention the support MuTools provides is second to none. Jo, the man behind MuTools is always on the Kvr MuTools forum and eager to help and answer questions.

Review Disclaimer: I have written hundreds of reviews over the past decade, and I typically follow a format for structure with headings, i.e., INTRO, PROS, CONS, CONCLUSION. However, in this case, I'd like to break free of format and simply and freely express my feelings and thoughts about this fine DAW and DAWs in general.

MuLab 8.0 by MuTools represents a significant update to this inspiring DAW that boasts the features users have been begging for and dreaming about for years, e.g., Time Stretching, etc. Yeah, one could argue or ask, "What took them so long to include these features?" Well, MuTools isn't some giant money-making software corporation. It's one-man's labor of love. It just so happens that this one man is a genius programmer/musician whose resume goes back to the early days of computers. This dude is a perfectionist, who pays careful attention to detail of each code. I never met him, but I have this vision of an eccentric scientist working around the clock in some 16th-century European lab, heavily caffeinated. Whoever. .. whatever he is, he has created a fantastic DAW that is worth considering.

Most eMusicians, producers, etc. have changed DAWs as often as underwear in search of the cleanest, freshest, best feeling workstation that delivers the best results. Over and over again we read reviews, check TOP DAW polls, and each time we struggle to complete a song we consider a new setup. Years ago, in the console/reel-to-reel days, changing setups was not a practical option. Only studios could record anything of significant quality, and there was no way they would get a new million dollar board or tape deck each time something new was released. It just wasn't feasible. But now, it's within most of our budgets to get a completely new system at the click of a mouse, which has created a new problem. .. so many options. .. which do I choose and use? Which do I stick with and finally finish some tracks?

I have tried nearly every DAW ever created and wrote reviews on many of them. There are several excellent workstations out there, and I could be happy with any one of them if I didn't have knowledge about the others on the market. Most modern DAWs do all the basic stuff with equal quality, while some have a unique feature or two. There are cases where the choices are narrower, e.g., film scoring, converting to sheet music, etc. Yet, for most of us who are creating standard music of some kind/genre, the choice is not so simple because we have too many options. Which one do I choose? I believe it comes down to one simple question, "Which DAW do I enjoy launching and using?"

This is where MuLab shines!! I'll hit you with some bullet points:

• Fun.
• Inspiring.
• Easy to use, yet powerful.
• Now includes time-stretching algorithms that may very well be the best ever created.
• Small footprint.
• Easy on resources.
• CHEAP in comparison to others.
• Excellent video tutorials, even though some complain there is limited narration.
• Strong, supportive, enthusiastic user base.

If you haven't already demoed all the DAWs out there, I urge you to binge demo. After you come to your senses and want to finish some tracks, you just might find yourself using MuLab 8.0. This has been an underdog DAW for many years, but v8 deserves to run with the pack!!! Owooooo!!!;-).

MUX: Well, it took me years to add MUX to MuLab. Why did I wait? this thing is a modular beast. The synth is FAT. The filters are juicy. The FX are stunning. Many 3rd party plugins will soon be retired. Great job, MuTools!!.

PREVIOUS REVIEW BELOW

Attention: I would like to share my initial impressions about a cool DAW that deserves much more attention.

MuLab from MuTools is a refreshing application that turns a Mac or PC into a "modular music production system." It does all the basic DAW things: records, plays, edits, masters, etc. It has an efficient, elegant interface and flexible routing, which helps to create an inspiring workflow. The word INTUITIVE comes to mind. The main screen contains most of the important stuff. It's not cluttered with tiny knobs, sliders, small print, drop down menus and so on. I read an online ad claiming this application to be "easy, flexible, and high quality." After spending several hours demoing it, I have to agree! It's EASY, yet powerful; FLEXIBLE, yet solid; HI QUALITY, yet CPU efficient. It loads fast, probably because there is no automatic VST scan upon launch. You must manually select and scan plugins, but I don't see this as a negative.

PROS

• Simple, fast download and install (download, unzip, and launch)
• Self contained and lightweight footprint
• Interface is nice to look at
• Smooth workflow
• Important stuff it easily accessible without hundreds of menus and pages
• Great browser
• High quality, flexible, and powerful modular routing system
• Strong signal-flow control
• CPU efficient
• Streamline and simple on surface
• Deep when needed
• Modular system is highly addictive (is this a pro or con?)
• Great sound engine
• Audio (WAV+AIFF) drag n' drop
• MIDI drag n' drop
• Easy MIDI control and editing
• Event record punching
• Good automation
• ReWire (no problem linking with Numerology Pro)
• Easy audio editing
• Easy MIDI value editing and sweet piano roll feature
• Plug and play with most controllers
• MUX seems like a powerful tool to build and manipulate sounds, but haven't gotten to it yet
• Send and multi-out management is excellent
• Big fan base/user support
• Responsive developer
• Frequent updates.

CONS

• Time-stretching is a common feature-request. I usually adjust sample lengths manually, but a little help would be nice. I contacted developer regarding this feature and it is on the future update "wish list" THIS HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF IN A big WAY. THE NEWLY ADDED TIME-STRETCHING ALGORITHMS ARE FANTASTIC!!!
• Audio punch in/punch out.

The Pros clearly overshadow the Cons. MuLab has so many fantastic specifications and features, but most importantly — it's fun to use and sounds great! At last, there is a workstation that inspires musicians to make music and doesn't get in the way of creativity. You won't get lost in endless menus and pages; however, if you need to go deeper, it's all there for you! To quote another user, "There's a hell of a lot more going on under the hood than first meets the eye." MuLab is an amazing audio tool that is being offered at a bargain price. I highly recommend MuLab to any electronic musician looking to write, record, and master his/her music, whether it is old school, new school, or used in school, like me. Tommy Zai gives MuLab two thumbs up. Thank you MuTools for creating such a super music production system.

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with MuTools, but I tend to write like I'm in marketing and doing an ad. I sincerely dig what MuTools created.

Update on Update: Version 6 includes many excellent improvements and additions. My favorites are the MIDI enhancements, i.e., :

• Import and export function for sequences.
• Dropping a MIDI file directly on the browser while it's sequencing.
• Drag-drop a MIDI file onto the sequence editor that will merge the MIDI file.

I also dig the on/off switch that was added to the sequence player module.

My favorite DAW! It has great audio quality when you put your hand into it. The MUX wich has been integrated in Mulab gives you an amazing amount if flexibility. It works on the spirit of building our sound. You can create anything thing from an analog lead to a digital bass. Mulab handles vsts' very well. Haven't had any issues other than dealing with vsts that never worked. You can also use the vsts in the MUX giving it a whole new sound source. MIDI is also easily managed.

Pros: Easy to navigate interface, easy to make sounds, and superb audio quality, user support is amazing.

Cons: The MUX needs some more modules (easily worked around with vst).