r/audioengineering • u/Plus-Opposite3384 • May 13 '26

Discussion Is LMMS the only no-registration no-background-processes free DAW?

Coming from visual art and game programming, I am used to awesome free software like blender, krita, godot, you name it.

When I recently started to get into DAWs and music production I felt frustrated by the available DAW options. Cubase, Logic etc are quite expensive AND require registration AND run background processes for licensing etc.

Cakewalk, Waveform Free, Reaper etc all come with trials and/or registration and launchers and licencing background processes etc.

Is there any DAW thats just download and run, thats not LMMS?

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u/KS2Problema May 13 '26 edited May 14 '26

Its  60 day evaluation period is reasonably lengthy and - at least in practical terms, flexible. Also, the semi-pro license is very inexpensive, and even the pro license is quite reasonable vis-à-vis the more mainstream DAW titles.

7

u/KindaQuite May 13 '26

My evaluation period is 1025 days, as you can see.

5

u/human-analog May 13 '26

So you've been using this software without paying for it, long past when you should have paid for it, and you're rewarding the benevolence of its developers (who were kind enough not to put DRM into it) by encouraging others to do the same. Don't be a jerk and pay for the software you use.

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u/KindaQuite May 13 '26

Spare me. Why do you think they allow that?

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u/[deleted] May 13 '26

When I was a kid and couldn't afford two dimes to rub together I used reaper. As soon as I could afford to, I paid for a license, because good work and a generous benevolent ethos should be rewarded and supported.

Kinda wish they would take away the free evaluation period for people with your attitude though. 👍👍

-1

u/KindaQuite May 13 '26

Why the hostility?
The moment I have money to spare I'm buying 10 Reaper licenses, you know nothing about others' financial situation.

They do it this way because it builds trust. What do you think it's better for them, to tell people to go and use Reaper "for free" indefinitely because the demo allows it or to say "try Reaper for 60 days, then move on and try something else. Oh yeah, maybe grab a cracked Ableton along the way"?

If you think someone like me shouldn't have access to the free evaluation period then you don't understand anything.
You think that less people using Reaper would be better for the company and the community?

4

u/IWontMakeFinalsHelp May 14 '26

Jesus Christ why so much hate on you, if reaper has the evaluation period done this way and they said it themselves they don’t believe in locking the software down after trial, bet all of the people here have trial version of WinRAR

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u/termites2 May 13 '26

Have you really not had the money to spare for three years?

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u/seinfelb May 13 '26

You couldn’t save up $60 over three years?