Main

Sonoma RiffWorks Standard Guitar Recording Software

Capture ideas at the moment of inspiration. Set a tempo and start recording by strumming your guitar. Experiment with song structure using a simple Riff-based workflow. Tracks are created automatically as you play. Record multiple takes or layer parts without stopping the creative flow. Learn More...

    • New $99.00
Write a Review:

Overall User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * . . . 7 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Individual User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
As a songwriting tool it's impossible to beat!! There is nothing on the market like this. I wish it had more features from traditional DAWs (like cut and paste editing and true VST support). For capturing ideas and assembling songs this is the first software I turn to. Then, I mix to a stereo .WAV file (if needed) and do mastering and other surgical edits in software like Reaper or Audacity. The more I learn to work with RiffWorks though I've found workarounds and am using other software less and less. I use RiffWorks almost every day.

Quality:
It does crash occasionally but when it restarts it gives you the option to recover any files you were working on. Mostly it's worked out that I haven't lost anything. There are a few pesky irritations or, quirks (to be expected) but overall it's solid. The audio interface and drivers you are using are the biggest factor. They list the recommended interfaces on the web site and are willing to work with you and your setup.

Value:
It's really in a unique class so I don't know how to rate it other than to say I would be lost without it. I use this software daily and have come to depend on it for songwriting. There is nothing quite like it that I have found.

Desirability:
The interface is brilliant both, in functionality and appearance!! I want it now even more than when I bought it. I'm in love with it and so are many of the people who use it. Believe it!!

Sound:
The instant drummers sound amazing!! You can easily get quality recordings. Many people have recorded their CD straight from RiffWorks. The effects have some high points too. The delays are awesome! To actually hear how it sounds just listen to some of these contestants from the recent RiffRumble contest. Songs had to be posted or "Riffcast" from the software itself so you can be sure that you are hearing Riffworks in action here. Check it out: http://www.riffworld.com/riffrumble/riffrumbleviii/mostvotes

Ease of Use:
Best user interface and most intuitive piece of recording software I have EVER used...PERIOD!! You can learn the entire thing in a few days or less. Very guitar (or, bass) player friendly as well :-)

Support:
The best I've seen!! That's no lie! The Sonoma Wireworks crew are a small team of caring people who want to make a great product and are completely open to suggestions and improvements. Also, the user base on the forums is AMAZING. Very kind and helpful people there!

Overall:
If you play guitar or bass and write music (or just love to jam and create backing tracks) there is little doubt in my mind that you will WANT this software! The instant drummers are invaluable to me because I can find that perfect groove, set it and forget it. The drums take care of themselves playing appropriate breaks and fills and later if I want a different drum sound I can easily change it (in real time). Being able to control the drum's tempo and time signature is a dream for me. The loop based format and riff structure make recording ideas in the form of verses, breaks, chorus, etc. so easy it's like magic. The song timeline allows you to arrange and rearrange these riffs or loops at any time. It is so easy to just create music and not worry about navigating menus and a complex software learning curve. This is straightforward software that looks great, is stupid-simple to use, and really inspires you to create music :-)

Do You Agree? Was This Review Helpful to You?

yes

no

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Fewer features, less clutter -- I love this thing

Quality:
Rendering sounds awesome.

Value:
For what this does you cannot beat it.

Desirability:
I want it !!!! Heck I own It!!!!!

Sound:
It Sounds incredible.

Ease of Use:
less clutter = Much easier and quicker to get ideas down.

Support:
Incredible and fast!!!!!

Overall:
Best Bang for buck and Riffworld is the bomb.

Do You Agree? Was This Review Helpful to You?

yes

no

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * . . 8 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
Pick a tempo and time signature, record a riff or part, find an Instant Drummer to match, and drag it up to the song timeline. Mix and match and move parts around at any time. It's a dream to be able to write and arrange like this! It's immediate and intuitive. Because of the way RiffWorks interacts with you it actually sparks ideas and gets the creativity happening. The Instant Drummers propel you into a groove and a flow and suddenly you've got something going. Other loop-based softwares are missing this feature. Also, the loops are smooth and seamless.

Quality:
There are some minor bug issues to be resolved. They are trivial and I know the development team will get them fixed.

Value:
There's nothing to compare it to so the value is hard to place. It's in its' own class. Definitely a winner!

Desirability:
What I love about this software is the analog-style interface, excellent graphics, streamlined work flow and innovation for song building. You can record ideas nearly as fast as you can think them up!

Sound:
Sounds way better than the price point would have you believe. I love the effects in here. Very musical!

Ease of Use:
Doesn't really get any easier than this one kids! If you're new to recording this is your place to start and get up and running FAST!

Support:
The best software support and online forums I've seen for music applications!

Overall:
I've tried Live, Cubase and others and no one can match what Sonoma Wireworks have done here for building songs in real time, on-the-fly! While it's not a full featured DAW (yet) it truly is in its' own class in terms of how it inspires and supports the creative process. The interface is the simplest and most elegant I have seen for tracking. As a guitarist and songwriter it's very conducive to the way I think and work. You can learn it in an afternoon. If you are new to audio recording I encourage you to try this. If you're a guitarist you'll love it. If you are looking for a songwriting application this one is a MUST for the toolbox. It won't do all of what the heavy hitters (Logic, Pro Tools, Cubase, etc.) will do. What it WILL do is get you started so you can export your project and finish it in one of these other applications. I promise you that you can work faster and smarter by starting with RiffWorks, creating and finalizing your ideas there and moving on to whatever you need to finish the job. Having said that, you could easily do the entire project right inside of RiffWorks. At least a few people on the forums have recorded and mixed entire albums with RiffWorks alone.

Do You Agree? Was This Review Helpful to You?

yes

no