DAWandlung

DAWandlung is a term used in music production to describe the systematic transformation of audio material within a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). The word combines DAW and Wandel, the German word for change or transformation. It is not an official technical standard but a descriptive concept used to discuss workflows that repurpose and reshape sounds entirely inside a DAW.

Techniques encompassed by DAWandlung include time-domain processes such as time-stretching and pitch-shifting; frequency-domain processing such as equalization, filtering, spectral editing; dynamic processing such as compression and expansion; and more radical methods like granular synthesis, resynthesis, and convolution. Automation, non-linear editing, and modulations are often employed to evolve sounds over time.

Workflow considerations: the choice of DAW, plugins, and routing influence the possibilities of DAWandlung. Producers may apply destructive or non-destructive editing, render stems or bounces, and use layered processing to maintain flexibility. Documentation and naming conventions help track transformations across a project.

Applications include sound design for film, game audio, electronic music production, remixing, and audio restoration. Critics note that excessive transformation can obscure original material, while proponents argue it expands creative possibilities within a familiar software environment.