George Alexander

In my opinion, different DAWs are good at different use cases, but they don't color the sound differently or anything so it's really about how well you know the DAW and what you're using it for. I used a few different DAWs and there are some things that each do better than the others. If you're planning to work in studios the industry standard is Pro Tools, so learning that would be best. I prefer Ableton Live for more creative work and have been using it more than Pro Tools and Logic just because I know it better than the other two. At the end of the day you should pick something that you know best and learn as much as you can about it.

This isn't a straightforward answer if you're expecting one. You'll have to try out some equipment or look up some videos to hear if you like the difference. I think that some outboard gear like the LA-2A and the 1176 "color" the sound and respond to incoming signals different to how a plugin would since there are tubes and other hardware involved but it's really something you need to decide for yourself. Old audio equipment might not always sound better though but that also depends on what you're looking for in your track.

Hi, 

Treating your room depends mostly on how much you're willing to spend on it and your monitoring system. Ideally you'll need bass traps, diffusers and acoustic panels. The treatment depends on the room and can vary, but a small room usually will have an uneven/reduced frequency response in the low end, so keep that in mind. You can use curtains and similar materials to dampen room reflections off the walls to make your room sound less "live". There are many resources you can find online and even DIY it but here's 2 links that might help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxn3DmWfmbE&ab_channel=DanWorrall

https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/acoustic-treatment/