Dave Clarke's favourite music software
The British techno master runs us through his top tools
Apple Logic Pro
“Ah Logic, how I love and hate thee... I tried Ableton on my return to production, but it wasn’t for me - too much jamming and no final commitment. Logic is a serious tool that is dead easy to use, but boy-oh-boy does it need an update*. A decent plugin manager would be nice for a start...”
*Fortunately, it has had an update since this interview was conducted!
SoundToys Native Effects
“Now finally (almost) 64-bit, these plugins are my first go-to when I want some weird quirky shit to happen. They’re such a joy to use and the sound quality has loads of useful character, it’s like having my old Eventide Orville in the box and fully automated!”
Serato Scratch Live
“Without this, I wouldn’t be so happy DJing. It’s rock solid - and I’ve been working with it for maybe seven years without a single crash. As an international DJ, that’s something that you want behind you. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next updates bring.”
Arturia V Collection
“Sometimes they can be a little buggy in Logic, but these Arturia synths are worth it. It’s like owning a synth museum without having to dust everything off to keep the pots free of crackle.”
Universal Audio UAD Plugins
“So worth the wait, these plugins laid dormant in my computer for nine months while Brainworx and Waves took up the 64-bit baton. I love these plugins so much - they’re utterly reliable. Massive amounts of love and heritage, no dongle or hard drive assignment hassle and external DSP make the whole suite a no-brainer.”
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