Ableton Live
“Live is a great DAW for forgivable, quick movements. With others, as soon as you record something or print something down, if you don’t like it, you have to redraw, and that takes time. With Ableton, it’s really easy and quick. I like the fact that I can make a lot of mistakes.”
Hardware synth emulations
“I’m used to having my hands on knobs and analogue synths, so I sometimes use NI, Moog or Korg software based on hardware, eg, the NI Pro-53. I stick with soft synths that I feel comfortable with and aren’t too deep and complex. So many people are concerned with the newest this, the newest that; a lot of what I have is based on simplicity.”
Native Instruments Traktor
“For performing, I use Traktor, CDJs and a controller. There’s more of a production quality to NI’s things rather than, for example, Serato. I like using the computer when I play.”
Max For Live
“I use a lot of native effects and plugins associated with Ableton, and now with Max for Live, it’s like having your own app store for the music-making community where people can design and do their own thing. It’s a Pandora’s box: you get into it and you just get lost.”
Apple Logic
“I write my ideas and grooves in Live, then I print my stems and import them into Logic and mix them there. I use a lot of Logic’s effects and some third-party mastering things like Sonic Maximizer and maybe Ozone if I’m playing something out.”
