Oliver Nelson's favourite music software

Ableton Live

“My first DAW was Reason; I think it’s a great program to learn how to make electronic music. In the early days, it did have its limitations, which is maybe why I switched over to Ableton. Like Reason, it’s so easy to understand – you look at the screen and it all makes sense. Nothing is hidden away in a dark corner. That means you’re spending less time trying to find out how your DAW works and more time making music.”

AAS Chromaphone 2

“It’s a VST… a synthesizer… but it’s used for making organic sounds - things like marimbas and xylophones. But then you can take those realistic sounds and turn them inside out, back to front, and add them together in crazy ways.

"When I first heard it, it completely blew my mind. It’s the perfect blend of human and machine.”

Arturia Minimoog V

“I’ve maybe been a little dishonest including the Minimoog - I always use the Moog for basslines, but it’s usually a combination of VST layers and my hardware Sub 37.

"There are so many basses out there, but for me, you can’t beat that signature Moog sound.”

FabFilter Pro-Q 2

“Ableton is a great program; things like the Drum Rack have become part of my everyday life. But when it comes to EQ, I think you have to let your ears take control.

"I can’t sit here and say that the reason I use Pro-Q 2 is because it’s better than anything on Ableton, but my ears just seem to be more accustomed to the sound. It talks to my ears!”

Cakewalk CA-2A

“I believe this is an emulation of the great LA-2A, and it gets used on everything. If you look at my mixes, you’ll see one of these on almost every track.

"Some people say ‘How can one compressor suit every sound?’ but that’s how I’ve worked from the beginning and it’s what I’m comfortable with. Why go searching for an answer to a problem if there isn’t actually a problem?!”