DAW: ABLETON ( 11 )

Coming from Reason, through Logic and ended up with Ableton. The versatile workflow of Ableton got me hooked from the first moment I worked with this software. This is a list to inform the people who might have interest in it. Not to show off.

Audio interface: EVO 16 + EVO SP8 (Audient)

I’ve had different brands over the years where as the Universal Audio Apollo Twin was the one, I kept the longest. However it’s very sad, the guys at UAD weren’t so kind to add more i/o’s to this pretty expensive interface. For this reason I’ve recently switched to Audient for their excellent and versatile audio-interfaces with tons of i/o flexibility. Since working with some hardware lately, this upgrade was needed. Very stable audio interface and works flawlessly.

CMPTR:

Macbook Air M3 15”. The portability from the air is outstanding. Performance is unseen since my years (2-3 decades) of music production. Shouts to Steve. Not an Apple fan boy but the OS is just solid. Super happy they ditched the Intel processors. Baked oven chips :)

MAX4live:

The audio MacGyver platform. Nuff said :)

Software Sequencers:

-Skinnerbox Timesting (buggy :), -ML185 -Sting by Iftah, -Monosequencer (Ableton stock)

EQ / compressors:

Most of the time, I’m using Ableton’s stock compressor + The Glue as a (mix)buscompressor. The UAD API2500 and Distressor are also in my Ableton collection shortcut list. As an EQ, also the Ableton stock EQ8 and most of the time I’m using the Fabfilter Pro Q3 as it’s super nifty for surgical stuff.

Distortion:

Ableton’s saturator on probably everything. Recently the guys from Fors have brought out a new simple but yet effective tool named ‘Jolt’. It’s a max4live distortion usable on about everything, from simple saturation to extreme distortion/overdrive. Deffo check out Fors’s stuff, they deliver super organic sounding plugins.

THird party plugins overall:

Some Arturia tools but my use of these is slowly decreasing. Only the Buchla, ARP2600 and ModV3 are still used now and then. Beatsurfing has this really cool tool named ‘Random’. It’s a one stop techno box. D16’s Punchbox for some wicked kicksculpting. Freakshow Industries Dumpster Fire: weird delay/reverb-ish things. NI’s Raum for creative effects and the RC24/48 as it’s cool reverb tool. NI’s Reaktor for the classic synths on board. Newfangled Audio Pendulate: great softsynth and also very organic output. SPL Transient Designer: MUST have tool if you’ld ask me. It’s doing wonders on percussions to make them stand out in a mix. The Soundtoys package: creative tools al along. Streaky’s Colorbox + Tight arse: The colorbox to easily fix dull EQ’ed tracks and the Tight Arse to get your mix glue’ed and get that low-end tight. It’s a lifetime struggle for me and this helped me a lot. Xfer Records: Lfo-tool (speaks for itself) + Nerve, a super handy sequencer with audio export ( but it seems the company is giving up on it).

Just recently purchased the NewfangledAudio Elevate mastering bundle. Quite impressed by the Elevate plugin on its own. The subtle grit it can provide makes it feel like an instant mastering box for electronic music. Impressed!

WAVESFACTORY SPECTRE:

This is in my opinion a one of a kind powerhouse plugin. It sounds brilliant, it does brilliant things, it’s not just an EQ, not just a saturation tool, not just your average plugin. It does wonders, it fattens, it sharpens, it just sounds ridiculously great on whatever source you throw it on: here’s a more technical dude’s interview on it : LINK

Been checking this demo for a long time and reading a lot about it. It’s just awesome. Check it out !!!! Even Wytse from White Sea Studio got his pro-pinion on it :-)

HARDWARE:

Elysia Xfilter, Xpressor

Wes Audio Dione Buscompressor

A little update and a step forward into hybrid mixing:

Invested in the Softube Console 1 Mixing system: Console + Fader MKIII. The tight integration into Ableton and its superb hands-on channel strip is working like a charm. Up and running in no time.

New hardware that entered the game: