MAX (Cycling '74)

This programming package was and is largely responsible for my immersion into electronic music and computers. Before this platform existed, it was almost impossible to create electroacoustic music without venturing into subsidized (college and radio) realms! Everything was hardware and unaffordable.

MAX consists of the parts MAX, MSP and Jitter. MAX is the data part, with which you can program functions, interfaces and automations. MSP is the (DSP) audio part, and Jitter is the video part of this environment.

• Cycling74/MAX

Live (Ableton)

Due to the crossover platform "MAX-For-Live", "Live" is also a base for me for any projects with Timeline. MAX patches can be run relatively straightforwardly as M4L PlugIn and be opened in Live. I must confess that I use Live mainly for this purpose.

Live's interface was one of the first "one-window" concepts. It is very well designed and always up to date. Meanwhile, there is also a wealth of controllers that are tailored to Live.

By now, Ableton has acquired Cycling '74.

• Ableton Live

Reaper

My favorite Audio Editing program - very inexpensive ($60.-) and much "lighter" than Logic. Actually, I had only chosen it as a temporary solution when Logic was problematic for a while. In the meantime, through habituation, I switched completely to Reaper. It offers everything that is important for me.

Some things are a bit different in Reaper - I especially like that the interface design can be modified by custom templates.

A wonderful software program with a large, active community.

• Reaper

Logic Pro

I hardly use Logic Pro because I don't use most of the functions. Also, the program seems to me more like a "Garage Band Pro" and it does not meet my way of working.

After skipping a few versions, I got back into "Logic Pro X", mainly to be able to reload Logic projects from days gone by.

• Logic Pro

RX (Izotope)

If you have a lot to do with audio files, you also need to fix things on a regular basis. RX offers a collection of excellent plug-ins that should suffice for most cases: Mouth DeClick, Voice De-noise, Breath Control, De-plosive, Spectral De-ess, De-bleed, Spectral Repair, Spectral De-noise, De-click, De-clip, De-hum, De-reverb are the plugs of the standard version. There is also an Advanced version.

• RX 10/Izotope

Ozone/Izotope

Since version 4 Izotope is known for their good mastering software suite and since version 6 there is also an appealing interface. In the meantime we are at Ozone 10. The Advanced version allows to load components as single plug-ins and has been extended by a Dynamic EQ.

Ozone is certainly one of the best packages for audio complete editing.

• Ozone/Izotope

Neutron/Izotope

Izotope has certainly scored a strike with Neutron. It's an equalizer (including compressor, exiter, transient shaper, limiter) with various analytical capabilities. Thus, audio material can be analyzed and Neutron suggests the frequencies to be processed. Incredible! A really great learning aid.

Tracks can be masked and combined to avoid overlapping, e.g. of bass and kick drum. This software is one thing above all: really helpful.

• Neutron/Izotope

Iannix

Iannix, as the name suggests, was inspired by the work of Iannis Xenakis. It was inspired by Upic, the instrument with which music can be drawn.

The whole concept of Iannix is so radically different from the, rather pop-oriented, "Production" packages available that this alone is worth a look at this terrific software.

Apropos: Iannix is free of charge!

• Iannix

SonarWorks

If you want to calibrate your own studio without external assistance, Sonarworks' software "Reference" might be the safest, easiest and also cheapest solution to achieve a noticeable improvement.

The price for the bundle software and measurement microphone is far below the competitors' prices. The weak quality of the included mic is compensated by an individual correction curve (download), and the effect of the software is amazing. Sounds are localized more distinctly and the PlugIn is undoubtedly an aid when room conditions are not perfect.

• SonarWorks