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  1. Home
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  3. Computer Music

Machinedrum’s favourite music software

By Computer Music
published 28 July 2017

Ninja Tune beat specialist Travis Stewart hasn’t gone plugin crazy - he just makes a little go a long way

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Ableton Live

Ableton Live

“For over ten years, I was using Impulse Tracker to write and Ableton for live performances. I slowly made my way to Live when I realised I could execute most of my ideas more easily with it.

“I think it’s really important to be able to get your ideas into the computer quickly and efficiently. I’ve set up a pretty awesome template that makes it easy to start writing a new piece of music.”

Read Ableton Live review

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Page 1 of 5
Ableton Operator

Ableton Operator

“I’m not a big VST person, but I do have one or two go-to tools. Ableton’s my platform, and I also rely on a bunch of Ableton’s onboard synths.

“If you’re familiar with my recent music, you can probably tell that I’m a serious fan of Operator. I just love how versatile its synthesis is.”

Find out more about Ableton Operator

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Ableton Max For Live

Ableton Max For Live

“I do love the Max for Live effects, like the Convolution Reverb, Dedalus Delay and IRCAMax Freezer.

“People often overlook the Max for Live MIDI effects, but the LFO is incredible! The fact that you can assign it to control literally anything in Live is very inspiring.

“Another powerful tool is the Envelope Follower - used correctly, it can produce some insane-sounding stuff!”

Find out more about Max For Live

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Page 3 of 5
S-X 808 Paradise

S-X 808 Paradise

“The bulk of my previous work was very sample-heavy. With Human Energy, I wanted to step away from sampling and get more into synthesis, writing my own melodies and writing my own chord progressions. That said, I occasionally end up layering the Max for Live drum sounds with some of the S-X sample packs. Their 808s are well-recorded and super-beefy - the sort of samples that can really make your song slap!”

Find out more about S-X 808 Paradise

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Page 4 of 5
Output Audio Exhale

Output Audio Exhale

“You won’t find many third-party VST synths on my computer, and you won’t find many [effects] plugins, either.

“Apart from Max for Live, there are only a handful of others - including Output Exhale - which I use alongside Plogue’s Alter/Ego. Not only do they sound great, but they help me sort out vocal ideas without me having to sing them!”

Read Output Audio Exhale review

Machinedrum’s new single, U Betta, is out now on Ninja Tune.

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Computer Music
Computer Music
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Computer Music magazine is the world’s best selling publication dedicated solely to making great music with your Mac or PC computer. Each issue it brings its lucky readers the best in cutting-edge tutorials, need-to-know, expert software reviews and even all the tools you actually need to make great music today, courtesy of our legendary CM Plugin Suite.

Get over 70 FREE plugin instruments and effects… image
Get over 70 FREE plugin instruments and effects…
…with the latest issue of Computer Music magazine
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