Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
reverb
Tech "I've never been interested in it because it's a digital synthesizer": Mike Dean shows off his "crazy rare" vintage PPG Wave
timbre wolf
Tech "Boy, do people hate it": 10 of the most divisive products in music tech history, from iLok to the Akai Timbre Wolf
Universal Audio Volt 876
Audio Interfaces Best audio interface 2026: For home recording, podcasting, and streaming - tested by experts
Waldorf Protein
Synths “A cost-effective wavetable synthesizer you could fall in love with”: Waldorf Protein review
An Asus ProArt P16 laptop on a desk with music production gear
Computers Best laptop for music production 2026: For home studios and mobile music-making - tested by experts
Man wearing black hat playing the Roland TD716 electronic drum set
Electronic Drums Best electronic drum sets in 2026: Top picks for every playing level and budget, tested by drummers – plus video and audio demos
Distortion and Saturation Plugins
Music Production Tutorials The difference between distortion and saturation and how to effectively get a gnarly sound
Blue May home studio
Artists We visit the LA house where Lily Allen made West End Girl, and explore the home studio of Blue May
Arturia KeyStep mk2
Midi Controllers Best MIDI keyboards 2026: Find the perfect match for your studio workflow
mj cole
Tech “I didn’t know garage very well, so I made a slightly skewed version of this sound”: MJ Cole on the making of UKG classic Sincere
roland
Tech 10 of the best Roland TB-303 tracks of all time: Aphex Twin, Fatboy Slim, Voodoo Ray and more
An UDO Super Gemini synthesizer on a white table
Synths Best synthesizers 2026: Top analogue, digital, mono and polysynths
stem splitter
Tech I tested 11 of the best stem separation tools – and you might already have the winner in your DAW
Apparat live
Artists Apparat tells us how he regained his creative demon to make his first album in seven years
A pair of Audio-Technica in-ear monitors on top of a carry case
Studio Monitors Best budget in-ear monitors 2026: My pick of cheap in-ears for every type of musician
More
  • Sly and Survivor
  • In My Life
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • One chord Diamond
  1. Tech
  2. Software & Apps

Pirupa's favourite music software

News
By Computer Music ( Computer Music ) published 26 May 2017

The techno and house-loving producer has Rob Papen to thank for his funky, chunky bottom end

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Ableton Live 9.7

Ableton Live 9.7

“I started with Cubase and found it way too difficult. At the time I was more of a DJ than a producer, and Cubase didn’t make sense.

“Ableton wasn’t so good technically, but it allowed me to find my way in the world of the studio. On average, I create three or four tracks every week on Ableton - that’s good enough for me.”

FULL REVIEW: Ableton Live 9

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
Rob Papen plugins

Rob Papen plugins

“Almost all my bass sounds come from Predator and SubBoomBass. Many people comment on the quality of my basses, so I know these are the right plugins for me.

“When it comes to bass, I try not to make things too complicated - I make a cut around 40-50Hz, match the levels to the song, and that’s it. Anything else I leave to the mixing engineer.”

FULL REVIEW: Rob Papen Predator 2

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Arturia ARP 2600 V

Arturia ARP 2600 V

“Some of my tracks have more of a techno feel, and for that, I always turn to my Arturia package.

“The way they’re laid out and the way they sound seems to make sense in the techno environment. A little bit more electronic, a bit more quirky. Yeah, it would be great to have real hardware, but… maybe when I win the lottery.” 

FULL REVIEW: Arturia ARP 2600 V

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
Ohm Force OhmBoyz

Ohm Force OhmBoyz

“If I had one small complaint about Ableton - a program that I love - it would be that the sound could be bigger.

“Sure, you can use the onboard delays and they sound OK, but as soon as you put it next to this, you can hear an immediate difference. Not only is it bigger, but it’s warmer and wider. This was a difficult choice for me… I use [Soundtoys] EchoBoy too, so I have to mention it - always my number two.”  

READ MORE: Ohm Force OhmBoyz

Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
IK Multimedia Classik Studio Reverb

IK Multimedia Classik Studio Reverb

“When you first start making music, it’s natural to get a bit crazy with your plugins. But as time passed, I realised that I was always coming back to the CSR package.

“You get four reverbs with tons of parameters to play with. It’s very, very rare that I have to look for any other reverbs.”

FULL REVIEW: IK Multimedia Classik Studio Reverb

Page 5 of 5
Page 5 of 5
Computer Music
Computer Music
Social Links Navigation

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
More Info
Read more
Music technology gear of the year 2025
Music technology gear of the year 2025: Our favourite new synths, drum machines, plugins and more
 
 
Apparat live
Apparat tells us how he regained his creative demon to make his first album in seven years
 
 
chris lake
“People have been imitating my sound for a long time, but now someone can type a prompt and make a song that sounds like Chris Lake – that's wild!”: Chris Lake on how AI is putting music-making “under threat”
 
 
modeselektor
"The answer might sound a little boring, but it's probably my iPhone": Modeselektor on their go-to instrument
 
 
bicep
“Omnisphere’s like a Korg Wavestation on crack – you press one button and 16 things happen at once”: Bicep on soft synths, sampling glaciers and club-focused new project CHROMA 000
 
 
Halina Rice
'Immersive first' electronic musician Halina Rice on creating unique live experiences and new album, Unreality
 
 
Latest in Software & Apps
Distortion and Saturation Plugins
The difference between distortion and saturation and how to effectively get a gnarly sound
 
 
Arturia's Efx Ambient from FX Collection 6, being used in a studio
Arturia's FX Collection 6 adds an ambient plugin specialising in "novel, emotive textures" and a souped-up H910
 
 
UJAM
“I’ll be having fun with this for a long time to come”: UJAM's Voxcraft delivers creative vocal manipulation without the menu-diving
 
 
filter delays
Ableton Live co-creator Robert Henke updates a classic Live effect with free M4L device Filter Delays
 
 
roland
Cherry Audio’s SH-MAX takes on a trio of classic Roland monosynths called upon by everyone from Kraftwerk to Tame Impala
 
 
Fractal Audio ICONS; the amp modelling company debuts its first-ever plugin suite for guitarists.
Amp modelling titan Fractal Audio unveils its first guitar plugin suite
 
 
Latest in News
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai perform onstage during the Satch/Vai Tour.
“I’m watching this genius develop right in front of me”: Joe Satriani on what it was like to teach a teenage Steve Vai
 
 
Eric Clapton performs onstage during Day 2 of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival
Hello Old Friend: Clapton heads out to Midwest for September tour
 
 
PinkPantheress and Basement Jaxx
How PinkPantheress’s meteoric rise has been aided and abetted by Basement Jaxx
 
 
Paul Gilbert wears a tricorn hat and tan button-up waistcoat as he embraces the Washingtonian aesthetic with his signature Ibanez Fireman.
“A couple of the lyrics turned out to be AI-generated… I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll go for it’”: How Paul Gilbert accidentally wrote a song using an AI hallucination
 
 
General view as Colombian singer Shakira performs during a free concert at Zocalo square in Mexico City on March 1, 2026. (Photo by YURI CORTEZ / AFP via Getty Images)
“This is a love and friendship story I have with Mexico”: Shakira plays largest gig in Mexico City’s Zócalo
 
 
Billy Joel performs during soundcheck at Mohegan Sun on February 22, 2025 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (Photo by Myrna M. Suarez/Getty Images)
“If they want to jump on stage, great”: Could Billy Joel make a live comeback at his own tribute night?
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...