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
tape double track
Tech This $99 plugin recreates a classic studio technique invented at Abbey Road for The Beatles – and it's free for the next three days
A Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 on a desk with various audio interfaces in the background
Audio Interfaces Best audio interface 2025: For home recording, podcasting, and streaming - tested by experts
absynth 6
Tech Native Instruments' Absynth returns – here’s the inside story, with developer Brian Clevinger
An Apple MacBook Air M4 on a desk with audio interface, headphones, and MIDI controller
Computers Best laptop for music production 2025: For home studios and mobile music-making - tested by experts
plugin boutique
Tech Save up to 95% on incredible plugins, software and bundles in Plugin Boutique’s Black Friday sale – and grab an exclusive free plugin for MusicRadar readers
ableton
Digital Audio Workstation I switched to Ableton Live from Logic Pro, and I've never looked back. If you want to do the same, you can still score 25% off in the Sweetwater Cyber Week sale
Apple iMac M4
Computers Best PCs for music production 2025: Apple Macs and Windows machines for your home studio
Sennheiser in ear monitors on a lit up dj controller
Studio Monitors Best budget in-ear monitors 2025: My pick of cheap in-ears for every type of musician
Best impulse buy $50 plugins Cyber Monday 2025
Tech 19 of the best plugins under $50 for last-minute impulse buying this Cyber Monday
Cyber Monday plugin deals graphic
Software & Apps Cyber Monday plugin deals 2025 LIVE: all of today's most unmissable music software discounts on Native Instruments, IK Multimedia, Plugin Boutique and around the web
Cherry Audio Mercury-6
Soft Synths This is the first synth I reach for when I need an arp - and right now it's 51% off!
A selection of free plugins on a lime green background
Plugins I've found 9 free plugin deals for Black Friday, including a killer bundle - help yourself to something for nothing before the offers disappear
 universal audio
Plugins “We built Paradise to make any guitarist feel like they’re playing in a dream studio": Universal Audio releases Paradise Guitar Studio – and it's 25% off for Cyber Monday
mercury 8
Tech "It's not just another recreation of the Jupiter-8": Cherry Audio goes "beyond Jupiter" with the Mercury-8 soft synth
A Macbook running Universal Audio plugins on a studio desk
Plugins Universal Audio's amazing Black Friday freebie is still live - for now. Take your pick from an 1176, LA-2A, Pultec EQ, and more completely free of charge
More
  • "The most expensive bit of drumming in history”
  • JoBo x Fuchs
  • Radiohead Daydreaming
  • Vanilla Fudge
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Tech
  2. Software & Apps

Benji Vaughan's favourite music software

News
By Computer Music ( Computer Music ) published 28 May 2012

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

Native Instruments Maschine

Native Instruments Maschine

“I bought this a couple of weeks ago, and it’s brought such a change to the way I work - it’s the percussive hub of every track I do now. For a while I found the process of making percussion parts frustrating, but Maschine makes beat programming fun, fast and intuitive.”

Read Native Instruments Maschine 1.5 review

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
Audio Damage Automaton

Audio Damage Automaton

“Automaton does great random glitch stuff. It’s baffling to use but ace! There are so many sequence-based glitch FX out there, but I particularly like the way Automaton sews the granularised samples back together - it sounds grainy and unique.

“For me, it works best on sounds with a thin, rhythmic tone, like guitar arpeggios or upper-octave pianos.”

Read Audio Damage Automaton

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Apple Logic Pro

Apple Logic Pro

“I have a love-hate relationship with Logic. It’s buggy as hell, but it’s like a girlfriend - I just can’t leave, cos I love it!

“It’s such an amazing package. The instruments and FX are pretty good, but the main thing is the sequencer and the limitless nature of the Environment - it can seem daunting, but it’s worth getting your head round.”

Read Apple Logic Pro 9 review

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
Universal Audio Lexicon 224

Universal Audio Lexicon 224

“Reverb is the spice that brings sounds to life, and this is the best reverb plug-in I’ve found.

“It’s based on a classic Lexicon from the early ‘80s. The UAD version is stunning. It has that magical quality of creating a clear space around sounds without adding a mushy, muddled sheen to a mix.”

Read Universal Audio Lexicon 224 review

Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
Future Audio Workshop Circle

Future Audio Workshop Circle

“The genius interface makes this synth a joy to use. I find many soft synths so uncreative. Nothing kills the feeling of being creative for me more than scrolling though presets on a synth, and so many of the interfaces are too complicated.

“Circle is the opposite. It works beautifully and invites you to be creative. It tends to need a bit of processing to bring the sound to life, but it’s my go-to synth at the moment as I can think of a sound and design it in five minutes. That’s how your workflow should be, I think.”

Read Future Audio Workshop Circle review

Benji is playing at Glade festival, Norfolk, from 14-17 June

Liked this? Now read: The stars' favourite music software

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

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
jim-e stack
“You can make the best album ever with just a laptop and plugins”: Jim-E Stack reveals his production secrets
 
 
Cyber Monday plugin deals graphic
Cyber Monday plugin deals 2025 LIVE: all of today's most unmissable music software discounts on Native Instruments, IK Multimedia, Plugin Boutique and around the web
 
 
UJAM Virtual Pianist
I’d long thought virtual piano plugins were cheating but this amazingly creative instrument from UJam changed my mind. This Black Friday it’s going cheap!
 
 
PreSonus Studio 24c in a home studio
My go-to audio interface is now even better value at under £80 in Gear4Music's early Black Friday sale
 
 
plugin boutique
Save up to 95% on incredible plugins, software and bundles in Plugin Boutique’s Black Friday sale – and grab an exclusive free plugin for MusicRadar readers
 
 
verses gt
Jacques Greene and Nosaj Thing on the making of their new collaborative project, Verses GT
 
 
Latest in Software & Apps
absynth 6
Native Instruments' Absynth returns – here’s the inside story, with developer Brian Clevinger
 
 
soundtoys
"This is our way of saying thank you": Soundtoys is giving away six free plugins this Christmas, starting with Little PrimalTap
 
 
songscription
"Humans will be doing all the serious music transcription for the foreseeable future": Songscription review
 
 
tape double track
This $99 plugin recreates a classic studio technique invented at Abbey Road for The Beatles – and it's free for the next three days
 
 
 universal audio
“We built Paradise to make any guitarist feel like they’re playing in a dream studio": Universal Audio releases Paradise Guitar Studio – and it's 25% off for Cyber Monday
 
 
ableton
I switched to Ableton Live from Logic Pro, and I've never looked back. If you want to do the same, you can still score 25% off in the Sweetwater Cyber Week sale
 
 
Latest in News
Strymon Fairfax Class A Output Drive: the first in the Series A range, this is an all-analogue pedal inspired by the Herzog unit made famous by Randy Bachman
Strymon debuts Series A analogue pedals range with the Fairfax – a “chameleon” drive that can “breathe fire”
 
 
The DOD Badder Monkey is a redux take on the DigiTech Bad Monkey overdrive, but it adds two all-new circuits, plus a wooden barrel knob for blending them. It is painted green and has an illustration of a chimpanzee on the front of the pedal, which is an ape, not a monkey.
DOD reimagines a Gary Moore overdrive favourite as the Badder Monkey – think the DigiTech Green Monkey, only badder
 
 
Fender has made an exacting replica of Tom Morello's 'Arm The Homeless' guitar, the mongrel S-style made from parts that became the cornerstone of the Rage Against The Machine guitarist's sound.
Tom Morello’s favourite 'Arm the Homeless' electric guitar has just been recreated by Fender
 
 
Justin Hawkins
“We don’t use simulators because we’re a real band”: Why Justin Hawkins and The Darkness rock the old-fashioned way
 
 
Text reads "Thomann presents #PlayitFeelitChallenge: Record, post and win up to €1000 in gift cards"
Thomann's Play It. Feel it. challenge is offering musicians the chance to win prizes worth up to €1000 for reimagining the theme from the brand's latest short films
 
 
Bill Ward of Black Sabbath, inductee, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica
"I just love Metallica. I love Lars' drumming": naysayers, listen up - Bill Ward explains why Lars Ulrich is a brilliant drummer
 
 

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...