Christian Smith's favourite music software
![Ableton Live](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/0d78cfef7f0cf5f2996479d26e8f58f5-320-80.jpg)
Ableton Live
“I’ve been using Ableton for a long, long time. At first, I missed the excitement of a hardware studio, but moving onboard gives you so many more options and so many more sounds. Ableton is an amazing DAW.”
![AudioRealism Bass Line](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aa9b277b550026f4071a17fbb005cd24-320-80.jpg)
AudioRealism Bass Line
“Another one that reminds me of the analogue era. When I first heard the software 303s, I didn’t think they were quite as deep as the real thing, but these days… I cannot tell the difference. I was talking to Richie Hawtin about this, and even he says that the plugins are getting it right.”
![UAD MXR Flanger/Doubler](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dbaa1121cc77872249f8a105e9d95c5e-320-80.jpg)
UAD MXR Flanger/Doubler
“I think it’s hard to find a really good software flanger; not many developers have managed to get that warm analogue sound. For me, the MXR is the best one out there.
“To be honest, I would have been happy to talk about any of the UAD plugins. I’ve got the whole set and every one sounds incredible.”
![Arturia Mini V](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/1b0b4db9c85266133a529018a2ce894e-320-80.jpg)
Arturia Mini V
“Because I come from a hardware background, I was drawn to the Arturia V collection. The Minimoog gets used for most of my basslines and stabs. The only problem is that it eats up a lot of processor because you have to EQ it, compress it and really shape the sound. If you feed it straight into a track, it feels way too heavy.”
![Soundtoys PanMan](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/00b9e2d9e96134e78eb53dca2561a183-320-80.jpg)
Soundtoys PanMan
“I love panning… adding some serious width to a track. I’m really getting into panning my hats at the moment; a fast pan that doesn’t affect the sound too much, but gives you so much space. Any producer who doesn’t investigate the Soundtoys plugins is a fool. They will make your music sound better!”