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
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • "She knew what she'd created": Back to Black
  • Trower's '80s supergroup
  • Music theory tricks
  • Stage Tour game
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Tech
  2. Software & Apps

Plastician's favourite music software

News
By Computer Music
Published 30 March 2012

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

Image-Line FL Studio

Image-Line FL Studio

“Until this program makes the jump to Mac, the PC vs Apple argument is null and void for me.

“I started out using a demo version of Fruity Loops back in the early 2000s. Its novice-friendly drag-and-drop functionality and the drum map and timeline made it so easy to pick up.

“Now FL Studio 10 does everything I’d expect from a high-quality DAW, and it’s still a joy to use.”

Read Image-Line FL Studio 10 review

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
Rob Papen Albino 3

Rob Papen Albino 3

“This has been my instrument of choice for bass for such a long time now. It’s such a great-sounding synth, and I find it the easiest one for building sounds from the ground up.

“If sound design is not your cup of tea, it’s also got a great range of presets.”

Find out more about Rob Papen Albino 3

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Native Instruments Massive

Native Instruments Massive

“If you’re trying to make what people are now calling ‘the dubstep bass’ then look no further.

“It’s astounding how many amazing presets Massive comes packaged with, although I was surprised by just how many I recognised from the Distorted Bass section!

“I like the way everything inside is easily tweaked – it takes a matter of seconds to get the sound you’re after.”

Read Native Instruments Massive review

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
Native Instruments Absynth 5

Native Instruments Absynth 5

“I first came into contact with Absynth when it was in stage 3.0 - about the same time I came into contact with the alcoholic substance of the same name. Funnily enough, this program emits sounds similar to those you hear if you drink the green elixir.

“I’m now using version 5, and in my opinion it still offers the best creepy atmospheres out there - great for really dark tracks.”

Read Native Instruments Absynth 5 review

Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
Image-line FL Studio Bass Boost

Image-line FL Studio Bass Boost

“OK, it’s bundled into FL Studio and it’s the most simple bit of kit ever. Who cares? I’ve used the Bass Boost plug-in on every single bass I’ve ever produced.

“It’s a tiny effects plug-in, and there may be more complicated alternatives on the market, but this does the trick with a simple frequency boost between 60 and 100Hz wherever your bass needs it most. Works every time!”

Plastician takes over Rinse FM every Sunday from 9-11pm.

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.

Read more
Erol Alkan
Artists Erol Alkan on the gear that he trusts above all else
 
 
tom vr
Artists Tom VR on "game-changing" Ableton Live tips and the hardware synth he can't stop talking about
 
 
chris lake
Artists Chris Lake on why getting hold of high-end gear shouldn’t be a barrier
 
 
Skrillex
Artists When a young Skrillex explained how he made his early dubstep bangers
 
 
Noise Music
Tech We speak to the noise music creatives pushing out at the extremes of sound: “It's somehow a kind of fetish”
 
 
Native Instruments Komplete 26
Soft Synths “We know you want it, but do you really (really) need it?”: Native Instruments Komplete 26 review
 
 
Latest in Software & Apps
stencils
Tech Stuck in the 4-bar loop? Try these free arrangement templates for Ableton Live
 
 
autotune
Tech "Since 1997, the complaint about pitch correction has been the same: it takes the singer out of the singing. That's the problem DVA was built to solve": Antares launches AutoTune Advanced with new DVA vibrato engine
 
 
autotune
Tech Antares AutoTune Advanced makes the trade-off between pitch-perfect vocals and natural vibrato a thing of the past
 
 
An Arturia MiniFreak synthesizer on a table
Hybrid Synths One of our favourite synths of recent years now lets you upload your own sounds
 
 
zplane
Tech Zplane's Timbre is a formant-shifting plugin with a few tricks up its sleeve
 
 
lunacy
Tech Lunacy launches Nova platform with five free virtual instruments – but bigger things are on the way
 
 
Latest in News
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK - MAY 05:  Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood pose backstage during the exclusive launch event of The Rolling Stones new album “Foreign Tongues” at Weylin on May 5, 2026 in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for UMG)
Artists Andrew Watt says he kept thing loose when he produced the Stones, but also added a surprising synth sub-bass
 
 
Brian May
Guitarists “It blew me away so badly”: Brian May says that hearing Jimi Hendrix made him question whether he should be a guitar player
 
 
Paul McCartney
Artists Paul McCartney remembers showing Elvis how to bass like a pro
 
 
Prodigy
Samples Want to sound like The Prodigy? Download this free pack of Prodigy-style samples
 
 
(EDITORS NOTE: A special effects camera filter was used for this image.) Olivia Rodrigo at Daisy Chain Fields Festival 2026 held at Great Park on August 29, 2026 in Irvine, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
Artists Olivia Rodrigo on how being a "novice" guitarist led to a happy accident when she was writing The Cure
 
 
Jackso Pro Series Phil Collen PC1-E
Artists Phil Collen on why you can play anything on his new Jackson, and even nail those Hysteria tones
 
 

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 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...