Recently, a friend of mine asked me what do I use to make music. Actually, I don’t place much emphasis on what tools I use to make music—back in the early days, I created simple demos using mobile apps like FL Studio Mobile, Medly, and GarageBand. Though the results weren’t perfect, I never let it discourage me. In short, the specific tools I use don’t matter much, nor does what any particular musician uses. But since you asked, I’ll briefly mention them here.
My primary machine is about to transition from a Windows PC to a MacBook Air M3—a very good device that is relatively affordable and offers sufficient performance. The reason I chose it is simply because the built-in ASIO sound card on my previous PC was so poor that connecting it to Minifuse 1 resulted in severe popping noises.
My hardware, as I mentioned earlier, is a Minifuse 1, and the DAW I use is Ableton Live. The built-in plugins are excellent, and in many cases, I can even create a decent piece of music just using Live itself.
I still have some musical instruments. A Yamaha toy piano has been repurposed into my MIDI keyboard. I also own an Epiphone Les Paul Standard and a Squier Bass. I play bass in a band, and when there’s nothing else to do, I still strum my guitar. The amplifier is a VOX. I also have a SM53, which I use to record my vocals and various other little things.
As for software plugins, I really like some of Air Music Technology’s products—moderate in size with good timbre, making them relatively cost-effective sound sources. I’ve also used some older Roland sound sources, such as the Super Quartet. The more well-known ones aren’t lacking, but the key is whether your mind can construct a beautiful world.