# What kind of software do you use in your creative workflow?



## Ashley123 (Aug 13, 2018)

Hi colleagues, 

*What kind of software do you use in your creative workflow?*


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## MatFluor (Aug 13, 2018)

Very broad question. I would say what I use in a creative/work context is:

- DAW (DP and Reaper)
- Notation Software (Sibelius)
- Zenkit (trello on steroids for task organization and planning as well as to-dos)
- Ganttproject (Project management - yes, my IT project management days ring through)
- Self-programmed tools for various itches
And of course my Calendar...


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 13, 2018)

DAW - Logic X and Cubase 9 (PT as needed)
Editing - Wavelab Elements
iPad - TouchOSC


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## nanotk (Aug 13, 2018)

Main tool is Opusmodus.
Logic X
Sonicscores Overture 5
Dorico (not always because i hate dongle)


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## charlieclouser (Aug 14, 2018)

- Logic = main DAW used for composing and mixing.

- Ableton Live = used as ReWire slave behind Logic for tempo / pitch manipulation of samples.

- Reason = used as ReWire slave behind Logic for additional synth programming.

- ProTools = used on separate computer for printing stems for delivery to dub stage, also for recordings made out-of-house.

- VideoSlave = used on third computer for standalone playback of video, slaved to Logic via MTC.

- AudioFinder from Iced Audio = my primary sample browser, used for auditioning, deleting, and renaming samples as well as for minor destructive editing like normalize, trim length, etc. Can work in conjunction with the Finder's space-bar preview function and display a waveform view window on Finder playback.

- Sample Manager from AudioFile Engineering (which has been replaced with Myriad from Aurchitect) = my primary batch audio editing tool, used for "normalize as a group", auto-trimming of start and end points, destructive editing, and batch processing through AU/VST plugins.

- KeyMap / AutoSampler / ProManager from Redmatica (now discontinued) = I still use these, since they will run on MacOS versions El Cap and lower. KeyMap is my primary method of building EXS and Kontakt Instruments from groups of samples due to its amazing "Auto map by embedded info in file names" and "Auto map by pitch detection" functions. Many features from AutoSampler have been directly implemented within Logic / GarageBand, and ProManager is largely unneeded since Logic X came out.

- Translator / Constructor / Instrument Manager / Sampler Tools from Chicken Systems = While a little clumsy and confusing at times, Translator is an excellent tool for converting Instruments between Kontakt and EXS formats (as well as many other formats).

- BarbaBatch from AudioEase = another great, but old, batch audio file conversion utility. I still use it sometimes as it can convert huge directories full of nested folders and reproduce that nested folder structure in the destination. Bt most of the time I use Sample Manager for conversion tasks.

- Space Designer Manager from 3R Audio = a great little utility which can batch-create presets for Logic's Space Designer reverb plugin from folders full of samples / impulse responses. The created presets will refer to the specified IRs and inherit their names. Very handy when you've downloaded large libraries of impulse responses.

- Sononym = this is a brand-new product, and I haven't fully tested it, but it appears to search for duplicate / similar audio files by analyzing their actual audio content, as opposed to comparing files by filename, size, etc. Very promising if it works as intended.

- ReCycle from Propellerheads = the original and amazing sample-slicing tool. Allows you to precisely specify where rhythmic loops will be divided into individual hits, save them as .rex files for use in Reason and other apps, export the slices as individual .wav files, and - uniquely to this program - allow you to apply "stretch" which will create audio "tails" on individual slices to prevent abrupt cut-offs at sample endings, and it does this NOT by time-stretching but by applying frontwards-backwards crossfade-looping and fade-out effects. It's still the only tool that does this and it sounds fantastic.

- Ircam TS, PaulStretch, and Tom Erbe's SoundHack = standalone apps for doing extreme time stretching.

- SysEx Librarian = a quick and dirty method of sending and receiving SysEx patch dumps from hardware synths.

- Logic Colorizer = allows editing of graphic display elements like fonts and colors within the Logic X app.

- WaveAgent + Fixer = allows conversion of old .sd2 format audio files, which are unreadable on modern versions of MacOS, into modern audio file formats.

- Handbrake, VLC, DVDxDVpro, QTkitTimeCode, ViddyUp, JESinterlacer, etc. = various utilities for dealing with video files, converting between formats / containers / codecs, adding timecode tracks, etc.

- Various utilities for controlling and editing the settings on hardware devices like the Line6 Pods, Line6 Variax guitars, Roland VG-99, Eventide H9, Novation LaunchControl-XL, FaderCtrl, Haken Continuum, etc. These are usually included with the devices and are useless without them.

- A Better Finder Rename = this utility allows batch manipulation of file names. Very useful when dealing with large sample collections.

- File Buddy = allows searching for duplicate files, list cleaning, batch renaming / deletion / moving of files, etc.

- Keyboard Maestro = a macro utility that allows creation of long command strings which can be triggered by a single user input, recording and playback of mouse movements, etc.

- Disk Warrior = the best utility for recovering damaged / unmountable hard drives, rebuilding directories, and repairing drives that have corrupted files.

- DiskMaker X = this allows you to create bootable USB sticks that contain MacOS installers.

- Sketchup = my favorite 3d modeling software. I use it for everything from designing racks and furniture to landscape design.

- Omnigraffle = I use this once in a while to draw wiring diagrams and flow charts. Very easy to create precise and clear diagrams.

- Excel = used for creating and printing patch bay labels, gear inventory lists, etc.

- Xcode = Apple's free development tool that allows opening and modifying application files, needed for tasks like changing font sizes and colors inside Logic X, etc.

There's lots more but these are most of the basic toolbox. I don't use scheduling or task management apps other than Apple's Calendar and Notepad apps.


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## jononotbono (Aug 14, 2018)

Something I am using on a day to day basis now is Google Sheets. Self updating, access anywhere from any computer... Great for Cue notes, Floor plans, Track numbering, keeping track of Macros numbers etc


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## Alex Fraser (Aug 14, 2018)

As little as possible would be the quick answer, but..

Logic X
Touch OSC/Logic Remote
That twee little program that controls the Korg NanoKontrol.
Code Runner (programming web sites.)
Transmit 5 (for hurling files around the interwebs for customer downloads and backups.)
Things for task management.
All the Apple stock stuff.
Edit: And my new favourite toy, Amazon S3 buckets. A bit techy, but so far, it’s the ultimate answer for sending large files around the internet and backup storage.


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## JJP (Aug 15, 2018)

Finale - notation
Logic Pro X -sequencing/recording
Pro Tools - mainly for playing back files from clients
Excel - instrumentation charts, budgeting, invoices, etc
Word - everybody needs it or Pages at some point
Text Edit - for random bits of data, notes, or formatting lyrics
Keyboard Maestro - Mac macro program to automate all the other software


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## Manaberry (Aug 15, 2018)

My lovely *notebook *to write down ideas and precious music stuff on a daily basis
*Ableton Live 10* as a main DAW
*Open Stage Control* _(alternative to TouchOSC and Lemur, usable all over the network from any devices)_
*Bome's Midi Translator* to convert any midi signals to keystrokes
*Clickup *- Team or single user project management with tasks, projects, dependencies and due dates _(can be used on smartphones, browser, desktop app)_
*Drive File Stream *to emulate a hard drive on my PC and used to save all my presets, projects files, midi files, branding assets on my cloud server.
*Google Docs* services also to organize some data.
*MuseScore *for orchestration
*Substance Designer / Unreal Engine* to create art cover
And after a release:

*Google Data Studio* to organize in a comprehensive way all the data from streaming music services provided by my distributor


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## Divico (Aug 23, 2018)

*Reaper* for everything I play in or try oit.
*Musescore: *Free notation
*Tuxguitar*: Free Notation or sketching guitar ideas
*Voice recorder of my phone: *Great for recording ne humming ideas
I use an EPiano as masterkeyboard. its recording functiom is great for remembering improvised stuff without firing up my DAW


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