Most music producers have one particular piece of software that they find to perform the best and will always work with. This preference differs greatly depending on each individual and the fact of the matter is that as long as you are using a piece of software you feel comfortable with, it doesn’t really matter if anyone else finds it to be the best. The piece of software that has the best features and the best interface is always open to debate is when it comes down to it, it is just a matter of opinion. The best way to decide is to simply try each of the different pieces of software but we understand that might be a time consuming task. In this article we will try and fill you in on what we think are the best pieces of software out there based on 2 components, the sequencer and the sound editor.

The Sequencer:

The sequencer will be one of the main and most important parts of the program that you will use, no matter which program you choose to buy. The sequencer is the part of the software that you will use to create your own beats and lay your track onto. Two of the most popular programs out there that are used mainly by hip-hop producers are Reason and Fruity Loops. Fruity Loops comes in 3 different versions and the features vary slightly depending on which version you choose, but so does the price also. We recommend that you have at least the Fruity Edition as the Fruity Loops Express Edition cannot be used as a standalone sequencer and will require other software in order to use it. In our opinion Fruity Loops offers the best value for money being only $149 whereas Reason is $499. Obviously Reason gives you the better sequencer but if you’re looking for value for money or are on a tight budget then Fruity Loops is the way to go.

The Sound Editor:

The function of a sound editor is to edit wave files, which is very useful in sample based production. Sample based production is basically where you would chop up a variety of records and then make an entirely new song out of it. Some of the best and most popular sound editors available at the moment are Adobe Audition, Propellerhead’s Recycle, and Sony’s Sound Forge. As with the sequencer there isn’t technically one of the programmes which is the best, it is all down to your preference. Personally, we think that Adobe Audition is one of the best we have used so far and retails at $349. There is also a sound editor in Fruity Loops Producer Edition if you are working on a tight budget.