One of the insults often hurtled against modern electronic music artists of the last decade is that fast access to easy-to-use software like Ableton Live and FL Studio—along with the influx of online tutorials and expensive production courses—has flooded the scene with underwhelming tunes made by relative amateurs. And while it’s true that music making software in 2015 is so user-friendly that almost anyone can create a competent (though rarely classic) track in only a few tries, we’re not exactly eager to go back to the old programs and tools that were once standard when making music on computers. From Michael Jackson to Skrillex and the glitchy IDM of Squarepusher, many of dance music’s most cherished tunes were thrown together on platforms now seen more as more nostalgic rarities—programs like Fruity Loops and Pro Tools.
We took a 1MB stroll down memory lane with some of the vintage DAWs, soft synths, and digital DJ software programs responsible for the creation of many of our all-time favorite tunes.
Videos by VICE
1. Cubase (1989)
Used to produce: Stone Roses – Fools Gold
2. Pro Tools (1991)
Used to produce: Michael Jackson – Black Or White
3. Fruity Loops (1998)
Used to produce:
4. ACID (1998)
Used to produce: Danger Mouse – The Grey Album
5. Logic (2003)
Used to produce: Björk – Hunter
6. Reaktor (2003)
Used to produce – Squarepusher – Abstract Lover
7. MAX/MSP Jitter (2003)
Used to produce: Kid Clayton – Material Problem
