Tom HappVerified account

The bullet journal could be a thread of its own, but let's get to the last, most important item on the desk: the kitty bed, usually containing one of my interns: @maddyandphoebe. They encourage me to take breaks and occasionally provide accompaniment in the form of squeaks.pic.twitter.com/8O6FTJ7pUD

Now time for software! I do all my composing, arranging, recording, mixing, & mastering in Cubase. I've been using it for 15 years. I first picked it up because it's what Jesper Kyd used and I admired his work, and I continue to use it bc at this point I'm very, very good at it.pic.twitter.com/dR8EZESmt8

I also use Ableton for live music, though I haven't done any live shows in a while. It's great, and the Push controller is wonderful. It does pretty much everything Cubase can do, tho Cubase has more robust built-in effects.pic.twitter.com/YUU8statNj

Moving on to the fun stuff: VSTs! VSTs are (usually) software instruments. You load them up ~inside~ of your DAW and then make sounds with them. My most-used VSTs right now are Omnisphere and Kontakt.pic.twitter.com/MT1iLTw6K8

Omnisphere is maybe my favorite music tool ever, and I wish I'd discovered it earlier. You can make anything from super basic waveforms to wild, complex, granular sample patches, all using an incredibly intuitive workflow. If I could only have one VST instrument, this would be itpic.twitter.com/gCugl1xGsi

One of the few things it can't do is replace meticulously recorded sample libraries, like a full orchestra library. That's where Kontakt comes in. It's a little confusing but Kontakt is a VST instrument that *is itself* a platform to load other instruments in.pic.twitter.com/KK0V5jYu0G

The full version comes with a pretty fantastic set of libraries built in, including an orchestra and some great drum kits. I also have the Albion One orchestra and literally every instrument that Output has made. Kontakt is pretty much essential for professional work.pic.twitter.com/uinX0lVUkg