As a music producer or audio engineer, you probably work with lots of software and most of the times additional hardware. In both cases software and hardware, you should find the most innovative companies to get accesses to the newest sounds end techniques. Okay, a lot happens in the box nowadays, but also in your own DAW, there are great innovations going on.
New sounds and techniques will help you to be unique and get the best quality and workflow that fits your way of working. Through all the madness on the internet, it’s hard to filter the good things from the bad stuff. It’s not about just a normal
audio interface and
studio monitors anymore, companies go way further.
In this article, we want to show some great companies to dive in too, hope this will keep you on track with all the information and products that are out there.
Where to find the newest tools?
When innovations launch it’s hard to keep track of them. Roli for example has gone viral and so did Subpac. But a company as Output inc that develops next-level software is less know at bedroom producers but can offer such a great addition to your plugin library.
We would advise to read music blogs monthly and look on Kickstarter for new innovations. Also, when you find one always subscribe to their newsletter and you’re the first that will be updated when a new tool of them launch.
Innovative music companies
To make it easy for you we listed a few cool companies with a short description.
Next level instruments that are very experimental to play with.
Great plugins that are different than the usual such as reversed plugins (rev) and vocal generators (Exhale).
5D-touch keyboards
Collaboration, packs and projects in the cloud so you always have access to the newest samples.
Just look at their websites and discover for yourself what they are offering to your musical career.
What do you really need?
Hardware and innovative software are great to have! But always consider in a way if you need it since ‘less is more’ is still a golden rule in music production. You get easily lost in all the folders of plugins and cables of your synthesiser; sometimes it’s better to know one product for 100% instead of five different products for 20%. Be the master at your tool! It’s cool to be a gear junkie but do not overdo this if you don’t use or need it… Remember that an EDM dance hit can be made on a single laptop with no gear as Deadmau5 said. Also, have a look at small practical improvements like learning shortcuts. This improves your workflow, for example, FL Studio shortcuts are necessary to learn as well for Logic and Ableton. Spend some time on that rather than buying all the gear!
But hey! If you have some spare time, play around!
Let us know if you have any questions of additions to this article.