How important is the computer to modern composers?
There are composers who don’t use any technology and those who work only on computer. I fall somewhere in between as I have a passion for electronic gadgets and old analogue synths but I still write principally at my grand piano. Film directors expect the demos to sound like an orchestra and the computer allows that. What software is essential to you? I mainly use music software. Logic Audio for sequencing and also its notator function lets you visualise the notes. Recently I’ve been getting into Reaktor, which uses the computer to generate the sounds. There’s some really good, experimental music software coming out of Germany just now. Mac or PC? I have a Titanium Mac and a PC. In all, I have six computers, lots of synthesizers and several samplers… I’m just a sad techie really! I’m a bit of a Mac man but I got the PC because everything works on it and you get so much software for it. Favourite gadgets? I’m surrounded by so many gadgets it’s hard to pick favourites. The best thing o
