CM AWARDS 2017

Our favourite tools from the past twelve months

While the deceleration of Moore’s Law means that annual gains in computing power aren’t anything like what they once were, in terms of the music software we run on our Macs and PCs – and even, in these crazy post-millennial times, phones and tablets – and the hardware we use to control it, the pace of progress over the last 12 months has been as fast as ever, if not faster. From major DAW upgrades and inventive new virtual instruments and effects, to futuristic MIDI controllers and hybrid systems, there’s never been a better time to be a music producer than now.

Over the course of the next ten pages, we’re going to take a misty-eyed look back over the past year in computer music product releases, dividing 36 amazing applications, plugins and devices into nine categories, each containing an overall winner and a trio of runners-up. Do note that the last aren’t ranked in any particular order – all three should be considered ‘second place’.

Picking these winners was a monumental task, and our final listing is bound to be controversial, of course, opinions being what they are. And that’s fine – a good thing, even! As well as presenting our own critical summary of the industry’s output through 2017, we hope these podiums will inspire discussion and debate, so don’t hesitate to hit us up on social media with your own thoughts and alternatives.

And now, without further ado, it’s time to hit the red carpet and hand out some gongs…