I’ve always been fascinated to see what other apps or workflows others are using in their day-to-day lives. Every now and then I learn about a new app or some cool trick I didn’t previously know. I doubt anyone seriously cares about what I’m using, but figured I’d list them out anyway—if for no other reason than to keep a historical record at this point in time.

Applications

  • Alfred — I have a lifelong license, and I like it. No point in fixing something that isn’t broken. I primarily use it for app switching, but also use it for math, and to search for gifs.
  • Aseprite — Sometimes I do pixel art! Even if the UI is clunky, and some keyboard shortcuts aren’t always convenient, there are some unique features that help facilitate creating pixel art.
  • Audacity — I rarely use it, but sometimes it’s easier to make some quick audio edits with Audacity than to use a full blown DAW.
  • Bear — This is the note-taking, task-tacking app I’ve landed on. The UI is beautiful and it feels snappy. It syncs, so I can use it on my iPhone too.
  • Chrome — I used Arc for the better part of 2024, but after they announced they were done working on it to focus on a new AI-powered browser, I peaced out. There are a couple of features I really missed, but was able to find some extensions to fill those gaps: Copy Current Tab URL, Meetings Page Auto Closer for Zoom, Open Figma app, and JSON Formatter.
  • Figma — I use it because it’s what we use at work. I’m happy enough with Figma.
  • iTerm2 — Has a few features that I like that makes me chose this over Mac’s native Terminal app.
  • Pixelmator Pro — I haven’t paid the Adobe tax for a long time, and it feels good. I started using Pixelmator because at the time it was the best alternative available. I’m comfortable with Pixelmator at this point. I don’t really use image editors often these days, so I probably won’t switch anytime soon.
  • Reaper — My DAW of choice when composing music. It’s very customizable, easyish enough to learn, and the price is right. It also has a die hard community, so I’m always able to find help when I need it.
  • VS Code — I’ve tried a lot of code editors. I prefer Sublime’s UI over VS Code, but VS Code does a lot of things more easily than Sublime does, so I put up with the UI.
  • YouTube Music — I still miss Rdio. YouTube Music works well enough I guess. Paying for YouTube Music has the benefit of not seeing ads on YouTube.

Command-line Tools

These aren’t apps per se, but these are some tools that I use to help manage packages or that I use regularly when developing.

Equipment

I have one computer and I use it for everything, and I’m okay with that. It’s more than powerful enough for work, composing music, making games, and occasionaly playing games.

Although I have a dedicated home office, lately I tend to work more on the go, often with just my laptop—whether that’s at a cafe, a coworking space, or even just moving around the house.

Virtual Instruments

This is quite specific for composing music, so if that does’t interest you, feel free to stop reading here. This list is not exhaustive as I’m regularly trying out new VSTs. These are some staples that I use:

  • 🎹 Arturia Analog Lab V (Intro) — My Arturia controller came with this software. It has over 500 presets and I love exploring the variety of sounds.
  • 🎸 Bass Grinder (Free) — I recently came across this VST, and it has a great crunchy overdrive sound for bass guitar.
  • 🥁 Manda Audio Power Drum Kit — Even though you can use this for free, I paid the $9 because it is fantastic. The drums sound real and are great for all styles of music.
  • 🎸 ML Amped Roots (Free) — What I like about this is that I get great metal guitar out of the box without having to add pedals or chaining other effects.
  • 🥁 ML Drums (Free) — I just started experimenting with this, and the drum tones are amazing. The free set up is pretty limited, but I like how I can add on to the base drum kit to meet my needs rather than having having to buy one big extensive drum VST.
  • 🎹 Spitfire LABS — More variety of eclectic sounds.

I also use several built-in VSTs made by Reaper for delay, EQ, reverb, pitch-shifting, and other effects. Reaper’s VSTs are insanely powerful enough for my needs and are much less CPU intensive.