What instruments are in your production template in 2026?

[TechHaus]

Just wanted to see what people are rolling with when they start a new track.

For me, I keep it pretty simple and lightweight. It has been Apisonic Audio Speedrum 2, Renoise Redux, and U-he Hive 2, for a while (in REAPER).

[yzcoruhT]

I keep it pretty simple too: my acoustic guitar.

[4_the masses]

Surge XT / Boss DR220A / Fender Strat

[BBFG#]

When starting with an instrument-centric flow, Pianoteq, Zebra(s), Biotek.
When It's drum-centric, Atlas and Axon 3 and what evolves from it.
Both of those run in Bitwig usually, although due to the crash fest it has become in Windows, I'm using Ableton ATM and waiting to build a power box dedicated to Linux to get back to my preferred Apps.
As a discipline, I'm currently limiting my Cubase use to its own Absolute. And plan on keeping it to the Windows environment along with some others that do well in that OS.

[jamcat]

Guitars and bass through TONEX or UAD PGS
MODO DRUM
Pianoteq Studio
Audio Modeling SWAM

If I need a synth string pad it’s either TAL-J-8X or Solina V, or both.

[foosnark]

Just wanted to see what people are rolling with when they start a new track.

Eurorack or VCV Rack usually.

[IvyBirds]

Starts with the 115 year old grand piano in my living room that was my grandfathers and fathers before me. Such a joy to sit down and work out chords and melodies with a piano, some staff paper and a pencil

[JiggSaw]

I'm big on templates.

My Current is:

Playbeat 4
Triaz
Simpler loaded with an 808
Serato Sample
Loopcloud
Chordjam driving Kontakt
EZkeys 2
Rando 2
Chop-R

[Cuauhtli]

I round-robin my synthesizer collection. Have to justify having so many....

[Gam456]

never had ore use a template

[BBFG#]

I don't really save default templates either.
But I've long realized I have mental ones, however compartmentalized I make them.
I do a similar thing in how I approach my painting.
The "template" is always an empty "canvas".

[TechHaus]

I round-robin my synthesizer collection. Have to justify having so many....

I try to round-robin in my FREE synths to keep myself from spending money.

My next will probably be BazileCM, though, which might end up costing me down the line.

[TechHaus]

I don't really save default templates either.
But I've long realized I have mental ones, however compartmentalized I make them.
I do a similar thing in how I approach my painting.
The "template" is always an empty "canvas".

In a painting analogy I think the template instruments are the brushes.

The sounds are the colors and paint.

And the sequencer / timeline / whatever it is called is the canvas.

[Magic Russ]

Drums Folder
- Addictive Drums / Fairfax Drums
- Audio track for loops
Bass Folder
- MODO Bass
- Audio track with Amplitube
Guitar Folder
- Audio track for Acoustic guitar
- Audio track for Rhythm guitar
- Audio track for Lead guitar
Keyboards folder
- EZ Keys upright piano
Vocals folder
- Audio track with Overloud Gem Vox

Sends
Reverb 1 - IK Sunset Studio
Reverb 2 - Rematrix

Master
T-Racks One (Usually replaced with something else down the line, but a good enough placeholder)

[mumpcake]

I do have a chillout template. Battery, MODO bass, Lounge Lizard with a Rhodes, a folder for pads, a folder for leads, a folder with some audio tracks for loops, and an audio track for guitar.

My favorite template though is just folders. Drums/Percussion, Bass, Keys, Pads, Leads, Sequences, Vox. That way I can start with anything and just drag whatever I am playing with to wherever it might fit.