You can use it to speed up all sorts of tasks that you do regularly on the Mac. The Alfred Mac app is all about productivity! If you’ve ever heard of a tool called TextExpander, this is that on steroids. I recently published one on how to easily cut a shape out of another shape. I also have a few Affinity Designer tutorials I’m working on. In Affinity Designer, you can find this under the “More” button when you go to export an image. Tip: For saving images for the web, the best color profile for Mac is sRGB IEC61966-2.1. It’s available from the developer’s website and the Mac App Store. ![]() And it’s not a subscription, this is simply a one-time purchase, and you get all the updates forever. The best part about Affinity Designer is that it only costs $49.99. Affinity Designer is by far the best Adobe Illustrator alternative I’ve ever found. The Creative Cloud costs $50+/month, and if I were to get Illustrator by itself, it would cost me $20+/month. But running a small business and having to pay for everything myself, was just too expensive. I have used Affinity Designer for 4+ years to create all of the images you see on this blog, as well as my other sites. Affinity Designer (premium, M1 optimized)Īffinity Designer is a vector graphics program developed by Serif for macOS. If you prefer something local that’s not on the cloud I also recommend the free MacPass app. □ 1Password 7 dark mode on Mac (Image source: 1Password) Many of us know how hard it is to get our parents to use best practices when it comes to online security. They also have a family plan available, which can be handy. Tip: One-time passwords, along with an authenticator app, are always safer than SMS.ġPassword’s personal plan costs $2.99 a month (billed annually). This is important to me as it means I spend less time grabbing my phone. It also supports one-time passwords, which means you can use it as a Google Authenticator alternative. The Mac App is beautiful, along with dark mode. I have used 1Password for years now and love it. And second, you should never use the same password twice, ever. Why is this important? First off, it helps to prevent from having to write them down anywhere. ![]() Most people these days are using some type of password manager. Some of these apps are also available for PC (Windows). Rosetta 2: Not optimized yet for Apple Silicon, but still runs via Rosetta 2. For those of you who don’t know, Apple takes a cut of the sale (30%) from developers when you use the App Store. This makes it super convenient to reinstall apps later down the road and saves a lot of time. While I always try to support developers where I can, I do prefer purchasing from the Mac App Store. The Mac apps below (listed in alphabetical order) consist of free and premium apps straight from the developer’s website and apps from the Mac App Store. So for most of my life, I’ve been knee-deep (more than most) in the Microsoft world of Active Directory, SharePoint, Exchange, etc. In 2013 I received the Microsoft MVP Award in the Windows Expert-IT Pro category. I switched to Macs back in 2018 after using PCs exclusively for over 20 years. Hopefully, you’ll find an awesome new Mac app or setting in this list that will help make your life easier! I’ve also included some of the tweaks and settings I change whenever I get a new Mac or reinstall macOS. So to keep from repeating myself over and over, I’ve compiled a list of what I think are the best Mac apps. Another reason for this post is that visitors, friends, and even family are always asking me which apps I use for specific tasks.
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![]() ![]() ![]() V Collection and Pigments instruments owners can open the full instrument within Analog Lab.Stage view allows to perform on a prepared Playlist, using an Arturia keyboard or sending Program Changes from any MIDI Controller.Parameters can be mapped easily to other MIDI controllers.Automatic mapping of parameters for Arturia keyboards.Layer Multi sounds or Split 2 Presets across the keyboard.New Studio view to add effects and combine 2 instruments (Multis).Updated browser to find sounds quickly: by Type (Bass, Pads, Leads…), by Style (bright, dark…), by Genre (Ambient, Disco, Techno, …).Over 2000 curated sounds from all the acclaimed V Collection Instruments.Save precious time by searching instrument types, sounds, or genres. Find the sound you’re looking for in a single click via the intuitive browser. Open, browse, and play, either in standalone mode or within your preferred DAW. Smart, simple, and a joy to use, Analog Lab V was thoughtfully designed to let you focus on what really matters – your creativity. A synth for every genre, an icon from every era, a solution for every creative style. Open up one this easy-to-use plugin and unlock sounds from every instrument emulation included in V Collection, as well as our state-of-the-art softsynth Pigments. Soulful organs, razor-sharp synth bass, warm analog pads – why should you have to choose? With Analog Lab V, and you’ll get all of the above, and more. Organize your sounds into songs for easy performance or practice recall, and leave notes for quick reference. Visit your Liked presets in the library tab to revisit the sounds that you need in an instant.Ĭreate personalized playlists so you can get back into the creative zone quicker than ever. Once you’ve found the perfect preset, tag it as a favorite so you can instantly recall it next time. Search by instruments, sound banks, sound designers, instrument types, and styles – truly zone in a sound to suit your needs. Whether you’re playing hits from yesteryear or creating tomorrow’s music, Analog Lab V brings you all the sounds you need in one elegant package.Īnalog Lab V has got you covered, whatever angle you’re coming from. Its library of 2000 presets and patches has been curated to cover every musical style in the book – and a few that aren’t.īehind this incredible collection are some of the world’s most renowned sound designers, with decades of experience and creative expertise under their collective belt. With Analog Lab V, you’re spoilt for sonic choice. Whether you’re a producer, performer, sound designer, or vintage synth fan, you’ll find inspiration at every turn. Choose from a massive selection of best vintage & modern presets using intuitive smart-filter browsing, and breathe new life into your mix with the much-loved sounds of faithfully emulated classics. ![]() ![]() You get the hang of it after a couple of tries. This takes a little elbow grease (there’s no “push here” button as on other toasters) but not so much as to be a problem. One quirk: The crumb catcher on the bottom has to be pried off - pulled sideways, then lifted up. It’s also the smallest-footprint toaster I’ve tried so far. The slots may look small at first glance but are extra wide with “self-centering” guides to ensure an even toasting. Though it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of some other toasters in this guide - with only “bagel,” “frozen,” and “cancel” functions - it’s a good bet for those who want a device that’s utilitarian above all. I wasn’t waiting around too long for the toast to pop! (That’s the sound the machine makes there is no ding.) The second setting gave me browner edges, while the third produced a golden center. On the first setting, slices were in and out before I could blink, getting toasty rather than toasted. I asked Black + Decker if I could try it out. It’s a newer model of one previously featured in this guide Alexandra Shytsman of The New Baguette has the older, similarly oblong-shaped version with the same “extra lift” lever, which helps her grab English muffins without using tongs. Slots: Extra wide for two slices | Settings: Seven (plus frozen, bagel, and cancel) | Size: 10.25” x 8” x 7” | Extras: Self-centering guides on slots, extra-lift leverįor under $40, this “Rapid Toast” toaster is a feat - and it works fast, just as advertised. And it has a certain Jetsons-like charm, despite its heft. It’s surprisingly easy to wipe down with a dish towel to restore its original glossiness. That KitchenAid quality is no joke: One Amazon review I read before the brand sent it to me for review described the toaster as “built as solid as a 1957 Buick.” I have accidentally banged the toaster around and there’s not a scratch on it. I have put it through the wringer with Pardilla family brunches, where pancake-like stacks of toast are passed around. Plus, the KitchenAid lets out an assertive beep when toast is ready - so I never have to chew through cold toast because I couldn’t hear a ding. The high-lift lever also means I’m able to delicately take toast from the top without having to play the saddest game of hot potato. First are the extra-wide slots, which have let me easily toast slices from thicker loaves. There are two features that really make the design stand out from all the other toasters I tested. ![]() I prefer a 2, which produces the perfect sundown shade I talked about above, whether I’ve put in a slice of an already brown multigrain from the bag or a hand-cut chunk of ciabatta. It’s got five browning settings, each of which is distinct 1 gives you a barely there blond, while 5 gets you to scorched territory. I use it at least three times a week and sometimes twice a day when I really don’t feel like cooking. It has popped out perfectly golden toast from the first time I pushed down the lever. I have had this KitchenAid toaster for almost a year now - it’s the one I depend on most. Slots: Extra-wide for four slices (or a two-slice version) | Settings: Five (plus bagel and cancel) | Size: 11.4” x 7.7” x 7.7” | Extras: High-lift lever I tested (and will continue to test) a number of the models below - though I’ve lost track of how much toast I’ve eaten in the process. ![]() So I talked to fellow toast-heads to make sense of the market. (A delightful fact: The first toaster was actually invented before sliced bread in a real chicken-or-the-egg kind of scenario). There are simple, industrial models (your KitchenAids and your Cuisinarts), retro-inspired styles ( Smeg, obviously), and even avant-garde options, like an Italian-designed Alessi covered in plissé pleats. (Besides, I don’t like the sogginess that sometimes happens with a pan.) And the toasterscape is chock-full of choices, which makes it harder to know what to buy. Sure, you could make toast with a butter, pan, and some patience (as some of the folks I spoke to do), but I’m still on the side of those who consider a toaster a useful appliance to own. For one thing, it should produce a hot and crispy slice quickly - and I mean that - with a little “ding” to let you know your toast is done. So that’s made me slightly obsessive about what makes for the right toaster. Usually, I like my toast to be ombré like a sunset, with a lemon-colored center and amber edges. I’m a self-professed toast snob, with strong opinions on things like what a crunch should sound like. |
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