I’m embarking on an experimental project. I plan to use only free virtual instruments and effects. The bulk of these will come from the Computer Music magazine giveaway. Next I need a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) to host the virtual instruments and effects plugins. There are a number of free ones to choose from but I’ve decided to use  Reaper. Reaper is not exactly free – it’s £45 but you can ignore the prompts to pay for as long as your conscience will allow. I’ve used Reaper before and as far as I recall it doesn’t come with any plugins making it a perfect tool to host free plugins for the experiment. Next what computer to use? I have a few choices but I want to use something not in action on any other project(s). I have two obsolete Mac Book Pros. One is relatively recent and the other is very old (2013). The older on is a big beast but it’s the one I’ll use because it’s rock solid before they started to make them sleek with fewer USB ports etc. This is why I’m calling the project “Obsolescence”. I’ll not be rigid though – I may occasionally use newer more sophisticated stuff. But the use will be sparing. I’ll keep field notes here of my progress.