Show Off Your Studio – Part Two

We asked you to post pics of your set-ups and hundreds responded. It’s the second in a new MusicTech series in which you show off your studios…

We were astounded by the response when we asked the MusicTech Facebook and Twitter audiences to send us a picture of their studio sets-ups (#showoffyourstudio). We then interviewed some of the respondents and here are the results. If you want your space to be featured in the magazine then add your picture to our regular Facebook Show Off Your Studio posts…

Philippe Beaubrun’s Studio

Interviewee: Philippe Beaubrun’s (owner/engineer/producer)
Contact: pbeaubrun@libertysurf.fr

What are some of the key components in your studio?
Lots of synths: old analogue or brand new digital ones plus a wall of modulars. I could provide a huge list! Aside from that I am very happy with my Neve Prism rack. It gives me very high-quality recordings. This is what everyone really needs to have: a quality recording path and input/output device for the computer.

Which DAW do you use and why?
Pro Tools. I have friends who know the software very well, so when I have a problem I call them – there is always someone to help me out.

Favourite gear and why?
My modulars! You build your own system as you want with anything you want in it, and you do it when and if you have the money.

How often are you in your studio each week?
As much as I can. If I have a very busy week – music is not my main job today – it might be just a few hours a week. But it can go up to 10 hours a day if I’m less busy.

How do you use your studio?
Mainly for myself. I made money from music for several years but then I had to find another job and now I work as a freelance translator. I don’t have the room to record bands but I still occasionally work on small, low-budget projects, and I’m still working on my own projects.

Any studio-based anecdotes?
It’s funny when people come in for the first time and see all the gear and ask if I really know what each knob does, or how I never get lost with all the cables. But the truth is I still occasionally don’t understand why no sound is coming from the speakers… until I realise that I simply forgot to push a button or to power up the speakers!

What is next on your studio shopping list and why?
More modules for my modulars. Just because you never have enough of this stuff. There are a lot of little manufacturers from all over the world who always come up with new and crazy ideas for modules.

What is your dream piece of gear?
A Yamaha CS-30, a vintage analogue synth from the late 70s. My very first synth was a CS-10 and I really liked the sound. I sold it when everybody (including myself) thought that analogue synths were dead and that digital technology would take over. By chance I never sold my old Korgs, which I’m very happy about!

What is the one piece of advice you would give someone just starting to build their own studio?
Don’t try to work on the acoustics of the room. Leave it as it is, natural, unless you’re an acoustician and really know what you’re doing. It is very often better to do nothing than end up with an unbalanced room. Also check the quality of the electricity supply. You really need a good earthing. On older places, this can really be a big problem.

GoodLuck Music

Interviewee: Ben Peters (producer)
Web: www.goodlucklive.com

We got in touch with Ben Peters because he sent an interesting shot of a desert recording. He replied saying: I am a producer in electronic band, GoodLuck. We have a wonderful little studio in Cape Town where we record our band and other artists, but we needed to push the boundaries for our latest record. We were coming off the ninth single from our first album, and after five number one singles (in SA) we were at a loss as to how to top such a ridiculous start. We needed massive inspiration and that meant stepping out of the confines of our studio.

So we took the band and a seven-camera crew out into the Namibian desert, the quietest, most desolate place on earth, to record our album. Outside. We packed up a quarter-ton of studio gear, solar power generators and headed out to find inspiration and crazy sounds.

So interesting is the story that we’ll feature it in MusicTech soon. But for now, it’s studio time! List GoodLuck’s key components…
EVE SC407 monitors, EMES Pink monitors, Apogee Ensemble and two Fireface UFX interfaces for touring, AKG C414 mic, matched pair of AKG 451s, Røde K2, ART ribbon mic, Nord Electro, Korg R8, Roland TD-12 kit, Korg Kaoss pad, Akai APC40, Waves plug-ins and our family piano.

Which DAW do you use and why?
Ableton Live 9 – the best workflow and most intuitive. It also allows me to work really quickly and twist and tweak sounds and loops to do what I want. Such a great team behind the brand, too – they listen to feedback and are brilliant with support.

Favourite piece of gear and why?
I love my new EVE SC407’s – the definition is astonishing.

How long do you spend in the studio?
Every day from 10am til midnight, occasionally popping out to go surfing when the waves are good.

Perfect or room for improvement?
We could improve the mic collection and get more outboard gear.

Next on your studio shopping list?
I’m improving my skills first, but I am interested in iZotope’s RX 4.

Dream piece of gear?
Thermionic Culture’s Culture Vulture.

Any advice to people starting out?
There isn’t one piece of gear that will ‘make’ your mixes better. Focus on how to get the best out of your gear and room. Invest in an sE Reflexion Filter – a miracle cure for recording vocals, and I swear by it. Finally, remember that you can’t polish a turd. If you’ve recorded a rubbish take there’s no point trying to fix it in the mix. Get the artist to nail the take. I believe in pushing artists to perform beyond their expectations.

Kinetic Global Media Group

Interviewee: Terrany Johnson
Contact: terrany@kineticglobal.net
Web: www.teedouble.com

What are the main components?
Pro Tools 11, Waves plug-ins, numerous high-quality mics, Adam, Yamaha and KRK monitors. Empirical Labs, Chandler , Trident, dbx, TC Electronic, Electro Harmonix outboard gear and a Roland Space Echo. Crumar Roady; Roland Fantom, Juno and HS-60; Moog Slim Phatty, Moog Prodigy, Clavia Nord Modular, Sequential Circuits DrumTraks, Korg microKorg and MS 2000 synths. E-mu modules, Alesis DM5 and loads, loads more!

Favourite piece of gear?
My Akai MPC 2000 for its ease of use.

How often are you in your studio?
I’m in here about 10 hours a day – I’m pretty lucky to do this full time.

How do you use your studio?
I use it to record my solo albums (go to www.teedouble.com), and for licensing projects I handle.

Professional, amateur, for fun?
It’s all for fun! But if I like a project I am open to seeing how I can help it become what the artist has in mind.

Perfect or room for improvement?
I’d like to add a vocal booth for voice-over work and cutting tighter vocals.

Next on your studio shopping list?
I would say more Chandler gear, as I love their Abbey Road-themed stuff.

What is your dream piece of gear?
A large SSL console – it’s what I started on and I miss that vibe.

Any advice?
Make it fun!