Studio Interviews: Fat DB Music Studio

Arun was a little reticent with his answers, so could be a huge star in his native Mumbai for all we know. He certainly has the design of his studio down to a tee, and we’re liking the well-placed sofa, rug and blue strip lighting. It all goes very nicely with the well-lit Novation too…

Interviewee Arun Chaudhary
Contact fatdbmusicstudio@gmail.com

• Apple iMac 27-inch plus a couple of interfaces
• Sonodyne monitors
• Two Novation controllers
• A range of mics
• Logic, Live and Pro Tools

Tell us more about your studio.

My studio is called Fat DB Studio and is based in Mumbai in Maharashtra, India. I’ve been at the studio for around six years now.

What kind of gear do you have in the studio? Can you give us an overview?

For audio interfacing we have a Universal Audio Apollo Twin and a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6. My microphone collection includes a RØDE NT2-A, an Audio-Technica AT2050, a Shure SM57 and a Sennheiser e 835. For MIDI control and interfacing I have a Novation Launchpad and the company’s Launchkey 49 keyboard.

For monitoring I use both Sonodyne SM-50 speakers and a pair of Audio-Technica ATH-M50X headphones. Finally, the whole studio is based around an Apple iMac 27-inch computer.

Which DAWs do you use and why?

I use quite a few actually, I have Apple Logic Pro X, Ableton Live 9 and Avid Pro Tools 12.

What would you say is your favourite piece of studio gear?

Hmm, that’s a tough one, but I would probably have to say Logic Pro X because it’s a very user-friendly DAW and I also love the colour orientation.

How much time do you tend to spend in the studio?

Well it’s pretty much most of the day, every day. 24/7!

How do you use the studio? Professionally or just for fun?

I actually use it for a wide range of purposes: to record, mix, master, compose and arrange music professionally.

What is next on your studio gear shopping list?

Well there’s a lot of bits that I’d love to get my hands on, The Universal Audio Precision Mastering Bundle, Apogee Symphony, a Moog synthesizer and a DSI Prophet 12 synth.

Is there anything that annoys you about your set-up?

Honestly, not yet!

What is your dream piece of gear or dream studio setup?

I think a dream fulfilled would be a complete studio setup with just analogue synthesizers, from the likes of Moog, Arturia, Prophet and so on. That would be amazing.

What is your top advice when it comes to music production?

I would say that you should always just trust yourself and don’t ever stop learning, by developing both your ears and your production skills as you progress.

Finally, what advice do you have for anyone who is thinking about building a studio from scratch?

Buy some basic equipment first, like a microphone, headphones, plus a computer set-up, with a DAW and an audio interface. Then start your music production with this cheaper studio setup to hone your production skills and then expand into more expensive gear from there.