Studio Interviews: Martin Mayer

Martin Mayer is just breaking through as a successful artist and has a bespoke setup now thankfully in his house rather than a 30 minute drive away… Interviewee Martin Mayer Contact Facebook | www.mixcloud.com/MartinMayerOfficial Apple MacBook Pro Korg synth and keyboard Pioneer DJ gear Yamaha monitors Beats by Dre headphones Tell us about your studio… […]

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Martin Mayer is just breaking through as a successful artist and has a bespoke setup now thankfully in his house rather than a 30 minute drive away…

Martin Mayer

Interviewee Martin Mayer
Contact Facebook | www.mixcloud.com/MartinMayerOfficial

  • Apple MacBook Pro
  • Korg synth and keyboard
  • Pioneer DJ gear
  • Yamaha monitors
  • Beats by Dre headphones

Tell us about your studio…

My home studio is located in Stuttgart in Germany. Having my previous studio in a basement pretty far from my apartment was a major issue for me as I had to drive a long distance just to be there. When ideas pop up in your head and you have to drive half an hour just to be in the studio, you can pretty much say goodbye to the momentum and the creative flow. So I decided to bring my studio back in my apartment.

What are the main studio pieces?

MacBook Pro Retina, 2,4 GHz i5, 8GB 1600 MHz DDR3; Yamaha HS8I monitors; Korg microKORG synth and microKEY 25 keyboard; Native Instruments Audio 8 DJ interface; Shure Beta 27 condenser mic; Pioneer DJM-700 mixer and CDJ-2000; Beats by Dre Pro wired over-ear and Executive headphones .

Which DAW do you use and why?

Logic Pro X. It has a variety of AU plug-ins and Instruments which could be a major help for someone who is just starting music production or for someone who simply can’t afford to buy other more plug-ins.

It also has a user-friendly environment which is essential if you are spending a lot of time with the DAW. There have been some great improvements since Logic 9 in terms of performance and stability – Pro X is undoubtedly the best version.

In the future I will definitely try out Ableton Live as you voted it the Best DAW in your Gear Of The Year awards. The reviews of the DAW are remarkable, so it’s definitely worth a try…

Favourite piece of studio gear?

Definitely my microKORG. I could spend days experimenting with new sounds. It provides unlimited possibilities for sound design and delivers a truly remarkable analogue sound – a must-have for every studio and analogue synthesizer collection.

How do you use your studio?

I started making music for fun, but since my first track releases, record label contracts, gigs and thousands of downloads on my iTunes podcast [House Thiz Podcast ] kicked in, I started taking the whole process more seriously. I’m producing part-time as I’m in the middle of my marketing studies at the moment, but I would love to make music full-time.

What’s next on your gear shopping list?

Definitely the UA Apollo Twin Mk II. I worked with it in a studio session with a friend and the results were simply unbelievable. It’s great for mixing, has an extraordinary sound and is great fun to use. The internal DSP processing function takes it to a whole different level.

What is your dream gear?

Stephan Bodzin’s PO10 Live Controller. If you need to ask why, then you should probably check out one of Stephan’s Live sets because I can’t really describe it!

Top production advice?

Ask yourself: ‘What do I want to produce?’ If you can’t answer, then don’t bother starting (unless you’re planning to practise on something like mixing or compressing etc). If you’re in the mood for a new track you should always have the concept.

Top studio advice?

No matter how frustrated you get with a lack of instruments and plug-ins always keep in mind that it’s the ear not the gear!

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