11 Studio Tips

Whether you’re drawing up plans for your own studio or looking to reinvigorate your existing one, the pros and readers have plenty of studio tips to help…

Oliver Nelson

Oliver has amassed a huge audience on the web for his own material and remixes of other artists’ work.

Top Tip: “Find software you feel comfortable with. Most programs do the same things, just in different ways and with varied designs. A very important thing is to learn stuff by yourself and be very patient. It takes many years to learn and perfect the craft. I’m still learning new things every time I work on a new track.”

Emika

An artist once signed to Ninja Tune, Emika launched her own record label and also works as a sound designer for Native Instruments.

Top Tip: “I don’t believe there is this perfect sweet spot… there are much bigger things that you need to consider, regarding how you feel and how the room feels. I pretty much never sit in a sweet spot when I’m working, anyway, because I’m always moving around the room.”

Diego Tejeida

Haken have been around for nearly a decade and fuse rock recording and studio technology to create a progressive sound.

Top Tip: “My philosophy is to add the right spice at the right time – everything is about context and concept! So, honestly? Anything can be used in a creative way or modified to become that ‘right spice at the right time’.”

Matt Abbott

Label Worx provides a wide variety of production and promotional services for dance music producers and labels.

Top Tip: “Get used to using a certain set of tools that work well for you and don’t get caught up thinking your music will be better if you buy more gear. It won’t. You will just have more gear and less idea what to do with it.”

Squarepusher

One of electronic music’s pivotal figures, Squarepusher – aka Tom Jenkinson – has released a staggering 15 albums over a career spanning more than 20 years.

Top Tip: “I’ll just make music with anything; a mentality that was borne out of me having no access to musical instruments, yet a burning desire to make music. That still prevails to this day, so I don’t care, I’ll just use whatever’s there.”

Studio Tips – The Readers

Brian McNatt: “Make your studio interesting and fun. I’ve got sci-fi toys dotting the landscape, posters, TV, videogames – wonderful for writer’s block and when you need to give your ears a rest.”

Ferrer León: “Be very clear about the purpose of your studio and never be discouraged by any negative comments from others about your decision to build your own studio, because it will happen.”

Fredrik Lagergren: “If you’re building a studio in your garden, always check whether you need planning permission. It took me nine months to go through the paperwork before I was granted permission. As I had already started construction, it was extremely inconvenient…”

Inés Bonet: “If I had to start building my own studio now I’d be careful not to fall into aesthetic temptations or fleeting whims. I’d focus on functional and necessary things. Less is more.”

Adam Zwiazek: “Buy things that bring something new to your setup. If you have a lot of racks, then make sure you have easy access, to the cables (unlike me!). You can accidentally unplug some cable and spend all day trying to figure out what’s connected to what and why there is no sound…”

Krzysztof Wawszczyk: “Try to visualise your dream studio, dream atmosphere and equipment and slowly start building your ideal place. Start with acoustic treatment. Make sure you measure your room’s acoustics.”