The Studio
A dream come true — this studio is a place I worked on for years, just to keep changing and improving it anyway. Anyone who owns a studio knows: it’s never really finished. Still, at this point, the comfort of working here is close to perfect. This is a project studio, which means I rarely take on external recording work here. And if I do record, it’s mostly for my own projects — whether related to my company or my artistic pursuits.
The Heart of the Studio
At the core of the setup is an Arturia AudioFuse 16Rig audio interface, paired with two Focusrite Clarett OctoPre ADATs. Monitoring is handled by APS Aether nearfields and an APS Sub 12 subwoofer. For secondary monitoring, I use two surprisingly precise vintage consumer speakers: the Jamo Concert 8 and Yamaha NS S-34. This combination gives me full control over the sound, and tracks that leave this space rarely need further corrections.
Hardware Love
Do I love hardware? Absolutely. Does it sound better than VSTs? Often yes, sometimes just as good — never worse. It’s definitely more expressive and tactile than anything happening inside a computer. I’ve gathered a decent collection over the years — you’ll find the full list below. I simply work better when I can touch real instruments, shape sounds directly from the source, instead of just clicking a mouse. As a friend of mine likes to say: „Would you rather have a real woman in front of you, or a virtual one on your screen?” To me, the answer is obvious. 🙂
The Workflow
My main DAW is Cubase 14, though I occasionally dip into Logic. I use SSL controllers (UF8 and UF1) to bring that analog console feel to the workflow, and they help speed up the creative process significantly. The whole system is powered by a Mac Studio.
Gear List
Dave Smith Prophet 12, Access Virus TI, Korg M3, Roland JX8P, Korg KingKorg, Yamaha CS6r, Yamaha Motif Classic, Roland Fantom XR, Roland XV5080, Kurzweil K2000, Korg TR-Rack, E-mu E5000 Ultra, Korg MS2000, Alesis Micron, Kawai K4, Casio CZ-5000, Yamaha SY77 — and more to come!
