op1 Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Martin Yam Møller

Peninsula Repairs- LoFi Demolisher

1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?

I love the bass cut on my Fender Jaguar. I’ve personally found that switch to be extremely helpful in quickly solving some tone issues while recording.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

I’ve fallen in love with the Digitakt over the last 7 months. I have been writing an album where almost every piece of gear is running through it one way or another. I do wish that it had a polyphonic play mode.

3. What setup do you bring on holiday/tour/commute etc.?

I usually bring my OP1. There’s a lot to work with right in the box, plus I can create some samples or record into the box wherever I am!

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

I use the Waves J37 on all my recordings in some way. I absolutely love it. I know it’s originally hardware, but I wish it was something I could afford to use regularly. I’m not really sure what would want to go from hardware to software that hasn’t been covered by a company in one way or another already. maybe a virtual Chase Bliss Audio pedalboard so I can use the ones that are discontinued or that I just don’t have.

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

I had the moogerfooger ring modulator for about 10 years and sold it because I didn’t use it much at the time. I immediately regretted that.

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

Even though I haven’t used it a lot in my current musical endeavors most of my ideas do stem from my guitar, the main one being a fender jaguar.

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

The first instrument I bought was a squier p bass when I was 13. at the time my friend and I were at our local Guitar Center and he spotted a used fender jazz bass which he tried to convince me to go with. at the time I wanted something brand new. I still to this day wish I bought that Jazz Bass. I’d probably still own.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

Can this answer be software? If so I would have to say Pro Tools. I’ve been using it for 14 years now and although it drives me crazy for many reasons I personally find it to be the best DAW for mixing and editing.

[Editor: You’ve probably heard this a million times. But I gotta say Reaper is great too… If you’re only mixing music. Sound to film has gotta be ProTools coz of Avid MC]

9. Most surprising tip/trick/technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

This past month I have been reamping through the Hologram Electronics Microcosm with the Mix knob at 100 where I feel a part is lacking something. After a bit of tweaking I typically end up with something that has really enhanced the part for me.

Artist or Band name?

Peninsula Repairs

Genre?

Ambient/lofi

Selfie?

Where are you from?

Boston, Massachusetts

How did you get into music?

The first time I ever wanted to play guitar was from seeing Dixie Kong shred after beating a level in Donkey Kong Country 2 on Super NES. I was also obsessed with Nirvana’s MTV unplugged performance at that time. About 5 years later my friends and I kept talking about starting a band, so I saved up for my first bass.

What still drives you to make music?

Pretty much everything. It’s the one thing I do where I feel like I can completely escape. It’s pretty much become a form of meditation for myself.

How do you most often start a new track?

I typically have one small idea from either a guitar, piano or synth and then just build from there.

How do you know when a track is finished?

I’m not sure I ever do. I usually get to a point where what I’m doing feels forced and figure that’s a good time to stop.

Show us your current studio.

Here’s just a section of the studio. I’m currently in the middle of rearranging and organizing.

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

It’s a pretty simple one, but one of my best friends and old bandmates told me to stop overthinking everything I did. I would hold up songs for weeks or months over something so slight. The advice has helped me over the years appreciate moments of imperfection or even something I cannot control.

Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link.

I released my first full length this past March. It is currently streaming on all platforms and bandcamp.

https://peninsularepairs.bandcamp.com

[Editor: Do you have a favorite tip, trick or way of working with any of the gear from this interview?
Then throw a comment below…]

Andrew Black – Loop De Loop

1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?

That is a tough one but I think I have to go with the filter cutoff on my Moog Sub Phatty. I immediately fell in love with sweeping that filter, it is satisfying both sonically and physically.

2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?

My Op-1 is pretty close to perfect. At times I wish it had more keys, but the size is part of its charm.

3. What setup do you bring on holiday/tour/commute etc.?

Op1, sp404, and a pair of beyerdynamic dt 770 s. It all fits comfortably in my backpack.

4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?

I have a reverb plugin called Valhalla shimmer that I really love, but I wish it was in pedal form so I could have the tactile interaction with it. I use tape and 4 track recorders often and I truly love them, but they break, need maintenance, or shit out on you during a show (it was the worst! haha) so I would love if somehow there was a software 4 track that could actually capture the sound and feel of the real thing… but all the inconsistencies and frustrations with working with physical tape are a part of what make it magical… so maybe I wouldn’t change it after all.

5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?

I tend to hold onto all the gear that I procure, good or bad. My father is a musician though and his first guitar amp, a 1964 Silvertone 1484 would have been passed down to me but was accidentally sold in a garage sale by my uncle when I was a kid, so that is probably my greatest gear regret.

6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?

I would say most recently the 0-Coast by Make Noise, it inspires me every time I touch it.

7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?

I think Ableton. I have used pro tools for years, it gets the job done and I’m fairly proficient in it, but I have been told that Ableton lends itself more to the genre that I work in and therefore may facilitate workflow/productivity. I would really love to learn ableton someday but my patience with new software is short at times to say the least haha.

8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?

My microkorg. It was my first synth when I was 14 so I’m attached to it for that reason. It also does have great guts and can make some awesome sounds but accessing the oscillators and making fine adjustments isn’t particularly intuitive and can be frustrating when I have a sound in my head that I’m trying to get out.

9. Most surprising tip/trick/technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?

The vinyl simulator on my Sp-404 has been a go to for me lately. At first when I played around with it I felt like the crackles and textures it added were too much, but I started using it on sounds that would be turned into tape loops and I fell in love. The combination of the 404’s crackles, the analog tape hiss, and the tape warble give the sound a perfectly cryptic esthetic.