Hiroshi Ebina – Faded By Time

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

Knobs on my Nagra feels very nice to my fingers…. I mean, the whole machine looks aesthetically pleasant. I look at every single detail of it and appreciate all of the design decisions which they made, as well as the rigid construction. And of course it sounds amazing. It records and plays with wonderful tape sound that no software plugins can emulate.

Nagra IV-L

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

I think that’s the essence of the eurorack system! My case never stays the same; it’s always evolving with my taste and creative directions. I can’t put in whatever I want, since the space is always limited, but that’s the best part of it; I use my brain, not computers that can accommodate everything.

Eurorack

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

OP-1 would be my first choice. Mine is full of samples I recorded, and it’s nice to use along with my eurorack system, but of course you can even write a whole song in it. It’s such a rare combination of powerful sounds and nice design. I got mine before the price change…, which was one of the best choices I had ever made.

OP-1

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

I like Borderlands Granular…., but I think it’s just impossible to realize it on anything other than iPad platforms.

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

I used to own a Martin HD-28. It was a custom design model from the 90’s that came with a bigger sound hole. It had an amazing sound, but I had to sell it for my moving purpose.

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

Eurorack. Every single module I have.

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

There’re too many…, but I think I’ll pick ER-301, because it helps me achieve so many sounds with my eurorack, and I know it’ll never leave my case.

ER-301

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

Taylor T5. It’s an amazing instrument that does pretty much everything… As an acoustic guitar, it sounds pretty authentic, and as an electric guitar it’s very versatile. With EQ/Preamp knobs on it, you can have both a powerful humbucker sound and a strat-y single-coil sound. I like to browse new guitars and watch demos, but always come back to my T5 and think I may not have to buy anything new… (see photo 5).

Taylor T5

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

It’s really small thing, but I recently discovered that the Gozinta, a preamp eurorack module, has jumper switches in the back, and it can push up the input signal up to +36 dB. I often use it to increase input from line-level instruments to eurorack level, or just to crank it all way up to add distortion.


Artist or Band name?

Hiroshi Ebina aka. He_soundvisual

Genre?

Ambient

Selfie?

Hiroshi Ebina

Where are you from?

 Japan

How did you get into music?

I bought my first guitar when I was 12.

What still drives you to make music?

Tons of good music, regardless of genres, that people today keep making.

How do you most often start a new track?

I post videos on my Instagram, and they’re often about seeds of my new ideas. If it turns out well, I record it for my future works.

How do you know when a track is finished?

That’s very tough to say, but I don’t think I can really finish a song within a day or two, since I need to leave it for a while to really decide if I’m doing it right. It could be a few weeks, a few months, maybe a year. I need some time to leave it under a bed to look at my own work from a different perspective.

[Editor: I really dig how Hiroshi’s visual and sound aesthetic ties in so nicely with his concept of using time to create perspective]

Show us your current studio

He_Soundvisual Studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

Limit your choices, or something like that, said by Brian Eno. I definitely agree with his ideas, that a lack of options is the best tool to get inspired to set a direction for creative works, not an abundance of options.

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

I’m releasing a new album very soon via KITCHEN. LABEL (once this virus outbreak settles down…)

https://www.kitchen-label.com/artists/hiroshi-ebina/


[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…
]


Scott Campbell – Sharp Sonic Soup

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

Currently its the Scan knob on the Instruo Arbhar. That giant skirt is so classic, and as a graphic designer the entire aesthetic approach of Instruo really appeals to me.

[Editor: I gotta say, I’m totally diggin’ the Instruo look as well]

Instruo Arbhar

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

The ER-301 Sound Computer is very close to perfect for my needs. It does so much and really lets me bring my ideas to fruition. I wish it had more CPU power and a nicer reverb. Maybe more outputs too, but I’m just being greedy.

ER-301 Sound Computer

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

Occasionally the iPad. There are so many great granular synthesis apps like Borderlands and Quanta. I also put together a small portable modular centered around the ER-301, but I haven’t taken it out of the house yet.

Portable Eurorack setup

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

I don’t use much software, but I wish I could have hardware versions of some of those amazing sample instruments like Una Corda (NI) and Blisko (Felt Instruments).

Una Corda

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

I’ll always regret selling my MemoryMoog. I bought it for $150! It was the mid 2000’s and someone found it in the attic of a house they had just purchased. They couldn’t get any sound out of it so they brought it to my friend’s music shop. He called me and I waltzed in and bought it without even turning it on. When I got it home I discovered that all of the level knobs in the mixer section were at zero, so I turned them up and it sounded glorious! I sold it years later for a hefty profit in order to fund a move out of state, but I’ll always miss it.
[Editor: Damn!]

Memory Moog

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

Getting into modular really got me back into making/recording music after taking a break for many years. I love being able to build out multi-layered complex musical ideas all within one system. Working with grooveboxes was sort of close, but I always seemed to hit a wall of limitations.

Eurorack Modular

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

Maybe a serious sampler/sequencer. In my early electronic music days I worked with an Akai S20 and Acid Pro on my PC, but I probably could have progressed much faster with an MPC or one of those old Roland boxes.

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

If something’s too annoying I usually just sell it, but I guess I’ll say tape machines. Maintenance is just part of the deal when you own one. I’ve learned how to service them, but when one stops working during a session its a real buzzkill.

Uher Tape Machine

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

This isn’t gear specific, but using noise (white, pink, etc) to modulate pitch, filter frequency, amplitude or whatever. When used subtly it makes sterile sounds more organic and can impart an analog tape vibe.


Artist or Band name?

Scott Campbell

Genre?

Ambient, Instrumental

Selfie?

Scott Campbell

Where are you from?

New Orleans, LA

How did you get into music?

I started playing bass at 16 and simultaneously learned how to record on a 4 track (Tascam 424) with my friends. I eventually got a Moog MG-1 and have been hooked on synths ever since.

What still drives you to make music?

The desire to find new sounds, learning a new piece of gear or technique, the need to create.

How do you most often start a new track?

Usually I start with a sound/texture that’s inspiring and build on it. I also do a lot of improvising, then edit it down to the interesting parts.

How do you know when a track is finished?

Good question!

Show us your current studio

The old bois
Tape station
Scott’s Studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

“If you’re not making a mistake, it’s a mistake.” – Miles Davis

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

https://linktr.ee/scttcmpbll

[Editor: Also I gotta mention that Scott makes the wonderful playable cassette-tape-machine-manipulator Onde Magnetique. Definetly worth checking out, as well as his instagram]


R Beny – Ambient Auteur

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

It would have to be the giant knob on the Orthogonal Devices ER-301 Sound Computer. It’s exceptionally smooth, without feeling loose or wobbly. Its size and feel are welcome, considering it’s the only way to navigate throughout the module.

Orthogonal Devices ER-301 Sound Computer

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

I’ve tried out many reverbs throughout the years, and the OTO Bam is probably my favourite. The one thing that’s keeping it from being perfect? There is no continuous control over the filters, only switchable settings. That’s not enough to keep me from loving it though.

Oto Bam

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

I can’t remember the last time I went on holiday that didn’t involve playing shows/touring. The setup always varies depending on travel. If I’m travelling within the United States, I tend to bring out my 7U eurorack case + an Analog Heat (my secret weapon during live shows) + another piece of gear that rotates out depending on what I’m working on at the moment. If I’m travelling internationally, I have a smaller eurorack case I bring out, and a few other smaller items like pedals and CV controllers.

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

Maybe Borderlands Granular on iOS. But part of what makes Borderlands so great is its touchscreen controls, so maybe it wouldn’t be as good without an iOS screen. It’s one of my favourite implementations of granular.

It would be really interesting to have the Ciat-Lonbarde Cocoquantus in software. Sometimes it’s so beautifully unpredictable, but I wouldn’t be lying if I sometimes wanted some kind of predictability in certain situations. I really like tape and cassette emulator VSTs for much of the same reason. There is some kind of magic with unpredictable devices, but sometimes that requires getting through the issues (“where is that noise coming from?!”).

Ciat-Lonbarde Cocoquantus

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

Anything I’ve ever regretted selling, I bought back again. Mutable Instruments Elements would be an example of that. Bastl Microgranny another. For the most part, as long as something wouldn’t be hard to acquire again, I don’t have an issue moving on. I don’t like to keep things around that I’m not using or intend to use actively.

I can’t say I really regret buying anything either. If it turns out I’m not gelling with something, I don’t feel regret. It’s easy enough to move onto the next thing.

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

Mutable Instruments Clouds. What can I say? I love effects. I love granular. Clouds has been a staple in my setup on every release I’ve put out. It just has a certain magic to it, a certain character. Like how tape or old samplers have a certain character. Whatever sound source I run through its many different modes, I still feel inspired.

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

Honestly, I don’t think I’d change a thing. My first hardware electronic instrument was a Korg Volca Keys (the MicroKorg I bought and didn’t understand a couple of years earlier doesn’t count), and it was the perfect instrument to test the waters of synthesis and hardware electronic gear. I didn’t know if I would gel with synths, and coming from the guitar world, I knew I would better understand something with a physical interface, rather than something in software.

It was a great first synth and its interface was simple enough to help teach me the basics of subtractive synthesis, all without breaking the bank.

[Editor: This is sage advice. Knowing what you need to progress, when you don’t yet know so much, is often clouded by what you want]

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

Cassette Tape Varispeed Knob

I guess if anything, some of my cassette recorders. Sometimes there are noises and hums and issues that are seemingly impossible to diagnose. But I can’t imagine not having any of them. Each of them has their own importance and place in my studio.

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

Using tape loops as an effect, rather than just for looping. With 3-head tape recorders, they often have a setting to monitor the tape as it’s being recorded to, allowing you to have the playback head and record head active at the same time. If you use an endless looping cassette, the tape will just keep going through the machine; through the record head, to the playback head (and to your ears), and getting erased again as it heads back to the record head to repeat the cycle. If you use a cassette that has been played a lot, or has been beat up, you can get some awesome character. This allows you to get that character for whatever you decide to run through the tape machine, instead of being limited to the length of the cassette loop.

Marantz 3- Head Tape Machine

This is probably common knowledge, but I also haven’t seen many people using the endless cassette loops in this way either.


Artist or Band name?

r beny

Genre?

Ambient electronics

Selfie?

R Beny

Where are you from?

San Jose, California

How did you get into music?

I grew up playing guitar and had family members that were musicians.

What still drives you to make music?

The need to express myself and connect to people in a way that I find difficult with words.

How do you most often start a new track?

First, I will try to find a sound I like by making a new patch on a synth, or running something through a sampler or effects. Once I reach that point, I will try to come up with a melody or at least a part of the track to start building around. From there, it’s like doing a puzzle, adding and subtracting other sounds and arranging them until the track match the mood I was trying convey, or if it makes me feel something. There are many parts to this process.

Conversely, sometimes I will start from the point of having a melodic idea or track part before having any sounds in mind and try to find the sounds that fit.

How do you know when a track is finished?

It’s hard to explain. It’s similar to feeling full after eating a meal, but in your brain and heart rather than your stomach. It’s all based on intuition for me…for better or for worse.

[Editor: It is nice to know that the completion of a track or song can come with a sense of fulfilment. So often the process is plagued by frustration or boredom. So this is a nice, positive way to measure the end]

Show us your current studio

Studio Table
Studio Table 2
Tasty Electronics GR-1

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

It’s okay to not feel creative and to take breaks. Keep working on it, but don’t overwork yourself.

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

The label, Dauw just reissued my first 4 albums on vinyl for the first time. Packaged as a 4xLP collection called Seafoam & Dust, each album is also available individually. Beautifully remastered by Ian Hawgood. This has been a project over a year in the making and I’m incredibly proud of how it came together. It can be found at rbeny.bandcamp.com or dauw.bandcamp.com

I also have a new self-released album called Natural Fiction, out now on digital and cassette: rbeny.bandcamp.com/album/natural-fiction

[Editor: There are affiliate links to the relevant gear throughout the articles. It helps to support this blog. In fact, should you be needing some patch cables or guitar strings. Then clicking on one of the above links and buying any product that you prefer, will help the blog… doesn’t even have to be the ones in the link. Thx]