1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?
I love the Octatrack’s Crossfader. Just so satisfying to use.
Octatrack’s Crossfader
2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?
The Ableton push 3 would be almost perfect if it offered more options for generative sequencing built in and more ins and outs without using ADAT or an external interface.
3. What setup do you bring on holiday/tour/commute etc.?
Live setup
If I don’t have any live gigs I usually bring my OPXY. If I do then I bring the OPXY, and my live setup which is usually my push 3, 2 row modular, zoom L6, and novation launch control XL. I am currently visiting my family in the USA and brought all that as well as my Tonverk.
Elektron Tonverk
4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?
I wish some old effects units – SPX90, SE50, Fireworx, Quadraverb etc were available as plugins, it would be great to have access to multiple instances of those great effects. I’d also love if some software synths were converted to hardware, namely Absynth, Razor, Pigments.
Hardware boxes
5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?
I regret selling many things – Metasonix S1000 Wretch Machine, Machinedrum, Monomachine, STS Serge Modular, Cwejman S1. I regret buying nothing because I need to try things to find out if I like them.
Eurorack
6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?
Without a doubt my eurorack system that I’ve been building since 2010. It completely reshaped everything I knew about sound and production and has been an endless journey of discovery and elation. I’ll add in Elektron devices as a close second.
More eurorack
7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?
I would start with an Ableton Push 3. It is an amazing and underrated device, every type of synthesis with extremely capable sequencing and control in a box, and for whatever reason the synths in it sound better to me than when they are built into Ableton.
8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?
The computer of course. It’s great, but I hate sitting in front of a screen and using a mouse and editing, I much prefer to just jam something out and leave it as is.
Contemplation in the studio
9. Most surprising tip/trick/technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?
More of a general tip, but I believe there are unconventional ways to use every piece of gear and finding that way whether intentional or not is what leads you to find the coolest sounds. Most people buy synths to make the same sounds they make on their other gear, just with a new coat of paint. I strive to find the things each piece of gear can do that is unique to itself.
Roland R-8 vs Elektron Octatrack
Artist name
Blush Response
Selfie
Genre
Experimental / Industrial / Techno / IDM / Metal
Where are you from?
Miami, FL by way of New York and Berlin
How did you get into music?
I was deeply into electronic music when I was 15-16 and after my family moved to upstate NYC, I got a Microkorg as my first synth to take a shot at making my own stuff
What still drives you to make music?
I love making music and need it to feel sane, it’s a part of me as much as breathing or eating is.
How do you start a new track?
I usually start by playing with sounds and reacting to what I hear and shaping further until I touch on a vibe that feels special and then develop from there.
How do you know when a track is finished?
When it is as good as I can possibly get it to be i the moment.
Show us your current studio
Blush Response studio
Best advice you ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to be a Z in an X and Y world – Morton Subotnick (as told to a friend of mine).
Promote your latest thing, go ahead, throw us a link
My latest things are my solo album Ego Death and my new collab project with Iggor Cavalera called Cyphonist
1. Favourite knob, fader, switch, on a piece of gear and why?
Doepfer A-103 filter
I have to say the cutoff frequency on the Doepfer A-103 filter. It captures something of the spirit and concept of the Roland TB-303 without being a clone, and within that it has its own character which I like very much.
2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?
I love my Doepfer A-100. I would say that it’s almost perfect, or as perfect as it can be. It has a clear and practical design which I appreciate. What would I change? There’s always a battle for space in the rack, and I’m always having ideas about how I want to expand it with additional modules, but that goes with the territory. I’m going to have to think about a new case soon.
Doepfer A-100
3. What setup do you bring on holiday or tour or commute, etc.?
If ever I am on any kind of holiday I take my laptop with me, so I can work on composing, arranging, and processing beats. When I’ve played live I’ve kept it simple with a laptop, the Alesis Multimix 8 USB mixer, and a synth for live tweaking, like the Doepfer, or the Roland JP-8080 when I owned one.
Alesis Multimix 8 USB mixer
4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?
It would be amazing to see Reaktor in hardware form, but to be able to zoom in and out like you can in the software, you’d need to be able to bend the laws of physics. I can’t think of any hardware that I’d like to see as software though. The amount of software plugin versions of different classic synths available now is amazing.
Native Instruments Reaktor
5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?
I borrowed a Roland SH-101 back in 1995, and I briefly owned one in 1997 before having to sell it several months later. It was the first analogue synth that I managed to get my hands on, and I learned so much from using it, putting the theory into practice, etc. I love its clear visual structure. I tend to do a lot of research into equipment before I buy it, so I don’t really have any regrets. That said though, maybe I would not have bought the Roland JP-8000 and waited for the JP-8080 rack version to come out.
Roland SH-101
6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?
Getting into analogue modular gear changed the way I approach producing music. I started off with modules that would give me a decent monosynth for synth leads, but as I have expanded, my approach has also widened. Sometimes a single experimental sound you discover can give a new tune its own unique character. You can think more widely about what sort of sound you want to build and test out ideas.
Eurorack modular Behringer
7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?
My first piece of gear was the Roland MC-303. It was a very good starting point. From that I got to familiarise myself with the Roland style of user interface. Sometimes I think I should have started out with a laptop with software for sequencing instead, but then I would not have gained the experience I did with the MC-303.
Roland MC-303
8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?
My laptop can be frustrating at times when it takes longer than expected to start up, especially when I have an idea in my head that I want to get down as quickly as possible.
9. Most surprising tip or trick or technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?
Having four programmable input velocities on the MC-303 made me think about velocity levels, and by extension dynamics. From that I started to think about proportion and balance in everything from velocity and level in the mix to stereo panning, and I began to think of every element as relative to everything else in proportion and balance.
Roland MC-303
Artist or band name?
Snakestyle
Genre?
Electronica, ambient, chillout, downtempo, IDM, psychill, with melodic progressive textures.
Selfie?
Matthew Leigh Embleton aka. Snakestyle
Where are you from?
I’ve lived in and around South East London for most of my life.
How did you get into music?
When I was around 7 years old, I was given my first keyboard, and a vinyl copy of Oxgene by Jean Michel Jarre. It all started from there. I saw additional artwork and photos from the album with Jean Michel Jarre surrounded by all his analogue synthesisers and equipment, and I thought “I want to do that”. Electronic music seemed to offer a world of creative imagination that had not been previously possible, it looked like a world I wanted to be a part of.
First keyboard Yamaha PSS-133
What still drives you to make music?
It’s part of who I am and what I do. I still have things that I want to say with music, atmospheres I want to create, and sounds I want to experiment with, and to develop my sound ever further.
Moog Subharmonicon
How do you most often start a new track?
Most often I tend to build a track from the rhythm up. I get an idea in my head for a groove I want to create and build on. Then I add things, and then take things out until I’m happy. I’m interested in bridging the infinite space of potential with different patterns, schematics, logics, and systems. I create a framework with which to navigate the unknown. Sometimes I’ll pick a series of random BPMs and keys, and see what happens.
How do you know when a track is finished?
2600
When I am working on a track, I live and breathe it. It’s all I think about all day. I am constantly listening to it over and over again, thinking ‘what needs changing?’, ‘what is it missing?’, ‘what does it need?’. When I listen all the way through without finding anything that I would add, remove or change, I think ‘yes, that’s done’, or at least that it’s time to take a break from it, and come back to it again with fresh ears 24 hours later.
Show us your current studio
I worry that keeping all my gear set up in a particular way might inadvertantly limit or narrow my approach somehow. I often keep everything packed away until I get a strong idea of what I want to work on, and then I set everything up around that idea, using only what I need and keeping it simple.
Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?
It’s not the amount of gear you’ve got, but what you actually do with what you’ve got. Try to favour building your own sounds over using presets. Don’t worry too much about sounding like artist X or Y, sound like YOU.
Promote your latest thing, go ahead, throw us a link
1. Favourite knob/fader/switch on a piece of gear and why?
Whimsical Raps Mannequins Cold Mac
I have many, aesthetically I love the Whimsical Raps Mannequins lineup especially the Cold Mac SURVEY knob is one of my favourite because it acts as a meta-control over a patch. Modulating it I send correlated signals throughout the patch to discover sweet spots and surprising movements every time.
Chase Bliss Clock knob on MOOD 2
For pedals is the Clock knob on MOOD 2: it shifts pitch, fidelity, and texture simultaneously. It’s the ultimate tool for warping static loops into dynamic, organic, and unpredictable soundscapes.
2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?
Intellijel Multigrain
Lately is the Intellijel Multigrain. I’m a granular junkie and this module condenses every essential function with a perfect UI and constantly updated firmware. The morphing fader is the true magic; sliding between two distinct scenes allows you to discover shifting soundscapes during the transition, reminiscent of the interpolation found on the almighty Octatrack (another favourite). There is very little I would change; it is an ideal tool for finding those sounds within sounds.
Elektron Octatrack
3. What setup do you bring on holiday or tour or commute etc.?
Elektron Monomachine
I prefer to work in my studio when I have time; I view the whole room as one big instrument. Back in the past I used to bring with me, my Elektron Monomachine, but now that she’s a retired ‘old lady,’ I’d rather keep her safe and sound at home. If I’m working away from home, my laptop is the one tool I’d take to get some previous recordings organized.
4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?
Fors Opal
It would be fantastic to see Fors Opal as a hardware instrument. It is a highly capable software rhythm machine that integrates FM, modal synthesis, pulsar noise, sampling and effects into a single, cohesive environment. Even if my Eletron Digitakt 2 & Digitone 2 are equally fun and inspiring.
Digitone 2
I’m longing for a software equivalent to the Schlappi Engineering 100 Grit. It is a powerhouse for avant-garde sound design, functioning simultaneously as a filter, distortion unit, and noise generator. By leveraging audio and CV feedback loops, it produces evolving, chaotic textures. The brass touch points allows for the tactile injection of signals into the feedback paths, resulting in unpredictable alien sonic environments.
100 Grit
5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?
I’m diligent about research before buying gear, so I rarely have regrets. Every instrument is a learning opportunity. I’m not a collector but rarely sell gear. I really miss the Mutable Instruments Elements, which I sold only for space reasons; its ability to use external material as input for the resonator sounded great. Also I still kick myself for selling Korg EMX so cheaply, considering its current market value.
Mutable Instruments Element
6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?
I find inspiration by patching my modular system. I treat it as a living ecosystem, focusing on autonomous patches that evolve independently. It shifts the process from composing to exploration. The modules I use in every single patch are the Intellijel Shapeshifter Dual Complex Morphable Wavetable Oscillator (my favorite oscillator), the 4ms Dual Looping Delay and Qubit Nautilus, various granular processors including Mutable Instruments Clouds, Intellijel Multigrain, Qu-Bit Electronix Mojave, Orthogonal Devices ER-301, and a Make Noise System.
Torso S-4
Recently the Torso S-4 has been a revelation for me. Many ways to manipulate and process samples in this tool. Ironically, I find its lack of a traditional sequencer a positive constraint since it forces me to discover unexplored creative workflows.
7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?
VCVrack
I’d still begin with a laptop, focusing on Max/MSP and virtual modular environments like VCV Rack. While hardware will always be fascinating, modern software is simply too significant to ignore.
8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?
Westlicht Performer
The Westlicht Performer is in my top 3 eurorack sequencers, though it’s not without its flaws. I’m a huge fan of its workflow and features. It’s a DIY project, so you can’t expect the same build quality as big brands, but the buttons are small and stiff, which really hurts the playability. Even though some of the switches on my unit are starting to go, I just can’t part with it (I will get it fixed soon). My only other wish would be for an additional set of dedicated mod CV outputs beyond just pitch and gate, which would really unlock its modulation potential.
9. Most surprising tip or trick or technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?
Serge EurorackSide Serge
Play with feedback by routing audio or CV back into the patch for recursive modulation. My Random*Source Serge is great for this, but this concept can be applied to any modular system. Building self-influencing systems where sounds and modulations auto- evolve in hypnotic ways and organic chaos.
Make Noise Eurorack
Another fundamental modular technique I employ is decoupling trigger sequences from pitch CV. Unlike MIDI, separating these sequences leads to patterns evolving organically.
Artist or Band name?
I go by Lohacker, a name inherited from my first music-related mail account. It’s served me well in online communities, though I’ve always viewed it more as a functional alias than a final artistic statement.
Genre?
Depends where the patch goes, something between IDM, experimental noise, glitch, dub, ambient.
Selfie?
Lohacker
Where are you from?
Italy
How did you get into music?
Jeskola Buzz
My journey began with electric guitar, though my interest soon shifted to the sonic possibilities of effects. This fascination (especially for delays) evolved into synthesis since early 2000’s with the mythical Jeskola Buzz modular tracker and Ableton 1.0 since its release.
Guitar FX
What still drives you to make music?
Erica synths
It is the meditation of listening to my generative patches. I find that being absorbed by the creative task is the most rewarding part of making music. Even just 15 minutes of musical activity in the morning helps me throughout the day.
How do you most often start a new track?
Joranalogue
My tracks/patches usually begin as a late-night concept or a specific technique I visualize before sleep. Early in the morning, I approach my system with fresh ears to bring that idea to life. I avoid the rush to record and let the patch run for a couple of days. I then develop a secondary sequence on a separate case, and when these two autonomous ecosystems begin to influence each other I commit the performance to record. I make a big use of random gates/probability in sequences/shift registers and switches to build the various parts, then resample some bits apply granular processors and apply modulations to the effects. When playing guitar, I’m more on the ambient side, building layers through several unsynced loopers and delays.
How do you know when a track is finished?
A nest of eurorack
You don’t (or when you finish with patch cables/modulation inputs!)
Show us your current studio
All eurorackMore eurorackSynthrackElectrosmith Daisy
Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?
These four are my fundamentals:
Avoid presets to find your sound.
Resample and layer sounds to further manipulate them.
Stop thinking about writing a song and start thinking about building a machine that generates sound.
Try to prioritize ears over the eyes when working with a computer (turn off your monitor).
Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link
