Kyle Runge – DJ Doughy

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

The volume knob for my computer. It’s usb based, has a semi-heavy aluminum knob to it. All it does is adjust volume, and it does it VERY well.

USB Volume Control

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

The KeyStep Pro from Arturia. Powerful sequencer, great for on the fly adjustment. Just wish it had more channels to expand it.

Arturia KeyStep Pro

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

I have been known to bring basically my whole studio sans computer (use a laptop instead for streaming). The past 3 years during a synthesizer conference called KnobCon based outside of Chicago, I have streamed a live set from my hotel room with a few people from the Golden Shrimp Guild (a Twitch.tv guild of synthesizer folk) hanging out and enjoying the tunes.

Golden Shrimp Guild stream

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

Software to Hardware? Massive from NI. Great bass and lead VTSi with easy automation.
Hardware to Software? I don’t think I have anything that ISN’T software now. However, wish there was a SID chip synth software that had the same warmth and sound as original hardware SID chips have.

Sammich SID

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

It’s rare that I sell anything. I almost sold my first synth I owned, a MicroKorg, to help pay for a MiniFreak, but forgot to. Thankful that I didn’t.

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

Again, with the KeyStep Pro. I’ve been producing music over 20 years now and for a few years things had really come to a halt. It was only these past few years have I been doing “live” music. It was suggested to me when I was just started getting into the modular/eurorack ecosystem. The KSP was super intuitive, I could hit the ground running with it, and it helped me take off on my live music streaming. A very close second would be the MiniFreak. It’s wide range of sound makes it an inspiration in itself.

KeyStep Pro and MiniFreak

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

Depends on where I start over at, there has been so many chapters of my ‘career’. Hardware-wise for performance, I would have loved to start out on a semi-modular synth if I was able to afford it.

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

A eurorack module called Temp_Utiles. Great clock divider/multiplier, deep features for syncing. But just a bit too menu-divey.

Temp_Utile

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

Making your own synth is a lot easier than you think. A bit of solder, some patience and a kit of parts, you can make synths at a fraction of the cost.

Synth DIY

Artist or Band name?

DJ Doughy

Genre?

Broad; ranging from electronic, hip hop, dub, and ambient.

Selfie?

Kyle Runge aka. dj_doughy

Where are you from?

Kansas City Area (Kansas side! hah!)

How did you get into music?

Been playing piano and violin since I was in early grade school. Electronically, finding a copy of Acid DJ 2.0 (linear DAW) back in 2001 for cheap and playing around with it till I got decent at it.

What still drives you to make music?

The friends I have made along the way whilst streaming my performances on Twitch.

How do you most often start a new track?

It’s rare that I sit down to do an actual track, but if the inspiration hits, I drop what I am doing and start it. Sometimes middle of the night!

How do you know when a track is finished?

Scope creep is real. I often have to put down a track for days or a week at a time. Come back and listen. If it sounds “complete”, or something that resembles a song “made for radio”, then I will call that a track!

Show us your current studio

Setup with greenscreen

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

Don’t be afraid to experiment. There are tons of great resources and artists out there to learn from.

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

hivemindsynthesis.com is a synthesizer co-venture I am apart of with a good friend of mine.
djdoughy.com is a good place to find anything new or extra about my work, with all my socials and music links


Ivo V – V for Valdivielso

1. Favourite knob, fader, or switch on a piece of gear—and why?

That’s the FREQ knob on the Serge VCFQ filter—pure magic for bass. I almost always run it in low-pass mode; it’s got this gritty, alive quality that roughs up even the simplest sounds in the best way. It’s a core part of my setup at this point. I’ve actually had to fix it twice from how much I push it… says a lot about how essential it’s become for me.

Serge filter freq knob

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

Definitely the Octatrack. It’s complex, versatile, and can do almost anything. Whether I’m using it as a performance mixer, sampler, looper, or effects unit, it adapts to whatever I need. It feels very “modular,” if that makes sense for eurorack users. I use it as the main hub for most of my projects, mixing different sources together.

Octatrack

Even though it came out in 2011, it still feels ahead of its time. People are still sharing new tips on forums regularly. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s tricky to learn, but totally worth it. If you compare it to learning piano or guitar, getting comfortable with the Octatrack in a couple of years is a pretty good deal, haha.

3. What setup do you bring on holiday, tour, or commute?

iPad with AUM and Koala Sampler

It changes every year, but I always put a lot of care into it. There’s something I really enjoy about designing  a compact setup that still brings inspiration. A few of my favorite “holiday rigs” have been: 1) iPad 2) Laptop with Strudel, the browser-based TidalCycles 3) Monome Norns Shield + field recorder 

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

I’m a big fan of some of Hainbach’s iPad apps, especially Gauss Field Looper by Bram Bos. It’s a beautifully designed tape-style looper that’s super tactile and sounds incredible, especially with its built-in bit reducer, which adds a nice digital grit. I even recreated a similar patch on the Octatrack which does the job quite well.

Norns

On the other hand, I wish there was a desktop version of Monome Norns. It’s an amazing environment, but very tied to its hardware. I’d love to use some of those scripts on my laptop without needing the box.

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

Honestly, I don’t really have any regrets. When I first got into Eurorack, I bought a mix of modules from all sorts of brands. That phase helped me figure out what worked for me. Over time, I sold most of those and kept the ones that felt right.

Serge Eurorack

Now I mostly stick to systems built around Make Noise and Serge. It helps me stay focused and more creative. If I’m not using something, I pass it on. Gear should be played, not just sit on a shelf.

Make Noise Eurorack

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

Classical guitar. It’s not my most used instrument, but I really love its warm sound and how flexible it is. It was my first instrument, and even though I mostly stick to cowboy chords, it always feels good to play. No cables, no setup, just pick it up and go.

Classical Guitar Camps M6C

For my last album “Arquitectura”, I used a lot of flamenco-inspired phrases from maestro Pedro Javier González. They brought something really special to the music.

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

I’d keep it simple and affordable. You don’t need to spend a ton of money to make great music. If I were starting from scratch, these would be my essentials: 1) an iPad for sound design and recording, 2) a field recorder for capturing sounds, and 3) a sampler for building tracks and performing.

The iPad is super versatile. I use it with the AUM app as a mixer. To round it out, I’d add the Moog apps, especially Animoog Z and Minimoog, which sound great and are a good deal. I also use Koala, which is like a mini SP-404. For more experimental stuff, I love Hainbach’s apps like Gauss, Fluss, and Noises. For live setups, I’d add a basic audio interface (I use the Roland GO:Mixer) and a MIDI controller (like the Akai Midimix). You can get the whole iPad setup for under €500.

Olympus recorder, Roland GO:Mixer and Akai Midimix.

For a field recorder, any Zoom, Tascam, or Olympus will do. I use a Zoom H4n and an Olympus LS-11. Both work great, I even found the Olympus used for just €60.

As for a sampler, Koala app might be enough on its own, but if there’s room in the budget, I’d go for a newer Akai MPC (Live or One). They’re powerful for both sound design and live performance, packed with solid synths and strong sampling features. For non-experimental music, I’d even pick one over my beloved Octatrack.

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

The Monome Norns Shield is a super powerful little box, with an amazing community behind it (shoutout to the Lines forum). I’m not a coder, so I know I’m not using it to its full potential, but even without coding, it can do so much.

Some scripts can be a bit tricky, with menu diving and button combos, but it’s totally worth it. A few of my favorites are:

  • benjolis – a digital Benjolin
  • dronecaster – great for thick drones
  • icarus – Monotron Delay-style synth
  • molly_the_poly – Juno-6-style synth with random patches
  • oooooo – six-voice tape-style looper
  • passersby – a West Coast-style synth voice

All of these have made it into my albums. That said… I fried mine. Tried to fix a broken encoder and ended up burning the PCB. Thinking about upgrading to the full Norns now instead of just the Shield.

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

Honestly, I’m a bit late to this, but I’m really into feedback and making sound without external inputs. Lately, I’ve been having fun patching my small Euro Serge without using oscillators. It’s not just about music, it’s about exploring sound and how different devices work together. It feels like finding the machine’s soul.😀


Artist or Band name?

Ivo V. My active projects are Les Eines (The Tools), a solo project influenced by ambient, west coast synthesis, and musique concrète, and Refugi de Fauna Salvatge (Wildlife Refuge), a collective project. We use live coding tools (Tydal Cycles, Supercollider), trumpet, modular synths, and samplers. Crazy stuff!

Genre?

abstract electronic, alien folk, kosmische.

Selfie?



Ivó Valdivielso aka. Ivo V

Where are you from? 

I’m from Barcelona, though I currently live on the outskirts, in the Baix Llobregat area. It’s a nice place full of creativity and great cultural initiatives.

How did you get into music?

I started teaching myself guitar. Since I couldn’t find any bandmates, I began making backing tracks with a free software called “Dance Ejay” that came on a CD-ROM in a box of cereal. It was a cheap way to start!

What still drives you to make music?

Music makes me feel alive! I love learning new techniques, meeting new artists, and designing new projects. It helps to keep me balanced.

How do you most often start a new track?

I usually start with some samples, like a field recording, a guitar phrase, or a blip-blop from the modular system. I load them into the Octatrack and start jamming until it “clicks.”

How do you know when a track is finished? 

I stay focused when creating tracks. Usually, the tracks are part of a bigger project, so they need to meet certain requirements. I do a lot of prep work: field research, interviews, sound decisions. By the time I start making a track, I know what I want. I’m not a big fan of post-production; I prefer doing most of the work in pre-production and creating with intention.

Show us your current studio

Ivo V’s studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

There’s a time for buying gear and a time for making music. Keep the phases separated for maximum creativity.

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

This is my last album from my solo project, Les Eines

And this is something very special. The Experimental Protest Song Device (DCPX) is the result of a collective creation process, drawing from poetry and computer code, science and activism. It is published by Discs noIA, an online record label for artists with a critical or confrontational attitude towards AI. Their website cannot be scraped by AI bots!

https://www.discs-noia.cat/dcpx-disc


Invictus Hi-Fi – Esoterica

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

Nektar Panorama CS12 controller

I use a Nektar Panorama CS12 controller which has a fader you can easily assign use for automation in Logic, so I’ll go with that. Not just good for plugins and hardware synths either – I’ve a fair few MIDI enabled guitar pedals it gets used for too. 

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

Vult Freak Manifold Filter

It’s a recent purchase but the Vult Freak Manifold Filter is just amazing, and I say that as someone who isn’t a heavy user of filters normally. I cannot understand how something digital can sound so organic. Leonardo, the guy that makes them, must be some kind of coding genius. 

The only change I’d make is more filter types but that’s being greedy as there is already a fair few and I imagine that will happen eventually anyway. 

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

4ms Metamodule

Something not too different from the setup I used on my new live album Appearance, but now I’m the proud owner of a 4ms Metamodule I’d use that rather than the the Mod Audio Duo. There’s a Pam’s Pro Workout and Bitbox Mk2 sampler in there too – you can get a lot done with that setup. 

As for holiday, I’d normally just take a laptop or use that time to get a break from music and recharge. 

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

I wish all of those excellent UAD and Softube plugins I own were hardware – as I’d be asset rich in that instance, although space poor as the studio is at capacity in terms of kit! 

VCV Rack and a MacBook

There’s a few modules on VCV rack that I wish were hardware but the Metamodule is increasingly making that a reality.

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

My GAS would never allow me to regret a purchase but the one thing I regret selling was a Dreadbox Abyss synth – which is both sonically and aesthetically beautiful. I had used it too much on tracks though and didn’t want it to define my ‘sound’. 

Also the WMD Crucible, a Eurorack drum module for cymbal type sounds that can be pushed to some really interesting places – but that’s less of an issue now those guys are back in business so I’ll be getting another one eventually. 

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

Gear comes and goes in order to keep things fresh but both albums so far have had kit which has inspired the most. For The Market Deities it was the Moog DFAM, the only Moog thing I’ve ever owned, and the 4ms Ensemble module – which can create really unique tones and textures. 

Dreadbox Abyss

For The Vanishing it was the aforementioned Dreadbox Abyss and the ASM Hydrasynth, both of which helped me push sonic boundaries a fair bit.

ASM Hydrasynth

I think the Waldorf Iridium, Michigan Synth Works Xena (an excellent take on the Mutable Instruments Ambika synth) and the Nord Drum 3 will probably define the next album, as they’re seeing serious use right now. 

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

I’d probably just start with a laptop and VCV rack, and then learn the aspects of Eurorack I enjoyed before dropping cash on random modules in the hope they might chime with me. Also a great way to understand the fundamentals of Eurorack too. 

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

I have an OXI One sequencer which is excellent normally but for some reason is misbehaving at the moment. I’ll have sort it out soon though as I genuinely cannot live without it, especially for controlling Eurorack drums through its CV module. 

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

One thing I do often but don’t hear much of elsewhere is using clocked LFOs and sequencers to creatively modulate Eurorack drum and FX parameters – especially using less common LFO shapes and sequencer patterns at irregular and shifting speeds.

Eurorack modules

I use this technique to add additional rhythmic aspects and it makes the drum parts feel a lot more organic, as well as adding some weird offbeat variations to their tone and texture. 


Artist or Band name? 

Invictus Hi-Fi

Genre? 

Experimental Electronica 

Selfie?

Invictus Hi-Fi

Where are you from?

UK 

How did you get into music?

I listened a lot to Prince as a kid and he inspired me to learn a fair few instruments and start creating my own tracks.

What still drives you to make music?

I would just lose my mind if I couldn’t do so. It helps me process the world in ways I don’t even understand. 

How do you know when a track is finished?

When it’s uploaded to the distributor. Honestly, I’m much of a perfectionist for my own good and so that helps formally draw a line, stop tweaking and move on. 

Show us your current studio

Invictus Hi-Fi studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

I’ve honestly only ever seen or heard bad advice, especially on social media as of late. I’ve learned to ignore completely – and advise others to as well. 

Forge your own path, people!

[Editor: I genuinely don’t know if Mr. HiFi is being ironic. Advising people to ignore advice. Either way I must disagree… Sharing thoughts and advice is … Well, the entire point of this blog, and I’ve never come across a piece of advice that i didn’t learn something from. Including Mr. HiFi’s… Which is why I’ll still post it, even though I disagree]

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

The new Invictus Hif-Fi album Appearance is out on the 31st January. It’s a live album with raw and experimental versions of past singles and album tracks using a method inspired by 1970s Dub sound systems. 

You can find it on BandCamp or watch the performances each track comes from over on YouTube.

https://invictushi-fi.bandcamp.com/album/appearance

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcbOYfqrRFi0povr3YC9gUyoivQu2B0M_