1. Favourite knob or fader or switch on a piece of gear and why?
The large volume knobs on the Rane 2015 mixer – they are a combination of metal and rubber I think that’s the best it gives the solidness of metal and the isolation and softness of rubber. It’s a shame that often 100% plastic knobs are being used and if they wobble it feels really bad and cheap. The only plastic knob I like is on the 303.
2. Do you have an ‘almost’ perfect bit of kit? What would you change?
The Erica Synth Zen Delay, I would use metal rubber knobs of course and add some CV inputs to be able to connect it with the modular synth.
3. What setup do you bring on holiday or tour or commute etc.?
Nothing because holiday for me is about forgetting all things related to Techno
4. What software do you wish was hardware and vice versa?
Arturia Efx Motion would be awesome in the hardware world in one box, parts of it can be built in the modular synth but it’s complicated and needs a lot of modules.
Hardware I think everything is already existing which I have but I use the hardware in case. Maybe the Tube Tech Multiband compressor but I guess there is a software emulation already.
5. Is there anything you regret selling… or regret buying?
I sold 3 near mind Technics 1210 when I moved to Berlin in 2006 for all together 750€ and then I had to buy 3 turntables back years later in worse condition for the same price per turntable so 3 times as expensive. But I was not able to transport them back then anyways and I needed the money.
6. What gear has inspired you to produce the most music?
The modular synth.
7. If you had to start over, what would you get first?
If I had nothing then of course speakers (Eve Audio SC4070) and a budget Audio Interface and to start to produce music I would get Ableton plus some Riemann Kollektion Techno sample packs because it gives the quickest and best results for the investment – but the next thing would be stomp box effects and a modular case and modules and analog synthesizer. Last I would get outboard effects like compressors.
8. What’s the most annoying piece of gear you have, that you just can’t live without?
The Boss KM-60 Mixer – it’s amazing for saturating sounds but it distorts very fast if the input is too loud and it has too much noise and mine also crackles if I move the volume knobs. But I would not sell it it does amazing saturation, wet soft and silky.
9. Most surprising tip or trick or technique that you’ve discovered about a bit of kit?
An extremely simple trick not many people use but they should: Routing a copy of the output of a synth or headphone output back into an external input of the same synth – this way a really nice internal saturation can be archived. And also adding in this chain a stomp box like reverb, chorus or delay can give really nice or wild results.
Artist or Band name?
Florian Meindl
Genre?
Techno
Selfie?
Where are you from?
Austria
How did you get into music?
Heard House music mixed in the radio when I was 12
What still drives you to make music?
Simply the desire to have things I make with my gear recorded like a diary entry and the interest and curiosity to make something with analog gear and then also the reactions how other people perceive the results.
How do you most often start a new track?
With a synth sequence or a sound which can be the main theme of a track, let’s call it a seed
How do you know when a track is finished?
When everything flows and fits together and has the right things in the right time
Show us your current studio
Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?
Shape your taste by listening a lot of music and discuss either other people about it, then get to know your production process very well so that you don’t have too many technical problems while producing and then creativity will be there automatically because when you try something your taste will tell you where to go
Promote your latest thing… Go ahead, throw us a link
Planet Energy 06 by FM x SU which is a record produced by my friend Sandro Uhl aka SU01 and me
