Tag: revox

Teitur – Lassen from Faroe Way

[Editor: Oh, yes. It’s really Teitur! Equal parts singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist composer. Bridging nordic pop-folk and artful soundtrack music. It’s quite exiting to be able to bring you this interview … Enjoy!]

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

The Q-link knobs on MPC X are super satifying to use, especially when zooming in on samples points.

Studio desktop and Eurorack and Akai MPC X

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

I wish computers weren’t so… computery and so… fingers and mind only and that I didn’t have to work with constant digital issues and being a programmer. Like this morning spending 20 minutes trying to find a digital output inside a program, going on forums, just to lower a volume and then the next 20 minutes you are back working and the computer is like a wizard, doing actual magic.

Studio Mac Desktop

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

When travelling it’s just my iPad Pro or laptop if I am in the middle of writing something in Sibelius. I find it nice to get away from all the gear. If I am in the middle of a recording project I might bring an Apollo Arrow. Always bring a pair of SONY MDR 7506 headphones too.

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

I have seldom befriended software synths in my DAW, somehow drum machines and synths are best hardware for me, even though I love what you can see and do with them in the software programs. I guess it’s just a tactililty and digital vs analog audio thing. When I tour I wish pianos didn’t weigh a ton and cost a fortune. I have tried owning a digital piano and I just can’t play them. It’s like cooking with thin plastic utensils for me. I will rather break my back with a Rhodes or play in venues with pianos.

Studio backroom with gear

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

When I was seventeen I helped my friend sell his TR-808 for 2000,- kroner (270 euro), I regret not buying it. Today I try to get rid of what I don’t use after two years, so I only have what is useful. For me creating is a lot about learning to use what you already have and when you get something, make sure it’s a great version of it and not an almost-good instrument and then really learn it until wizardry.

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

I think it’s my two acoustic guitars Arlo & Betty – a 1968 Gibson Hummingbird and 1964 Gibson J-50 and my Yamaha U-3 upright piano.

The Grand piano

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

I (now) think the right creative mindset is way more important than gear. Knowing what, why and how you want to create. The gear is for your motor skills and to practice with and it’s good to start there early too. To start over, I would first study music, culture and people, practise a lot, learn my DAW, learn to play piano and an additional instrument.

Api mixing desk and Revox reel to reel and other outboard hardware

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

Apple lightning (or USB-C) to 3.5 mm headphone adapter. I mean, the people who decided that headphones should have several connections should be sat on a chair in front of a screen and watch all the footage of the world’s population one by one needing them, looking for them under beds, not having the right one, wedding receptions delayed, children crying etc.

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

Silence in music. The voice and shutting up.

Artist or Band name?

Teitur

Genre?

There is no bad music, only bad musicians.

Selfie?

Teitur Lassen

Where are you from?

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.

How did you get into music?

It started with goosebumps.

What still drives you to make music?

The path to learn and discover is neverending, the reward is meaningful and in my priviliged part of the world we live in a musical golden age.

How do you most often start a new track?

I try to know what I want to do and achieve first and then I allow anything to happen. Often it’s best to start with a pause or walking my dog instead of pulling up a preset or hammering on a piano (that’s called practising). Write a form on a piece of paper, what, why, how, when and then have fun.

How do you know when a track is finished?

When it’s satisfying to listen to or when there are too many tracks and it’s finished in the sense that you know it’s time to start over.

Show us your current studio

Studio overview. Note hammock
Studio doggie and drums

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

Simpler is always an improvement!

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

https://ffm.to/kvaedi

Lucas Delacroix – Caveman Rec

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

UAD 1176 Rev E

The input knob on the 1176 compressor is my go-to. There’s this little trick I love—turning the attack off to turn compression completely off . It makes the compressor act more like a tonal distortion, adding this raw, saturated tone, especially on drums or guitar. Then you use the Input and Output knob to taste. Of course it has to be an emulation in software that replicates the whole circuit, and not just the compression part.

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

Sontronics Helios Microphone

Yes! I’ve got this Helios microphone that sounds great, but it has this high-pitched noise that I can’t control. I bought it used, and it has some weird charm, but that noise can ruin a take if it decides to act up.

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

I keep it simple with a nylon string Spanish guitar. It’s not a fancy one; just something that feels like home. Perfect for when I’m on the go and want to mess around with ideas.

Acoustic Guitar

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

Decapitator by Soundtoys, hands down. I wish it were hardware. It adds this perfect, warm saturation, like analog gear. I use it on pretty much everything!

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

Oh, definitely. I bought this beautiful 1962 German-made 335 style electric guitar that looked incredible but played horribly. I couldn’t get a decent chord out of it. I ended up trading it for a Strymon Timeline pedal, which was a much better decision.

Strymon Timeline

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

Guitars, absolutely. I’ll start with guitar ideas and build the rest around them. I think it’s my main voice as a musician; it’s where my best ideas come from.

Fender Jazzmaster

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

I’d go for a guitar again, for sure. It just feels right, and it’s where I get the best start on my ideas.

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

My tape machine, a Revox A77. It’s a hassle to maintain, and it breaks down more than I’d like, but I can’t imagine not using it.

Revox A77 Tape Recorder

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

There’s another trick I like besides the 1176 one. It’s the classic with the Pultec EQ—the ‘boost and cut’ technique. Basically, you pick a frequency, boost it, and then cut it at the same time. Sounds strange, but it actually saturates the tone in a way that just works. I use it a lot because it brings this really smooth, controlled sound, especially on drums or if I’m running it on a bus. It’s one of those little moves that changes the character of the mix without being too obvious.

Pultec EQ from UAD

Artist or Band name?

Just my name — Lucas Delacroix.

Genre?

Alternative… though it’s a mix. Could be rock, could be something else entirely. It depends on the track.

Selfie?

No selfies here, but maybe a picture of my hand?

Monty Burns as Howard Hughes tattoo

Where are you from?

Buenos Aires, Argentina. Currently living and working in Copenhagen, Denmark.

How did you get into music?

Guitar was always around when I was growing up. I think it was just natural—I’d mess around on it as a kid, and it felt like the most obvious thing in the world.

What still drives you to make music?

Sometimes I hear a specific guitar tone or melody, and it just fires me up. I could spend years chasing that feeling, trying to capture it in a track. It’s like a love affair that never gets old.

How do you most often start a new track?

Always with guitar. I’ll get an idea down and then build out the rest from there.

How do you know when a track is finished?

It’s a gut feeling. It’s like there’s this small voice that just says, “Alright, you’re done.” It’s rarely 100% satisfying, but at some point, you just know it’s time to move on.

Show us your current studio.

I like keeping it low-key. Let’s just say it’s an underground space, literally.

Caveman Records Studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

It seems like it’s obvious, but mix at a low volume. I realize it feels nice to listen to a song loudly, so it feels like the earth is moving and something dramatic is happening. But it really does you no favors, if you’re totally deaf after mixing for an hour.

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

I’ve got a playlist with my latest productions which I have recorded and produced for other artist. Check it out. Also, if you’re curious about my own music? Here’s an album called Somos.

Stegonaute – Lofi Thought

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

Redson EC25 Repetition knob

I’m in love with the “repetition” knob (in French on the device) of my Redson EC25. It turns most chord progressions into space travel. The result can be extremely soft, with ethereal echoes, or very violent with destructive feedback. I use this (very lofi and cheap by the way) echo chamber as an instrument in its own right.

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

I don’t have ONE perfect kit, I like to navigate between my different devices. I will consider a perfect kit for one week before using another exclusive for the next. That’s what I like and that makes me never get bored.

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

Travel setup

I like to travel with the Arturia Microfreak because it is small, light and runs on usb battery. And when my children give me permission, I use their Nintendo 3DS with the Korg DSN12 program, which is a surprising emulation of the Korg MS10. I also bring a Sony TCM200 tape recorder to play with the different playback speeds. And of course on my Zoom H5 to record.

Nintendo 3DS with the Korg DSN12 program and a Sony TCM200 tape recorder

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

I would love to have the equivalent of Arturia’s “Fragments” plugin in pedal format. It’s a very inspiring granular processor, which can totally change a drum beat or a synth pad. I don’t use it as much as I would like because the computer is almost completely absent from my creative process now.

Arturia’s Fragments vst plugin

On the other hand, I haven’t found an echo plugin as dirty as my Redson EC25, all the space echo emulations that I have tested sound much too clean, even with an old tape simulation. So I would say a cheap tape echo plugin.

Redson EC25 Tape Echo

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

I have a love-hate relationship with the Arturia Minibrute (MKI), which I’ve bought, sold and repurchased several times. So I would say it is perfect to answer the 2 questions haha.

Arturia Minibrute

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

It’s hard to choose between my Fostex X14, which introduced me to the world of tape looping, and between the Arturia microfreak which allows me to compose outdoors, whether in the forest or on the top of a mountain.

Fostex X14

I have the Fostex for 18 years, and the Microfreak for 2 months. This makes me happy because I think there are always new things to discover and explore.

Microfreak

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

I think I would take a Mac and a UAD interface directly. I lost too much time with the computer, with my current system I almost forget it.

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

Except my computer, nothing bothers me yet !

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

I recently discovered that with a tape multitrack recorder like my Fostex I could play tapes recorded on normal devices in reverse mode. Combined with the different tape speeds, it’s pure happiness !

Artist or Band name?

Stegonaute

Genre?

Euuuh… Lofi, Trip Hop, Ambient ?

Selfie?

Stegonaute

Where are you from?

I live in a small village in the south east of France

How did you get into music?

I started at the age of 12 with the bass, then with the guitar.

What still drives you to make music?

I like exploring new sounds, traveling and letting myself be carried away. It’s my main way of expressing myself.

How do you most often start a new track?

Stegonaute’s piano covered in FX

I start most of the time on my acoustic piano, even if I don’t know how to play it. I like the fact that there’s no need to turn it on, it’s even faster than plug and play!

How do you know when a track is finished?

NEVER ! I stop working on it at some point in order to move on. Releasing EPs on the platforms allows me to say to myself “it’s over, I’m not touching it anymore!”. Otherwise I’ll still be working on it…

Show us your current studio

Stegonaute’s studio

Best creative advice that you’ve ever heard?

Put your phone in airplane mode.

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

Instagram @Stegonaute

Here is my latest EP : https://stegonaute.bandcamp.com/album/freefall

and my YouTube Channel

[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]