Share photos of your setup and details of your process here. What gear do you use? How do you start a song? Do you start with a melody, a chord progression, a bass line, a beat?
1 Like
Here’s my messy setup - also have a prophet '08 that’s currently packed away. I love starting with a simple melody and going from there.
8 Likes
My studio is so narrow, taking pictures and get it all into one view is a real challenge.
My tools (so far!)
Roland JP8000
Yamaha AN1X
Roland MC505 Groovebox
Yamaha DX Reface
Waldorf Streichfett
Modal Skulpt
Modal Craftsynth 2.0
Behringer Crave
Effect pedals
Korg A5
Digitech RP 250
Zoom 1010
All listening to FLstudio 20’s MIDI.
I only started building this studio in Feb 2021 and I only have a few hours a week that I spent time in it (wife, kids, doggo…) so I am still working on getting everything the way I want it to be. So far I have done a lot of jams, just write 16 bars, loop it and tweak those irrisistable knobs like there is no tomorrow.
But slowly I am getting there, MIDI CC has recently been setup, now the only thing that is still standing in my way of writting bigger projects is saving patches the right way.
7 Likes
I just changed up my setup specifically for JaMuary!
My main instrument is my modular, and as you can see in the photo, I’m a perma-patch-person! (I think I’m actually more of a fixed architecture guy who happens to use modular to build with).
I also prefer guitar pedals to rack-mount outboard, as I like to play live and pedals are handy for that!
My process has historically been to record single-takes on the modular and call it a day (last JAMuary is a good example of that!)… but…
I just added an external mixer to the er, mix… that doubles as an interface… so I’m going to do some modular multitracking this year!
The plan is still to just jam on HW and have fun… but then I’ll geek out in the box a bit to sweeten the sound! I’m going to limit myself to this setup for the entire month:
8 Likes
Holy shiii that is more cable lenght that in a pinball machine!
Mesmerising, must be fun to keep on tweaking with that setup.
1 Like
Two Elektron boxes: Digitakt and Model:Cycles;
Arturia Microfreak;
Korg NTS-1;
Everything is mixed and recorded via 1010Music Bluebox.
7 Likes
Here’s what I’m planning to use for Jamuary and my next album:
- Guitar (Gibson Les Paul Studio) going into a Zoom MS-50G for basic effects, then into a Critter & Guitari Organelle for granular effects, then into the Synthstrom Deluge for live looping.
- Deluge for looping guitar but also for longer samples.
- Teenage Engineering OP-Z with the Line module going to the Korg Mini Kaoss Pad 2S for effects.
-
Monome Norns doing something that I haven’t figured out yet.
- Everything going into a Keith McMillen K-Mix for multi track recording (it also works as an audio interface).
I also have a homemade pedal that I built for the Organelle, allowing me to control it from the expression pedal and the sustain pedal, and a bluetooth pedal to control looping in the Deluge.
8 Likes
This is the setup I get to work with at the Stoel Music Systems lab. It has since been moved to a new building but I don’t have updated photos.
6 Likes
Hi,
Here’s a pic of my studio. My core platform is Ableton Live 11 with a Focusrite Clarett. I really want to explore dub mixing techniques during Jamuary which means that my Mackie 12-channel mixer will be a place for exploration.
I have no interest/ability in doing reggae, but I’m trying to think dub in in terms of a band knowing my mixer will only have 5 faders for instruments + 3 for effects. I feel hopeful that this will be positive constraints for me.
= = = SOUNDS = = =
- DRUMS: Korg Volca Beats, Addictive Drums (in DAW) or Ableton Drum racks.
- BASS: Moog Minitaur or bass guitar.
- PADS: Guitar swells, ehx pog2 organ, Minilogue xd or Op1. Or vocal harmonies?
- CHORDS/SKANK/STABS: Acoustic/electric guitar, synth sequences/arps?
- MELODY: Vocals, melodica
= = = EFFECTS = = =
- AUX 1: REVERB: Vermona Retroverb/VSR3.2, Oto Bam
- AUX 2: ECHO: Roland RE-501, Oto Bim
- ALT 3/4: Behringer Bi-Phase, Korg Kaoss Pad 3+
@beto I’ll be interested in hearing what you will do with the Organelle and what patches you use. I have one, although it is slightly broken.
3 Likes
Heres my setup at home. Microfreak through the Zoom MS-70CDR guitar pedal and I also have running through my Maschine MK3. Only started picking up gear over the last year or so and plan to keep expanding!
3 Likes
Here is my setup:
Microfreak hooked into Casio Privia
Boss RC-505
Alesis Nitro Mesh
Fender CD-60
Yamaha TRBX174 Bass
Ibanez 59’er Deluxe Electric
Ukelele & Random percussion bits
Process wise I usually start with a chord progression, then add parts from there, bass → drums → melody but not necessarily in that order. I wrote a chord progression generator a while back as an experiment and use it to generate ideas sometimes.
4 Likes
Gear used:
Samson BT4 monitors
Focusrite 2i2
Arturia Microfreak Synth
Usually I start a song by just playin around and feelin out different chords, melodies, and progressions till somethin hits. I enjoy just seein how much I can manipulate the sound and what I can turn it into.
3 Likes
Eurorack and iPad - Expert Sleepers ES-9 to do the integration between the two and midi to and from NerdSeq.
3 Likes
This is most of my rig - bought a house earlier this year and finally have a dedicated space for it. Of course it’s already expanded OUTSIDE of that space… but we just won’t talk about that.
9 Likes
It’s almost like two seperate studios, loving the difference of it and the size of the Andromeda never stops to impress me. Also lovin that tiny Streichfett over there. I once hooked a distortion pedal on her, the sweet kitten turned a BEAST in an instant.
Music gear is actually considered a gas — it always expands to occupy all the available space. 
3 Likes
Totally love the Streichfett - it’s just one big sweet spot. The Andromeda needs some love, hopefully just a new power supply. I’m itchin’ to see how she sounds!
1 Like
There’s another spot where I do editing/daw work which tends to move around from place to place depending on things. right now it’s in my living room. I always love seeing people’s set ups.
4 Likes
Helllo
Here is the Jamuary system so far. Using an ink brush pen to write today so it’s a bit messy.
Trying to multitrack as much as I can this year so everything feeds into Ableton. I still need to add the 2-track cassette deck. The 2-track brings everything together and pitching the mix up or down can sometimes save the day.
3 Likes