Top five: STUDIO ESSENTIALS
Artist: MDKNGHT
Studio: Palm Street Studios
What are some of your studio essentials? As in, what are you grabbing as the studio burns up around you, and your invincibility starts to wear off? You’ve got a minute fifteen left, WHAT ARE YOU GRABBING!” Can you name 5 in total?
My hard drive and back ups. I lose that im fucked
My microphone (Neumann U87ai)
My Laptop
My electric guitar (Strat)
Dog mask - kind of a good luck charm I’ve kept with me these past 10 years.
DAW (Digital Audio Workstation): You've battled countless sonic battles with various DAWs. Which one consistently emerges victorious and why?
Kind of a cop out answer but I have two that I swear by:
Ableton: is like the girlfriend. I use ableton mainly for production. She’s a great all-rounder, fun, super intuitive, can get into flow really quickly, sample manipulation is fire and faster than any daw I’ve used, editing is super easy and one of the better looking daws IMO (dark mode setting is gas).
Pro Tools: is like the wife. She handles recording and mixing like no other in my opinion. “InDUstRy StANdaRD”. The major downside to PT, however, is the production abilities which is why I use Ableton in tandem. All in all, she is not perfect but she handles engineering tasks like no other which is why she is wifey. At the end of the day I come back home to Pro Tools. That’s my bread and butter right there fam.
Hardware Instrument/Gear: Is there a piece of hardware (synthesizer, drum machine, etc.) that holds a special place in your studio, like a trusty sidekick or maybe even a quirky (but essential) nemesis?
My Shure SM7b dynamic mic. Great vocal microphone despite being around 1/9th the price of our main mic, the u87. 9 times out of 10 the u87 will be used during a session but the one time where the u87 isn’t the right fit, the SM7b does the trick.
What unique sonic sorcery does this hardware possess that even the most powerful software can't replicate?
It's a really solid vocal mic and most voices will sound good on it. Great for voice overs, podcasts, aggressive rock or rap vocals, and even guitar or bass.
Sonic Reference and Monitoring: What brand and model of studio monitors do you trust to tell you the harsh (but necessary) truth about your sonic creations?
At Palm Street we use the Genelec 8330A monitors. Paired with the matching genelec sub you get a really nice, smooth monitoring setup.
In the future Id like to get my hands on some old school Yamaha NS-10s. Studio classic. I’ve heard great results stemming from referencing on those speakers. They have a tone that forces you to dial in your midrange in a specific way which apparently translates to other playback systems really well.
I think I should also mention that in addition to the studio monitoring, I will “monitor” a mix in the car. As cliche as it is, the whip test is essential. I do most of my listening in the car so it’d make sense to test a mix in there as well.
I’ll also test on a small bluetooth speaker (Wonderboom 3) that I have just to hear how everything is cutting on a smaller speaker.
Studio Headphones: Friend or Foe?: Do you have a preferred pair of studio headphones that are like your constant companions on the journey of mixing and mastering? Or are they more like frenemies, offering valuable insights but occasionally driving you slightly insane with their sonic quirks?
I love working on headphones and I swear by them. The main thing is to learn the character and tone of them and to test on other sources that you know well ie. the car, bluetooth speaker etc. I just like how portable they are and the flexibility to work anywhere you want.
For recording I like to use the Audio Technica M50x. Solid headphones and I know them pretty well I’d say.
When I “work from home” I use my open back Sennheiser HD600’s. I’ve gotten great results from mixing till 85% completion on these puppies then checking the studio monitors to finalize the mix.
I’ll also test the mix on airpods and wired airpods since many people consume music through these devices. Gotta know what they’re hearing u know what i'm saying hash.
The Studio Oddball (But Secretly Essential): Aside from the usual suspects, is there a unique item in your studio that you find surprisingly indispensable? This could be anything from a ridiculously comfortable beanbag chair to a collection of vintage vinyl records used for unconventional sound effects.
My collection of crystals and salt lamps: whenever we have new artists or people pulling up to our events we always get complimented on how the space always has a good vibe/vibration. I don’t have scientific proof as to why that is but I have a feeling these crystals might have something to do with that. Who knows tho, I am but a man.
Oil diffuser and incense: vibes are everything, if a place smells nice it can only add to the creativity of a room.