Weapons of Choice

[Monts! ter®]

When you step in the studio to start a project, what equipment do yo use? There are so many different ways someone can attack how they want to create their music. Some peope prefer to be analog, some digital. Some people like MPCs and some people like workstations. Then comes the digital side of things with the VSTs and your plugins and all other types of stuff.

I know some people feel like it's a secret and they think that saying what they use will not give them the "competitive edge". Understand you are not the only person using that piece of equipment. It's all about preference and what you like to use leaving out HOW you use it.

I feel just because you know what equipment i use doesnt mean you can do me. Because Nobody can do me BUT me. me...period.

[Monts! ter®]

Weapons Of Choice: Believe it or not

FruityLoop5
Reason 3.0
Korg K49 Controller
Cool Edit Pro

When i am in making music mode, the last thing i do is make a music. All i do is create, turning this knob to see what would happen, combining these 2 or 5 sounds to see what happens. 80% of my time i spend experimenting teaching myself new methods of creation. All this is going on before an artist drops by. The other 20% is the easy part, making the music. The concept, arrangements, new lil ideas to make a song fitwith the concept. A million things are free flowing in the creation process. All of this on an average takes 15 minutes to an hour. there is no ned to rush or go slow. I just go how i m feeling and so far the esult speak for themselves.

I work on my weak areas to me and also what some people "say" is not good. I use that as a footstone because that only diversifies my craft and makes me better as a producer. Dont want to give ya'll too much in the first discussion. Besides only I can do me just like only you can do you. Thats what akes music unique

[Monts! ter®]

UPGRADES!!!

Reason 4
Sony ACID
WaveLab
Melodyne
Korg Kontroller
Sony MDR-7506 Studio Monitor Headphones
M-Audio Fast Track Pro Interface
MXL-770 Condenser Mic
Sony Vaio laptop
Infinity supply of plug-ins, VSTs and Reason Refills ---> I also create alot of sounds and Refills

[I Double L]

I Spend alot of time doing the same...I never sit down with a plan or a song in my head...I just sit here and stress relief lol. To me the hardest part is building the beat...I start from the claps..then drums...then I build everything into the full loop. Once Im happy with the full loop its easier to arrange..(In my opnion). I like having beats ready when different artist drop by ...so I dont feel like I got pressure to provide on the spot ya know.

[The Product]

Logic Studio 8
Native Instruments
M-Audio trigger Finger & Radium 49 controller
Roland Fantom Xa & SH-201
MPC ( sometimes )


It depends on how i feel. I can make tracks, but I'd rather just put a a song together in a group effort. Have writers and beatmakers come together so to speak. I like finished products. I like working with different people to bring ideas to life. that to me is the best part of music. From the sitting down thinking and scratching your head to lightbulbs switchiing on and off. To the silent moment when everyone is drawing blanks, until someone gets up and smile for joy cause they got something. I LOVE MUSIC MAYNE!

[Monts! ter®]

Beautiful aint it?

[I Double L]

My Studio is in my Home.....Me and my Homey got the Same studio just different equipment...

I start with the MPC and Drums....Then I go through and may record some samples into the MPC and Chop shop time....

If that dont work...I turn on the Microkorg see what I can get...if I get somethin there then I use Abelton Live 7. I Love the advantage of Recording Clips.. Then I just Let the beat build...may Use Kontakt 3..or Dimension Pro for additional sounds.
Then once its tight....I Dump it all into Pro Tools...Get it cued up...If Imma rap on it then....I start writing on the spot...Record it it Mix it...Get satisfied with that...Take it to the Chevy...make sure I can hear the bassline, voices, instruments, all that...

then I bring it back in dump it in Sound Forge and Master it

[Monts! ter®]

All in a day's work huh man? I feel you on that. Kontakt 3 has some nice full sounds I have played with Sound Forge, its a nice software for mixing and mastering.

[I Double L]

They call me the ADD producer lol...cause I give it about 20 minutes if the ideas dont start rolling I move on...If I keep hittin the wall I stop. I watched the sessions of Jay Z fade to Black..when he said...DOnt force the music it was the best line I ever heard. Im in a beat making drought now..I aint made nothin in about 3 weeks..

[Monts! ter®]

You got a point Double. Fade to Black was a good look.l I'm not gonna lie, for years I just skipped to the studio sessio chapters on the DVD man. I mean the goal is to get on that level where those studios are so hey...One goal I reach for now is to give people that scrounged up face Timbaland gave Jay-Z when he heard "Dirt Of Ya Shoulders" for the first time.When they hear my production I want the same results. Just a bunch of scrounged up faces, lol.

[TheTotalPkg:BlackGyver]

REASON 4.0
LOGIC 8
M Powered ProTools
Wavelab
M Audio (Axiom, Oxy49)
MPD24
ProjectMix I/O
ST55 Condenser Mic
Numark Turntables and 950 mixer
iMac
HP laptop
Resolv 50, Resolv 40, M Audio AV40

[Jon Linen]

I feel like if you won't tell what equipment you use then you have a problem, lol. It shouldn't be any trade secret. I like what you said in The post Monts. Nobody can do you, but you. Is as good as it will get.

I like my sounds to be real, I normally bring everything through some sort of preamp or mic input. My gear is analog until it hits the digital processors and go into logic. I chop/process everything in the asr-10 and go into logic.

I could easily say that 80 percent of everything is like that. But i use different equipment also, mpc, moog, record player, or cassette player.

I love Analogue because it has that warmth and low end. Even though I strip all the low end out sometimes, lol. Once it's end I add synths from logic and comp drums and stack snares.

"If it don't bump bump in the trunk it aint knock" - Mystical/Outcast

jonlinen
786.704.7066
myspace.com/jonlinen

[Monts! ter®]

Ok, I have heard producers, especially the vintage producers who love their analog set ups becasue tey like that warmth full thick sound that comes from those machines as opposed to digital. The fact that you have it set up to where have the best of both worlds is a plus!