This is Show Us Your Studio, a chance for our readers to show off their set-up, shout about their gear and invite the world into their home studio. This week's studio shot has been submitted by MusicRadar reader Philip Fore.
Tell us about your studio set-up? What do you love about it?
"The gear in my studio has been through a lot of transitions since the early 2000s. My current setup is the trial and error result of finding what tools accommodate my workflow demands the best. What I especially love most about my studio is the accessibility. Everything is clocked/synced via MIDI so I can control the communication to and fro very quickly and precisely. Having all the hardware conveniently routed to a mixer and readily available to play really helps when you’re in the moment and want to grab a certain sound."
Tell us a little about your musical background and the music that you make in your studio?
"I started playing guitar as a teenager but was more interested in exploring and breaking sonic territories rather learning music. I went from plugging my guitar into a pedalboard arsenal to plugging in a synthesizer and drum machine and never looked back.
"I was heavily influenced by the '90s Warp and '80s Wax Trax! Records era. I love creating electronic music with a flair of structure and unconventionality. This also accommodates my personal spiritual philosophies. I enjoy building things up, breaking them apart and create new and surprising sounds. I can write very quickly and prefer working in an improvisational, live environment. I tend to approach creating from a jazz/experimental angle, embracing unpredictable and accidental results."
What's your favourite piece of gear in your studio and why?
"My laptop. My primary tools are a 50/50 split of Ableton Live and Native Instruments Maschine. I use Ableton as an audio/MIDI mix bus powerhouse. It acts as the master clock to sync the hardware and supervise all MIDI information while allowing endless routings and configurations limited only by your own imagination.
"I used Akai MPCs for years as the brains of my setup prior to the Maschine being released. I’m really percussion-driven so I prefer to sequence beats with an MPC-style 4x4 16-step grid rather the traditional linear technique. I use Maschine as a plugin inside Ableton and that’s where it really shines! You can send virtual audio/MIDI channels back and forth with each other and build complex routings to experiment and construct with.
"Essentially I use Ableton and Maschine as glorified grooveboxes on steroids. Endless fun and inspiration. Using computers really opens the doors to incredible and innovative creative possibilities and it’s only going to get wilder!"
What was the first bit of gear you ever owned?
"Outside of my teenage guitar phase it would have to be the original Korg Electribe ER-1 that's in my photo and I still use it frequently. Amazing sounds and functionality. I’m a beat machine/groovebox junkie and a sucker for nostalgia so I will indeed be buried with it!"
What dream piece of gear would you love to own if money was no object?
"Definitely one of the newer Moog One synthesizers. I mean come on, just look at that thing! Ridiculous!"
Listen to Philip Fore's track Synapsr below or hear more on Bandcamp.
Philip's gear list
- Korg Wavestate
- Arturia Minifreak
- Elektron Analog Four
- Korg Electribe EA-1
- Korg Electribe ER-1
- Faderfox PC12
- MacBook Pro
- Ableton Live
- Ableton Push
- NI Maschine
- NI Kontrol M32
- AKAI MIDIMIX
- AKAI LPK25
- Tascam Model 12
- MOTU M4
