We recently asked three prominent producers Robin Kohl of Jazzworx, Lloyd Niemandt of Wired Sound Studios and Darryl Torr of Openroom Productions to share some of their favourite studio equipment and tips. Here is what they had to say.

Darryl Torr: Openroom Productions

Grammy-Award-winning record producer Darryl Torr is one of the most recognisable players in the industry. As owner of Openroom Productions – he has worked with almost every big name in the industry, from Soweto Gospel Choir, to Zebra and Giraffe and Louise Carver.

My favourite tools in the studio right now are: The iPad and vintage Wurlitzer.

  • iPad: “One of the things that define recording through the ages is technology. The iPad is a new device and it’s constantly being developed as a recording studio tool. When it comes to production, it’s become indispensable for creating and developing exciting new sounds within production.’
  • Wurlitzer: “We have a vintage Wurlitzer which is really nice as we have to mic it up and create new and unique sounds. Because its analogue, it keeps the essence of what we always try to do –recording good musicianship first and then expand it into the digital realm of the recording and mixing.’

If we could buy new studio gear right now it would be:

The SL 6000E mixing console.
“We use the plug-in all the time but having the real thing would make a world of difference. The 6000E is an advanced system for production and post-production and it is designed to serve the most exacting needs of the music, video and teleproduction industries.’

Our DAW of choice is: Pro Tools. “This is because the program has been written with old school recording style in mind, making it extremely versatile for the recoding process.

My tip: A great sounding mix starts with the recording and not during the actual mixing process. We find this is a concept not many musicians today take into consideration and always think it can be fixed during the mix. The actual recording process of each individual instrument and musician dictates the sound of the mix.’

Robin Kohl: Jazzworx 

Kohl is one of South Africa’s leading mix and mastering engineers. At present he heads up Jazzworx – a top production company known for releasing successful acts such as Lira, Malaika and 340ml.

My favourite tools in the studio right now are:

Focal Twin6 Be studio monitors and Mac Pro Quad Core workstations.

  • Focal Twin 6 monitors: “I love the sound of these monitors; they are natural and transparent – we have them setup with Dangerous ST controllers in each room and they are really impressive.
    The Twin6 Be is the best seller of the Focal Professional range and the most versatile work tool of the SM6 line. It represents the only necessary solution for recording, mixing and mastering. The image precision, treble definition as well as midrange neutrality are at the heart of its reputation. The excellent articulation of the bass and midbass registers, even at very high sound levels, makes it an unavoidable reference for engineers who require absolute transparency. Also the design of the Twin6 Be permits a high SPL while at the same time offering a stable tonal balance.
    One of the two 6.5′ woofers works in large band (midrange – bass) whereas the other reproduces from 40 to 150Hz. This creates a bass that preserves all the signal dynamics, without any masking effect in the midrange, therefore keeps all its neutrality and transparency.’
  • Mac Pro Quad Core: “The Mac Pro Desktop Computer Workstation from Apple is the company’s premiere desktop workstation. The system is built with performance in mind, and is an ideal computer for use with demanding applications in the music industry. The computer is housed in a striking tower form factor, highlighted by a silver front grille which provides easy access to USB 2.0 and FireWire-800 ports, as well as a headphone jack. Sturdy handles aid in transporting the system when necessary.’

If we could buy new studio gear today it would be:

The SSL AWS 924.

“I love the SSL AWS 924 mainly because it works with almost any DAW as a controller – you get a SSL bus compressor and 24 pres with stereo and 5.1 monitor control. It’s an all-in-one machine with huge appeal. Our environment caters for numerous operators and as such, depending on your choice of DAW or project needs, this would be a dream come true!’

My DAW of choice is: Cubase 6. “It has some amazing new features and speed. However, at Jazzworx we have numerous DAW solutions catered for every individual’s needs – be it music composition, post-production or mastering. We also have suites of applications and hardware for all kinds of jobs, from vintage pres, mics, compressors, plug-ins, Logic, Pro Tools, Wavelab, Cubase, native instruments and so on.

My Tip: Listen to a lot of music, remember why you got into the game and keep the flame alive that one day you’ll retire without debt.’

Lloyd Niemandt: Wired Sound Studios

Hailing from a solid recording industry background, Niemandt works at Wired Sound Studios – one of Johannesburg’s best recording facilities. Boasting state-of-the-art equipment, the studio has become the first choice of some pretty serious names in the local music and media communities.

My favourite tools in the studio right now are: The Presonus ACP 88 Compressor and Roland MC808.

  • Presonus ACP 88 Compressor: “This baby is used to control levels whilst recording and has a very smooth and transparent sound – hardware side chains and gates are great for experimenting with new sounds and synth-based effects. With eight dynamics processors in one unit, you can employ tricks that aren’t possible with other processors. The Channel Link feature lets you lock together as many channels as you wish, so that all processors follow the setting of the master processor. Since you can create multiple simultaneous link groups, you could link a stereo pair of channels plus a group of four processors and still have two unlinked channels for other applications.’
  • Roland MC808. “This is a classic analogue pattern-based drum sampler and synthesiser. With Roland’s most sophisticated processor at its core, the MC-808 possesses top-of-the-line sampling, sequencing, and synthesizer features. The MC-808 allows any sounds to be sampled, edited, and added to the song WAV and AIF files can also be imported from computer via USB. A few “must have’ sounds from the MC-909 are also included.’

If we could buy new studio gear today it would be:

The Presonus StudioLive 16.0.2. “This is an excellent-sounding compact digital mixer with a flair for connectivity and extensibility. You get unprecedented freedom to work the way that works best for you. StudioLive technology certainly lives up to its name: a powerhouse in the studio – with stunning live capabilities that give us more than a glimpse into the future of live mixing. The PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 even offers QMix wireless aux mix control software for your iPhone and iPod Touch.’

My DAW of choice is: Cubase. “It has a great warm sound that suits many types of projects. It has loads of headroom to work with and its editing features are fast and user friendly.

My Tip: Many producers and engineers over-compress and use too much EQ than is necessary, leading to a very synthetic, unnatural sound. Less is more, subtlety is the key. Also, quality productions start with the signals / sources so always use the highest quality samples and recordings you can – no amount of mixing talent and gear will make poor recordings sound great.’