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94 - Modular Synths
Giannis Kampiotis
July 14, 2023
Artist Interviews 🎶 Studio Tours 🎛
Hello music people 👋
I’m on vacation ⛵☀️🏖 so for the next few issues I’ve curated compilations that feature a specific attribute or type of gear.
On this issue we’ll take a look of G.A.S. Newsletter featured artists that have modular synths in their studios.
Studios
What's the one thing in your studio you can't live without?
I'd have to go with my Eurorack modular system. I designed this rack for the purpose of creating cinematic textures and drones. I usually do this by sampling some kind of acoustic instrument (violin, mandolin, ukulele, vocals etc.) and running that through some pitch shifting, time stretching, and granular processing with a bit of reverb and/or delay at the end of the signal chain.
It's an incredibly versatile process that produces vastly different results depending on what you sample into it and is something I use in some capacity on just about every project I've worked on. And the best part is I never feel like I'm completely in control of what the instrument is doing. Every time I sit down with it, something unique and unexpected happens. Like the modular has a will of its own and I'm just along for the ride.
What's your process?
The biggest part of my process is resampling my own sounds, beats, and entire tracks.
We all make those little ditties that don't ever really turn into anything. I make A LOT of them. I try to record as much as possible. Then, I take all of it, and try to smash it together into something new. The key is that I will do this with the same samples over and over. Each time I make something new with them, I'll record it, cut it up and mutate the results, and use it again.
Process and re-process, that's my process.
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What's the one thing in your studio you can't live without?
Without hesitation a sequencer! I compose everything on a hardware sequencer, in my opinion, PCs are formidable weapons for mixing but shit for composing music, moreover I love the repetitive side of musical patterns and I focus on the musical intention rather than complexity.
In short, I could not do without my Cirklon and my Nerdseq.
Has building a hardware setup changed your perspective on music or life in general?
Yes and Yes.
It has given me the ability to build what I have only dreamt of, as well as mold my way of thinking about everything in life.
I now try to go to the most modular core of what ever it is I am trying to learn. I am more analytical about everything, as well as more aware of life itself every single day.
What is a production technique that you always come back to?
Put a kick, hats and claps under a track and speed up the tempo.
To see all the issues that feature modular synths click here.
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Giannis @giannis.kampiotis
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