Marco Niemerski aka Tensnake is a producer, DJ and label boss known for making 80s-inspired house and disco. Following his huge 2010 hit, Coma Cat, he collaborated with Nile Rodgers, Jacques Lu Cont and Jamie Lidell, played stages from Coachella to Glastonbury. But what will happen when we ask him to spec up his fantasy Forever Studio? Can we successfully upsell his dreams, or will he get bogged down in plumbing logistics? Listen to find out.
Chris Barker:
I'm Chris Barker.
Will Betts:
And I'm Will Betts, and you're listening to the MusicTech My Forever Studio podcast.
Chris Barker:
In this podcast, we speak with artists, DJs, producers, and industry figureheads about their fantasy "forever" studio.
Will Betts:
This will be built within the confines of our strict niche rules, and the final selection will be a studio our guest will have to live with forever.
Chris Barker:
"What are these rules?", I hear you ask. Well, our guests can select computer, a DAW, an audio interface, and then they can only choose six further bits of studio kit, plus one luxury item.
Will Betts:
But Chris, what if they spot a collection of plug-ins together sold as one item?
Chris Barker:
NO BUNDLES!
Chris Barker:
Both: NO BUNDLES.
Chris Barker:
No bundles. Those are the rules, no bundles.
Chris Barker:
So, today, Marco Niemersky, AKA Tensnake, is joining us. Tensnake is a German DJ and producer known for making 80s inspired house and disco. He had a huge in 2010 with Coma Cat. He's also the label boss of True Romance. He's played Glastonbury. Coachella, Tomorrowland, loads and loads of festivals. His debut album "Blow" in 2014 saw him collaborate with Nile Rodgers, Jacques Lacond, Jamie Lidell, and Fiora, who he worked with pretty regularly.
Will Betts:
In 2020, Tensnake is putting out his sophomore LP, which is dropping in October. We're looking forward to finding out what gear he's using to make it.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, let's find out. This is My Forever Studio with Tensnake.
Will Betts:
Welcome.
Marco (Tensnake):
Hey guys, how's it going?
Chris Barker:
Very, very good.
Will Betts:
Good, how are you?
Marco (Tensnake):
I'm very good, thank you. I'm in the middle of a renovation, house renovation, so apologies if you hear some noises in the background, but it should be fine, I think.
Will Betts:
Good, good. Good. And, you're in Hamburg?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, correct, yeah. I moved back to Germany last year.
Will Betts:
Okay. Where were you before Hamburg, then?
Marco (Tensnake):
Los Angeles.
Will Betts:
Right, okay.
Chris Barker:
So, you heard the rules there?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yes.
Chris Barker:
How are you, to start? I mean, talking of locations, that's where we usually start. Where in the world would you put your forever studio? You know, money no object, dream situation, where would you build it?
Marco (Tensnake):
If I could, I think I would pick ... I don't care so much about the country, but I think nature would be important. Lots of green and forest and wood around me. I don't know, lately I watched a documentary and it took place in ... it was about the northeast of the States, so Maine and that area.
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
It looked really nice, I have to say. I've never travelled that part of the US, so I feel like there's a lot of nature, but you can also be close to, I don't know, New York City if you need to. Maybe there.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, I was going to say, how important is that to you, being still in touch with a scene or a city? Some people really like the idea of rejecting that when they're making music, and other people like to embrace what's going on.
Marco (Tensnake):
Actually, I really like the idea. You know, I was fantasising about moving to the countryside not too long ago. Then, I was forced to do it because, like I mentioned earlier, I started the house renovation or the flat and things got a little bit crazy, so I had to... I couldn't move in, but I had to move out of my old place and I didn't find anything within Hamburg, so I had to move a little bit further out, and there was a lot of nature and really nothing else. It was a super small town. Then the pandemic happened, so I was trapped there for six months.
Chris Barker:
Right, yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
It was super nice for the first two or three months, but then I was like, "No thank you! Let's go back to the city."
Marco (Tensnake):
I guess both would be nice.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, so sort of-
Marco (Tensnake):
Good balance.
Chris Barker:
10 miles outside of the city, or something?
Marco (Tensnake):
Perfect.
Chris Barker:
Feels remote but ... yeah, okay. What's the kind of vibe of that studio? I mean, are we talking a wooden cabin or do you like it modern? Spaceships?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, I would like to have some sort of 60s/70s bungalow. Like, big windows, modern building, very minimal.
Chris Barker:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Marco (Tensnake):
Maybe wooden interior, then you feel like you're outside in nature. That would be nice.
Chris Barker:
And with regards to the studio design, is it the same kind of thing? Ideally, would it kind of have that kind of vintage, retro feel? Or would you go for modern? Or really... some studios kind of look old [crosstalk 00:04:38] Like the Jimi Hendrix studio, kind of, in that kind of strong room in London, they can look kind of quite organic.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, no. Yeah. I like organic, but not too organic, maybe, I don't know. I mean, I like the look and the sound of wood panels and everything, so that would be nice. But I would probably set it up in the living room. I don't think that would be too much stuff lying around, so I need to be... I need it to be a little bit tidy and clean. Not too organic, hah.
Chris Barker:
Okay. Yeah. I like the way we're all kindly using that word 'organic' to mean messy and, yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
I'm just looking around, it looks pretty shitty behind me.
Chris Barker:
Don't worry, people can't see what we can see on the webcam. He's doing a renovation guys, he's fine. It's mid-renovation, yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, my forever excuse!
Will Betts:
So, is this a thing for you, then, Marco? DO you try to keep the studio shipshape before you get started? Or is it not the way?
Marco (Tensnake):
Not at all. It's just, I don't know. I think for many years I thought, "I really need the perfect studio to being able to make great music". I think everybody goes through that phase, maybe. It's great to have that, but because I travelled so much and I moved around, I had to adapt.
Marco (Tensnake):
First I moved to Berlin, and I was able to find a nice spot. That was, for the first time, where I was able to also take care of the acoustics. So, I had somebody measuring the room, and it sounded super nice. It's totally worth it. Then, not too much later, I decided to move to Los Angeles, and I didn't have anything. I just had my monitors, speakers, MIDI controller, laptop, that was it. In the beginning, I was like this doesn't work at all, but then you get used to it. Now, that's almost my perfect setup. Super basic. Minimal.
Chris Barker:
And that's the end of the podcast. Wonderful. That's fantastic news. And we're done. It's been a blast.
Chris Barker:
In all seriousness though, that could be great news for you, because as we move along, you're going to get limited anyway.
Chris Barker:
Let's start off with a computer: Mac or PC?
Marco (Tensnake):
Okay.
Chris Barker:
Like, these first few items are free. So, Mac or PC, and why?
Marco (Tensnake):
It's got to be a Mac. I've just worked with ... Well, when I started, I had a PC. Back then, I used Logic. Then, Apple decided to buy the company, which was, I think, Emagic or something like that, from Hamburg. Then they ditched the PC version and I think I swapped to Cubase, maybe.
Marco (Tensnake):
Then, much later, I don't know... Windows wasn't that stable. Everybody knows that. I decided to buy a Mac, and I have to say, ever since, I've never had any issues. Nothing crashes, at least over here. It's working fine. And my phone is from Apple, so everything is connected now. Once you're hooked, I guess that's it.
Chris Barker:
And would you go ... Would you want a laptop so you could be mobile?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, that's...
Chris Barker:
Do you work [crosstalk 00:08:19] or would you want one of those supercharged studio machines?
Marco (Tensnake):
I wouldn't mind that if ... Okay. I can pick, right?
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
You're paying for it.
Chris Barker:
It's all on us.
Marco (Tensnake):
I would probably go for the Mac Pro.
Chris Barker:
Okay.
Marco (Tensnake):
Fully equipped and an iPad on the side, maybe, for emails.
Will Betts:
Whoa.
Will Betts:
No bundles.
Chris Barker:
No bundles!
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh...
Chris Barker:
He tried to sneak that in, Will, did you see how casual he was about it? "Oh, and then just an iPad..." No! No, you can't just sneak in an extra.
Marco (Tensnake):
Okay.
Chris Barker:
If you want an iPad, it will be later on as one of your items.
Marco (Tensnake):
Hmm. Okay.
Chris Barker:
So we've got Mac.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
What about your DAW? Are you sticking with Logic, then, on the Mac?
Marco (Tensnake):
No, I'm actually working in AbleLife, and that would be probably my go-to DAW.
Chris Barker:
Tell us about that switch, then, because obviously you switched an entire platform for Logic and then left Logic behind.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, that's true.
Chris Barker:
So they won in the end, didn't they? They won.
Marco (Tensnake):
No, they didn't. I also don't like ... I have to say, I don't like the look of Logic. It just looks, I don't know, too clean. In the beginning, it was a big, steep learning curve with Ableton, but now I just love it. I know it inside-out. It's very quick, the routing is very intuitive, and I even like the look of it now, which I didn't in the beginning.
Chris Barker:
Nice, nice. Okay. So we've got Mac, we've got Ableton, and the next free choice before we go into your items is the audio interface. You must have had a few in your time. Any high points? Low points? Then, tell us about your dream audio interface for your forever studio.
Marco (Tensnake):
It used to be RME. I think they're super reliable. They're also very good with latency and everything. Then, I went for the Apollo UAD and also got into their plugins.
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
They are really good, really nice. I think I could live without it, but I'm totally happy with the interface, so I would probably choose that again.
Chris Barker:
So, the flagship Apollo?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
The top?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, isn't there... I think there's a newer one, probably. I don't even need that many channels anymore, but, why not?
Chris Barker:
So, would you go for the desktop twin, then, or would you go for one of the rack-mount ones?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, the rack-mount.
Chris Barker:
Rack mount.
Marco (Tensnake):
The Apollo 8.
Will Betts:
We're going to upsell the dream.
podcast audio sample:
Upsell your dream.
Will Betts:
You're a little bit like, "Oh, it doesn't matter." It does matter, this is the forever studio. You want to get it now, because you're going to have to live with this forever.
Marco (Tensnake):
Well, what else is there? I don't know interface. I didn't really look into new interfaces, I have to say, lately.
Chris Barker:
It is one of those things, isn't it? It's kind of one of those purchases you want to buy and forget about, because it's quite boring but it's very important.
Marco (Tensnake):
Exactly.
Will Betts:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
It is, yeah.
Will Betts:
So I think, yeah.
Will Betts:
We've got you down for an Apollo 8x, with the approved conversion, that'll run your plugins. But we'll get to that.
Marco (Tensnake):
Awesome.
Will Betts:
We'll get to that.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, you don't get any plugins, just what comes with it. No bundles.
Will Betts:
No bundles!
podcast audio sample:
No bundles!
Marco (Tensnake):
Okay.
Will Betts:
Now we are straight into the first of your items.
Marco (Tensnake):
First of six.
Will Betts:
The first of six.
Marco (Tensnake):
Okay.
Will Betts:
This is: software, hardware...
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh!
Will Betts:
Don't forget, you don't have any speakers or headphones, so you're going to need some of those as one of your first items, surely.
Chris Barker:
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Marco (Tensnake):
What about the infrastructure, like, telephone, internet? What about that? Electricity? Toilet?
Chris Barker:
That's the first four gone!
Will Betts:
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
"Great studio, no toilet." That's the TripAdvisor review that nobody wants, isn't it? "Good job, you're in the woods."
Will Betts:
Nice.
Chris Barker:
You get all of that stuff.
Marco (Tensnake):
Okay.
Chris Barker:
So you get, you know, you have studio furniture and cable. We're talking about main items of equipment.
Marco (Tensnake):
Right.
Chris Barker:
Your monitors or headphones, if you prefer headphones, or if you want those as well, you'll need something to hear from unless you're going to listen ... you're going to monitor all of your audio out of the back of your iMac, I guess.
Marco (Tensnake):
No, let's not do that. Okay, I go for monitors. I will probably, again it's super boring, I will pick the same I'm using right now. You know, I'm so used to them. I don't feel like I need anything else at the moment.
Chris Barker:
Come on, let us upsell it. What do you have now?
Marco (Tensnake):
It's from a German brand, it's called, they're called KS Digital. They're not super popular.
Chris Barker:
Really? Okay, this is interesting, then. Just a new brand for us. A new brand for the podcast. Tell us about KS Digital. How did you hear of them?
Marco (Tensnake):
It was many years ago, a mastering guy from Berlin, Lubbosh, who, what's the place called again? I forget the name of mastering studio, but he told me about it. I checked them out and I really liked the sound. You don't need a sub really, they go down to 35Hz. Yeah, they sound... they are not very charming, they are very precise and kind of cold.
Chris Barker:
Flat.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, very flat. But I think it's really great for making quick decisions and I don't get tired listening to them.
Chris Barker:
What size are they? Are they like, 8 inches across or five inches ... ?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, eight, eight inch.
Chris Barker:
Eight. So they go the proper full range. Okay.
Will Betts:
So, is that the two way? Does that ... Oh, okay.
Chris Barker:
So this is the C88 reference.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yes, that's correct. Yes.
Chris Barker:
So are they two way or three way? Do I have a tweeter in the middle as well?
Marco (Tensnake):
No.
Chris Barker:
Or they're just two way?
Marco (Tensnake):
It's two... yeah.
Chris Barker:
Oh, but it's a coaxial.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yes. Correct. Yeah.
Chris Barker:
Okay.
Marco (Tensnake):
And, I don't know too much about the company, really, I think they do a lot in the live event ... radio studio scene?
Chris Barker:
Okay, so like instal and broadcast and that kind of thing.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, exactly.
Chris Barker:
Interesting.
Marco (Tensnake):
So, yeah.
Chris Barker:
Well, that's a new one for us.
Will Betts:
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
That's a new one for us. If anybody's listening hearing Will Google away there is uh... [crosstalk 00:14:35] it's new to as well, Will, right?
Will Betts:
It is new to me, yeah. Yeah.
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Will Betts:
This is interesting.
Chris Barker:
Well, well done for surprising us on the podcast.
Marco (Tensnake):
Awesome. I'm glad, guys.
Will Betts:
We need a-
Chris Barker:
A new sound effect-
Will Betts:
We need a jingle for somebody surprising us. We don't have that. Like, "aah". [crosstalk 00:14:50] Actually, let's not use that.
Chris Barker:
I'll just put a huge reverb on that, and that's it.
Will Betts:
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
Aah! There you go.
Will Betts:
Done.
Chris Barker:
Ah, we work fast. That's good. But as it's your sort of forever studio, do the KS Digital guys do instals? Would you want them to put like, big wall, or are you really happy with those ones that you've got?
Marco (Tensnake):
I'm completely happy.
Chris Barker:
Okay.
Marco (Tensnake):
I mean, I wouldn't mind... I also really like the focal ones for dance music. They're great for bass heavy music. But, I'm so used to them, and I hate this, like, everybody hates it. Like, you get dropped into a new place, new speakers, and you have to adapt again. Everything sounds weird.
Will Betts:
Well, you're already having to find a safe place to go to the toilet, aren't, you, in the woods?
Marco (Tensnake):
Exactly.
Will Betts:
You don't want any more stress.
Marco (Tensnake):
No!
Chris Barker:
No more stress for the speakers.
Will Betts:
Yeah, no more surprises.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, especially, you know there's going to be bears and all sorts where you've chosen in America. It's dangerous.
Will Betts:
That's true.
Chris Barker:
I'm not sure that it's mainly known for that, but, okay, yeah, I'll go with that.
Will Betts:
I think angry lobsters, maybe, I don't know.
Chris Barker:
Right.
Will Betts:
Angry lobsters.
Chris Barker:
So, we've got your monitor sorted. So, item number two, what's next in my forever studio?
Marco (Tensnake):
So, I got the DAW sorted, right? Speakers, item number two. I need an extra additional software synth, which would probably be either Serum: not very exciting, but very versatile.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, a popular choice.
Marco (Tensnake):
Or maybe even the Diva one, which I really like.
Chris Barker:
Okay, nice.
Will Betts:
Nice.
Chris Barker:
Is it ... That, that's u-he, u-he Diva?
Will Betts:
That's right.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, u-he. I really love the u-he stuff, I think it's super quality, but, maybe I go for serum because it's even ... It does sound more modern, I could probably do stuff with it that I couldn't do with the Diva.
Chris Barker:
Tell us about using Serum. Is it on the new LP a lot?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, pretty much on every song, I would say.
Chris Barker:
Wow, so yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
So, you definitely need that in your studio then.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, yeah. But, also, Diva as well. I have to make a decision, right?
Will Betts:
You could have, both, if you want.
Chris Barker:
But there would be two, there'd be two items.
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh, okay. Hmm.
Chris Barker:
That's one of the difficulties we've found, I mean, by using Ableton and maybe not Logic. You do get a little bit less in the plugin side, the bundles.
Marco (Tensnake):
Right. Yeah. Though, I have to say, I really like the wavetable synth from Life. It does sound good.
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
I'd go for Serum, okay.
Chris Barker:
Okay, go for Serum.
Marco (Tensnake):
Sorry, u-he.
Chris Barker:
What are you using Serum for, then? Is it for everything, or are there specific things you like it for?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, I like ... I use it mainly for like, snappy punchy stuff, really. Bass, as well as plucky sounds, lead sounds. Not so much for pad sounds or for the soft, background pads, which I think Diva is much better for, because you can obviously emulate all the old-school vintage synths. Yeah, I think it's super intuitive, Serum, it's quick, even the internal effect processing can sound okay-ish and add something to the overall sound. I think it's great for sounding modern.
Chris Barker:
Yeah... It's one of those synths that just sounds like a record as soon as you play, it goes through some of the presets and plays, like, "Oh, that sounds like something on the radio, straight away".
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah. Yeah, in the beginning I wasn't the biggest fan, because I thought it sounded quite cold, but then, you can add your own samples in there, whatever, analogue noise or whatever. You can actually do ... I think you could do very good vintage sounding pad sounds as well.
Chris Barker:
Have you ever done that? Have you ever done that on your tracks?
Marco (Tensnake):
Uh-uh. I'm too lazy. I just go for a different one. Or, maybe, I totally forgot about Omnisphere.
Chris Barker:
Uh-oh.
Will Betts:
Ooh.
Marco (Tensnake):
I mean, that's got everything in there.
Chris Barker:
Item number 3, do we want to go Omnisphere?
Marco (Tensnake):
No, no no no.
Chris Barker:
Do you like the way we're trying to push you on, and you're like, wait, I've got to think about this, I've only got six. That's the whole thing.
Marco (Tensnake):
Can I later, can I go back?
Chris Barker:
Oh, we can go back, yeah. That's fine.
Will Betts:
I'm noting it down.
Chris Barker:
We'll do a little summary at the end, and I'm sure you'll, once you hear it as a list, you'll start changing your mind.
Marco (Tensnake):
Okay, well, I go for Serum.
Chris Barker:
Go for Serum.
Marco (Tensnake):
...and let's move on.
Chris Barker:
We'll move on to item number three.
Marco (Tensnake):
Hmm, what else. So, it's five overall?
Chris Barker:
Six.
Marco (Tensnake):
Six, okay. Well, then, like I said before, most of my gear is boxed up in Berlin in my old studio, and I haven't really missed many things, I have to say. But, one thing I really miss is the old, not too fancy Oberheim Matrix 1000, which I really, really love. It's not the most sophisticated outport gear, but I really love it. I think it sounds very unique and gritty, and I feel like I can't really recreate that special sounds. So, I bought two of them to have them in stereo.
Will Betts:
Do you use a MIDI editor with them, like a remote MIDI editor?
Marco (Tensnake):
I didn't, I know it's out there. It's very... I think one MIDI key or note doesn't work. I need to fix them anyway, but I really miss them. I feel that's the one outport thing I would take with me.
Chris Barker:
We're going to...
podcast audio sample:
Upsell Your Dream
Chris Barker:
Again. But the Matrix 1000 is basically kind of a bit of a cut-down preset version of their big synths. I mean, it's the forever studio, you could get a big OBX, or...
Marco (Tensnake):
True, yeah. But, I kind of like the-
Chris Barker:
You don't have to limit yourself to a broken Matrix 1000.
Will Betts:
Can we upsell you on one that works?
Chris Barker:
Yeah, yeah. Lets at least give you one that works.
Marco (Tensnake):
No, I want the old one.
Chris Barker:
Are you sure you definitely want the 1000? You don't want to upsell to one of the big Oberheim synths or anything?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah. I'd keep the 1000.
Chris Barker:
Perfect. That's cool.
Will Betts:
That's what he likes.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, and your cabin only has to be tiny now, you're going to have a lot of space.
Marco (Tensnake):
That's how I like it.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, exactly.
Chris Barker:
If you're into music production, you should also check out Music Tech magazine. In this month's issue, we talked to production powerhouse Deadmau5 about collaboration and his recent move into tech development. We also find out from veteran producer Nick Lornee about recording Nick Cave and Idols.
Chris Barker:
Plus, get our verdict on the hotly anticipated Udio Super Six polysynth, the Pre-sonas Atom SQ controller, Melodyne Five, and more. Beyond that, we have a load of tutorials for Q-base, Logic, Live, and Studio One, and DAW agnostic workshops on sharpening your sound design skills and getting creative with reverb. You'll find all that and more in this month's issue. Subscribe now at musictech.net.
Chris Barker:
So, item number four.
Marco (Tensnake):
Number four... I would probably take something to polish the sound a little bit and to have some more outport, yeah I would probably go for the SSL Fusion, which is actually on my list, now at the moment.
Chris Barker:
Ah.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, I tried it out the other day and I think it sounds excellent. And especially...
Chris Barker:
What's the fusion? Fill me on ... is that the little ... no, that's the six track I'm thinking of. What's the fusion?
Will Betts:
Fusion is a rack mount, isn't it, for distortion and fun. It's like a funbox.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, it's like, your FAQ's in there, it's a little bit saturation. It's kind of like a mastering, finishing thing, but it sounds really great, I think. It's not too expensive, especially if you work in the box, which I mainly do, I think it's a nice addition.
Chris Barker:
How would you see yourself using something like that, it'd be kind of taking ... plugging in instruments like Serum or out of...
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
Run through it ...
Marco (Tensnake):
Either way, on single tracks or maybe just on the final pre-master, I'll polish it a little bit, make it... yeah. Something like that.
Chris Barker:
I think that's a new item as well, isn't it, will? For the Podcast?
Will Betts:
That is a new item, yeah. Very.
Chris Barker:
Good.
podcast audio sample:
Surprise!
Will Betts:
Yeah, your one's better, let's use yours. We'll audition a few of those later.
Chris Barker:
Yeah. So, the SSR Fusion, then, using that for the kind of music that you're making, Marco, is that ... How much of a difference do you think just that extra level of analogue makes to ...
Marco (Tensnake):
I don't think that ... I don't think anyone would really care. It doesn't matter, really.
Chris Barker:
You care.
Marco (Tensnake):
I care, yeah. It's just fun for me, it's just a nerdy thing, but in the end, I don't know. People are listening on their phones. Though, I have to say, I'm surprised how good phone speakers are these days. Even the new MacBook sounds incredible, I think.
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Will Betts:
It is surprisingly good, yeah. Yeah, some voodoo there.
Chris Barker:
Going back in time to Coma Cat, let's just talk about ... What was your setup when you were making that? Because, obviously that was a big change for you, that record.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
Right? That was a trajectory lift.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, for sure, yeah.
Chris Barker:
Take off.
Marco (Tensnake):
Actually, I did it, the setup was very similar to now, but of course, the plugins were not as great as they are these days. Yeah, I used to have really bad speakers, just like desktop computer speakers, nothing great. I used a lot of cracked software plugs, I think a lot of Arturia stuff back then, which I all bought hindsight.
Chris Barker:
Ooh. As soon as you had the hit, went on a big shopping spree.
Will Betts:
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
There's no cracked software allowed din the forever studio. We do check all the documentation.
Will Betts:
Yeah, full audit.
Chris Barker:
Very, very serious.
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh, I might need an iLok.
Will Betts:
We should probably throw that in.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, I feel like iLok should throw that in as well, but they don't, do they?
Will Betts:
Zing.
Chris Barker:
Item number five, we're racing through it now, you see? You're going to start panicking. Two items left.
Marco (Tensnake):
Number five, what else. What do I need? I need a controller, right? A keyboard, or something to work on. Or, does it come with an infrastructure?
Chris Barker:
You need whatever you need, my friend. You can have whatever, but yeah, if you're happy playing luscious chord patterns on a qwerty keyboard, then...
Marco (Tensnake):
No, no, I need a keyboard for sure. I'm happy with some, I don't know. I don't need 88 keys, just give me whatever, like a Native Complete or...
Chris Barker:
You might as well get the big one, there, in my forever studio.
Chris Barker:
So you would go for Native, you think? Because there's so much choice.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, there's so much choice.
Chris Barker:
So much choice in this world.
Marco (Tensnake):
To be honest, I never really like, I've tried so many different ones, and I end up not using the knobs at all, so I don't really care so much about the brand. But, I really like the Native one. It works and it looks fancy with all the lights.
Chris Barker:
There's always the discussion between sort of weighted piano-style keys or the synth keys, what are your preferences there?
Marco (Tensnake):
I don't really need it. Give me some whatever keyboard. I just don't want to work with the keyboard from the laptop. I was never able to. I tried many times on travels. Or the classic "producer working on the plane", like, I could never really get into that.
Chris Barker:
It's all show. Nobody does songs like that. It's just for their Instagrams.
Marco (Tensnake):
Uh, I'm not sure. But it doesn't work for me, so just any keyboard works.
Chris Barker:
Okay. We'll go with the native, the big Native controller, because it looks flashy.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, yeah. Why not
Will Betts:
Should we go 61 Key?
Chris Barker:
61 key, so it's not too flashy.
Marco (Tensnake):
Okay, perfect.
Will Betts:
Yeah, the 88 has the piano action, so let's go 61.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, it's too heavy.
Chris Barker:
61 without the piano. Yeah. Yeah, okay.
Will Betts:
Yeah, it seems a bit odd playing lead lines on a piano feel, there's something off-feeling about ...
Marco (Tensnake):
I actually ...
Will Betts:
I know what you mean about that.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, I had the ... is it, AKAI? No, was it Novation? I had the 88 key hammer weight.
Chris Barker:
It could have been AKAI. AKAI did a massive one, didn't they?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, I think it was from AKAI, actually. I never used it because the keys felt so weird. But, I guess if you're a real piano player it does make sense. For me, it just...
Chris Barker:
Yeah, for certain instruments, like acoustic, that feel, it feels more natural, but for synths it can feel a bit odd, having them bounce back on you.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, right. It's a little bit of a boring item, isn't it? A keyboard. But a MIDI controller
Chris Barker:
No, but you need it.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, I need it.
Will Betts:
Do you want to have something a bit weirder? Maybe you could go a Seaboard, you could go a...
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh, I don't want the Seaboard because I'm so annoyed by the YouTube ad. They can keep it. Also, it looks a little bit weird.
Chris Barker:
It's the Seaboard advert for us nerds, or it's the Deadmau5 saying, "This is a cardinal sin of EDM".
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh, hah.
Will Betts:
Perfect.
Chris Barker:
That's the other one, isn't it? You're just like, "Dude... How come I know that off by heart?" I wake up in the middle of the night saying that, like, aah!
Marco (Tensnake):
Exactly.
Chris Barker:
If you've ever looked at anything music production online, you will be seeing these adverts.
Will Betts:
Do you get the one that goes, "You don't even need to know production and chords at all!"
Chris Barker:
Oh!
Will Betts:
Do you get that one?
Chris Barker:
Is that the MIDI pack one?
Will Betts:
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, his MIDI pack is incredible. What an incredible Midi pack.
Marco (Tensnake):
It's crazy, yeah. I tweeted about it, but it's an amazing thing, if you have a company and you're just running online ads and you're selling a MIDI pack. I mean, of course! Fantastic. Done.
Chris Barker:
Do you find it strange in today's world that more people probably buy MIDI packs than buy actual music?
Marco (Tensnake):
Um, no. I think I was never one of those purist people. I think whatever works for you, go for it.
Chris Barker:
Fine, fine.
Will Betts:
Have you ever used a MIDI pack?
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh, for sure, yeah. Plenty of MIDI packs. But I just chop them up, or whatever, throw them into easy keys and just use the ... In easy keys, the great thing is you can just use any MIDI and adapt the way it's played, the rhythm and everything, and the inversion, let's say, on a new MIDI file. That's, sometimes ... I really like to try out different things and see what inspires.
Chris Barker:
So, is that your message of working then, it's kind of an experimentation, you don't like write a song in a traditional way? You will just...
Marco (Tensnake):
If I'm stuck, for sure. Or, if I feel like "Oh, today nothing great will come out", you either leave the studio, or I experiment.
Chris Barker:
So, we're on item number six. Before we do item number six, Will, can you do a little rundown? Do we have a little rundown, just as a reminder so you can picture what we've got?
Will Betts:
We're in the woods in Maine, in the northeast of the USA, in a 1960s very wooden bungalow. The living room is a studio. The DAW is Ableton Live, running on a fully-loaded Mac Pro with an Apollo 8X. The monitors are KS Digital C-88 Reference. For a soft synth, you have Serum, you have an Oberheim Matrix stashed in a rack, along with an SSL fusion. And, for controller, you have a Native Instruments Complete Control S61.
Marco (Tensnake):
And no Seaboard.
Will Betts:
How does that work?
Chris Barker:
Pretty good.
Will Betts:
Yeah, no Seaboard. Just the ads. So, the final studio item, before we go into your luxury item, what's the final studio item? What bit of gear is it going to be?
Marco (Tensnake):
I would probably go for the Bricasti reverb.
Will Betts:
Ooh.
Chris Barker:
There we go, we've got some big money spending started! I was waiting for this.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, because I never managed to buy it, also I don't really need it. But, since you guys are giving me the money, I have to buy it.
Chris Barker:
Of course, yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
It sounds great.
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
I heard it in a friend's studio, and it's probably the best. I don't care if it's the best, but it sounds great.
Chris Barker:
And, is it something that you hear and see a lot in studios, the Bricasti? Or, is it still quite rare?
Marco (Tensnake):
Not really. I rarely see it, to be honest.
Chris Barker:
Can we namedrop the friend's studio, like, who's got one?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, it's Lovebirds, actually. Busty. He moved to Berlin a couple of years ago. He's also originally from Hamburg, and I think he's together with the Soul [00:32:40] guys from the Sole label in Berlin, in a studio complex.
Chris Barker:
Okay. Very nice.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
I'm surprised. I'm very surprised there are no drum machines on this list, Marco.
Marco (Tensnake):
No.
Chris Barker:
Listening to some of your more recent stuff, it sounds like there might be some real drum machines going on, but no.
Marco (Tensnake):
It's all sample-based, yeah.
Will Betts:
What!
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
And are you put an individual sample hits into Ableton and triggering them, or are you dragging them onto the timeline? Are you using loops?
Marco (Tensnake):
Erm, it really depends. Sometimes it's loops, sometimes ... I still have this super old sample collection from ... I actually just found it, one second. This one, it's called Drums Overkill and it's super old.
Chris Barker:
Wow.
Will Betts:
Drums Overkill.
Chris Barker:
I'm just looking up at my shelf full of sample CDs that I used to review and seeing if I have it.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, exactly. So, it's from, I don't even know which ...
Chris Barker:
Best service, that.
Will Betts:
Yeah, Best service.
Marco (Tensnake):
It was like, one of the ... Yeah! Best service. Right. Terrible to instal and you know, it's probably like 12-bit samples, like really not great sounding, but there's everything on there. It has some really bizarre 90s dance record samples on there.
Will Betts:
Cool.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah. So, I used that, but also it really depends. Like, I guess the way I work is I don't have a setup, like a pre-load version. You know, when I start Able Live, it starts totally blank and I start from scratch every time. This way, I think I avoid to repeat myself.
Will Betts:
And, is that a deliberate choice, then? Or, is that just like...
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, sure.
Will Betts:
...You can't bother to make templates? I'm very much in the latter camp.
Marco (Tensnake):
No, I mean, it's not so hard
Will Betts:
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
I was just wondering... I wonder if there's a market for like, a Discogs but for vintage sample CDs that people exchange? There was an era, wasn't there, of those ones like Best service and ...
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh, yeah.
Chris Barker:
And...
Marco (Tensnake):
Doesn't... I think on Running Back you can buy some vinyl with samples on there.
Will Betts:
That's very cool, yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
Like, air horns.
Will Betts:
Air horns, yep.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yep.
Will Betts:
Got to have air horns.
Chris Barker:
That brings us onto our final luxury item, Marco. What's ... This is not studio related. This is something else entirely.
Marco (Tensnake):
Okay.
Chris Barker:
Maybe a keepsake or something you've taken with you around the world, or something that you feel brings you good luck in the studio? Or, something unrelated. We've had some weird stuff, too.
Marco (Tensnake):
Hmm.
Will Betts:
Yeah, we've had some weird stuff. You don't have to bring loved ones or pets, they're all there with you and it's all good. And toilets. Don't stress about that. Toilet roll, toilets, kitchens, food, you've got all of this. It's something luxury. Something, yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
What about a car? I'm in the middle of nowhere.
Chris Barker:
A car in the studio?
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh, in the studio, okay.
Chris Barker:
You've just completely killed the space you did have.
Marco (Tensnake):
That's why.
Chris Barker:
I think it would be quite cool if you walked into the studio ... I mean, it makes doing the car test a lot easier, doesn't it? You know, where you play it in the car? You'd just get in the car that's in your studio. I like it.
Marco (Tensnake):
I actually saw that the other day, like, someone had like a Porsche-y 911 in a photo studio, which looked pretty nice. I would, I don't know. Maybe I would go for some arcade machine, or pinball, probably.
Chris Barker:
Okay, yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
Something to distract.
Chris Barker:
We're both very much on board with arcade or pinball, but two very different beasts, the arcade versus the pinball.
Marco (Tensnake):
Oh, for sure, for sure.
Chris Barker:
Arcade, what era are we talking? Are we talking more Combat 90s, or are we talking Space Invaders, or?
Marco (Tensnake):
Nice. Probably like, late 80s, yeah.
Chris Barker:
Come on, give us some game highlights.
Marco (Tensnake):
1942, the one with-
Chris Barker:
Yes, that's a good one!
Marco (Tensnake):
With planes.
Chris Barker:
You can have that as a tabletop as well, can't you? A tabletop arcade that you look down on.
Marco (Tensnake):
Right.
Chris Barker:
Yeah
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, something like that would be nice.
Chris Barker:
Maybe one of those, what're they called "Mame"? "M-A-M-E?" Machines, where you can have all of the games in an arcade?
Marco (Tensnake):
Right, I saw that. Yeah, that would be great, right?
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
Maybe, even these days, you can have them. I saw you can buy them even on the PlayStation online store.
Chris Barker:
Oh, okay.
Marco (Tensnake):
Like, all the retro games.
Chris Barker:
That's not as cool though, is it, for a forever studio.
Marco (Tensnake):
No.
Chris Barker:
Let's get the big-
Marco (Tensnake):
Also, you need to stand up sometimes, so I think an arcade machine would be great.
Chris Barker:
Yeah, that's true actually. It's kind of a break from the studio chair, isn't it?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
So, we're going with 1942?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, yeah. For sure.
Will Betts:
Are you a bit of a gamer, as well then, Marco?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, still. I don't have that much time anymore, but lately, because of the pandemic, I got into gaming again.
Will Betts:
Uh-oh.
Chris Barker:
So, the release is getting pushed?
Will Betts:
Oh dear, to any Tensnake fans listening, don't expect any more music for a while.
Marco (Tensnake):
Hmm, maybe.
Chris Barker:
What are you playing right now?
Marco (Tensnake):
Well, at the moment, nothing, but I'm, as we speak, downloading Ghost of Soshima or what it's called? It's coming out on PlayStation and it looks incredible. I can't wait to actually
Chris Barker:
Are you going to get Play Station 5?
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, I think so. I will maybe wait a little bit, but maybe not, I don't know.
Chris Barker:
Maybe get another few EPs or LPs done first before you disappear into that hole?
Marco (Tensnake):
Right.
Chris Barker:
I'm judging you the same way, but you're maybe not like me. I can't. if I go down that rabbit hole, that's it. I just appear months later.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah, I used to be like that. I got better. I also really enjoy making music, so it's not a hard choice.
Will Betts:
Have you ever considered the crossover, then? Or, have you ever been involved in any game projects?
Marco (Tensnake):
No, not at all. I'm not sure how much fun that would be, really, for me. I can't imagine, yeah. I don't know, what I really enjoy about being able to make my own music and make a living with that is that I don't have to work as a service person. There's no client, there's no ... I'm not sure if I ... It's so emotional and personal, for me, music, that it would be weird. Maybe, I think you could probably get used to it very easily, and ...
Will Betts:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
Maybe, at the moment it wouldn't be a bad idea, you know, because DJ gigs not happening, but, yeah. Usually, I enjoy the freedom.
Chris Barker:
I get your point though, it's like as soon as you're involved in anything else like that in music, you do have a boss, and you have a project, and you have other people's opinions all the time.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah. Yeah.
Chris Barker:
You're not... Are you signed... you're not signed to one specific label? You just put records out on labels you choose, or your own label?
Marco (Tensnake):
Well, right now I'm signed to Armada.
Chris Barker:
So you do sort of have a boss. A little bit.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yes.
Chris Barker:
Yeah.
Marco (Tensnake):
They are great.
Chris Barker:
Yes, of course.
Marco (Tensnake):
I can do whatever I want, so. I can't release on my own label at the moment, or any other label.
Chris Barker:
That's the trade-off, isn't it? You have the support of a great big label like Armada.
Marco (Tensnake):
OH, yeah.
Chris Barker:
But, it comes with a conversation about each record.
Marco (Tensnake):
Totally.
Chris Barker:
It's good, it's good.
Marco (Tensnake):
It's good.
Chris Barker:
Right, let's do the full rundown then, Will, of the studio, before we're...
Will Betts:
All right.
Marco (Tensnake):
Fair enough.
Chris Barker:
We're kind of at the end now, let's hear your feedback after we do this rundown.
Will Betts:
Okay. Imagine. The woods in Maine. We see appearing in a clearing a 1960s bungalow with a sports car outside, the DAW sitting on the Mac Pro is Ableton Live. Next to it, an Apollo 8X. On the metre bridge, we have KS Digital C88 reference monitors. We have Serum playing some bass, we're saying, and some leads. An Oberheim Matrix 1000 in the rack. SSL fusion for finishing. Native Instruments Complete Control S61 controller to control the synths, and a Bricasti M7 reverb, because why not.
Will Betts:
Your luxury item, so that you actually have a chance to stand up at any point during the day, is a standup arcade machine with 1942 installed.
Chris Barker:
How's that?
Marco (Tensnake):
Sounds perfect.
Will Betts:
Amazing. Look at that.
Chris Barker:
Sounds pretty good, I think.
Marco (Tensnake):
Yeah.
Chris Barker:
Any regrets?
Marco (Tensnake):
Not at all, no. Not at all. I would move in tomorrow.
Chris Barker:
Yes. There we go, lovely. Well, that kind of rounds up the end of the show. We want to say thank you so much, Marco Tensnake, for joining us. I hope you had as much fun as we did. Good luck with the LP.
Marco (Tensnake):
Thank you. Thanks for having me. This was fun.
Will Betts:
Thanks for coming on. Cheers Marco. Buh Bye.
Chris Barker:
Bye.
Will Betts:
If you're enjoying the podcast, make sure you subscribe using your favourite podcasting app, and, obviously, give us five stars, too.
Chris Barker:
New episodes are available every Tuesday, and I guess next week is Austin Judge Chandler. A Grammy award-winning engineer who has worked with huge artists such as Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Wolf Alice, so make sure you check back in for that.
Will Betts:
Thanks for listening, and catch you next time.