TECH NEWS
TECH NEWS
one of the songs is purely System with 909 and
808. That was it, simple as that. It is so rich in
sound that sometimes it is enough to drive a
complete 10-minute song.”
In The Studio with Petar Dundov
words: MICK WILSON
In regards to software, what are you actually
using?
“I am using Logic 9 for my main sequencer and
audio tracking. It is great for MIDI if you have lots
of things you need to route and handle from one
spot. The audio engine is decent, and automation
is quite simple. There are many built-in plug-ins
that sound good as well. I also use Numerology 3
for modular-style MIDI sequencing. You can do
some interesting stuff with it, I’ve used it for some
time now and it’s become an essential tool for me.
I also use PD (pure data) sometimes when I need
to do some complex mapping of controllers or do
conversions of audio to data streams.”
SAIL OF THE CENTURY
DJ Mag were welcomed ‘on-board’ Petar Dundov’s impressive
studio to discuss all his lovely production toys and how he recorded
his latest long-player, ‘Sailing Off The Grid’
C
roatian DJ/producer Petar Dundov has
been a key figure in electronic music since
he released his first tracks in the early
‘90s. Ranging from deep techno to
cosmic, chugging arpeggiated trance symphonies
— transcendental in the truest sense — his singular
sounds have found a home on labels as varied as
Derrick May’s Transmat and well regarded Belgian
stable Music Man. His umpteenth album is the
mighty fine ‘Sailing Off The Grid’, another galactic
exploration that unfurls new charms with each spin.
We got in touch with Petar to find out how he works,
how he teases out those mind odysseys from his
machines, and why hardware is the best way to
unlock the imagination…
Digital plug-ins were something new and at that
time I bought top-of-the-line digital synths.”
Where did your passion for hardware come from?
“I think the drive for me was to be able to create
those beautiful sounds that I heard in my first
experiences with electronic music. There is
something eternal when you sit by the keyboard,
start tweaking those knobs and in a moment sound
appears that leads you — it creates a mood and you
start to play a melody... it is like it all comes from
sound. It opens a door for imagination and
everything else follows. Instruments for me are a
kind of interface, a key that unlocks a realm of music
and you are there, floating freely, unbound by
anything, just you and sound. I still have those
You’ve got a very impressive collection of studio experiences and that is the main reason why I
toys. How did you go about amassing all this kit? started doing music in the first place.”
“I have always been attracted to sound and I
realised very soon that just one piece of gear would In this day and age considering that soft synth/
not be able to reproduce all of the sounds that I virtual plug-ins are so good, wouldn’t it be easier
want. This all happened in the early ‘90s when to have a set-up that is based in the box?
digital samplers and PCM synths were still new “Of course. If I were starting now, I would almost
things. They changed the way music was made and surely go for an ITB set-up. The digital realm is so
people were so impressed by new technology that powerful today that if you train yourself to work
everybody started selling old analogue synths and freely in that domain, you can do pretty much
drum machines. Me, on the other side, I was more everything you want. Also, look at the prices of
into synthesis, I like to programme sounds and was analogue gear today, it’s ridiculous, I don’t know
looking for machines that have their own character. who could afford it. A good digital set-up, plenty of
I was interested in synths that could sit in a controllers, lots of screens and a control surface
particular place in the mix. At the time I got some that you work on long enough to be able to do the
nice pieces for silly money. Most of the stuff that I mix with your eyes closed would be the way to go.”
bought came from this era. There was another good
moment for buying equipment, when computers
started to take over at the turn of the century.
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Often debated, do you think that you can tell the
difference between hardware and software?
“Depends on the song. On softer songs with lots
of dynamics where you have just a couple of
elements, one or two synths, you can tell. You can
even tell if it is a digital or analogue oscillator. It
is just knowing how these things sound. On the
contrary, if it is a busy song, it is more difficult to
tell, especially if you have a lead vocal sitting right
in the middle.”
What is the big modular beast we can see in the
corner of your studio?
“That is a Roland Synthesizer System 100 and
100m stacked together. I bought that one secondhand from Zagreb School of Animated Film. That
was my first analogue synth and I learned that
beast to the atom. It has a five oscillator, five filter
system with lots of envelopes, LFOs, modulators.
You can get some really crazy sounds with that one.
Sometimes I even connect external sources like a
sampler or feed from the desk into it, the
possibilities are limitless. I use it on every song I
do. Like for example from my first album ‘Oasis’,
I guess it’s important to get the right vibe in the
space that you use to record?
“Sure. We spent lots of time thinking what would
be the best options regarding the space that we
have. In the central area there must be enough
room to move around to all the different
keyboards, to be able to sit or stand and still be
able to play them. The main console is in the
middle of the room, the sweet spot is just large
enough, so even if you’re bending from side to side
you are still hearing accurately what you are
doing. Colours are nice, I went for light orange and
Bordeaux red. Since there is a lot of gear and with
it lots of heat generated, I have four oversized aircon units that can lower the room temperature to
normal during any part of the year. The purpose of
this room, other than good sound, is not to be
distracted in the creative process and I am happy
that we could accomplish that.”
How would you go about recording a project like
‘Sailing Off The Grid’?
“There are three stages I need to complete for
ever y project. Composition/recording,
arrangement and mix-down. Composition could
start from an idea that I have or some sketch I’ve
already done on my laptop at home. I load my main
sequences, add a simple beat and then open the
recording channels and press record. I just jam
with my synths and see where it will lead me. I’ll
add other layers, and record overdubs, new ideas
pop up quickly when I find a nice hook. When I see
that I have enough elements, I switch to
arrangement stage. I also do automation at this
point, fade ins and outs for particular elements.
Finally when all is done, I go to the mix-down
stage where I add effects, position elements in
stereo space, do equalisation and dynamics and so
on. Some final touches with VCA and effect
automation. I check everything again on three
different sets of monitors, and record a master.”
Bit of a master-class here — can you share one
tip for making better-sounding music?
“Get a decent pair of monitors. Being able to hear
what you are doing is the most important thing,
much more important than a sound-card or
computer. Do simple room acoustic treatment, it
doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just a couple of
sponges on the walls will do the trick. Have a set
of headphones nearby, to use as a second pair of
monitors. When you eventually upgrade to bigger
systems, things will get better instantly.”
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