One of the founding fathers of UK techno, Kirg Degiorgio is a top producer on today's dance music scene.
Kirk Degiorgio will be hosting sessions at both legs of Producer Sessions Live, which take place at SAE Institute in London on 7-8 September and SSR Manchester on 28 September. This hi-tech music event is brought to you by Future Music and Computer Music and offers tutorial sessions, gear demos and essential advice for up-and-coming producers.
Retail partner Absolute Music will be in both cities, offering some amazing gear deals to Producer Sessions Live attendees.
Ahead of the event we asked Kirk Degiorgio to tell us about his gear, working methods, musical heroes and what he'll be focusing on during his Producer Sessions Live session.
Producer Sessions Live tickets are available to buy on the event website.
What's your studio like?
"My studio is always changing. I like to change my sound often and changing equipment is key to this. At the moment I am building my setup around modular synths synced to Ableton Live."
What's your favourite bit of kit and why?
"My custom Eurorack Modular setup. The beauty of modular is how personal and customised it is. Everyone's configuration is different and leads to totally original sounds… no presets of course! I am recording an album of synth-wave type material at the moment, and everything from drums and percussion to sequenced bass and lead lines is being programmed from scratch using the modular."
What's your favourite plugin?
"My favourite plugin would be the FabFilter Pro L Limiter. Its the only Limiter I've been truly happy with. It's musical, precise and is the perfect mastering tool. I do my own masters of old vinyl and the Pro L is indispensable for getting a modern club-heavy sound."
Which DAW do you use and why do you use it?
"I start my tracks in Ableton Live and do everything up to the arrangement stage. Then I export all tracks at 96kHz and import them for the final mixdown and mastering in Logic. I think they both have their strengths in these particular areas."
Which bit of kit would you love to have for your studio?
"If I had endless budget I would probably choose a Trident A-Range or vintage Helios console from the mid-'70s. Both represent the pinnacle of warm, musical analogue sound."
What was your 'eureka moment' as a producer?
"My eureka moment was when I realised I could warp entire tracks in Ableton Live and therefore DJ with it with unlimited tracks. That was a mindblower, and I've been DJing this way since 2002."
What producer or artist were you trying to sound like when you first started producing? Who is your production hero?
"Derrick May and Carl Craig… with a bit of myself of course!"
Whose productions do you love right now?
"Somebody like techno producer Mike Dehnert. I always wonder how he his tracks sound so lo-fi and 'badly' produced, but absolutely work on a listening and club level."
What piece of advice would you give to producers still honing their craft?
"Don't go crazy buying too much equipment - learn a few pieces inside out rather than being overwhelmed."
What track would you love to have the stems of for a remix and what would you do with them?
"Many Italo-disco tracks have terrible vocals or cheesy sections, so I would love the original multitracks to make some proto-techno instrumentals."
What will you be showing people at Producer Sessions Live?
"I'll hopefully be building a track from scratch - all inside my laptop with nothing else but Ableton's Push controller."
