Point and click
Berliner Alex Niggemann began his career producing techno and house, which then led him into the world of DJing. In 2010, he launched his Soulfooled label, while continuing to work on his own music and play in clubs around the world.
MusicRadar wasn’t interested in seeing Alex’s travel snaps, though: we asked him to photograph the key elements of his studio and tell us about them, and he duly obliged…
The Alex Niggemann: I Call It House sample collection is available to buy now from Loopmasters
NEXT: The studio
The studio
“This is my room-in-room studio. I‘m pretty happy that construction of it is finally completed.”
Speakers
“Here are my Klein+Hummel O 300s. I’m pretty glad that I decided to get these - I’ve never had better speakers. They show me the whole spectrum of all frequencies so precisely that you really hear what you need to hear (I can hear all changes in between a step of every 10Hz) I also have some Yamahas to have a second reference.”
Outboard
“The RME Fireface 400 is the interface I’ve been using for a few years now. I’ve never ever had any trouble with this. To switch between my speakers, prepare a headphone mix and talkback I use the PreSonus Central Station with its remote control.”
MIDI controller keyboard
“For controlling external and internal gear I wouldn’t want to be without my Akai MPK49. The keyboard has a good piano feeling - the knobs and faders are mostly used for automation while arranging.”
AKG C 414 XL II
“One of my most used microphones - it was first released in 1971 and is still produced. I worked with it when I was studying and since then I’ve never wanted to be without it. It’s great to be able to switch the pickup pattern depending on what you’re recording.”
DAW
“I use Apple Logic Studio 9. Sometimes, I also use Ableton Live as well via ReWire. Lots of quality plug-ins from companies such as SPL, Waves, Sonnox and Native Instruments help me to perfect the sound.”
Piano
“I started playing music on the piano when I was four years old. I’ve finally put this Kawai piano in my recording room. It’s great to be able to play it and have the opportunity to record this fabulous instrument directly.”
Tape machine
“Last but not least, an old Grundig TK 747 2-track, which I found in my father’s cellar and fixed. Finally, I can get a real vintage sound. I just record to it and then route the output back into Logic.”
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“I'm not afraid of breaking the rules": Viral 67-year-old producer The Last DJ shares his essential techno tips
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