Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitar Amps
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • "Worst rap album in history"
  • Superbooth 2025
  • Eilish vs Radiohead
  • 95k+ free music samples

Recommended reading

Joe Armon-Jones
Artists “I’d be running from the studio to other speakers in the house, basically going insane trying to get mixes to sound correct”: Ezra Collective’s Joe Armon-Jones on why he created his Aquarii Studios and his dub-influenced mixing technique
Riva Starr
Artists “I have an original 909 – every time I try to use it I feel like I’m ruining it”: House hero Riva Starr on his studio essentials and his love of analogue synths
Lawrence Hart
Artists Watch UK electronic artist Lawrence Hart build a track from scratch in his hardware-stuffed studio
Vaughn Oliver
Producers & Engineers “I have that on more records than anything else”: Take a peek inside Vaughn Oliver’s studio
eats everything in his studio
Tech “Entrance Song is a massive 808 sub and a 909 kick. Those two shouldn’t work together - I’m not sure they were even in key”: Eats Everything on his ever-changing approach to production and DJing
lone
Computers “You could take everything away from me but leave the laptop and I'm confident I could make interesting music quite happily for the rest of my life”: Lone on the gear behind his technicolour, rave-adjacent electronica
romesh
Producers & Engineers “I was watching an episode of Friends and someone was wearing a Motörhead T-shirt. Literally an hour later, I got a call to work on their record!”: Romesh Dodangoda on how he became one of modern rock's most in-demand producers
  1. Tech
  2. Recording
  3. Studios

Me in my studio: Noël Jackson

News
By Ben Rogerson published 30 September 2015

The Superfreq co-founder shows you his music-making facility

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Welcome

Welcome

Noël Jackson is one of the co-founders of Superfreq, the tech house label that he heads up along with Mr. C and David Scuba.

Hailing from Detroit, he's a producer/engineer who's mixed tracks on labels such as Ghostly, Cadenza, Get Physical and Rekids, mastered tracks for Kevin Saunderson's legendary KMS Records, and assisted in the construction and planning of Saunderson's newest studio.

Right now, though, he's concentrating on his own project - a solo EP called Behold that will be released on 30 September.

Noël is clearly something of a gear-head, saying that “a good studio is like great sex”. So, we asked him to photograph his beloved facility and explain why he's so passionate about it...

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Yamaha NS-10s

Yamaha NS-10s

“These speakers are game changers. They make mixing much easier and nothing else quite compares to these classics. Combine these with a sub and you have the ability to move the low-end (sub) independently from the highs and mids, allowing greater control of room modes.

Along with that, the time-domain accuracy of these speakers is insane. The speakers react 'fast', and don't sugar coat your mix. There isn't a reason to waste time on other speakers - with very few exceptions.”

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Roland Aira TB-3

Roland Aira TB-3

“Roland's classic TB-303 will never be replaced, but the filters in the new TB-3 make this an amazing little 'acid box'. I use it on almost everything from pads (!) to reverb-drenched keys. Of course, it makes some classic 303-sounding gurgles as well. Roland is killing it with all of their equipment lately.”

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Custom modular synth

Custom modular synth

“I have the pleasure of living by a really cool Modular synth shop called Analogue Haven, which has turned me into a modular junkie. I've kept my kit as minimal as possible, but really love what it allows me to do. From unique basslines, to out-of-this-world pads and drums you could only dream of making in the box, modular is where it's at.

“My favourite modules are Make Noise's René, the ALM Pamela's Workout and Mutable Instruments' Braids, but the list goes on...

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Litmus Audio LA-100 desk

Litmus Audio LA-100 desk

“My desk is one of my favourite parts of my studio. I designed it in SketchUp and then had the desk CNC'd and assembled. It is low profile, eliminates reflections, has easy access to cables, and allows me 32RU of gear - 20 rack units up top and 12 below.

“This was the first of a few custom desks I've made for artists in the Los Angeles area, including one for my friend Stan Greene (O.T. Genasis and Big Sean).”

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
Roland Jupiter-6

Roland Jupiter-6

“My studio is home to an amazing Jupiter-6. It's been to the moon and back but still rocks the party. The depth of sound you get out of the Jupiter is crazy - it has this intense growl and thickness you can't really ever get over. I just end up smiling non-stop when using it. Used it heavily on my next EP.”

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
Burl B32 summing mixer

Burl B32 summing mixer

“Mixing with a summing mixer was something that truly changed my life early on. Hearing a track being summed vs bounced in the box really makes a big difference to me.

“I was lucky enough to buy one and really get into analogue summing about seven years ago. It's been integral to the way my mixes come out. The Burl in particular really helps glue everything together and give that low end some transparent breathing room. There are a lot of summing mixers out there, but I wouldn't use a different one, even if they paid me!”

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Eventide Ultra-Harmonizer DSP4000

Eventide Ultra-Harmonizer DSP4000

“This is the classic reverb unit that never disappoints. You can literally find a reason to run just about anything through this box and come up with beautiful sounds on the other side. The simplest of synths with the right reverb can be magical. There are plugins that emulate similar units, but nothing quite does the trick like the actual DSP4000.”

Page 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
Ben Rogerson
Ben Rogerson
Social Links Navigation
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

Read more
Joe Armon-Jones
“I’d be running from the studio to other speakers in the house, basically going insane trying to get mixes to sound correct”: Ezra Collective’s Joe Armon-Jones on why he created his Aquarii Studios and his dub-influenced mixing technique
Riva Starr
“I have an original 909 – every time I try to use it I feel like I’m ruining it”: House hero Riva Starr on his studio essentials and his love of analogue synths
Lawrence Hart
Watch UK electronic artist Lawrence Hart build a track from scratch in his hardware-stuffed studio
Vaughn Oliver
“I have that on more records than anything else”: Take a peek inside Vaughn Oliver’s studio
eats everything in his studio
“Entrance Song is a massive 808 sub and a 909 kick. Those two shouldn’t work together - I’m not sure they were even in key”: Eats Everything on his ever-changing approach to production and DJing
lone
“You could take everything away from me but leave the laptop and I'm confident I could make interesting music quite happily for the rest of my life”: Lone on the gear behind his technicolour, rave-adjacent electronica
Latest in Studios
An Arturia KeyLab 88 MkII synthesizer on a blue background
I’ve looked through all 372 deals in the Thomann Easter Sale - these are the 5 deals I’d grab right now
Universal Audio Standard SC-1
“Its robust construction, low self-noise, and ability to emulate a range of classic microphones make it a valuable asset”: Universal Audio SC-1 review
Abbey Road Studio One
Refurbished Abbey Road Studio One reopens with evening of "boundary-pushing expressive dance" that blends styles from ballet to hip-hop and krump - and a new mixing desk
Billie Eilish
“I was like, ‘man - this is the energy’”: Billie Eilish’s mix engineers reveal the star's “favourite part” of her smash hit, Birds Of A Feather
maida vale
Hans Zimmer's plans to transform former BBC Maida Vale Studios into "world-leading" music centre take one step closer to completion
Mk.gee, Justin Bieber and Fred Again
“Anything that comes out of his mouth: that’s pop music. You can really do pretty wild stuff behind that”: Mk.gee, Fred Again, Sekou… is Justin Bieber assembling 2025’s hottest cast of musical collaborators?
Latest in News
Scott Ian of Anthrax introduces his new X Series signature King V in black with gold hardware, and the original Jackson logo on the headstock.
“The old-school Jackson logo, that’s pretty much the pièce de résistance! And it plays even better than it looks”: Jackson gives its metal thrashing X Series Scott Ian King V a super-classy makeover
Billie Eilish
Fresh from covering Radiohead, Billie Eilish has now tackled a Coldplay classic on her Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour (and it's not the first time she's sung it)
Nick Banks performing with actual Pulp in 2023
"Can you believe this?": Watch Pulp drummer Nick Banks join tribute band Pulp’d at Fake Festival
Epiphone DG-335
The Epiphone Dave Grohl DG-335 has just seen its biggest ever discount - this is a call to save a whopping £380 at Andertons
Brad Paisley wears a white cowboy hat, burgundy jacket black jeans and cowboy boots as he sits with his new Fender Lost Telecaster from the Custom Shop.
“I like the real thing that happens when you dig in a little bit and the amp starts to cry for mercy”: Is the compressor pedal a country guitar essential? Brad Paisley doesn’t think so – and here’s why
Paul McCartney performs with guitarist Brian Ray on August 10, 2014 in Los Angeles
“Paul’s basslines, while they’re iconic and memorable and musical, they’re not really technically challenging”: How McCartney’s sidekick Brian Ray juggles bass and guitar — and plays the Lennon role in The End

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...