Dans les dernières sorties du label
Electro Aggression Records, le dernier album de T.A.N.K., Brokken Mirror nous a particulièrement flatté l'oreille avec son mélange d'EBM aux frontières du punk et de la grandiloquence dark-orchestrale. Reinhard Hüber a bien voulu se préter au jeu des Kitchen Notes pour nous décrire ses méthodes de production et raconter un bout d'histoire de la scène Oldschool & Anhalt. Ne ratez pas la vidéo en commentaire.
Amongst the lastest release from Electro Aggression Records label, the last T.A.N.K. LP, Brokken Mirror particularly flattered our ears with its mix of EBM on the edge of punk with dark-orchestral grandiloquence. Reinhard Hüber kindly played the Kitchen Notes game to describe us his production methods and relate a piece of Oldschool & Anhalt scene history. Don't miss the video in the comments.
Gears and software
What gears/softwares did you use for Broken Mirror ?
This album began on an old Imac and Logic X
Then this computer went weak and I switched to PC and used Cubase
For this Album that means 90% Cubase.
The Hardware you hear is mostly:
Access Virus Polar TI
Roland V-Synth
Yamaha Cs-1x
Yamaha Cs-6x
Yamaha An-1x
AKAI MPC
Mixed and premastered on “Izotope 11” Software
Your favorite gear(s)/software(s) ?
I collected many synthesizers over the years.
My favorite Synth is the “Polar TI” followed by Moog One, then the V-Synth by Roland…
The most versatile software to drive all that Hardware is Logic X in my eyes, but I still have to learn
Cubase to do the job.
Any evolution in your setup ?
Yes, it all began with a “Casio Keyboard”, a Korg Poly 800 followed by an Yamaha Cs-1x and a few hardware pedals. All that was driven by an old Computer and cheap software like “Anvil-Studio” and things like that.
Then I had a friend who used Emagic Logic 5 in his setup.
I learned from him about MIDI and Interfaces and a few things about LSB/MSB/Sysex.
I wanted that too and later bought an Imac. This computer and a Motu-Midiinterface a Presonus Studio 24 Channel Mixer connected by Firewire was my way to go for years.
The Synthesizers in chronological order:
Casio Keyboard (forgotten the name, no more in my setup))
Korg Poly 800
Tiracon 6V (no more in my setup)
Yamaha Cs-1x
Yamaha Cs-6x (has a Soundcard “PLG 150-AN” inside that works as An-1x)
Korg M1
Yamaha DX 7
Roland V-Synth
Clavia Nordlead 4
Access Virus Polar TI
Akai MPC
Moog One
I also use software Synthesizers like
Arturia V-Collection 8
PolyM
DEXED 9
Sound Design
Do you use/tweak presets ?
Yes, always when I buy a Synthesizer I follow the impressions the presets provide.
Once they convince me I begin to tweak as much as I can. That’s why I love the hardware: One hand on keys, the other hand on knobs.
As for the Moog Synthesizers it would be blasphemic not to tweak as much as possible.
Do you design you own sound ? On which synth/plugin in particular ?
When it comes to sampling and processing, I have separate channels in Cubase for samples and phrases then add a chain of plugins every single channel or group or bus.
My favorite plugins are made by “Eventide” and “Nomad Factory” and “Waves” Mostly used are special delays and reverbs, Harmonizer H 3000 and Pitchshifters.
But also the AKAI MPC is a good Module to tweak percussions and FX
An example I often do:
- Use a voice, a shout or something in one channel
- Copy all that into a next chanel
- manually cut 80% of the sample in the second channel and use an effect, a harmonizer, and a long delay on it.
A special way to create an own sound doesn’t really exist. Maybe the result of the hardware used makes it a bit special.
Any particular synth history ?
My first time generating music was in 1991. I had an AMIGA 500 and several Software like “Noisetracker” , “Octalyzer” things like that. Nothing special…
Then later 1996 I had a friend who created experimental music in “Fruity Loops” and a Synth.
Inspired me to invest a bit more money… till 1998 a friend in my hometown invited me to his studio. He was a student at a professional studio. His setup was a wonderland to me. As I stood there with a Casio-Keybord he smiled and taught me about real Synthesizers and the money needed…
This started the yearning for an own studio more and more.
I had to learn, failed real often but was only a hobbyist that years.
The real big change came in 2002. That time a friend of mine founded the “Electric-Tremor” Festival Series in Dessau.
He told me: in 6 months we start the first festival and you are now a EBM-Band !!!
Ahm, yes I replied, ahm, sure, I am now a band. Hmmmm. I have no lyrics, no songs, no idea, no knowledge.
With that order in my back it was time to find a way, my way.
First to find lyrics, then to find knowledge for sounds and structure needed help again. I found that in a friend who sadly passed by later on. His name was Stan from the band “Sinessence”.
Writing/composing method
What
would be your main writing/composing method ? Do you start classical
rythm/bassline then arrange around it ? Do you already have structure in
mind ? Do you improvise, record sessions then select ? ...
Finding the way into a song, Yes.
First of all I need an idea about the lyrics. This is most essential for later structure and expression.
For the samples and the colour of the sounds.
When there is the story, then there is the song. That’s why I have done remixes for other bands sometimes very fast: The story is clear…
But always if the lyrics are layed I begin with the drums, that is fundamental.
Then add a bass and then the pads.
Then get back to the drums, throw that all away and count the hours choosing the right snaredrum
…
Later the first phrases of the lyrics, first vocal FX, then Sound FX.
The biggest container on the harddisc is
“Song XY” - First Try - Second Try - Maybe Try - Final Try 1 - Final Try 2….
Producing/mixing method
Do you produce/mix in the box or do you use mainly external gears (effect/comp/eq...) ?
The stage of mixing is only on the computer.
Much time was invested to record each Synthesizers output on HD into *.wav.
Then I try the trick to put a pink-noise on the Masterbus and first mixing can begin.
I try to learn about de-essing, frequencies and trouble, sidechaining (not so much)...
For a first impression I set an instance of Izotope Master on the output.
Too often I get into a tunnel, being satisfied in the evening and horrified in the morning.
Hardware EQ or things like that are not in use anymore, since I own an Arturia-Interface.
What is your most painful / enjoyable step in track production ? Sound design, arrangement, mixing, mastering ?
The most painful thing is to run into a tunnel, a narrow mind. When you realize you are out of logical investigation. The concentration is off, the focus is blurred.
Happy to find a way out the next day.
EBM music is a style that allows many different electronic expressions. It is a playground for sound
shifters, drum variosity, spheric or staccato or both combined. A playground for pioneers. I love to be a little part of that.
Reinhard's tips
Any expression you’d like to share should be authentic. No matter how you generate your sound.
You can use an oil-can for percussions and a crappy rusty one-string-guitar. Have fun with your
music and stand the test against AI.
Know when it is time to leave the production for a day. Nothing special. Everybody has their own
way.
To all musicians and listeners my best wishes. I hope my english was good enough to express
what I mean.
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