Paul van Dyk On Recording In Between

Ken Micallef covered the making of Paul van Dyk’s latest album, In Between, over at Remix Magazine. In the article Paul van Dyk reveals what his live setup is, and how he performs with it. It also gives details of the hardware equipment and software used to produce the album. Very good info to know.

Like many of today’s top DJs, Ableton Live features at the front of his live configuration. He also explains how he started using Ableton Live with one MacBook, and progressed to his current 2 MacBook: “When I started with Ableton, I wasn’t using any more than a laptop and four channels and bringing things in and out. The next challenge was playing something on top, then adding loops, then triggering them from the outside. Then I thought it would be cool to sequence ideas, and that is when the second laptop came in.”

To my delight the tools used to create the last track, Fall With Me, is explained in some detail, and it’s interesting to see what was used to create some of the track’s cool sounds:
• Bass line – Spectrasonics Trilogy Software Synth.
• Bass drums – Roland TR-808 and Spectrasonics Stylus RMX drum module.
• Chattering sound over the top – Spectrasonics Atmosphere Dream Synth.
• “Rrrgghh wrrrggghh” sound – Native Instruments Massive.
• Filter – TBK2 from Sonalksis.

In Between was made with:

Computers, DAW/recording software, consoles
Apple MacBook Pro (2), Mac G5 2.5 GHz running Apple Logic Pro 7 and Ableton Live 6, 23-inch Ci nema Display
Euphonix System 5-MC Integrated
Workstation
Audio Mixing System
Mackie C4 Control Pro, Control Universal with seven Control Universal XT extensions
M-Audio UC33e Advanced USB MIDI control surface
RME Intelligent Audio Solutions HDSP
MADI
Card with 64 I/O, ADI-648 MADI to ADAT interface, (8) ADI8DS Converter

Hardware synths
Access Virus TI Pølar
Alesis Andromeda
Clavia Nord Lead Rack
Korg Trinity
M-Audio Keystation Pro 88 MIDI keyboard
Novation Supernova Module
Roland JP-8000, Juno-106, JV-1080, TR-808, TR-909, TB-303

DJ mixer, sampler/drum machine
Allen & Heath Xone:3D DJ mixer
Akai MPC2500 sampling workstation

EQs, compressors, effects
Aphex Dominator II Master Kompressor
iZotope Ozone 3 mastering effects
Native Instruments Spektral Delay
Sonalksis TBK2 Digital Grimebox sonic
degradation plug-in
Waves Platinum Bundle

Software synths, plug-ins
Arturia Prophet V Prophet 5/VS synth
Music Lab Real Guitar
Native Instruments Massive, Komplete 4
Rob Papen Albino 3, BLUE
Spectrasonics Atmosphere Dream Synth
Module, Stylus RMX Realtime Groove
Module, Trilogy Total Bass Module

Monitors
KRK 7000Bs, V12S subwoofer

Head over to MixMag.com and read the while shebang.