Coherent States _ Interview With Error Etica

Can you tell us a little bit about your process of sound design?

I combine software and hardware. For sequencing I use Logic Audio, but I have many synthesisers. A Korg MS10, Access Virus A, Korg ELECTRIBE, Roland 303, etc.. I use a lot of hardware and also a lot of software. I started working with Logic about 10 years ago and though I’ve tried Ableton, Studio One and other sequencers, the method that suits my music is Logic Audio.

You say you use hardware in your sound design. Which equipment do you find most versatile?

I use the Access Virus A and Korg ER-1 with Logic, configured with a virtual instrument for use as a AU or VST and a Korg MS10 with various distortion pedals, such as Metalzone etc. I make samples, record in real time and design fat bass , beats etc. I use my portable recorder to record walks, ambient sounds & noise etc and later combine this with virtual ins and samples..

Alot of people seem to love the Korg ms10 in techno. any particular thing about it that you like most? feel free to get technical

The sound of the modular ms 10 is a circuit sound, very fat ,no midi only CV gate and you cant save presets. You have to record in real time but the sound you get when you combine all the wave forms with LPF, Oscillators, Amplifiers or when you add noise etc results in a very heavy circuit sound.

Do you play around with modular synthesis at all? I understand the MS10 is semi-modular? Right?

I learned a lot from Reaktor about making my designed sounds and I later applied these approaches to the MS 10. I’m starting to form a little rack of modules for modular synths and filters from the likes of Metasonix, Expert Sleepers, etc… I’m making a rack step by step VCA, MIX, Comberters filters. I’ve made tracks using only hardware or digital, but I like when they’re combined.

What put you off Ableton, as it is very popular?

With Ableton Live, it is more intuitive and less difficult to produce a song compared to Logic, but for me.. the song in Logic is more transparent. It is more proper. There isn’t that methodology that is apparent with Ableton. Do you understand me? Yes, Logic is more work. It takes longer. It is more difficult to process waveforms and the streaming of audio, but for me the rendered finals the waveform is more proper and more transparent with greater definition. In my opinion.

Some will argue that level is achievable in Ableton. But more of what you said is about process rather than the resolution of the rendered track. You must hold a particular view on the mastering stage?

Yes. For my masters on Psychoskunk, I work with Dadub’s Artefacts Mastering (Berlin). With my masters I use one external piece of hardware, the BBE sonic maximizer. For other processes I use Wave Arts. Not Waves. I like the process of this plug in because it doesn’t crush the song. The waveforms stay transparent and dynamic. They don’t become crushed and stay open and dynamic. I am always looking at the RMS and the rate. Of course I use my ears to listen to the track, but I like to see the range.