#DigMyRig Photo
Gear List
** Computers & Recording **
Mac Pro 2014 6-core w/64Gb RAM, 1Tb Flash[Main DAW]
iMac 27″ 3.4Ghz quad-core i7 w/32Mb RAM [Office Mac]
Philips 40″ 4k Display x2
32″ LED TV 2 x
3Tb Drives in thunderbolt chasis RAID 0
Focal cms65 Monitors
KRK Rokit 8 Monitors w/sub
Apple iPad 2 x2
UAD-2 Thunderbolt Octo x2
Behringer X-32 Rack
Behringer S16
Native Instruments
Komplete 61
Motu Midi Express 128
Motu Midi TimePiece 2 USB
Native Instruments Maschine mk2
Akai MPC Touch
Neumann U87
** Hardware Synths **
Korg KronosX 88
Dave Smith Prophet 12
Dave Smith Prophet 6
Dave Smith OB-6
Dave Smith Pro-2
Moog Voyager Performer XL
Access Virus T-2
Novation Morodernova
Roland Integra-7
Roland System 1-m (with all 5 plugouts)
Roland JD-XA
** Software Synths **
Native Instruments Komplete 10
Arturia Collection
Arturia Analog Factory
Output REV Output Signal Waves Diamond Waves Codex Waves Element
UAD Plugins (numerous)
Xfer Serum
Propellerhead Reason 6
U-he Diva
U-he Braille
U-he Zebra 2
Motu Ethno Instrument
The MIDI Association Artist Interview
- Tell us about yourself briefly.
I’ve been making music and dealing with Music Technology since the late 80s. I was a sound developer for Eye&I Voice Crystal (Yamaha, Ensoniq, Korg, Roland soundcards), LA RIOT (AKAI, Ensoniq Sample CDs) and Alesis (Quadrosynth) back in the early 90s. I taught Synthesis/Sound Design at UCLA for a semester in 96 (very cool gig I must say) and had various other studio gigs throughout LA and SF in the 90s. I did the score for Libertarian Presidential candidate Andre Marrou back in 1992. I worked at Opcode for a bit in the mid 90s (great people and products) and had two record deals, three records released and some movie scores to my credit. I am now known as Swirve and besides producing Dance records I am a partner in RemixxMe Productions here in Kansas City.
- What was your first encounter with MIDI?
Wow, I’d have to say it was in 1987-88. (I’m getting old) I had a Juno 106, Ensoniq Mirage, Alesis HR16 and had just got the Roland Mks-50. I needed to trigger the Mks-50 from the Mirage. I remember working on an album back in the 90’s where we had a few Opcode Studio 5s connected to over 40 synths at the same time. MIDI sure was fun back in the day, still is.
- How do you use MIDI today?
I use MIDI a lot still, not so much with MIDI cables, it’s all mostly through USB, save for the Voyager. The hard part about having so much hardware versus the software is keeping it all ready to go the moment the project loads. I use SoundTower (I Highly recommend it) to control most of my hardware synths either as a librarian or even plugin in LOGIC. MIDI allows for the gear to send various MIDI data to the units in addition to patch information, making project recall and patch perusing much better and even on par with some soft synths I have.
- How has MIDI allowed you to do what you do?
I know I covered a lot of this in the previous answer. In electronic music, I’m constantly evolving the sounds, either through plugins or through MIDI data. Being able to connected to all this various gear, with a standard such as MIDI, allows for me to be in a project, change a sound source and be able to use the exact same MIDI data on the new sound source without a hiccup. I am sure I am one of the few that keeps my event list open in LOGIC the entire time I am recording.
- Anything else you’d like to add?
It is a privilege and an honor to be chosen in the top ten for this contest, I’ve seen some amazing rigs out there. As for MIDI, It’s a testament to the standard that it has been widely used this many years later even after the rest of the music industry has changed so dramatically. MIDI is still MIDI and that’s a good thing. As for my wall, I got the idea from several music stores, and figured “why not”. So I had my contractor reinforce the wall to support the weight of 8-10 synths. Thanks to the folks at Gear Sluts for the great idea on where to find the adjustable keyboard arms.