My Forever Studio

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Aug 2025

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About the show

Imagine being able to make your perfect studio. Where would it be? What would it look like? And if you only had six pieces of gear to choose from, what would they be? This is exactly what we ask of guest artists, producers and industry figureheads. It might sound easy but there are strict rules in the Forever Studio. Hosts and shameless nerds Chris Barker and Will Betts guide guests through the dramatic journey to studio foreverdom. There will be nostalgia. There will be anecdotes. There may be gags. But there will be no bundles! It’s MusicTech’s My Forever Studio Podcast.

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August 19, 20251 hr 7 min

Ep 82: Stimming’s sub-$200 drum synth

Stimming is an acclaimed music producer known for his inventive field recordings, esoteric hardware, and organic approach to electronic dance music. In this episode, Stimming surprises with left-field gear choices, from pen-controlled production workflows to budget synths with remarkable punch. Along the way, pick up tips on stereo recording, learn how he makes live electronic sets punch as hard as DJ mixes, and discover which sense he thinks is overlooked in the studio.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://stimming.org/https://solomun.org/https://www.diynamic.com/https://diynamic.bandcamp.com/album/alpe-lusiahttps://rog.asus.com/laptops/rog-flow/rog-flow-z13-2025/https://www.bitwig.com/https://www.neumann.com/en-gb/products/audiointerfaces/mt-48https://www.merging.com/products/interfaces/hapi-mkIIIhttps://torsoelectronics.com/products/s-4https://www.bricasti.com/en/pro/m7.phphttps://savantaudiolabs.com/product/quantum-room-simulator/https://reverb.com/uk/item/2217614-quantec-yardstick-2402-fhttps://musictech.com/reviews/universal-audio-lexicon-480l-review/https://www.shure.com/en-GB/products/earphones/kse1500https://aearibbonmics.com/products/n28/https://www.moogmusic.com/synthesizers/dfam/https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0718-ABMhttps://soundgas.com/products/cwejman-s1-mk2-semi-modular-analogue-synthesizer-s1-mk2-031https://www.twistedelectrons.com/megafmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YM2612https://doctron-imc.com/https://www.elektron.se/explore/octatrack-mkiihttps://www.tcelectronic.com/product.html?modelCode=0828-AALhttps://soundcloud.com/stimminghttps://www.escentric.com/collections/escentric-molecules-01

August 5, 20251 hr 0 min

Ep 81: Ninajirachi’s adorable softsynth pick

Australian producer Ninajirachi’s brand of ‘girlEDM’ blends hyperpop, hard dance, electro house, and video game music. She’s remixed for Deadmau5 and The Neptunes, opened for Charlie XCX, and has been likened to Scary Monster’s-era Skrillex. On the eve of her debut full-length album release, we talk about making tracks dancefloor functional, the lengths to which she’ll go when processing her own vocals, and an unusually adorable softsynth.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://www.ninajirachi.com/https://musictech.com/features/interviews/ninajirachi-interview-girl-edm-disc-1/Madeon - Pop Culture https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B496Qv0CuOQhttps://soundcloud.com/CASHMERECAThttps://pcmusic.info/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_Robinsonhttps://www.lanewayfestival.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff,_Albertahttps://www.lifx.com/https://soundcloud.com/ninajirachi/fuckmycomputerhttps://www.image-line.com/fl-studio/plugins/gross-beatFruity Dance https://www.image-line.com/fl-studio-learning/fl-studio-online-manual/html/plugins/Fruity%20Dance.htmhttps://reverb.com/uk/p/blue-bottlehttps://www.genelec.com/8361ahttps://www.genelec.com/music-studio/8361a-w371a-stereo-systemhttps://www.fabfilter.com/products/pro-l-2-limiter-plug-inhttps://uk.yamaha.com/en/musical-instruments/pianos/products/p-series/p-45/https://www.nordkeyboards.com/products/nord-stage-4/https://soniccharge.com/synplant

July 22, 202552 min

Ep 80: Chris Lake on Ableton's most powerful effect

Chris Lake had his breakout with ‘Changes’ in 2006, and he’s been an unstoppable force in dance music ever since, including global hits like ‘Summertime Blues’ with Sammy Virji. On this episode, Chris shares some of his production secrets, including how he gets bass to sound just as powerful on headphones as club-shaking sound systems, Ableton Live’s most powerful stock effect, and a fantastic way to find never-before-heard sounds for your tracks. Along the way, find out how a Yamaha keyboard saved him at an ill-fated gig, the setup he stole from Bonobo to endlessly inspire singers, and which DAW he’ll never get his head around.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/overview/https://musictech.com/https://tyxstudios.com/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://uk.yamaha.com/en/musical-instruments/keyboards/explore/synth-chronology/modal/modal-qs300.htmlhttps://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/djx-iibhttps://www.roland.com/uk/products/mc-303/Crumar Seven: https://www.crumar.it/?a=showproduct&b=36https://www.hologramelectronics.com/microcosmhttps://www.focal.com/products/trio-11-behttps://augspurger.com/product/augspurger-solo-12mf-sub-212-dsp3-1250/https://www.trinnov.com/en/products/nova/https://slatedigital.com/legacy-products/https://www.arturia.com/products/software-instruments/mini-v/overviewhttps://novationmusic.com/products/summithttps://sequential.com/product/ob-6/https://www.analoguesolutions.com/fuseboxhttps://www.analoguesolutions.com/telemark-k-keyboard-synthesizerhttps://www.analoguesolutions.com/colossus

July 8, 20251 hr 4 min

Ep 79: Howard Benson says tech can't save bad songs

With a career spanning nearly 40 years, legendary producer Howard Benson has shaped the sound of everyone from Less Than Jake and P.O.D. to Bon Jovi and Kelly Clarkson. Tune in to hear Howard’s fiercely pragmatic view on the most important part of any production, confessions about the impossibly rare synths he lusts after, and the secret behind monitoring through humble $79 speakers. Along the way, discover his thoughts on AI’s musical future, why demo-itis is every producer’s enemy, and which ultra-luxe item he’d demand for his Forever Studio setup.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/overview/https://musictech.com/https://tyxstudios.com/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://www.viperroom.com/https://www.sunsetsound.com/https://www.discogs.com/artist/255617-Pretty-Boy-Floydhttps://www.discogs.com/artist/255060-TSOLhttps://imotorhead.com/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_Count_(album)https://tigresounds.com/compass-point-the-caribbean-recording-studio-that-redefined-80s-groove/https://www.vintagesynth.com/moog/synthesizer-1c2c3chttps://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/gx-1https://www.vintagesynth.com/arp/2600https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0718-AAIhttps://www.korg.com/uk/products/synthesizers/voxcontinental/https://guitar.com/features/oral-history-rickenbacker-12-string/https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40538677-the-birth-of-loudhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Emersonhttps://www.avid.com/products/pro-tools-mtrx-studiohttps://musictech.com/reviews/yamaha-ns-10/https://pro.sony/ue_US/products/studio-microphones/c-800ghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_Macintosh_7600https://musictech.com/news/music/roy-thomas-baker-producer-bohemian-rhapsody-dies/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Davishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_B%C3%B6sendorferhttps://joeysturgistones.com/products/howard-benson-vocals

June 24, 20251 hr 5 min

Ep 78: Emma-Jean Thackray and the trumpet illusion

Emma-Jean Thackray is an award-winning artist, songwriter, arranger, and producer who fuses jazz, soul and electronic elements into her brilliantly vibey and heartfelt music. Off the back of her incredible new self-produced record, ‘Weirdo’, we talk about getting into jazz by mistake, her early arrangement experiments with her brass band, and we navigate building her analogue-heavy forever studio. In this hilarious episode, learn how she goes about cultivating her taste, why she’s not upgrading to Logic 11, and how method acting techniques can improve your recordings.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/overview/https://musictech.com/https://tyxstudios.com/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://musictech.com/news/music/emma-jean-thackray-gear-creativity/https://ejthackray.bandcamp.com/album/weirdohttps://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com/product/ela-m-251e/https://coleselectroacoustics.com/4038-studio-ribbon-microphone/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carla_Bleyhttps://www.roland.com/nz/products/sp-404mk2/https://reverb.com/uk/p/studer-a800-mk-iii-2-24-track-analog-multitrack-tape-machinehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Kayehttps://uk.fender.com/collections/electric-basses-precision-basshttps://reverb.com/uk/p/fender-rhodes-suitcase-piano-73-key-electric-pianohttps://www.neumann.com/en-gb/products/microphones/u-67-sethttps://aearibbonmics.com/products/r44-series/https://www.ams-neve.com/outboard/1073-range/1073-mic-preamp-equaliser/https://www.ams-neve.com/introducing-the-1073spx-d/https://www.genelec.com/theoneshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Lacy

June 10, 20251 hr 22 min

Ep 77: Luxxury goes punk rock in the Bahamas

Blake Robin aka Luxxury is an artist, producer, DJ and remixer, known for his iconic edits. But you might also know him as the co-host of the celebrated One Song podcast. This time, we chart his journey from drummer to producer via a collection of important four-track tapes. We also talk musical gatekeeping, keeping a DIY punk-rock ethos in the studio, and find out which legendary artists he'd pilfer instruments from.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_(2010_film)https://www.ableton.com/en/live/https://focusrite.com/products/scarlett-18i20https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_Point_Studioshttps://johnbonham.co.uk/drumsetup/drums.htmlhttps://www.gear4music.com/Drums-and-Percussion/Ludwig-Vistalite-Zep-Set-26-5pc-Shell-Pack-Amber-with-LM402-Snare/1YRShttps://equipboard.com/pros/cliff-burtonhttps://www.behringer.com/series.html?category=R-BEHRINGER-TRUTHSERIEShttps://www.neumann.com/en-gb/products/microphones/u-87-aihttps://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com/product/u47/https://www.neumann.com/en-gb/products/microphones/u-67-sethttps://www.ableton.com/en/push/https://www.ableton.com/en/move/https://www.trufru.co.uk/product/pineapple-white-chocolate-coconuthttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Blackwell

May 29, 20251 hr 24 min

Ep 76: Ellie Dixon is banned from Currys

Ellie Dixon is a self-producing artist who, despite amassing millions of streams, continues to make her sample-heavy songs in her bedroom. In this episode, find out how lockdown fuelled Ellie’s TikTok success, hear how her song ‘Swing’ became a demo track in Logic Pro 11, and be challenged to raid your kitchen for samples.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/ STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://acoustica.com/products/mixcrafthttps://uk.akg.com/condenser-microphones/C214.htmlhttps://www.boss.info/global/products/rc-300/Paint - After Ever After 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIQr_TrFTUkEllie Dixon - Space Out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk8WktTD2dEhttps://focusrite.com/products/clarett-plus-8prehttps://kalabrand.com/collections/archtop-ukulele/products/ka-jte-2ts?variant=23283533697https://www.lewitt-audio.com/microphones/lct-recording/lct-640-tshttps://www.lewitt-audio.com/microphones/lct-recording/lct-1040https://www.behringer.com/product.html?modelCode=0838-AAEhttps://www.fendercustomshop.com/series/time-machine/1961-jazz-bass-heavy-relic-3a-rosewood-fingerboard-3-color-sunburst/https://www.soundtoys.com/product/devil-loc-deluxe/https://aberrantdsp.com/plugins/lofi-oddity/https://teenage.engineering/products/ep-1320https://www.instagram.com/willowkayne/https://www.reddit.com/r/OP1users/comments/8bs24q/fun_with_the_cow_effect_op1/https://www.sennheiser-hearing.com/en-UK/p/hd-650/

May 13, 20251 hr 20 min

Ep 75: Charlie Deakin Davies' perfect vocal chain is attainable

Charlie Deakin Davies is a self-taught production prodigy, starting their professional career as a teenager recording in their shed. After proving themselves by becoming the youngest producer ever to get Radio 2 airplay, Charlie has gone on to work with huge artists like Fred Again, Laura Marling, and other podcast guests Gary Barlow and Ellie Dixon (coming next episode). But our guest wears more than one hat, and takes to the stage as Charlieeeee, a crossover indie DnB artist with a live show that’s driven by high-energy singable tunes, audience participation – and Beyblades. This time, learn what plugin chain Charlie uses for an instantly great vocal sound, how they survived having their laptop drowned the day before Glastonbury, and why they chose to record two simultaneous drummers on a monster live DnB session.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirihttps://www.uaudio.com/products/apollo-solohttps://transcreativecollective.com/https://atc.audio/professional/loudspeakers/scm45a-pro/https://www.genelec.com/previous-models/1030ahttps://uk.fender.com/products/american-vintage-ii-1972-telecaster-thinlinehttps://kmraudio.com/products/shadow-hills-mastering-compressorhttps://makenoiseproaudio.co.uk/products/shadow-hills-mono-optographhttps://www.soundtoys.com/product/devil-loc-deluxe/https://www.neumann.com/en-gb/products/microphones/ku-100https://oldbloodnoise.com/pedals/p/reflector-v3https://lunacy.audio/products/beam/https://soyuzmicrophones.com/017-series

April 29, 20251 hr 2 min

Ep 74: TOKiMONSTA nabs an historic synth

Jennifer Lee, aka TOKiMONSTA is an incredibly talented LA-based producer, performer and DJ who has collaborated with Anderson.Paak, remixed Sia, Disclosure, and Beck, and founded the LA Beat Scene. In this episode, Jennifer tells us about a cheap synth she adores for bass, explains how she peppers her tracks with field recordings, ponders which historic synthesizer she’d steal off an electronic music pioneer, and all while skillfully bending our important Forever Studio rules.Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://musictech.com/features/interviews/cover-interview-2022-tokimonsta/https://www.akaipro.com/apc40-mkiihttps://www.thailandretreats.com/Location/Natai-Beachhttps://www.uaudio.com/products/apollo-x8phttps://www.audio-technica.com/en-gb/ath-m50xhttps://hedd.audio/products/type-30-mk2https://hedd.audio/pages/discover-headphoneshttps://teenage.engineering/products/op-1/originalhttps://www.fenderrhodes.com/pianos/mark1a.htmlhttps://rhodesmusic.com/product/rhodes-mk8/https://www.korg.co.uk/products/microkorgxl-plushttps://www.dorianconcept.com/https://www.fabfilter.com/products/pro-q-4-equalizer-plug-inhttps://www.korg.com/uk/products/synthesizers/arpodyssey/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delia_Derbyshirehttps://www.nagraaudio.com/pro-audio/https://teenage.engineering/products/tp-7https://www.sounddevices.com/https://www.roland.com/global/products/r-26/

April 15, 20251 hr 5 min

Ep 73: Will Clarke won’t spend 7 years making a track

Will Clarke literally began DJing as a child, and in this episode, he shares his prodigious journey from playing at a local caravan site to blowing up in Ibiza's club scene. Along the way, he reveals the unique Russian drum machine that forms the backbone of his techno tracks, and explains how he avoids using other people’s samples in the studio. This time, hear about his Somerset dream studio, the must-have synth that could fuel his creativity forever, and which readily available mic he trusts for capturing vocal recordings. Season 7 of the My Forever Studio Podcast is supported by Audient, and the incredible new iD48 audio interface.https://audient.com/https://audient.com/products/audio-interfaces/id48/STUFF WE TALK ABOUT (SPOILERS AHEAD)https://www.reddit.com/r/vinyl/comments/2xo155/stanton_str850_good_buy/https://esp-musicrentals.co.uk/products/vestax-pmc-06https://www.ejayshop.com/https://www.reddit.com/r/ejay/comments/xn4fmk/ejay_famous_top_100/https://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/articles/2005/01/27/somerset_spinners_kickback_feature.shtmlhttps://samdivine.co.uk/https://www.noraenpure.com/https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/16-inch-space-black-standard-display-apple-m4-max-with-16-core-cpu-and-40-core-gpu-48gb-memory-1tbhttps://www.soundtoys.com/product/primaltap/https://www.soundtoys.com/product/echoboy/https://www.apple.com/uk/logic-pro/https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/audio-interfaces/komplete-audio-1-audio-2/https://solidstatelogic.com/products/big-sixhttps://www.avpsynth.com/ads-7-mk2-analog-drum-synthesizerhttps://buchla.com/musiceasel/https://www.seedsessions.co.uk/meet-the-team/mitch-jones/https://soundcloud.com/djwillclarke/will-clarke-feat-sharlene-1https://www.optimum-mastering.com/https://www.adam-audio.com/en/main-monitor/s6x/https://musictech.com/features/interviews/olafur-arnalds-characterful-sound-piano-synths-bonobo/https://www.moogmusic.com/products/moog-onehttps://www.izotope.com/en/shop/ozone-11-advanced/https://cradle.app/products/the-god-particlehttps://devonanalogue.com/