Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary – My Studio

Bloody Mary shows us around her Berlin studio…

Roland TR-909

Roland TR-505 & Access Virus TI Snow

The Access Virus TI Snow is the first synthesiser I ever bought back in 2009. It’s my go-to synth. If I’m ever stuck on a track, I can always turn to the Virus. It’s a versatile piece of gear and I’m always able to get something from it, whether it’s basslines, pads, etc. If I had to choose my favourite piece of gear in the studio, it would be this. Maybe it’s because I’ve had it for so long and I know it so well… I’m really attached to it. You can hear it in my track ‘In Between’.

The Roland TR-505 is an addition in my studio which I don’t use so much these days. I bought it years ago for the percussion, but I’m not using those sounds very often anymore.

Dave Smith Instruments Pro 2 & Yamaha CS1x

I bought the Pro 2 when it came out because I was interested in having a modern synthesiser. It has a good sequencer and it’s useful for making melodies. An example of when I used it was in my track ‘From The Vaults’:

The Yamaha CS1x is a vintage synth with some nice rave sounds. It was kindly offered to me by a friend to use as a keyboard for the Access Virus, and that’s the way I still use it today.

Jomox T-Resonator II & Boss Reverb RV-5

These are two of three effect units I have in the studio. I also like to use the Soundtoys and other software plugins.

Roland DEP-5

This is my third effect unit, and the freshest addition to the studio. I discovered its reverb at a friend’s studio months ago, and was amazed by its quality. This unit was made in the 80s so it took a bit of time for me to finally find one for myself, but I got lucky and managed to pick one up second hand from a vintage store here in Berlin.

Roland TR-606

The TR-606 and its metallic sound! It’s able to add an electro touch to my tracks. I recently used it on my record No Feeling Is Final, which was released on vinyl on the 31st March.

Mode Machines x0xb0x

I’ve been a big fan of acid since I started listening to techno. With the increase in price of all Roland gear in recent years, sadly I haven’t been able to find an original TB-303 for a decent price. I listened to all the 303 clones, and finally I decided on the x0xb0x. In my opinion, it’s the best 303 clone currently available and I’m really happy with how it sounds. For example, it features in the track ‘Knockout’:

DT-770 Pro Headphones

I love the detail I can hear when using my studio headphones. The sound on these is really clear, and they’re especially helpful when putting the finishing touches on my tracks.

Røde Microphone & Genelec Monitors

I often like to record my voice and add it to my tracks using this microphone. One track I used this on was ‘Striders’:

I’ve had my Genelecs for years and have been recently considering upgrading them. The reason I haven’t done this is because I’m so used to their sound and I know how to balance all my channels in the mix when using them.

Super Nintendo

Game on!