Ahead of his appearance at Cocoon London at Building Six on the 30th of November, we take a look at the hardware fanatic’s stunning Berlin studio.
My Studio – Mathew Jonson
I started building this studio in December 2012. The last building I was in got torn down to make room for fancy apartments. This is happening everywhere to art spaces in Berlin at the moment. I much prefer this one anyways though, so no loss. I brought my modular acoustic furniture with me from the last studio so all I really needed to do was put in carpet and bass traps in the back wall. So far it’s been used for some Cobblestone Jazz tracks, Modern Deep Left Quartet, some solo work and remixes for Quenum and Subb-an. It was a long summer of touring so I’m looking forwards to working this winter.
101, 303, 606, 727, 808, 909…
This is the left side of the studio. It’s run mainly with DIN sync and audio triggers. I like using this method a lot as it lends itself to a different sound and way of programming than with traditional DAWs. The right side of the studio is for MIDI.
APB-DynaSonics ProDesk 8 & Rack Synths
Here you can see my mixer and a better view of the racks. I have lots of processing: Neve, Manley, and some other compressors. Lots of rack synths over there too: MKS-80, MKS-30, MKS-7, MKS-70… Also effects: Eventide Orville, DP4, A10, D5000. The desk is a 40-channel APB-DynaSonics ProDesk 8. I love it!
Korg Trident & Oberheim OB-12
This is my Trident and OB-12. Both amazing for pads and ambient sounds. The OB-12 is totally buggy and can explode the speakers with just small changes in parameters so I don’t really let my friends use it. It is super powerful though, aside from all the glitches. The Trident is probably best described as majestic. Literally it sounds like the angels flying down from the sky.
Eurorack Modular & Roland System 100m
This is my modular system. The top suitcase is mainly effects. The Cwejman stuff is particularly good. It was used in the ‘Good Life’ remix I did for Inner City. I also have an SK1. The Roland System 100m was featured on ‘Symphony For The Apocalypse: New Age Revolution’, ‘The Girl From LBC’ and ‘Learning To Fly’. It’s probably the best bass in the studio.
Yamaha CS-60
This is my CS-60. I bought it from the sister of a guy that was going to throw it away as he thought nobody would want it. The sister said let’s put it up on eBay, so that’s how I got it. I took the train five hours from Berlin and then a taxi up into the hills to pick it up. People were laughing at me on the trains as I was moving it with a fridge dolly. It was worth the trip. Actually my D85 was a similar situation – I had to drive 13 hours to get it back to my house in Berlin. Also worth the effort.
Yamaha CS-30 & Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
The Yamaha CS-30 is from outer space. I don’t know how anyone could use this for making normal sounds really because the tuning is so bad… or maybe I just have to open it up and recalibrate it. I got it for nothing on eBay and when I opened up the case it was filled with dirt. Maybe it was a leftover from a flood or something. Anyways, it actually works – I’m just not sure what it’s been doing the last 20 years. The Prophet-5 probably speaks for itself. It’s the most used synth in the studio these days.
Fender Rhodes Stage Mark II
This is my Fender Rhodes Stage Mark II. That and my Yamaha CS-60 and D85 are my three favourite instruments. None have MIDI or CV so you just have to play them. I find more enjoyment sitting down at any of these than using the entire rest of my studio.
Elephant, Shiva Nataraja, Crystals & Star Wars Toys
These are some things that have stayed with me for some time. The elephant is a symbol of MDLQ. The crystals and Shiva Nataraja I got on Elephant Island across from Mumbai. The Star Wars toys came from my brother’s Rave Wars: The Hardcore Strikes Back EP.
The tenth anniversary remaster of ‘Typerope’ is out now on 180g vinyl on Itiswhatitis Recordings. Find Mathew on Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud.
06.01 PM
Awesome synths. That’s not Krishna by the way, it’s Shiva Nataraja.
06.13 PM
Thanks for the correction, eemme. We’ve edited on Mathew’s behalf.
08.13 PM
No problem, guys. Thank you for all the site’s content 🙂
08.24 PM
really nice studio indeed. so sad to hear, his old one got knocked down. this is unfortunately happening to a lot of spaces in Berlin. we are also fighting for ours ( home of Gebrüder Teichmann, Redhead, DVS1, Fachwerk, Ben Klock, Dustin Zahn, Click Click, Channel X, Beste Modus,… etc ) . keep your fingers crossed!
12.53 AM
Very nice setup. I wish I also had one “dinsync” side and a “MIDI” side in my studio.
12.57 PM
Interestingly enough I was actually given Shiva Nataraja as a present by a friend from India. I guess they were a bit mixed up when they presented it too me. No disrespect intended of course 🙂 xx mathew jonson
03.30 PM
wow very nice studio :X love it
03.38 PM
some monies worth there where they get all the cash from to buy so much gear analog stuff is so expensive as there’s not much money in the music biz as an artist these days?
04.50 PM
So is that my old 303 Matt? I miss it from time to time.
05.50 PM
Top man, thanks for sharing 🙂
06.55 PM
What is your address and when are you going on vacation? 😉
07.49 PM
cinthie, do you have any pictures of this studio?
09.25 AM
I love these features. Keep them coming. 🙂
10.58 AM
Amazin studio, what sinth has been used for “Decompression” top track btw!?
very curious about iT!
chers up!
04.01 PM
Beautiful setup. Is that a pair of Adam A77x monitors? I was thinking about a pair of these with a Sub 10 and this my tip me over the edge..
11.44 PM
Monitors are S3A Adam
Decompression was made with SH-101 Bass, JX3P Pads, MC-202 Blips.
12.56 PM
Ahh, that just nudges it out of my price range! Love your music man, the set at ADE with Minilogue was incredible – you know how to use your toys too..
10.09 PM
Easy MJ, I noticed you used the MFB 522 & machinedrum for a Boiler Room set. I was wondering how you route everything and if you use compression or limiting etc to polish up the sound during live shows?
01.23 AM
Johnny,
I sequence the MFB with the Machinedrum. I don’t use compressors for the live set other than what is on the master buss FOH.
09.09 AM
What happened with the yamaha cs 20m and cs 15?
12.24 PM
Thanks MJ
02.13 PM
Such a beautiful workspace, Mathew.
The only computer I see there is a closed laptop next to the Prophet V.
Do you use it for sequencing as well or just for recording the analogue signals?
Tracks, stems or stereo master buss?
11.50 AM
Beautiful studio. The P5 … you use it with CV or did you get the MIDI retrofitted to it?
I’ve seen quite some producers put notes on tape across their fender’s or bigger synths …. what’s it for? keeping permanent notes or ??
10.28 AM
Hi Mathew. What is the din-sync’s stand? A Jaspers?
Nice setup! 🙂
02.56 PM
P5 is a rev 3.3 so comes with midi but minus the SSM chips of the rev 2’s. The tape is just off the desk from the last Cobblestone Jazz session in my previous studio. Just for memories really 😉
The stands are both Jasper’s.
02.57 PM
The computer is for sequencing and recording audio via the metric halo mio software.
04.22 PM
Video in M.J.’s studio – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEpDnvNl8l8
11.33 AM
And this is the Bonus Part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mgHtHRmiRg
11.35 AM
Here is the “Against the Clock” Episode from Fact TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xepdHwUvC3E
04.11 PM
Hi Matthew , could you please explain to me how do you have all those synths fx and everything you have hooked up , I mean do you have a patch panel , do they all go straight into The mixer , that’s my main issue !!! And it seems like you have figured out a very neat way!!! Oh , also you are awesome in a I have a crash on you way !!!! Hahahah
05.29 PM
Craig> They are all rich kids at the end of the day..