TECHNICAL
ITCH
INTERVIEW
:
ALEX
FARBER
PICTURE
:
COURTNEY
HAMILTON
))TECHNICAL ITCH
TECHNICAL BY NAME, TECHNICAL BY NATURE KNOWLEDGE FIND OUT
THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF TECHNICAL ITCH’S
))
HI-TECH WORLD [BY E-MAIL OF COURSE!]
COMPUTER HARDWARE... powerful machine. I do use the laptop at WHAT DO YOU USE NOW AND ter and basically tell them when to
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST COMPUTER?
the same time as the G4 as well though.
HOW HAS THIS CHANGED SINCE
YOU BEGAN?
trigger. You could run about eight tracks,
The first proper computer I had was a
I sync them up via MIDI and use the hence the name, but the quality was
Commodore 64. I used it mainly for
I just use the two Macs now along with
laptop as a standalone synth controlled pretty poor. A lot of early tracks were
games but it was also the first computer
a 24 bit soundcard and a decent pair of
by the G4. I use the laptop as an office written on programs like this. You could
that I got online with, way before the
powered monitors. Before I got my
machine also. usually tell from the bitty sounding
internet. I used a service called
laptop I was using a studio full of kit with
samplers that were used. Music X was a
Prestel/Micronet and another called HOW DO YOU SEE COMPUTERS
a proper mixing desk, Akai samplers etc
DEVELOPING IN THE FUTURE?
MIDI based program that I used with my
Compulink (I think that was the name).
but once I got Logic on my laptop I never
first proper gear.
You could e-mail and chat to people and
They’re already developed enough so
went back in there again. We’ve sold a
play games online with other people,
that anyone with a fairly decent machine
fair bit of the kit now.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE USE OF NOW?
download software, etc. My parents
can make music. There are already
The main program I use is Logic Audio
weren’t too impressed when the first
several software samplers and PCI card
HOW DO YOU SEE
Platinum along with various software
phone bill came in though!!
hardware samplers available as well. It’s
THIS CHANGING IN FUTURE?
synths and plug-ins. Logic is great, I was
made buying a studio a lot easier and
I’ll pretty much stick with computers
a Cubase user back in the day then
WHAT WAS THE FIRST COMPUTER
less expensive. You don’t need such a
now. They just keep getting more and
YOU USED TO MAKE TUNES?
I was shown Logic and have never
large room to put all your gear in
more powerful and there are several
The next computer I got was the original
looked back. It’s just seems a lot more
anymore. In fact, you don’t even need a
new sound cards coming out that will
Commodore Amiga A1000. I got myself
professional to me.
studio room, just a laptop and a pair of
offer a lot more processing power as
a little sampler for it and used to mess
headphones and you’re away.
well. Plus they’re going to be a hell of a
WHAT KIND OF SOFTWARE IS
around sampling stuff and adding it to lot cheaper than the Protools stuff that is BEING DEVELOPED THAT MIGHT
mixtapes I did when I first got decks.
STUDIO EQUIPMENT out of reach of many people.
HELP PRODUCERS?
WHAT DID YOU USE WHEN
There’s new software being developed
WHAT COMPUTERS DO YOU USE NOW?
YOU STARTED?
COMPUTER SOFTWARE... all the time. There are so many software
I’ve got two Apples Macs at the moment,
The first pro piece of kit I got was an WHAT WAS THE FIRST PROGRAM
based synths available now it’s amazing.
a G3 Powerbook and a Dual Processor
Ensoniq ASR10 keyboard/sampler. I did
YOU USED TO MAKE TUNES?
New ones are being developed
G4. I use the laptop a lot when I’m away my first tracks just with this, it had a
Octamed and Music X on the Amiga.
constantly as well as new applications
from home. I usually start projects on it sequencer, sampler, keyboard and FX
Octamed was a sample based program,
that let you do pretty much anything as
then move them over to the more all built it. Serious piece of kit at the time.
you could load samples into the compu-
long as you know what you’re doing.
32 KNOWLEDGE
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51