Gear

Gear: In the Studio: Teengirl Fantasy

Logan Takahashi and Nick Weiss have been making music for what seems like their whole lives. Experimenting with hip-hop beats and other electronic sounds since grade school, it wasn't until they met at Oberlin College in Ohio that the two budding artists joined forces under the name Teengirl Fantasy. The duo honed its unique style of loose, dreamy house music while finishing up their respective undergraduate studies, which, in 2010, culminated as a debut LP for Merok and True Panther, the lush 7AM, and its powerful lead single, "Cheaters." Now, Takahashi and Weiss are closer than ever to unveiling their sophomore album via R&S this year, giving us the perfect excuse to get into the pair's Brooklyn studio and talk to them about the gear that helps make Teengirl Fantasy's excellent tunes.

XLR8R's In the Studio series is sponsored by Dubspot.
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Filed under: gear
02/13/2012

Gear: In the Studio: Tycho

For much of the past decade, Scott Hansen has been piling up accolades as an artist. But prior to last year, it's fair to say that he was often thought of as an amazing graphic designer who also happened to make some nice tunes under the name Tycho. In 2012, following the widespread acclaim surrounding Dive, his most recent full-length, Hansen's musical chops have moved to the forefront, and it's likely that a certain portion of Tycho fans now know a lot more about his songs than his design work. Questions of perception aside, there's little doubt that the San Francisco-based Hansen is an incredibly talented individual. But given that the recent spotlight has shifted toward his musical output, we figured now would be a good time to delve into Tycho's studio and find out a little more about exactly how he creates his rich, synth-laden soundscapes.

XLR8R's In the Studio series is sponsored by Dubspot. Read more »

Filed under: gear
01/30/2012

Gear: Roland Gaia SH-01 Synthesizer

MSRP: $799; Roland
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Filed under: gear
12/17/2011

Gear: Incase Reflex Headphones

The first thing you notice about a pair of headphones is how it looks, and from there, you can't help but wonder how it'll look once its on your own head. Given that so many headphones look like some oversized piece of intergalactic space gear wrapped around your ears, most of us just want something that's simple and comfortable. Incase appears to have had this in mind when they built the Reflex line of headphones—the look is meticulously clean, and, best of all, there are no obtrusive logos adorning either ear piece, so there's no danger of looking like an asshole. Read more »

Filed under: gear
12/16/2011

Gear: Korg Releases New Apps For iPhone and iPad

The company behind countless touchstone synths, samplers, and pieces of musical hardware, Korg, recently launched an effort to try its hand at building apps for musicians and producers and have rolled out three new products for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Read more »

Filed under: gear
12/05/2011

Gear: Sol Republic Tracks On Headphones

While Sol Republic (a relative newcomer to the audio electronics game) has built a considerably solid and rich-sounding pair of headphones with its Tracks On series, the most impressive part is no doubt the price point—selling for a mere $100 at most retailers. Read more »

Filed under: gear
11/21/2011

Gear: Ableton To Release Retro Synths for Free

Good news for broke bedroom producers: Starting today, Ableton, the company behind popular DAW Live 8, has just announced it will temporarily be making Puremagnetik‘s Retro Synths available as a free download. Read more »

Filed under: gear
09/02/2011