Q&A with Baby Audio developer Caspar Bock
How did you first get into plugins?
BA “I’ve been making music since my teenage years and I soon began obsessing over gear and software. After failing to cut it as a music producer, I got into advertising and worked almost ten years for agencies in Copenhagen, Berlin, LA and New York. When I finally founded Baby Audio, it was like a perfect marriage between my obsession with music production and my professional background.
“I was extremely lucky to randomly connect with some of the most talented people and establish a small team to create our first plugin, I Heart NY. That was in 2019. The plugin got a lot of press and word-of-mouth, and our next one, Super VHS, even more. It’s gone really fast and we’re very humbled by the response. It makes us want to do better with every new release!”
What is your philosophy or approach when it comes to software development?
BA “How much space do you have?! Our founding principle as a company was to simplify workflow and make mix tools in the same spirit you’d make an instrument: as something that inspires instant creativity and experimentation. And where you don’t need to read a manual to get started.
“Gear used to be made for trained engineers, which made sense back in the days of real studios. But the reality now is that most users are not engineers but creatives. They write, produce and mix all at the same time. Our plugins are meant to fit naturally into that workflow. They’re not just utility tools – but opinionated sonic ingredients, meant to inspire creative decisions.”
Tell us about your plugins?
BA “Super VHS brings you the lo-fi sound of the 1980s with six effects in one channel strip. Comeback Kid is an analogue-sounding delay with some flexible sound-sculpting tools.
I Heart NY is a parallel compressor; a quick way to beef up your drums and beyond. We design our effects to be a little bit like ‘instruments’. We want to make tools you can add early on in a production, to become inspired and take your track to a new place.”
What are your five favourite plugins made by other companies?
BA “Great question! Korg Gadget: this is more of a DAW environment, but I love the simplicity and instant fun of it. iZotope Neutron: a forwardthinking channel strip that’s not stuck in the past. Melodyne: what that thing does is practically magic. Native Instruments Kontakt: this product almost created a new industry in its own right. Dada Life Endless Smile: a really simple but innovative idea, nicely executed.”
What do you get asked most about music production?
BA “I think the most common discussion is about software versus hardware and what’s better. I’ve actually been on both sides and at one point I swore 100% by hardware. My reply/ opinion nowadays is that they’re both superior in their own right. Kind of a boring answer, I know. But it’s the truth!!”
We guess you could answer it better by revealing what’s in your own studio… BA “Software-wise I’m well stocked up, which is a part of my job. In terms of hardware, I’ve sold most of what I had as I never really used it. I have some synths and drum machines left, but they rarely get booted up.…”
What would you most like to see developed in terms of the software and studio technology out there?
BA “There’s one specific thing that I think is missing, which we’re working on ourselves — more on that soon! Other than that, I think AI assisted tools are interesting. I don’t think they’re quite at the level yet where they’re as helpful as they’re often marketed to be — but once they get there, that’ll be a game changer.”
What advice do you have from working in the industry?
BA “Do the things that you need to get done as soon as they come up. Don’t push it until tomorrow. Also, don’t ever expect a product to be fully completed. It’s always just a constant work in progress.”
What’s next for Baby Audio?
BA “We’re working on a major overhaul of our first plugin, I Heart NY. It’s been a fun project as we’ve learned so much since that release — so to come back and pack all that knowledge and clarity into a new plugin feels very ‘healthy’ in a way. We’re taking our weakest product and making it our strongest. And after that, we’ll do the same with another product.”
Finally, what is the future of music production in 100 words or less?
BA “Let’s start with the past: a songwriter wrote a song, a producer recorded it, a mixer mixed it etc. Music production nowadays – and in the future – is turning into a creative melting pot where all these disciplines come together into one workflow, mastered by the same individual. Writing, producing, mixing is all part of the same process. And it’s becoming more about self-expression than about following ‘best practices’. I think music production will get even more creative as the barriers of entry get lower and the tools get smarter. And I’m very excited about it!.”
“They’re not just utility tools but opinionated sonic ingredients”