What’s on your hard drive? Showtek
Dutch brothers Sjörd and Wouter Janssen dish the dirt on their top five studio tools
STEINBERG CUBASE
“Cubase! Cubase! Cubase! Showtek and Cubase is a successful marriage. We’ve been with it for 14 years, since the first SX version. Great sound engine; audio editing (which we love) is simple; and switching to another DAW would be impossible for us. For any producer just starting out, it has a lot to offer and, for experienced producers, there are an impressive array of developments and updates.”
ACCESS VIRUS TI 2
“Most of our synth sounds are derived from the Virus (alongside the Indigo). The huge selection of modulation and LFO options mean you can easily create your own identity with this monster. The effects still feel relevant – nothing makes a song feel out of date like yesterday’s effects – and, in our opinion, it’s still one of the strongest synths out there. A timeless piece of studio art.”
iZOTOPE ALLOY 2
“A classy all-in-one mixing suite that has become the main insert in most channels in most of our songs. Sometimes, when you’re following that creative vibe, you don’t want to spend a whole day figuring out the final mix and EQ; you just need a tool to get you close to what you’re looking for. This is it!”
SONNOX OXFORD EQ/COMPRESSOR
“It’s still one of the strongest synths out there. A timeless piece of studio art”
“Last year, we said goodbye to our Sony DMX R-100 mixing desk after we decided to mix in the box (still not sure if that was a good decision; the DMX had an amazing low-end!), but we kept a little bit of nostalgia alive by using the Oxford series in our insert channels. If you don’t fancy a huge mixing desk taking up all the space in your studio, try the Oxford alternative.”
D16 GROUP TORAVERB
“We’ve been fans of D16 ever since we first heard Devastor, and we were just as excited when they eventually released this reverb. Like all D16 plugins, it’s super-intuitive… amazing spatial reflection/EQ options, and it’s easy to find the sounds you’re after. High quality for an affordable price – a reverb that gets used in all our productions.”