Talking Shop: ANGLE

The Italian duo on their modular-focused set-up

With their audio-visual project ANGLE, Italian producers Piero Fragola and Thomas Pizzinga combine their shared passion for modular synthesis to create muscular, machine-driven Techno.

FM: Tell us about your studio…

ANGLE: “Half of the studio is a modular system: a Station 252 and four Mantis cases full of Eurorack modules. This part is always changing; the modular synth field is still growing and we are always waiting for a new module to add and test within the system. At the heart of this part of the studio are the Circadian Rhythms modules by Tiptop Audio. These are synchronised together to form the backbone for writing the track.

“The modular system flows into an Apollo audio interface from Universal Audio. We record everything on separate channels in order to alter the track if necessary. Single channel preamps, equalisers and compressors support the process of sound recording and editing.

“We often use a Neve preamp from the Shelford series, Universal Audio LA610 MKII, the Empirical Labs Distressor and an EQ built by Rodolfo Foffo Bianchi in collaboration with Mark Bass.

“As for plug-ins, we are currently using the UAD emulations and the Acustica-Audio plug-ins, which are in our opinion two brands that focus on reconstructing the sound of original machines. For monitors, we use Focal and Genelec; usually Focal for the mix part and Genelec to test the ‘club effect’ of a track.”

What's your latest new gear?

“We are running tests on our new Quantizer by Tiptop Audio, which is a surprising and easy-to-use module – finally an all-in-one quantiser! As for plug-ins, we are working with the new White 2 by Acustica-Audio – definitely a ‘must’ in a studio.”

ANGLE’s essential production advice Forget the rules

“The excessive use of a canonical path – VCO, ADSR, filter etc – might constrain you to the classic synth sound in a Eurorack system. Instead, putting atypical elements inside the patch allows you to customise your sound, as long as their use gets you motivated. A system that always sounds unpredictable may have the opposite effect by keeping you too distant from enjoyable listening.”

Read the full interview: http://bit.ly/2gGVMhI Talking Shop continues regularly at www.futuremusic.co.uk