In this day and age where a laptop is more powerful than last decade’s fridge-sized supercomputer, and everyone can make music by clicking a single button, it’s always heartening to see a producer doing it the hard way and loving every minute of it.
Now, in a new video for Splice, Vaughn Oliver, of the production duo Oliver, has revealed the magic behind his sound and – for fans of retro gear – it’s a real eye- and ear-pleaser.
Oliver has grown increasingly in demand, lending his retro-edged new styles to remixes and production work for Foster the People, Beck, Chromeo, Kaytranada, Nicki Minaj and more.
Plus, in addition to his upfront credited work, he’s also the creator of the sounds for the Power Tools sample packs on sample subscription service Splice that many of today’s producers rely on for today’s hottest sounds.
Outside the box
A particular favourite is a fully functioning Roland SH-5 from 1976. “It’s very badass,” explains Oliver “I kind of never know what I’m going to get out of it.
“This is like the oldest synth I have, probably my favourite one. It doesn’t actually have MIDI on it but I use this Kenton thing here for like CC to MIDI so I can still run MIDI from Ableton to this.”
Backing up his Roland lineup is a de rigeur Jupiter 8 complete with a MIDI mod and the classic Juno 106 (“one of the most coveted synths of all time… This one has a MIDI mod”) and the Juno 106, which – in a tip to producers everywhere – features its famous secret weapon, the built-in Chorus effect. “I probably have that on more records than anything else,” he lets slip.
Want more? How about the vast two-decked Sequential Prophet 10 (basically two Prophet 5s in one box) and the rarie Jupiter 6 being – unsurprisingly – the later-comer mid-point between the Jupiter 4 and Jupiter 8. That said, Oliver rates it as liking it “equally if not better” than his 8.
“I use them for the more unexpected things that happen,” Vaughn explains, amplifying that while he extensively works in the box (as producers these days have to) “it’s just cool to have something in the studio I can turn on and make sound.
"I know that sounds crazy, but a lot of studios you go into and you’re like, ‘Wait, what key is this in?’ There’s nothing to just hit to make sound.”
Shop ‘til you drop
What’s next on his gear hitlist? Well, in addition to buying a new premium price Rhodes Mk8 (a snip at $9,999) (“Some people get like a new car or a Rolex. I was like, I want the new Rhodes, please,” he explains), Oliver is next on the hunt for his pick of “bad workstation synth.”
“A [Korg] Triton or Motif. I love those sounds – like an M1 or something.”
So next time you’re on Splice and all you’re getting is 90s house piano and organ-for-bass… You know what happened.
