Inside the Studio

TranceFixxed: I spoke to Menno de Jong recently about your new track ‘Solicitude’ which you produced with him. What was Menno like to work with?

Adam: Menno was a joy to work with. He is a musical genius as far as I am concerned. He is really professional, yet laid back and easy to work with. For our track ‘Solicitude’, Menno came up with the main break and I pieced the whole track together and made the music around his break. It was a true collaboration in the sense that we both had an equal share in the making of the track. It’s one I am very proud of.

TranceFixxed: What are the ‘tools of the trade’ that you use to produce music?

Adam: My main production software is Logic Pro 9. I tried Logic X for a track, but in the end I went back. I have used Logic 8/9 since 2008 so I know it inside out and to be honest I love it! Other than Logic, some of the main synths and processing tools I use are Spire, Sylenth 1, Zebra, Maag EQ 4, Fab Filter Pro Q / Saturn, Arts Acoustic Reverb etc.

TranceFixxed: Do you prefer to work openly and collaboratively with other people, to get their opinions on your work in progress ideas? Or do you prefer to lock yourself away on your own in a studio until you’ve finished?

Adam: I used to share my work at all stages of the production process due to my lack of confidence in the studio, not knowing if it sounded right. It’s a horrible stage to be at in your life as a producer because you are always relying on other people’s feedback, and that feedback tends to change depending on whom you are getting the feedback from.

Nowadays, I am much more confident and I know when something sounds right or wrong. I still show a few key people to get final opinions as fresh ears can always hear things tainted ears can’t. Sometimes people come up with some good ideas or feedback, which can really help. It’s just about choosing trusted people who make their own tracks and know what they are on about. A lot of people send their tracks to every DJ or Producer out there looking for feedback, and half of the people they are asking for feedback don’t even make there own tracks! So their feedback could be invalid and set them back in the long run.

TranceFixxed: What are your thoughts about artists who use ghostwriters to produce the majority of their music?

Adam: When I was younger and just getting into the scene, starting to produce music and really struggling to get anywhere, you would see guys get plays on A State of Trance and get their tracks signed to big labels when you knew they either had it made for them or had the majority of the hard work done for them by another producer for an undisclosed fee. It used to really wind me up. I have had endless discussions, arguments and debates about the whole situation. The thing is though you can’t taint everyone with the same brush.

There are different levels of people using engineers. Some guys just get tracks made from them. Some go to an engineer and sit there saying ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and maybe bring a few things down with them like a melody etc. Other guys finish a track and simply get it mixed down by the engineer. The thing is though, a lot of the gossip going around about artists who use engineers is just Chinese whispers and 90% of the people talking about them probably don’t know the full truth. I don’t respect anyone that just gets a track made for them. Why would I? It’s a fake process and the people doing that are fake. The other situations are hard to judge because you don’t know the full story. Some guys may have tried for years to get that pro sound but just cant do it. It’s hard to judge people when you don’t know the full story.

In the end, I stay away from the whole subject because it is surrounded by negativity and that’s something I try my very best to get away from. It’s the last thing you need in your life when you are trying to make it in a scene full of ridiculous talent. My best advice to people coming through the scene is to not get dragged into these conversations because it takes up a lot of time, brings negativity about and can make you look bad if your opinions come across the wrong way.