By now, the sum of all devices has become a large toolbox that I don’t want to do without. When I make music, I usually have an idea in my head that I have to implement. Usually, one device is particularly suitable for quickly reaching the goal. My studio is like a big pipe-organ for me, where I can use different registers to represent different timbres. When a more complex sound design is required, I like to use one of my two Iridiums. I prefer to do classical synthesizer sounds with the Prophet or one of my Moogs.

In recent years, I have produced a lot of music, with a significant portion of it being created live during my home concerts or in preparation for them. Since March 2020, I have been playing a one-hour online concert every first Sunday of the month with music that I prepare specifically for that event. Improvisation and spontaneity are important elements of my work, to which I consciously give a lot of space. I prepare sounds that match each other and a few sequences, but the flow of the music and anything else that spontaneously comes to mind are open. Sometimes, the result of these sessions is already “finished”, and other times, I record the ideas cleanly afterwards. I make classic productions that set everything from beginning to end on the timeline less frequently.

When planning a performance, I decide at the beginning on a selection of synthesizers that I want to bring. I need to have everything under control live and not get lost in too many tracks. Devices with patch memory are much more popular here than those without so that I can prepare everything for the different pieces. The central part of my setup is Ableton Live with an audio and MIDI interface. I do not use a mixer; instead, all audio sources run directly into the computer and are processed there. I also use classic MIDI cabling via DIN to minimize the load on the computer. I use the Push 2 for control and also a Faderfox EC4 or alternatively, the Midi Fighter Twister.

Waldorf devices have always been a part of my setup, and I think I have had almost every device in the studio over the years. The Iridium is undoubtedly my favorite Waldorf synth, and I have used it in almost every production in recent years. The user interface is particularly well done because it displays all changes to parameters graphically, and despite the tremendous complexity, you almost never get lost in parameter graves. Of course, other instruments also master individual synthesis forms, but I particularly like the interaction of the different models. When the Iridium Keys was introduced, I actually wanted to sell the desktop version, but now I use both simultaneously. The keyboard really sets standards and gives the instrument a special musical quality through its polyphonic aftertouch.

As a beta tester, I contributed a small part to the development of the M and was able to observe the implementation of my own idea into the production model in one case. Therefore, I have a special relationship with this synthesizer.