Part 1

Name: Lauren Mia
Nationality: American
Occupation: Pianist, composer, DJ, songwriter, vocalist, producer
Current Release: Lauren Mia's debut studio album Re:Birth is out via Ear Porn.
Gear and Software Recommendations: My Software recommendations are Abbey Road Saturator and Brainworx bx_controlv2. There's not a single session where I don't use either of these.
In terms of hardware, a synthesizer I would recommend the Dave Smith mophox4, it's the model just below the prophet, a bit smaller, but still so incredibly powerful and sonically gorgeous. The mophox4 was actually my second-ever purchased synthesizer back in 2018. I love it, and stand by all Dave Smith instruments.

[Read our feature on the Sequential Prophet 6]

If you enjoyed this Lauren Mia interview and would like to stay up to date on her music and live dates, visit her official homepage. She is also on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter.

To dive in even deeper, check out our earlier Lauren Mia interview about Playfulness, Production, and her Personal Path.



The views of society towards technology are subject to constant change. How would you describe yours?

It’s a sonic playground out there today. My view on technology is constant in that I am appreciative of its advancements and the ability to use such extraordinary softwares such as Ableton and the countless programs and plug-ins I use to bring my sonic visions to life.

Thanks to technology, music has hit a whole new level of overall quality and musical innovation. Its advancements have given birth to this incredible array of digital plugins - from digital equalizers, digital synthesizers, digital distortion tools and FX tools … the list goes on. Technology has allowed for music production and musical innovation to have a limitless ceiling of possibilities.

The only aspect of technology I think truly scares me is Artificial Intelligence and its threat to music producers, musicians, song-writers and vocalists. I feel it is a threat to the entertainment industry, and music industry as a whole.

How and for what reasons has your music set-up evolved over the years and what are currently some of the most important pieces of gear and software for you?

Advancing my workflow was an extremely important goal and focus of mine throughout my career. I always wanted to achieve optimal work-flow and have my entire studio function as one cohesive engine.

I used to work out of my bedroom just like every other producer at the start. But eventually I knew the acoustics in my room were limiting my production quality. This led to me renting out pre-existing studios for 6-month periods of time. I rented a room from Anonymous Studios that was fully acoustically treated; I moved my synths and hardware in there and worked out of there for some time. I kept working hard until I was finally able to build my own studio in the space that I currently live in with my partner and two dogs.

I spent about 1 year mapping out my audio patch-bay configuration as well as my MIDI interface configuration. I then purchased a new audio interface from Universal Audio, and that's when my studio evolved to the next level. The next phase.

In terms of gear that I feel are most important to me currently, I would say are the ones that I just mentioned above. I use the Motu MIDI Express 128 as my MIDI interface and the Neutrik NYS-SPP-L1 as my primary patch-bay, and all my hardware runs through both and then directly into my audio interface which is the Apollo x8p.

I use D-sub connectors to connect to my interface as well, which really helps a lot considering how many inputs and outputs we’re talking about when you have over 9 analog synthesizers you are trying to run and function together, cohesively.
 
Have there been technologies which have profoundly influenced, changed or questioned the way you make music?

If we are talking about hardware, I would say my patch-bay and my MIDI interface are the ones that have really influenced the way I make music. It allows for my studio to work as one cohesive functional engine.

When it comes to software, I would say some of my favorite programs and plug-ins are made by Abbey Road, Fab Filter, Ozone especially for its equalizers, maximizers, imagers, limiters and compressors. There are so many incredible digital processing tools that enhance and increase the quality of sound. My favorite digital synthesizers are made by U-He and Spectrasonics.

What is the relation between innovative tools and "innovative music"?

I feel the relation between the two is very simple. “Innovative tools'' refers to all of the tools we use to create music as a whole. This varies from synthesizers, to analog compressors, digital synthesizers and all other softwares and programs that allow for us to take our music to a new level of creativity and uniqueness.

Innovative music, I feel, refers to music which is unique, authentic, organized, powerful, moving and one-of-a-kind. Music that offers something new, whether the synthesis and sound design, or the rhythm and groove, or the instruments and elements used to create it. Artists who are able to create innovative music are the ones I think are more likely to succeed long term. Because innovation to me is invention, creating something new, not a repetition of something that's already out there.

There’s a fine line there of course - we all are inspired by pre-existing things and one can use something that's already out there as inspiration. That’s okay, but to be innovative with one’s music is to really make it your own. To be true to yourself and your sound - to innovate, not replicate. To keep it real, to keep it fresh and have ‘sonic authenticity’.

From the earliest sketches to the finished piece, what does your current production workflow/process look like?

My creative process is different every time really. Sometimes I’ll start by recording a nice chord progression, a pad, to create an atmosphere, —  strings always do that for me. I often use my Deep Mind 12 by Behringer, Argon 8 by Modal, Polybrute by Arturia, or my Novation Summit for pads, strings, atmospheric elements and textures.

Other times, I'll be in the mood to start my project with a solid beat, focusing on the rhythm, groove and drum pattern, which I usually manually program using Impulse on Ableton. Rarely do I ever use my Tr8-s these days to be honest, but maybe I will get back to it in time. I do love that I can import my own audio samples onto the Tr8-s, but for some reason I find myself manually programming my drums more frequently on Impulse. I have loved Impulse since it came out. Prior to that I was using Ableton’s drum-rack equally as much as they’re similar, but I got hooked on Impulse.

Once I’ve either built my atmospheric elements and tone of the track, or in other cases my drum pattern and beat, the rest falls into place. I would say my area of expertise is composing melodies, harmonies, and recording analog synthesis. I do however always struggle with creating a good bassline. That’s always my greatest challenge. I wouldn’t say rhythmically, but on a more audio quality level.

I usually try to keep the main lead elements of all my tracks using my analog synthesizers, synthesis and baselines especially - FX and what have you. I use samples primarily but once in a while I'll come across a cool sound I create on my synths, record it, process it and use is as an FX, which is actually how I made the initial FX sound in the intro of ‘Shadow’, the lead single from my debut album RE:BIRTH. That was an analog FX sound recorded from my Polybrute.

From your experience, are there things you're doing differently than most or many other artists when it comes to gear and production?

Having my studio work as ONE cohesive mind, one engine is something that I really encourage to those who want to level up their work flow.

Using my patch-bay and MIDI interface and MIDI clock to allow for all my synths and hardware to run through the patch-bay, MIDI interface and then into my audio interface is a way for all the hardware to be easily used simultaneously and for all of their clocks to be synced. That way I can send MIDI to multiple synths at the same time and play on another and record all of them out back into my session at the same time.

That cuts one's work time in HALF and allows for so much improvisation and play and live recorded modulation.