Ivan Corraliza, known in the music-making fraternity as Ill Factor, is a force to be reckoned with. His beat-making skills are second to none; get him in the studio and he'll literally churn out hit-worthy tracks one after another.

His talents haven't gone unnoticed; Ivan spends his days working alongside production legend Jimmy Douglas, whose platinum records adourn the walls of their Miami studio. Ivan has also worked with some of modern music's most highly rated stars, including Timbaland, Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake.

Ivan uses Ableton LIVE to create his tracks: "when I get inspired to write music, I know that the programme I'm using can keep up to pace", which is crucial when the pressure is on to make hit records. To give him hands-on control of Ableton, Ivan also uses a Novation Zero SL MkII and a Launchpad. "You can trigger everything from Launchpad, and all the controls are really at your fingertips. And with the Zero SL, I can play in drops and pans, and crossfades and switches really quickly." 

 For more information on Ill Factor, head to www.illfactormusic.com

Along with his songwriting work, Ivan appears in FaderPro's 'Are You Able' video tutorial, where he talks the viewer through building a beat in Ableton Live. Check out www.faderpro.com for more info.

The Bays are one of the world's finest live electronic bands. Their speciality is improvisation; they don't record, go to the studio or even rehearse. So every show is different, to both the audience and the players!

  Watch the video

Central to keyboardist Ski Oakenfull's equipment setup is a Novation Remote 37SL, which is used to control a laptop running Apple's Mainstage software. With its LCDs showing in-depth parameter information on whatever Ski has running on his laptop, the SL controller is perfect for live use, especially in dark environments.

Ski Oakenfull: "With the Bays, we just turn up and play, so I need to have sounds that I can access really easily. With Mainstage, that works really well, and the Remote SL helps me control them. With the readout, I can tell which knobs are assigned to which soft synths, and it works out very well for me." 

Check out the Bays at a live venue near you!
For more information about Ski Oakenfull, check out:
http://www.skioakenfull.com
http://www.facebook.com/skioakenfullfanpage
http://www.myspace.com/skioakenfull
http://www.primaudialrecords.com

The Japanese Popstars are an all-electronic three-piece whose first album, We Just Are, and subsequent We Just Are (Live), gained them a loyal following in the dance music fraternity. 

2010 ushers in a new chapter for the Japanese Popstars. Their second studio album is set for release in late Summer and, with support from luminaries such as Pete Tong and Benny Benassi, it is expected to be a big hit.

Novation gear is central to the band's live setup. Band members Gary and Gareth, who both perform live electronics duties, use a Launchpad each, while Gary uses a 25SL for additional control, as Gareth explains: "The Launchpad is ideal for us. It's light, easy to tour with and it's rock solid. The SL25 has been on the road with us for over a year now and is used primarily with Propellerheads Reason but can also be used with a secondary Ableton setup." 

As the band's profile raises, so they hope to expand their live rig, to get even more out of their Launchpads. "The Launchpad is packed with loads of features, that in all honesty I have yet to explore fully, but as we keep developing our live show I am sure that we will be using these units for a long time to come." 

To check out the Japanese Popstars, head to www.myspace.com/thejapanesepopstars

Enter Shikari's immense electronics rig comprises a load of gear, synchronised to provide the massive sound the band are famed for. Among numerous hardware sequencers, synths and effects units is an Ableton Live rig, which is used, among other things, to process the triggers from the drum kit in real time. It's a clever setup.

Central to the system is a Novation 49 SL MkII, which acts as a master controller. Edd Slaney, Enter Shikari's monitor engineer and chief electronics tech, explains why they chose a Novation for control. "We were using a controller from another brand as the main controller, but when that failed on us, we decided we needed a stable and reliable keyboard controller that would fit in with our setup. We went for the Novation SL MkII, because it has everything we need, and it's tough enough for touring." 2010 sees Enter Shikari embark on a worldwide touring schedule, taking in Australia, Japan and the USA. For more information, check out www.entershikari.com

 Watch the video

Having co-developed the Launchpad, Ableton have worked with Novation to make the Novation SL MkII range fully integrated with Live 8. Now, SL MkIIs are the most comprehensive bus-powered Ableton Live 8 controllers on the market, and the only ones with on-board keyboards. The new integration makes controlling Ableton's Session view, Mixer and plug-ins and devices quick and easy, because all of Ableton's major controls are instantly assigned to SL Mk II's 56 knobs, faders and buttons:

• Live's plug-in devices are assigned to controls as you load them up. Open 'Auto Filter', for example, and instantly see parameters such as 'Cutoff' and 'Res' — along with their current values — appear on the LCD above each knob on the SL MkII, with LED rings around each rotary encoder. 

• Comprehensive mixer control. Touch a fader on the SL MkII and see the channel name and volume level on the large LCD; activate and record-enable Ableton tracks using the fader's corresponding backlit buttons, and take control of all Sends. 

• Launch clips and scenes. Launch and view the status of Ableton scenes and clips with the SL MkII's backlit buttons. Real-time LED feedback ensures you always know what's playing and what's waiting to be launched. 

25-, 49- and 61-note variants of the SL MkII are available alongside the compact, keyless Zero SL MkII. All products in the range are USB-powered, so they require no external power supply. This makes the SL MkII the most versatile Ableton controller solution available, whether on stage or in the studio. To take advantage of the new functionality, the latest version of Novation Automap is required to update the SL MkII firmware. This is free for all existing SL MkII users and is available now from www.novationmusic.com. The latest Live 8 update is also required, and will be downloadable from www.ableton.com

Download the Automap software here

 Watch the video

Steve Ferlazzo is Avril Lavigne's tour keyboardist. He's a long time fan of Novation gear, and he uses the Launchpad to control his Ableton system alongside an SL keyboard, which has served him for two and a half years. But there's another Novation technology which Steve has embraced, as he explains. 

"One of the coolest things that I'm also using is Automap for the iPhone. I've got a funny story... During the 'Best Damn' Tour with Avril in Japan, we had a dance break that was performed to music coming from my rig, but nobody in the band is on stage. I set up Automap so I could trigger the music to start while I was off stage. So we finish the song, I walk off stage, I get the trusty iPhone out, and I trigger the dance break from the phone, then let that play off and then start the next track while I'm walking on stage. I don't know about you but I think that's a pretty cool way to use your iPhone".

Automap for iPhone is available from the Apple Appstore.

Show visitors will be able to get their hands on the ultimate Ableton Live control bundle: the Launchpad and the SL MkII, with numerous demo stations set up to discover for themselves just how deep the integration is between hardware and software.

Find us on Booth B57, Hall 5.1 at MusikMesse.

For all Novation Musikmesse information, head to www.novationmusic.com/messe

John King has seen it all, through working as a platinum-record producer since the mid ’80s, with the likes of The Beastie Boys, Beck and Tenacious D. Film soundtrack work for Fight Club and video game scoring have further widened his portfolio, and these days, he spends his time stamping his signature sound on everything from Devo's forthcoming album to video game soundtracks.
"It's genius!"
 John's gear collection is as impressive as his catalogue of production credits. From rare vintage synths and effects processors to guitars and mics, he has almost everything a producer would ever want, and he admits that, although he loves gear of all kinds, he no longer routinely buys it, becuase he's got enough already.

  Watch the video

One new addition to John's studio, however, is the Novation Launchpad, which he uses to control Ableton Live. "This is more in tune with the way that I make music. I am so excited about it, and I can't wait to become an expert at using it."

As soon as Thavius Beck saw the Launchpad, he knew he had to have one, and ever since getting his hands on the portable Ableton controller, it has done great things for him. The LA-based producer, electronic musician and MC professes: "the beauty of the Launchpad is that you don't have to plug it in, so it's very portable. It all fits in a backpack, so you can get on a train, roll to the gig, and get ready to play." 

 Watch the video

On his recent European tour, Thavius relied on the flexibility of Launchpad to give him total control over his Ableton rig. He uses rows of buttons to act as knobs, which provides greater control over crossfading and the parameters in his effects plug-ins. "I've assigned the crossfader in Ableton Live to a row of buttons on my Launchpad, so I can slide from one track to another. With my Autofilter, I can sweep through my filter using another row of buttons."

 Watch the video

For Thavius, the versatility of the Launchpad and its portability make it the best controller for his workflow. "It doesn't have knobs, you don't need knobs, you can emulate the function of a knob by using a row of buttons, on top of being able to control your clips, on top of having a mixer mode, where you control the level of your tracks by sliding your finger up and down. So you have a ton of control." Check out Thavius' videos for a glimpse of him in action, and visit www.myspace.com/thavius for more information on the man himself!

Krazy Baldhead, or Pierre Grison to his friends, is a serious Ableton user. There isn't a feature beyond him in the application, and he's even on a team of exclusive beta-testing artists given priority access to the latest revisions of Live.

 Watch the video

Pierre is a studio-based producer, but also a prolific live artist, wowing crowds over the world with his brand of hook-laden electronica. At the heart of his rig is a Novation Launchpad, with which he launches clips, triggers beat repeats and engages effects. A Novation 25 SL MkII controller keyboard sits aside it, providing hands-on control for all elements of his his Live Set.

"I've got eight tracks in Ableton (two drums, two bass, two leads and two synths), and I've mapped the faders on the SL MkII to the frequency of Ableton's Auto Filters, so I can mute tracks and have a filter at the same time".

Pierre uses the knobs for controlling the effects on each track, "these are mainly beat repeats that I use on non-drum tracks. Then I have some buttons to launch some hi-hats, and on the Launchpad's User mode, I can have some other beat repeats that act on the master track, so I can make instant breaks." Pierre carries the whole setup in a rucksack, "the whole thing is very powerful, and it's cool that I can carry it around so easily." To check out Krazy Baldhead's latest album, The B Suite, head to www.myspace.com/krazybaldhead

Robbie Bronnimann uses an all-Novation controller rig.

"This set up is now going to allow me to do everything I wanted; It's the best of everything for me!"

Robbie Bronnimann is the UK-based producer and remixer who produced Howard Jones' latest album, Ordinary Heroes, but who also takes keyboard and on-stage electronics duties when Howard is performing live.

His stage rig comprises two Novation Launchpads, as Robbie explains: "I'm using two of the lovely new launchpads, which are fantastic. I use one for launching clips in Ableton, and the other is configured with Automap to do all sorts of triggering and effects for all the loops and live inputs I have coming in."

 Watch the video

Robbie also makes full use of a Novation 25 SL MkII in his rig. The array of hands-on knobs, sliders and buttons controls the mix inside Ableton, but there are a number of live feeds coming straight into Robbie's rig, too. "I do all of Howard's vocal processing, directly through Ableton. I'm controlling the effects send levels to the delays and reverbs using the X-Y pad and the modulation control!" But why choose an all-Novation rig, you might ask? The answer is simple in Robbie'd mind, "This set up is now going to allow me to do everything I wanted; It's the best of everything for me!" To check out Robbie's rig, watch the backstage video from Howard's album launch at the O2 Indigo venue.

Novation are proud to announce their involvement with the RM 64 Artists Record project, which follows the career course of seven uniquely different but exceptionally talented young bands. Each act has embarked on a creative journey that will be digitally self-documented by them and made available on the RM 64 Artists Record blog for the world to see, hear and comment upon.

At www.rm64artistsrecord.com you’ll follow L.A.-based duo All Wrong & The Plans Change, Austin’s folk/rock band The Eastern Sea, Salt Lake City rockers The Devil Whale, NYC-based pop artists The Narrative, Midwest Upbeat electro-pop-punkers Sweatshirt Weather, Atlanta’s own raw The 54, and singer/songwriter/guitar shredder Bud Carroll, who will all tell their day-to-day stories in their own words and videos. The RM 64 Artists Record project also brings music and technology together as never before. The artists digitally chronicle not only their personal touring and gigging experiences but also show how fundamentally intertwined technology is with creativity today. All seven of the acts have been equipped with Novation SL MkII controller keyboards, along with technology from other music technology developers, which they will incorporate into their art, productions and workflow. For the first time, all the right elements — real musicians, music industry veterans with proven track records of picking hits, and technology from leading developers — have been put together to show what it’s really like on the road, in the studio, on stage and everywhere in between. The RM 64 Artists Record project chronicles these compelling stories of musicians on a mission to both explore and define the Brave New World of music as a business and as an art in the 21st century.

Novation have launched StepSeq, a free Max For Live Patch that turns Launchpad into a fully fledged melodic step sequencer. Conceived as a cool but powerful sequencer to enable Launchpad users to programme melodies, leads and basslines quickly in Live, the buttons are configured diatonically (as opposed to chromatically, as with a traditional step sequencer). The degree of the scale and its tonal centre can be set by the user, meaning that, once set up, any note you trigger in your sequence will fit in harmonically with your track, making it really easy to keep within the context of the song.

 Watch the video

The latest update to Novation's market-leading MIDI control application, Automap, has been released. Automap v3.4 brings with it dozens of new mappings for plug-ins and instruments, and also carries firmware updates for Novation keyboards and controllers. When developing Automap v3.4, Novation focussed on expanding Automap's on-board library of mappings (collections of assignments that tie knobs, faders and buttons of Novation hardware to software parameters) for Logic, Reason and Pro Tools. To acheive this, the mappings system was fully rebuild to allow thousands of new mappings across the Novation product range. Now, Logic, Reason and Pro Tools are fully mapped (although Logic's Sculpture and Ultrabeat have inherent limitations). This means all plug-ins and software instruments that ship with the applications now have bespoke Automap mappings, so you can get immediate, hands-on access to the most sensible parameters in your plug-ins and music software. Your music-creation workflow just got much more efficient!

Another big part of the v3.4 revision is the inclusion of firmware updates for Novation's Remote SL, Zero SL, SL Compact, SL MkII and Nocturn Keyboard. These updates transfer through the Automap user interface, with helpful on-screen directions guiding users through the updating process. Download the latest version of Automap here

Making music for commercials is a tough business. As well as having the necessary chops to create literally any genre of music the client asks for, a commercial composer needs to be a disciplined and efficient engineer and mixer; with new jobs landing on your desk in the morning and being sent to the client at close of play, deadlines pass on an hourly basis. 

Alex Weinstein, one of a team of in-house composers at The Lodge in New York City, has recently turned to Novation's Nocturn to give him hands-on access to the UAD2 plug-ins in his Logic-based composition system.

Free Novation software for Launchpad & Nocturn 25/49 owners!

Free Automap Pro upgrade for existing Novation controller users. Upon purchase of a Launchpad, a Nocturn 25 or a Nocturn 49, Automap Pro will be given free of charge to existing owners of the Novation Nocturn or controllers in the Remote SL Mk1 range. Realise the full potential of your controllers with Automap Pro.

Qualifying products: Nocturn Remote Zero SL Remote 25 SL Remote 37 SL Remote 61 SL Remote 25 SL Compact Remote 49 SL Compact If you qualify for either of these promotions, head to your MyNovation account (or sign up) and register your products. Once the qualifying serial numbers are entered, a code will be automatically generated and emailed to you. (Note that the registration system will go live in Mid-November. Both promotions are retrospective, so will apply to customers who have already registered.)

Cutmaster DC, one of the founding fathers of Brooklyn hip hop, has taken to Novation's Launchpad in a big way. 

In his 32 years of hip hop, Cutmaster DC has produced numerous old school classics, most famously 'Brooklyn's In The House", which officially put his district of New York City on the hip hop map. More recently, Cutmaster DC, under the moniker DJ Hakim, has compiled over 80 mixtapes in various genres, from house to reggae, and of course, hip hop.

His latest project will see Cutmaster DC rise again for a 25th anniversary celebration of 'Brooklyn's In The House', and he'll be using Novation's Launchpad to get the beats together. "One of the things that impresses me most is how you can play Launchpad like an instrument and actually create a song live. For a DJ to create beats almost effortlessly on stage is like taking the DJ back to the original form of showmanship. When I saw the Launchpad demos at the AES show, my mouth was open; and we ain't even at the turntables yet!"

Another aspect of Launchpad that impressed Cutmaster DC was the way it integrates with Ableton Live, "I'm excited about Launchpad because of the self-containment of it. Whatever it is you want to do can be done with the Launchpad and Live."

Check out Cutmaster DC's Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/cutmasterdc

From humble beginnings as a party DJ in downtown New York, Paul D. Miller (a.k.a. DJ Spooky) is today a formidable force in hip hop. But he's also an acclaimed multimedia artist who's written on the subject of the history of hip hop and the aesthetics and art of the genre, and has criss-crossed the globe on the search for art and music. His latest Album, The Secret Song, is a fusion of hip hop, dub, rock, house and breakbeat, with snippets of the numerous genres moulded together to form what reviewers have said "may be the only concept recording of the 21st century that can be considered crucial listening".

His forthcoming tour will see him using Novation's Launchpad alongside turntables when he takes the album on the road. DJ Spooky: "The thing with my music is that everything is made from bits and pieces, there's nothing that's a whole chunk of something. What you're doing these days is finding edit points. So when I'm touring with the album, I'll bounce all the pieces into the Live interface, set up Launchpad to my liking, then show up with my laptop and sequence things for my scratch routines."  

“The way I see Launchpad is as a live instrument that I can incorporate in my DJ set for making music on the fly.“

But it's not just on the road where DJ Spooky will be using Launchpad. In the studio, it will save him hours of programming time, thanks to its immensely tight integration with Ableton. "In the past, it would have taken a lot of time to programme all the edits, but with this, you can set up stutters and glitches in Live then trigger them on the fly with Launchpad. The software has changed the game but so far the interfaces haven't kept up. This is something that finally feels as flexible as what you were able to acheive back in the day." You can catch DJ Spooky on tour in an exotic location near you. His new CD, The Secret Song, is out now, and can be downloaded from iTunes.

What festivals have you been doing this summer? 

Royksopp have played festivals all over Europe this summer. We headlined Melt recently in Germany and just did Get Loaded in London. Plus we’ve got tour dates in Korea, UK & US coming up. 

Why did Royksopp choose Novation keyboards? 

We decided to go with Novation controllers because the brand has a solid reputation plus the new controllers looked like they had plenty of midi control options to use in a live performance environment.

How do Royksopp use the SL's in the Live Setup?

Royksopp travel with 3 SL’s and we use 2 on stage plus 1 for backup. Svein and Torbjorn each have an SL hooked up to a Muse Receptor, which control various VST’s. The Novations are used to trigger loads of sound effects, samples and synth sounds live. 

What improvements do you like on the new MKII versions?

The SL’s are great to program and provide enough controller options for mapping various software parameters. The large LED screen, buttons and ringed encoders make it much easier in low light environments for Royksopp to use on stage, giving them visual feedback, especially when used for filter sweeps and triggering sound effects or samples.

You can purchase the new album via this link royksopp.com/music/junior For more info on live touring dates check out the following below www.myspace.com/royksopp Video links of them performing live www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

The Novation Nocturn has been an enormous hit with music makers. Now we've added a high-quality 'Fatar' keyboard, eight drum pads and transport controls which transform Nocturn into a full control solution for DAWs and plug-ins. 

 It still has eight touch sensitive LED-ringed encoders, a speed dial (which controls anything your cursor is pointing at) and back-lit buttons telling you whether they are on or off. Most importantly it has the latest version of Automap, with one-click controller assignment and a software GUI which graphically shows the control surface on your computer screen. 

 Nocturn Keyboard is available in 25 key and 49 key versions. Click here for more details

Both versions of Automap now feature the following:

• Full support for Novation's Automap product range with Propellerhead's Reason & Record

For the first time, users of Propellerhead Reason and Record can have full Automap control of their software. Now, unlike before, parameter names and values are reported back to Novation hardware controllers, and the mapping of hardware controls changes when the user switches between, say, the mixer and a Combinator rack. Previously, mappings using Reason's 'Remote Override' function were static. Now, individual Reason Rack and Mixer parameters can be learned to any hardware control, wherever the user desires.

The range of the controls in Automap can now be edited. This means that instead of covering an arbitrary range of between 0 and 1, Automap knobs and sliders can be programmed to operate over a restricted range that doesn't include the whole of the parameter's available values. In practice, this can be applied to a soft synth's filter cutoff parameter, where the user only wants to vary the frequency over a limited range, not its full span.

There's a number of new, easy-to-use Button types: Normal, Momentary, Toggle and Step, which help the user quickly set up the way they want to command their software without having to manually configure complex button characteristics. There are also new features to invert a controller's behavior, reversing the direction of control in a simple click.

Automap v3.2 is the first to support the Automap for iPhone/iPod Touch App (available now from Apple's Appstore), which gives users of the handheld devices complete control over their music software.

Automap's plug-in manager is where users can select and deselect the plug-ins that they wish to control. In version 3.2, this has been streamlined to allow multiple plug-in selection and deselection, and there's a search tool to help track down specific software instruments and audio effects.

Users can use the cursor keys on their computer keyboard to scroll through the settings in the Automap Edit window, making it quicker and easier to navigate than ever before.

An embedded function for restoring the factory settings of Automap-compatible hardware is now included. Just in case users get really carried away with the finer parameter tweaks in Automap and want to return their controller to its box-fresh state!

There's now a 'Home' button in the Edit window to return the user to the Startup view.

The Pro version (available to buy now from http://www.focusrite-estore.com/novation/software/automap_30_pro/) has the following new features, alongside those already mentioned:

Users can now send ASCII (QWERTY) keyboard shortcuts from their Automap-comptible Novation hardware, for ultimate control over their music software.

A fantastic gig at The Big Chill saw the pioneering electronic duo back together, with Novation controllers on hand to make sure the return ran smoothly…

Over the last 20 years Orbital have made a huge impact on Dance music around the world. Brothers Phil and Paul Hartnoll’s blend of beats and melodies has won them thousands of fans and the duo’s live performances have become legendary. After taking a few years off the brothers recently reunited and headlined The Big Chill festival with a blistering performance. They have now totally reconfigured their on-stage set-up, with Novation controllers, Jazzmutant Lemurs and Ableton Live helping them twist and turn their way through their set.

“The Big Chill gig was brilliant,” says Paul Hartnoll. “It was the gig that got us back together and it didn’t disappoint – well worth it. I think I’m still getting over the hangover from afterwards now!”

“I spent months programming so we can have a real open-ended experience on stage,” reveals Paul. “I love jamming with the arrangements and feeding off the crowd. The set tends to have a Chinese whisper effect and develops over time as we get more confident or bored with what we do – we change it and try things out to see where it will go. Hopefully each gig is tailored to the crowd and the mood of the night fits perfectly into place – that’s the idea anyway!”

At the heart of the on-stage set-up are a couple of Novation SL MkII controllers which are the latest in a long line of Novation gear the duo have used…

“We liked the look and layout of the SLs which is so important live,” says Paul. “And we have always used Novation gear on the road: from the original BassStation to the DrumStation – still our back up in-case the TR-909 or 808 go down – to the SuperNova which was one of our main live synths for many years.”

“We use the SL as the main hardware controller,” Paul continues. “We use the Jazzmutant Lemur to launch clips in Ableton Live but much prefer the hardware and feel of the SL MkII for flying in real time samples and filter manipulation. I have keys that turn on extreme effect settings in things like Live’s Beat Repeat next to keys for filters on/offs with the cut-off and resonance just above for quick access. You can’t beat the feel of the SL MkII for filter sweeps and effects manipulation. I love the modulation joystick which I use with the spring off for controlling the sample start on triggered vocal samples, and another one of the great things the SL has is a dedicated pair of up/down buttons for tempo.”

“I just think the SL goes a bit deeper than some other controllers,” Paul concludes. “I like its apparent simplicity with hidden depths if you need them. They are the solid part of the live control that you can’t get from a touch-screen.”

Finally it seems The Big Chill was just the start of a busy summer… “We have a small tour of the UK planned and a few more festivals over summer,” says Paul. “While on the road I’m also working on an album with Lianne Hall who sung on my solo album The Ideal Condition.”

Matt Masters may have discovered a love of turntables as recently as 2001, but review his lengthy CV and it reveals the sort of dream job progression that would put many A-List DJs efforts to shame… Already studying for a degree in Music Science, Matt found an innate aptitude for mixing and from there it was only a matter of weeks before he threw himself into dance music in a big way. Picking up a pair of turntables would signal the start of a career that now sees him DJing all over the world when he’s not producing, mixing and remixing Deep House masterpieces for a stack of quality labels, including influential Deep House supremos Freerange Records, who Matt has been involved with for five years now. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Residencies include Freerange Records’ London parties, a string of Ibiza clubs (including El Divino and Privilege), and even appearances at Spain’s renowned Sonar Festival and the well respected Garden Festival in Croatia. Matt also hosts a monthly radio show and podcast that has seen some of the most influential producers and DJs on the scene pass through the Freerange Records studio.

And this is before we’ve even considered a string of remixes and home-baked productions that have seen Matt release material either under his own name or as MidiDropMusic with collaborator and veteran DJ Mr. Cenzo. The first four EPs from the MDM stable have racked up strong support from a string of discerning DJ talent with positive feedback coming from all quarters, including Jimpster, Fish Go Deep, and even Gallic House legend Laurent Garnier (“Great Deepness”). Cleary a man who’s taken control of his music, Matt expects no compromises with the hardware he uses, whether that’s in the studio or in the DJ booth – which is why it’s Novation all the way… “I use my ReMOTE 25SL for production work as it’s just a great piece of kit. Depending what I am using at the time, I’ll use it to control Logic, Reason, Ableton Live… and the best thing about those SL controllers? It’s the way the on-screen display guides you around your plug-ins and applications without having to guess what each pot or fader does or having to mess about labelling them with tape. This, of course, is all down to the Automapping technology, which not only puts me in control of my music also saves me a lot of time.”

Matt prefers something a little more compact and immediate when it comes to DJing though, which is when he turns to the latest addition to Novation’s family of controllers – the Nocturn. “I use the Nocturn to control Native Instruments Traktor Pro. Yes, it’s small, but it’s also devastatingly effective. I’ve been organising my music for a while now and have just started taking my digital rig out on the road, so it’s great to finally start using Traktor in a live environment – and controlling the software with the Nocturn… well, I’m blown away by the versatility.” “The way that Nocturn and Traktor work together is superb. I love the way that you can bring up the semi-opaque display of the Nocturn’s controls and how easy it is to program, making it perfect for the shifting sands of working in the live arena. I have it set up so that I have access to four pages of controls that I can swiftly scroll through when I DJ, so I always know exactly where I am in a live environment.” “And I love those LEDs on the control surface. When you’re in a dark club environment it’s really easy to see what you are doing, which is always a plus.“

www.myspace.com/mastersmatt
www.myspace.com/mididropmusic
www.freerangerecords.co.uk
Matt also has a monthly newsletter.
www.domeasqueeze.co.uk/July09.htm

“I got into music at age five, first learning classical pieces.” recalls Steve Ferlazzo. “After that, I never stop playing!” Indeed! Ferlazzo eventually attended Berklee College of Music in Boston before starting band life proper with Sony-signed In The Pink. After a stint in production Steve then started his lucrative live career with Nuno Bettencourt (ex Satellite Party and Extreme). After moving to LA, he worked with all sorts of artists before ending up in an audition for Avril Lavigne. “I prepared thoroughly for the audition and ended up getting the gig!” he recalls. Since landing that he has played every theatre you can imagine, from all the major TV shows to all the big stadiums. While ‘off road’ he fills his time in the studio with artists like DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill, Soul Assassins), Mick Mars, Bootsy Collins and many others. To help him with all of these tasks Ferlazzo has the best of keyboards in his rig including a Novation ReMote SL which he uses extensively with Ableton Live. “Each scene [in Live] is a different song or interlude,” he explains. “I name the tempo for each song in the master scene name. I’ll have a click track set up for each scene, which the click type changes depending on the song. I have tracks setup for each piece of external MIDI gear and I created clips for all my program changes and default setup parameters, which I save in the LIVE library as clips to be called up and used anywhere in my live set.” “Next, I have a track dedicated to one-shot samples that I trigger from the drum pads on my ReMote SL – these also are assigned to their own audio output to be controlled separately by our sound man. Then any rhythm or backing tracks are also on a track with separately assigned audio outs. All these facets are then controlled by a wide assortment of foot controllers, foot switches and the ReMote SL has every button on it controlling all my functions in Ableton so I never have to use a mouse or look at the computer monitor.”

“This makes the live show a very hands on, performance oriented show for me,” he continues. “I’ll use foot switches to start and stop each scene. I’ll use the ReMote SL to scroll through each scene and prepare it to be fired. I also have individual software instrument parameters assigned to various knobs for real time control (i.e. filter sweeps, delay feedback, etc.).” “Sometimes, we’ll want to change an arrangement to suit a performance – no problem. I have the easiest time making tempo changes right before a show and I can re-order scenes each show to suit the current set list. I have full control of whatever MIDI tone module or software synth that I choose to play, which is great for spontaneous jams. I use my Novation ReMote SL to control every assignable LIVE function that I’ll ever need in a live or studio situation.” A more extensive version of this interview appeared in the Music Tech Ableton Live Special. More from: www.musictechmag.co.uk

The Kaiser Chiefs are having a busy year. Before headlining Reading and Leeds Festival this summer, they are playing a series of dates in Australia, Singapore, Europe and Scandinavia. Their UK tour promoting "Off With Their Heads", culminated in a spectacular show at Wembley Arena on March 4th. It was here that one of a handful of pre-production SL Mk II's was put through its paces.

Its not often that rock stars offer to test out prototype controllers in front of over 10 000 fans, but Peanut is a man who knows his kit: "I've been using the SL25 (Mk I) in my live rig for almost 2 years now. It's solid, and is perfect for use as an extra controller/sample triggering and tinkering device." In addition to its studio duties, the SL Mk II has been designed to trigger samples and synths on stage without the worry of working out what controller is assigned to what parameter. Peanut has plenty of experience managing complex live control set-ups, and appreciates the way all his control information is instantly visible: "The new LED rings around the controllers in the Mk II make it much much easier to see what is going on - especially useful on dark stages! The same applies for the backlit buttons and transport controls, they make the original SL design even better."

Peanut and the rest of the band will be playing festivals across Europe this summer in the run up to Reading and Leeds in the UK. For further information visit: www.kaiserchiefs.co.uk

In order to maintain their position as the number one name in MIDI control, Novation have been hard at work putting the final touches to the next generation of their flagship controllers. The original ReMOTE SL built its reputation on high quality hardware and pioneering control software. The SL Mk II has some striking additions that set it apart from any other controller on the market, every feature is designed to make mapping and controlling software quick and effortless.

Like all Novation keyboard controllers, SL Mk II is a musical instrument, not just a computer peripheral. A semi-weighted Fatar 'fast touch' keyboard is combined with a full DAW and plug-in control surface that visually feeds back all control information to the user. All knobs and faders are touch sensitive. By simply touching a control, all mapping information automatically appears on the giant 144 character LCD display. Back lit LED buttons and LED ringed encoders instantly show the status of controls. SL Mk II also includes full transport control, an XY "Xpression Pad", 8 drum pads, sprung pitch/mod joystick and a unique "Speed Dial" encoder, which enables the user to grab any parameter the cursor is positioned over. In addition to 25, 49 and 61 key versions, a keyboardless "Zero" will be available with longer-throw faders and a central crossfader.

Ultra-quick mapping of all 56 knobs, faders and buttons is managed by Novation's groundbreaking Automap 3 PRO software, which provides instant and intelligent control of all your music software. As well as extensive DAW control, parameters on VST/AU/RTAS/TDM plug-ins can be assigned by simply touching the controller and clicking the parameter. Perhaps Automap 3 PRO's biggest asset is "Keystroke Assignment", this enables almost any QWERTY or ASCII keyboard shortcut (and combination shortcuts) to be instantly assigned to the SL Mk II controls - providing unprecedented DAW control. Automap 3.0 also introduces "Autoview", where the 'heads up GUI' (showing the current status of all controls) can be programmed to automatically appear whenever a controller is touched, then disappear upon release.

SL Mk II, alongside Automap 3 PRO is without doubt the best control solution on the market, and is available almost immediately. The 25-key and 61-key models are shipping worldwide, April 2009. Zero SL MkII and the 49-key model will follow shortly after

Please note the Speedio is not supported on Intel Macs due to firmware compatibility. Power PC will still be supported.

And it doesn’t get much bigger than Glasgow-based Northern Irish and Scottish alt-rockers Snow Patrol, whose career has taken a stratospheric turn on the back of 2006’s multi-million-shifting album Eyes Open. But Snow Patrol aren’t the only ones making an impression. “Part of their live setup includes running an Apple Logic rig for Tom Simpson, the keyboard player. I’m using Novation’s ReMOTE 25 SL to program-change his keyboard setup, plus Logic on three computers in tandem with a little application called ‘On Stage’, notes the MIDI maestro. “We’re also looking at running Ableton Live as a standalone instrument/effects processor. We’ll use the Nocturn for hands-on control of various aspects of that set-up.” No doubt that testing will be completed soon, as Snow Patrol are about to hit the road again with Novation in tow. “This year I’m gonna have my hands full with Snow Patrol,” says Matt. “We begin a UK arena tour in February, followed by dates worldwide throughout the year.” Not that our in-demand live guru is one for resting on his laurels, mind you. “I’m also going to be developing my own company – iMatt Ltd – which I started last year,” he continues. “iMatt aims to deliver advice and knowledge to the live music arena, providing keys and MIDI system design ideas, Mac configuration and setup ideas, as well as touring programming and tech work.” And with 30 touring clients dating back to ’96 already listed on the iMatt website, it’s unlikely that Matt will be running short of innovative ideas anytime soon. “As is always the case when using technology live, don’t over-elaborate – keep things as simple as they need to be,” he reasons. “It’s easy to get lost in a world of plug-ins and instruments that aren’t necessarily needed, which will only slow down your system and make it unreliable. When you find equipment from a particular manufacturer that is reliable, stick with it for every project you work on. Peace of mind is very important when it comes to configuring and building different rigs for different bands – especially for live tech work. I’ve got certain favourites when it comes to audio interfaces, MIDI interfaces, sequencing software, and MIDI hardware. And yes, Novation features quite often in that list.” Indeed it does, as Matt concludes. “The Nocturn is really easy to set up with Automap, plus you always know exactly what each knob and fader is doing if you keep your assign window onscreen and opaque. And then the ReMOTE 25 SL’s strength is the number of MIDI In and Outs, plus the USB connection, which allows it to sit at the very heart of a MIDI rig and send control and program info to several destinations very easily – plus on a dark stage that backlit display is very easy to read!”

Nocturn Knock 'em Dead

Novation are kicking off the year with yet another award. In these times of economic uncertainty value for money is more important than ever. So appropriately, Novation's Nocturn scooped the award in Remix Magazine's 'Best Hardware Value' category. Remix Mag (who describe Nocturn as the "killer universal plug-in controller") were hugely impressed by its sleek, compact design and of course, the groundbreaking Automap software that comes with it.

Nocturn made its name as a plug-in controller, its eight assignable rotary encoders and eight assignable buttons make it the perfect way to get your hands on VST and AU plug-ins. But the really special feature is in Automap software's ability to 'wrap' plug-ins. This means that you can simply click on the parameter, touch the controller and it is assigned! This means no more tiresome trawling through MIDI continuous controller numbers...

We have also been hearing from people who are increasingly turning to Nocturn as the ideal small controller for Pro Tools. Nocturn is perfect for people who use an M-Box on the move as it is compact, cost effective and works fantastically with Pro Tools LE's incredible number of plug-ins

“It’s a system that has evolved over time,” he says. “It’s playing the MIDI so all the modules are where the sounds come from. Sometimes there’s a little audio but not much. The Novations do quite a few things. There’s something on every song and it does quite a few of the analogue type sounds, things like The Cat sound in Love Action. It does more of the esoteric stuff and some of the evolving sounds as well. Philip [Oakey] uses Novation gear in his studio too.” This more traditional system MIDI based system is very different from the cutting-edge system that Alan used on the Björk tour. That was so ahead of itself that some of the technology used on stage wasn’t even commercially available! However, Novation still played a big part as Alan reveals. “I had the Remote 25SL to stop and start the songs. There was a firmware issue with MacBook Pros where the first key press wouldn’t do anything. With a lot of her songs the sequences wouldn’t necessarily start at the beginning – maybe she would sing and then the sequence would start. The starts therefore had to be bang on the money and I found the starts and stops are much nicer to do via the Novation keyboards. I also used the faders for mixing and playing a couple of notes. Damian [Taylor, keyboards] used the rack version of the SL extensively, using the faders and knobs a lot more for mixing Ableton Live during the show.” So from providing the sounds on stage to the MIDI control, Novation finds just as many uses on the road as it does in the studio.

Automap 3 When Novation first launched Automap Software Control in 2005, it signaled a fundamental change in the way DAWs and plug-ins could be controlled. Automap has gone through many changes over the last 4 years making it even easier to assign, manage and control software parameters with Novation's Nocturn and ReMOTE SL range of hardware controllers. Our software developers have been hard at work to ensure that Automap 3 lives up to expectations. This latest version will take two forms, Automap 3 Standard and Automap 3 Pro. Automap 3 Standard is available now as a free download. In addition to all the mapping and control capabilities of Automap Universal, it includes the following brand new features:

• HUI HUI control is now fully implemented within Automap, allowing control over all HUI compatible DAW's including Logic, Pro Tools and Digital Performer. This includes control over volume, pan, aux sends, track arm, mute/solo and more...
• Start-up Screen A new start-up screen now makes managing your plug-ins and setting up your DAW even easier. It also gives you one-click access to online support, tutorials and the latest updates.

• Multiple device support Automap 3 Pro supports multiple devices, so numerous Novation controllers can be used side by side.
• Keystroke Assignments - Automap 3 Pro can assign almost any computer keyboard shortcuts to hardware controls. For example arrow key functions can now be assigned to hardware controls, allowing you to flick between tracks using buttons on your SL/Nocturn. You could also zoom in and out, open windows or create and jump to markers in your DAW.
• XY Pad Control Fully Auto-mappable XY Pad control, expression pedal, control pedal and drum pad control. The Automap server can now assign parameters to all these controllers using the ultra-quick learn facility. (Pedal/pad control not supported by SL Compact)
• Drag and Drop You can now drag and drop control mappings and control map groups in the GUI, allowing you to re-assign knobs, faders and buttons by simply grabbing them with the mouse and dropping them on the new controller.
• Autoview Mode Optional Autoview mode means that the GUI only becomes visible when a controller is touched, then it disappears again allowing you to get back to your DAW.

Novation has made some really rather special synthesizers, in fact our reputation was built on the Nova, Bass Station and of course the legendary Supernova series. The latter provided the inspiration for the Novation FX Plug-in Suite as producers sought to give that authentic, vintage Novation flavour to their music. This Plug-in Suite delivers effects derived from the flagship Supernova II synthesizer - with a modern twist. They include; Chorus, Delay, Tremelo, Phaser and the celebrated Filter Section with its filter overdrive and Q-norm functions. These effects were drawn from synthesizers used by Orbital, Jean-Michel Jarre and A Guy Called Gerald....

Musician-producers are increasingly mobile and this new breed of gig-hardened maverick is generating enormous demand for our laptop and gig bags. To cope with this, 25, 49 and 61 key gig bags can now be ordered from our website as well as our tried and tested musicians' laptop bags.

Since emerging from the gloom of their studios, many have sought refuge in Focusrite and Novation t-shirts and hoodies , which are also available on line. In addition to this we are selling accessories including Power Supplies, Cables and Grills for KRK monitors. See our E-store for more details.

Moldover is frequently billed as a "live mashup DJ" or "sound collage and cutup artist", but to use these common terms is something of an understatement. In the first few minutes of a typical set, Moldover sets out to destroy your whole concept of what recorded music is. Grabbing chunks of sound from hundreds of songs in countless styles, he transforms triggered samples into complex and expressive musical gestures. In Moldover's own words, "I've been meticulously sampling my favorite bits of pop culture for years now. Every sound bite I play comes from some piece of music or film that I feel truly passionate about. Everything is played in it's original, unedited form. I'll let you hear a few bars of a classic tune and then rip it apart, twist it around, layer it with a bunch of other elements and slap it back together before I move on to the next thing. Absolutely all the blending, chopping and tweaking I do is happening live". Download one of the free mixes posted at Moldover.com and hear for yourself.

For someone who invests so much time into digital audio manipulation, the choice of controller is crucial. For several years now Moldover has been performing with the Novation Remote-25SL. Following his ethos of leaving no tool unmodified, Moldover attacked his Remote with soldering iron, epoxy resin and rotary-grinder to create a one-of-a-kind performance instrument. It seems that bending hardware to his own designs was the next logical step in Moldover's approach to controllerism. He explains, "I've gotten deep enough into music software that I can create pretty much any virtual instrument (mixer, whatever) I dream up. But after the virtual side of things gets to a certain level, you realize it's time to start tweaking the hardware to match. The Remote is a great piece of gear for modifying. I don't think there is any other controller on the market with the sheer number and variety of sensors that it has. I added a little here, took a little away there, and wound up with a totally unique controller that seamlessly integrates into my software setup". Like something out of a post-apocalyptic cyber-punk future, Moldover's Remote25-SL is hot-rodded for extra ruggedness, expressive control and intuitive layout. Check out the videos and forum on controllerism.com for details on how to make your own customized Novation Remote-25SL.

So what's next for the self-proclaimed Musical Supervillain? Previews of Moldover's unreleased debut album are online now. Imagine Jimi Hendrix mud wrestling with Squarepusher on Soul Train and you'll have some idea of what the sound is like. Moldover elaborates, "This album is inspired by all the music I've been chopping up in my live sets for the last three years, but everything is composed from scratch and performed entirely by me. I played every instrument I could and programming everything I couldn't. It's about the most personal way to create an album I can imagine". As Moldover's strangle hold on the multiverse grows ever tighter, beware the wrath of his debut solo album: coming out this fall.

"Novation does not endorse modifications of any kind on any of our products. Any modifications will of course result in the invalidation of the warranty." Photography by Sarah Peet.

Novation has a history of innovation in electronic musical instruments and this prestigious award acknowledges an outstanding achievement by the company, placing it as the leading brand of keyboard controllers. The Queen’s Award will be presented to key members of the Novation team at Buckingham Palace by the Queen in July.

Phil Dudderidge, Focusrite & Novation’s Chairman, said: “We’re delighted to be winning this award for Remote SL with Automap Universal software. The Remote SL is the first in a family of keyboards and controllers to benefit from Automap Universal, our proprietary software that enables users of modern music software to control parameters of that software from their controller without having to manually assign controls to functions and have to remember what does what.”\r\n\r\n“We are very pleased that the Queen''s Award Office judges recognise the innovative nature of the products and appreciate the importance of innovation in the musical instrument (MI) industry.”

About ReMOTE SL and Automap: Used in conjunction with Novation’s ReMOTE SL controller keyboards, Automap technology has revolutionised the way we interface with software in the modern studio and on stage, allowing for automatic mapping of sequencer and instrument parameters. As soon as supported applications are selected, all mixer parameters, transport controls and instruments appear instantly on the faders, knobs, buttons and pads, with all parameters and track names being displayed clearly.

Automap Universal allows users to instantly control absolutely any automatable plug-in, in any sequencer, automatically, and without ever having to refer to a manual or worry about complex MIDI data and assigning. Parameters can be ''learned'' and saved at the touch of a button.

Automap Universal renders old school MIDI control obsolete, bringing an end to MIDI control nightmares.

About Novation: Whether putting classic synth and drum sounds into the hands of the masses, combining synthesizers, controllers and interfaces into compact and forward-thinking keyboards and interfaces, or making life easier for musicians the world over with their acclaimed ReMOTE SL controllers and Automap Universal technology, Novation have always pushed the boundaries of music technology.

About The Queen’s Award: The Queen''s Awards for Enterprise are the UK''s most prestigious awards for business performance. The Awards are made each year by The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister, who is assisted by an Advisory Committee that includes representatives of Government, industry and commerce, and the trade unions.

The awards are given to businesses that demonstrate “substantial improvement in business performance and commercial success, to levels that are outstanding for the size of the applicant''s operations.”

The Kaiser Chiefs story is an incredible one even for the world of pop. Seemingly the band were nowhere one day and then, one chant-along anthem (I Predict A Riot) and one blinding US Live 8 performance later, they were everywhere! Now the band are global superstars and to their keyboard player, Nick ‘Peanut’ Baines, it must feel incredible, especially when he looks back at the band’s past. But despite appearances to the contrary, success didn’t come overnight after all.

“We all had a history of being in bands around Leeds for many years – Nick [Hodgson], Simon [Rix] and I since school,” he says. “The five of us have now been playing under one guise or another since summer 2000.”

The band recorded some demos in 2003, which the label Drowned In Sound picked up on and put out the single Oh My God. They then embarked on the 2005 NME tour, which was the kick-start they needed. Now they can count huge sales, Brit Awards, sell-out gigs and top 10 hits in their lists of achievements. Oh yes, and owning some pretty good keyboards too…

To compliment their unique sound, on the Kaiser Chiefs most recent tour, Peanut has been playing a custom-built ReMOTE 25 SL: The standard black casing having been replaced with a new white shell.

“I have the Novation ReMOTE 25 SL and the new XioSynth,” says Peanut. “When I need a combination of organ, piano and Wurlitzer, but not all spanning 73 keys then the ReMOTE 25 SL comes in handy. The semi-weighted keys feel sturdy and not like they'll be knackered after one tour.”

“And the added bonus of the many controller knobs, buttons and faders on it is that I can send program changes and control effects from it too, hopefully meaning less fumbling around in the rack between songs! The fantastic Automap feature really speeds things up as well.”

“As for the XioSynth, well, I'm in the middle of creating some patches to be included on it (if they're good enough!) so I am having fun with that. It seems a very powerful synth for such a small size. Again, there's not too much scrolling through menus to edit things. It's instant and hands-on – I like that.”

Peanut and the rest of the Kaiser Chiefs look set to get even busier over the coming months and there’s even some new material…

“We are currently on tour in Europe, testing out the songs for our new album, which is released in February,” Peanut explains and then adds: “The ReMOTE 25 SL is going to become part of my live set-up for triggering the sounds I've used on the new record. And before Christmas we'll be making a video for the first single and finalising mixes and artwork. Then next year we travel the world, playing people the new record!”

Described as "Scotland’s answer to Royksopp" (The Face), Myles has had a diverse upbringing, including a childhood on the Isle of Skye, low life in London and Paris and academia in Oxford and Los Angeles. In 2001, he returned to Scotland with one purpose – to submerge himself in music. Now, 5 years later, with his debut album unleashed on the world and numerous hit singles and massively successful tours under his belt, he has been hailed “the saviour of dance music” (NME).

Mylo’s first album ‘Destroy Rock & Roll’ is a refreshing and startling debut; a long-player that rivals the likes of Air’s ‘Moon Safari’, Daft Punk’s ‘Homework’ and Royksopp’s ‘Melody AM’. Now almost platinum in the UK and spawning several massive radio and club hits (4 top 20 singles), it has been cited by many, including Sir Elton John, as the ‘album of the year’. And Mylo’s remixes for the likes of The Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Kylie Minogue, and The Knife have defined clubland, confirming Mylo as one of the hottest remixers around.

Unlike performing with his band, in which he plays with a quartet of sonic pioneers, in the studio Myles works alone. In the centre of his rig sits a ReMOTE 25 SL, which he uses to navigate his way round Propellerheads Reason and Ableton Live. Myles was blown away by the simplicity of Automap and the amount of time he saved not having to assign parameters on his MIDI controller;

“I'm not very technical so I'm always full of wonder when things just work. It's magical! I couldn't believe how easily the ReMOTE SL connected up with both Reason 3 and Live 6. Tweaking parameters was always such a hassle with the mouse - not any longer. I think I'm going to make an acid-house album…”

Amongst his arsenal of software plug-ins lives a Novation Bass Station and V-Station, which now form much of the primary ingredients in his new album material. About the Bass Station, Myles comments;

“I wish I'd had this when I was making the first album! It’s fantastic! Hundreds of fat, squelchy bass sounds and a simple and intuitive interface. What more could you want?”

Mylo’s eagerly awaited new album should hit stores early in 2007, packed full of Novation sounds. To find out more about Myles and his label Breastfed Music, visit his website.

“That keyboard is so powerful, I’m not allowed to use it because it keeps disturbing everyone!”, says Rodney Smith, the man behind Roots Manuva, about his beloved Novation Xio. “I’ve made some weird music on it. It’s seriously powerful stuff man. I don’t think I’ll be allowed to use it in concert because it’s so damn powerful!”

We’re pretty sure he likes it then, and if anyone knows about good sounds, it’s Rodney. He’s been making music as Roots Manuva for over a decade, and in that time he’s put British hip hop on the map. In 1998 he won a MOBO award for best hip hop act after releasing his mesmerising debut album Brand New Second Hand. His profile then went through the roof and he featured on Leftfield’s Rhythm & Stealth album before producing Run Come Save Me, his second album, which has sold well in excess of 100,000 copies. From that came the track Witness, which was voted best hip hop track of all time by Hip Hop Connection magazine.

Throughout his career, Rodney has pushed the boundaries in music. He freely admits to spending too much time experimenting and picking up useful pieces of gear to help him in his search for the perfect sound. So when his new Novation Xio arrived, he decided to push it to its limits and soon became so attuned to it that he decided to program his own sounds…

“I’ve had it for about three or four months,” he says. “I’ve never had this amount of time to muck around and get to know a machine. I programmed a few bass sounds, a few strings and a few synthy sounds. How would you describe them?… kind of novelty, quirky sounds. I didn’t try to do much like a real violin or a real guitar or anything, apart from some strings. I mainly programmed nice little synth sounds, dubby synth sounds.”

“Every frequency on that machine is absolutely killer. It’s like, Jesus, man! I am using it at Alaska Studios in Waterloo and when I’m doing bass or top end I can shake the whole building. It’s louder than anything else there! It’s got a lovely sound. I didn’t realise how different one keyboard could be from other keyboards, but whoever put it together really knew what they were doing. It doesn’t need to be mixed at all – you just need to level it and that’s it. You don’t need to put loads of compression on it or anything, it’s just a nice sound on it right way.”

Despite all of his success and once stating that Awfully Deep, his third Roots album, would be his last, Rodney still has as much ambition as ever both in and out of music…

“It’s nice to be recognised as a pioneer for UK hip hop but there’s a massive world out there that hasn’t heard of me and I’ve got to make more records, I’ve got to do more touring – and other things besides music like set up my own production company – to make an impact worldwide.”

So we can expect a lot more from Rodney, Roots and his Novation Xio…

Rodney’s sounds feature on the latest Xio release and the latest Roots Manuva album, Alternately Deep, which is out now.