15 Studio Tour Videos That Will Inspire You
Your home recording studio is your creative oasis.
Everything in your studio—from your DAW to each synth—has a story. It tells the story of your personal musical journey—how your tastes, skills and needs have evolved over time.
Don’t you wish you could visit your favorite artists’ studios and ask them about each machine?
Studio tour videos let you do just that. Step into the studios of today’s most interesting music creators. You’ll learn about gear tricks, mixing tips and drool at some impressive setups.
Here’s 15 recording studio tour videos to inspire your next upgrade:
Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark
The Black Ark studio was built in 1973 by legendary Jamaican artist Lee “Scratch” Perry. Learn a thing or two about how seminal reggae is produced.
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith is currently one of the most exciting composers and synthesists. From her beautiful home studio in Los Angeles, watch a walkthrough of how she makes Buchla synth patches.
Nick Hook
Nick Hook is a DJ, producer, remixer, songwriter and promoter. Discover how he connects an impressive collection of vintage synths in his Brooklyn studio.
Elizabeth Rose
Self-taught Australian DJ/producer and singer-songwriter Elizabeth Rose walks you through her sampler and MIDI setup.
Emika
From her Berlin studio, producer, composer and sound designer Emika gives you a behind the scenes look at her mixing process.
Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson’s production credits are very impressive. He’s worked with everyone from Lily Allen, to Duran Duran, Lil Wayne and A$AP Rocky. And guess what? He doesn’t believe in fixing absolutely everything to make a song perfect—to him that’s not how music’s supposed to sound. Take note!
Sharooz
London-based producer and label owner Sharooz shows you his massive vintage gear collection. The takeaway? “70% of this is passion for creating using hardware. I don’t think it’s necessary to my sound”
Magda
Magda is a graduate of Richie Hawtin’s Minus camp and one of the most coveted DJ and tech-house producers. Her hot studio tip:“The way I wanted to set up the studio is that so it’s easy to use and it’s quick—and you can actually jam.”
TOKiMONSTA
LA-based producer TOKiMONSTA gives you a complete low down of each piece in her studio. Her favorite? The Fender Rhodes.
Ian Pooley
Veteran techno and breakbeat producer Ian Pooley explains his love of the MPC groove at his Berlin studio.
Tinashe
Singer, songwriter, record producer and performer Tinashe welcomes you in her family home to visit her cozy studio. This is the proof that you don’t need fancy gear to make fire hit songs.
Funkhaus Berlin
This isn’t exactly a home studio, quite the opposite. Funkhaus Berlin is one of the most breathtaking recording studios. Composer and poet Anthony Hequet takes you on a complete tour.
Jimmy Edgar
Techno producer Jimmy Edgar shows us his rack of nerdy modular synths and explains why he likes to make music with them.
Addison Groove
Dupstep and footwork producer Addison Groove show you his studio in Bristol. Hot tip: color code your MIDI controller if you’re not a keyboardist!
Neville Watson
UK based producer and DJ Neville Watson shows you the ins and outs of his set up and explains why he loves the Roland 707. He reminds creators that “Process is very important.”
Keep it plugged in
When it comes to home recording studios, everything is legit.
Some producers make magic happen with a computer, a MIDI keyboard and a DAW. Others have walls of modular synths to build complex textures.
But you know what? It’s all about the music in the end. What you use should help you make your best music—that’s all that matters.
Keep everything plugged. Make sure your studio is ready to lay down a sweet jam at any moment.
Leticia is a lover of acid basslines and hypnotic techno. She DJs and produces under the name softcoresoft. Writer at LANDR.
@Leticia TrandafirGear guides, tips, tutorials, inspiration and more—delivered weekly.
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