In The Studio

Collaboration between producers is a gateway for the creation of new and unique ideas. Two producers, Spencer Thibo and Dan Benov, work together and bounce off one another's creativity in their studio.

October 10, 2015 | Westlake Village, California | 9:00pm | Seven years ago, Spencer Thibo began producing music and graduated from a presti- gious school, mastering the production of electronic music. He has his very own studio in his room with thousands of dollars worth of equipment. This is a traktor, or essential- ly a mixer that is used to blend songs together to create a certain atmosphere or story for the audience. It has effect knobs, faders and a track deck, necessary in music production. October 10, 2015 | Westlake Village, California | 9:05pm | Spencer Thibo | Sound Arts Major, Ex’pression College | 2014 | Thibo messes around with an essential part of his equipment setup: a circuit groove box. This colorful pad includes buttons and knobs that can control pitch, decay, distortion and EQ, defining the sound of his music. October 10, 2015 | Westlake Village, California | 9:09pm | There are a variety of different production programs producers use when making new music. “I mainly use Ableton Live 9 to create the main structure of a track, but I also know Pro Tools and some of Logic Pro which I generally use later on for different aspects of the music production process,” Thibo said. Sometimes he even utilizes different programs for one track in order to achieve the ultimate sound, perfect for whatever track he is creating. October 10, 2015 | Westlake Village, California | 9:11pm | Spencer Thibo | Sound Arts Major, Ex’pression College | 2014 | Thibo works on a track alone and in the zone. “My environment plays a huge part in my producing. I have to be comfortable in my environment in order to produce anything I feel worth putting out into the world,” he said. Having an organized environment helps him channel his creativity, almost as much as having someone right along side him. October 10, 2015 | Westlake Village, California | 9:15pm | Spencer Thibo | Sound Arts Major, Ex’pression College | 2014 | Dan Benov | Business Management, California State Northridge | 2015 | Luke Misiroglu | Mathematics | Cuesta College | 2017 | Thibo and his friend, Dan Benov, start working together on a piece. Collaborating is essential in the work of electronic producers. “Just the overall energy when you get something you both are really digging can be much greater than if you were by yourself, you sort of feed off of each other,” Thibo said. Bouncing off of each other’s vibe can better a producer’s music by teaching them things they may have not thought of. October 10, 2015 | Westlake Village, California | 9:20pm | Spencer Thibo | Sound Arts Major, Ex’pression College | 2014 | Dan Benov | Business Management, California State Northridge | 2015 Luke Misiroglu | Mathematics | Cuesta College | 2017 | Luke Misiroglu has the pleasure of listening in on his two friends mixing. He comments on how the baseline really sucked him and he could feel the emotion of the track. “Duude, that last track was intense,” then proceeds to get the track ID. In any creative field, an outsider’s input can allow someone to not only excel, but master the art. You can hear how Thibo’s music changed when Benov joined him and this even had Misiroglu completely absorbed in the music. October 10, 2015 | Westlake Village, California | 9:27pm | Spencer Thibo | Sound Arts Major, Ex’pression College | 2014 | Dan Benov | Business Management, California State Northridge | 2015 | Thibo and Benov get deep into mixing and are absolutely loving it. The power of collaboration can benefit an artist more than anyone can imagine. “One of the major benefits of collaboration is the fact that two creative minds are better than one. Some ideas sound good at first but it’s always good to get another artist’s perspective,” Benov said.

On The Decks

Every producer has their own story, from downfalls to magical moments. Let's get up close and personal with a DJ with years of experience, Alex McDougall.

The Sound

Sound to producer is like wheels to a car; without one another they could not exist. The ultimate goal, as a producer, in the world of music production is to create an idiosyncratic sound that has the power to generate a feeling inside someone else. Four producers explain their own particular sound and how they came to develop it.