Danger Mouse sound

Isaak · 12th October 2008

His stuff sounds great! What equipment/synthesizers/instruments/etc does he use? Does anyone know?

In Search of · 12th October 2008

DJ Times: What are you using to make your mash-ups?
Danger Mouse: The stuff that I’m using now is costing in the hundreds, extremely cheap. I always thought, “If I only had such and such a piece of gear, I could really get some cool sounds together.” But that isn’t the case. I use [Sonic Foundry’s] ACID here and there, but it’s very basic. My monitors are computer speakers, believe it or not, and the computer I use is real old. I’m using the same equipment that I used when I first started. I only started using computers two years ago, and I only use [Digidesign’s] Pro Tools to mix. I’ve tried constructing things in Pro Tools and it’s a joke. I can’t do it. It’s just not set up for the way I work. I’m using the first computer program I ever used. I was always opposed to using computers—not morally, but they just crash too much. Before that, I’d record onto an 8-track and then mixed them down to a MiniDisc, mastered them off MiniDisc. I had no idea what I was doing. But the computer thing has been cool, because now I can do more beats in the same amount of time.

DJ Times: Where do the beats start?
Danger Mouse: I deconstruct and re-construct. A lot of my beats start in my head and I have to work them out visually. I don’t too much percussive stuff any more. I used to, but a lot of my percussive instincts are very normal. They’re very much what a lot of other people’s would be, and it’s tough to change your instincts—they are what they are. So once I realized that I started working more visually, it just changes the way I would normally do something.

DJ Times: Are the beats better?
Danger Mouse: Definitely. It’s not as predictable, and the swing and the feel are not always the same. And I have a lot more happy mistakes when I do it this way. It’s a lot more fun, too, because I never know how it’s going to turn out. A mistake is usually the only way I can get to something that nobody else has before. I’m shopping for vinyl for sounds, not necessarily beats, because I can re-construct them visually. I can lay a bunch of hi-hats in a row, and throw my kicks and snares wherever I want them. I’m just not hitting them with my hands. I use loops, because I like the way they feel, and I’ll use them for the feel or for the way the drummer was playing. I’ve tried my hands at drums and I’m not good at all. I can either learn how to play them, but then all my drum sounds are going to sound like whatever kit I’m using. I’d rather use drum sounds from all over the world that I can find on record. A lot of time I replace sounds within the loop, too.

DJ Times: What sections are you shopping in?
Danger Mouse: The only section in the record store I stay out of is the jazz and funk sections. They’re too predictable, and I’m not really a digger, so those are two genres that I really don’t know enough about. So I go for sections where there are no experts—which I’m not going to get into because I don’t want to give away my secrets.
DJ Times Magazine is for the Professional Mobile and Club DJ

Synthy08 · 12th October 2008

same stuff as everybody else, just in a more creative way.....like the neptunes and the korg triton.

SoundEng1 · 12th October 2008

monstr · 14th October 2008

DM tells what he wants to/
I have read somewhere else that he was really dope in the protools editing stuff... he says the opposite here...
anyway, he actually uses some soundblaster or somethin'

it's all about producers keeping secrets!

Isaak · 14th October 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by monstr

DM tells what he wants to/
I have read somewhere else that he was really dope in the protools editing stuff... he says the opposite here...
anyway, he actually uses some soundblaster or somethin'

it's all about producers keeping secrets!

so, what type of secrets? he has a huge collection of vintage synths - doesn't he use em on his tracks?

jsrockit · 14th October 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Isaak

so, what type of secrets? he has a huge collection of vintage synths - doesn't he use em on his tracks?

According to him no...

lanyee · 15th October 2008

that last piece of advice is great. i dig through records i don't know anything about. then i listen and see what stands out and inspires me. thats the way to do it imo.

Silver Sonya · 15th October 2008

There is nothing extraordinary about Danger Mouse, sonically. He just has a sense of mischief and good taste. No secret gear or anything like that.

He is a conceptualist.

The new Beck record sounds actually bad, sonically. Danger Mouse is hit-and-miss when it comes to sonics. He's an idea man.

- c

monstr · 15th October 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

The new Beck record sounds actually bad, sonically. Danger Mouse is hit-and-miss when it comes to sonics. He's an idea man.

- c

dont know that new beck record... but what do you mean by "hit and miss"...?
and what about the gorillaz record?

Isaak · 15th October 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

The new Beck record sounds actually bad, sonically.

Sorry, but I don't think so. It's sounds very modern to me. And i'd like to know more nuances about this record, i really like this stuff.

Silver Sonya · 15th October 2008

I think Danger Mouse is a brilliant, smart guy. He is a strategist and a conceptualist. He is an idea man.

I think there is less emphasis in his work on sonics and engineering than on ideas. I respect that.

Sometimes his mixes sound bad. This is the same for, say, Prince. A genius who sometimes can't be bothered with what is generally considered "good engineering."

Danger Mouse is all about concept. Nothing wrong with that. I'm a huge fan of Gorillaz "Demon Days" record. I just don't think he is very reliable when it comes to sonics. Sometimes his mixes sound amazing. Others they sound poorly executed.

This is because he is an artist. No disrespect intended. I'm a fan.

- c

beat you down · 16th October 2008

his biggest "secret":

MySpace.com - Gianfranco Reverberi - IT - Other - www.myspace.com/reverberi

check how "creative" he got with this sample...

monstr · 16th October 2008

yeah Demon Days is great
way better than the first record imo
musically and sonically

Paul_G · 17th October 2008

He uses old British Library Music like KPM and DeWolfe.
I think the Gorillaz album is sonically better because of the other guys involved input.

monstr · 20th October 2008

they did the record at abbey roads right?

58lespaul · 7th November 2008

Thats funny... I am always trying to mimic his tone for the kick, snare and bass. Demon Days, IMHO has the best mixed kick I have ever heard. Punchy, deep, in your face. I don't know how he does it. I used to think the White Stripes had the best kick sound I've ever heard but they don't have to deal with mixing bass frequencies like DM does!

What can I do mix-wise to get a kick to sound more like the ones on Demon Days, particularly Feel Good inc... or White Light...

Synthy08 · 7th November 2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by beat you down

his biggest "secret":

MySpace.com - Gianfranco Reverberi - IT - Other - www.myspace.com/reverberi

check how "creative" he got with this sample...

WOOOWWWW, i didnt know he just looped it.

12th October 2008	#1
Isaak Gear interested Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 8 Thread Starter	Danger Mouse sound His stuff sounds great! What equipment/synthesizers/instruments/etc does he use? Does anyone know?

17th October 2008	#15
Paul_G Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2007 Location: Lot-et-Garonne France Posts: 715	He uses old British Library Music like KPM and DeWolfe. I think the Gorillaz album is sonically better because of the other guys involved input. __________________ http://www.morcheeba.co.uk/ http://www.myspace.com/morcheeba

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12th October 2008	#2
In Search of Gear Head Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 70	DJ Times: What are you using to make your mash-ups? Danger Mouse: The stuff that I’m using now is costing in the hundreds, extremely cheap. I always thought, “If I only had such and such a piece of gear, I could really get some cool sounds together.” But that isn’t the case. I use [Sonic Foundry’s] ACID here and there, but it’s very basic. My monitors are computer speakers, believe it or not, and the computer I use is real old. I’m using the same equipment that I used when I first started. I only started using computers two years ago, and I only use [Digidesign’s] Pro Tools to mix. I’ve tried constructing things in Pro Tools and it’s a joke. I can’t do it. It’s just not set up for the way I work. I’m using the first computer program I ever used. I was always opposed to using computers—not morally, but they just crash too much. Before that, I’d record onto an 8-track and then mixed them down to a MiniDisc, mastered them off MiniDisc. I had no idea what I was doing. But the computer thing has been cool, because now I can do more beats in the same amount of time. DJ Times: Where do the beats start? Danger Mouse: I deconstruct and re-construct. A lot of my beats start in my head and I have to work them out visually. I don’t too much percussive stuff any more. I used to, but a lot of my percussive instincts are very normal. They’re very much what a lot of other people’s would be, and it’s tough to change your instincts—they are what they are. So once I realized that I started working more visually, it just changes the way I would normally do something. DJ Times: Are the beats better? Danger Mouse: Definitely. It’s not as predictable, and the swing and the feel are not always the same. And I have a lot more happy mistakes when I do it this way. It’s a lot more fun, too, because I never know how it’s going to turn out. A mistake is usually the only way I can get to something that nobody else has before. I’m shopping for vinyl for sounds, not necessarily beats, because I can re-construct them visually. I can lay a bunch of hi-hats in a row, and throw my kicks and snares wherever I want them. I’m just not hitting them with my hands. I use loops, because I like the way they feel, and I’ll use them for the feel or for the way the drummer was playing. I’ve tried my hands at drums and I’m not good at all. I can either learn how to play them, but then all my drum sounds are going to sound like whatever kit I’m using. I’d rather use drum sounds from all over the world that I can find on record. A lot of time I replace sounds within the loop, too. DJ Times: What sections are you shopping in? Danger Mouse: The only section in the record store I stay out of is the jazz and funk sections. They’re too predictable, and I’m not really a digger, so those are two genres that I really don’t know enough about. So I go for sections where there are no experts—which I’m not going to get into because I don’t want to give away my secrets. DJ Times Magazine is for the Professional Mobile and Club DJ

12th October 2008	#3
Synthy08 Lives for gear Joined: May 2008 Location: Montreal Posts: 1,323	same stuff as everybody else, just in a more creative way.....like the neptunes and the korg triton.

12th October 2008	#4
SoundEng1 Lives for gear Joined: Jul 2004 Location: The Deep End Posts: 1,359

14th October 2008	#5
monstr Gear nut Joined: Dec 2007 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 116	DM tells what he wants to/ I have read somewhere else that he was really dope in the protools editing stuff... he says the opposite here... anyway, he actually uses some soundblaster or somethin' it's all about producers keeping secrets!

15th October 2008	#8
lanyee Gear nut Joined: Oct 2008 Location: d town Posts: 81	that last piece of advice is great. i dig through records i don't know anything about. then i listen and see what stands out and inspires me. thats the way to do it imo.

15th October 2008	#9
Silver Sonya Lives for gear Joined: Sep 2004 Location: Washington, DC Posts: 7,209	There is nothing extraordinary about Danger Mouse, sonically. He just has a sense of mischief and good taste. No secret gear or anything like that. He is a conceptualist. The new Beck record sounds actually bad, sonically. Danger Mouse is hit-and-miss when it comes to sonics. He's an idea man. - c

16th October 2008	#13
beat you down Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 4,402	his biggest "secret": MySpace.com - Gianfranco Reverberi - IT - Other - www.myspace.com/reverberi check how "creative" he got with this sample...

20th October 2008	#16
monstr Gear nut Joined: Dec 2007 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 116	they did the record at abbey roads right?

7th November 2008	#17
58lespaul Gear maniac Joined: Aug 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 268	Thats funny... I am always trying to mimic his tone for the kick, snare and bass. Demon Days, IMHO has the best mixed kick I have ever heard. Punchy, deep, in your face. I don't know how he does it. I used to think the White Stripes had the best kick sound I've ever heard but they don't have to deal with mixing bass frequencies like DM does! What can I do mix-wise to get a kick to sound more like the ones on Demon Days, particularly Feel Good inc... or White Light...