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André Tanneberger, better known as ATB, is a German DJ, musician, and producer of electronic dance music. His very first single as ATB, “9pm (Till I Come),” debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the first time ever a trance track held the coveted top spot.
Never one to be limited by a single genre or category, ATB is known for his versatility and is influenced by a wide range of sounds, including ambient, chill out, and synth pop, to name but a few. He took some time out to speak with Waves about his work and his workflow.
Recently, I finished up work on my 8th studio ATB album, Future Memories, which was released on May 1st, 2009. Future Memories is a double CD album. I really love the dance stuff, but the 2nd CD with the ambient tracks is a big part of ATB. That's the kind of music that relaxes me after a hard week.
I'll be going out on tour in support of Future Memories during 2009. That means I'll be traveling a lot, worldwide. But when I'm back at home, I'm working on several projects such as "Taylor & Gallahan", a new collaboration with my mate producer/DJ Josh Gallahan.
First of all, I love the Renaissance Compressor. Even if it's not the newest plugin, it sounds great and is really easy to handle. I also like the Waves DeEsser, which is easy to use as well. That is absolutely important for me. If I'm in a creative process, the worst thing that could happen is wasting time, adjusting tricky plugins that interrupt my creativity.
That’s the reason I also love the L3-LLs. I use them for both single channel and mastering. They give me total control over all levels in the mix, and they can work in a subtle and audible way as well. Of course, they sound really wonderful.
When I need maximum loudness without losing transients, I go for the L1. I also like special tools like DeBreath. I don't need it often, but when I do, it does its job perfectly.
In the majority of cases, I begin a song by playing around on my keyboard. For me, it's the best way to get in a creative mood. To be honest: I love to work in the evening. No more daily business, no phone calls. The best time to awaken creativity. When I'm done with the rough musical framework it's time for me to "make sound." That's when I pick up my Waves tools.
I'm not the kind of guy who starts the mixing after finishing the songwriting, arranging, etc. It's an all-in-one process for me. I'm mixing throughout the whole process. That’s very important for me, because I can advance towards the final sound of the track really fast.
When I'm happy with the result, it’s time to master. Here, 90% of what I'm using are Waves tools like the L3-LL plugins. I also work with analog outboard equipment, but it's really cleverly integrated into my whole setup. So if I recognize that there is something wrong in the mix, I can change it immediately, and I can listen to the change without having to record the track again. I only record the master when I'm 100% happy.
If I'm doing mixes or remixes, I always listen to the samples first. I have a clear vision of the sound in my head- and I immediately start to make this vision come true.
Let me explain: If I get vocals with a really nice melody that inspires me, I start playing around with a pad or a lead sound to get an idea of the track. Sometimes if the vocals are poorly recorded, I start to "pimp my voice". It's pretty important to have a clear idea of how a vocal or any other sample should sound. I have that in my head and I don't care if it needs 2 or 10 plugins to reach my goal. The final result is what counts.
To be honest, sometimes I really like it when the recordings are not too clean and state-of-the-art. Even a bad recording of vocals or instruments can sound very interesting and have its own charm in the end.
In 2004, I started a new series of events called ATB in Concert. It takes place several times a year in different countries. Accompanied by vocalists Jan Loechel and Tiff Lacey, I'm doing a live gig, combined with a 3-hour long DJ set. I can't play all of the instruments like keys and drums at one time, so some sounds are playback. And you can be sure: they’ve been processed by Waves tools.
For me, it's all about level and frequency control. If I'm in the studio, my goal is to push the production as close as possible to the final mix without mastering. A really good mix needs less mastering.
A perfect workflow is absolutely important for me. And with the Waves tools, I have all levels and frequencies under control, and I can create the sounds I need really fast, with awesome quality.
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