The Bug

"I use four Kaoss Pads, a synth, a tone generator, sirens, and sound effects from CD..."

"When we started working on the Zonal sketches, I already had the Octatrack, Analog Four, and Rytm."

Besides a horde of compressors and valve processors, the biggest contributor to Martin’s sound is his mixing desk: a Soundcraft Ghost. More often than not, Martin uses the desk itself for compression, driving channels into the red in order to reduce dynamics. This creates an undoubtedly messier sound, which ties in with the rest of his production philosophy.

"When we started working on the Zonal sketches, I already had the Octatrack, Analog Four, and Rytm."

In this interview, The Bug talks about using the Digitakt with his project with Justin Broadrick, Zonal

"On top of that, I used a Strymon blueSky after the Heat, basically liquefying everything with these massive waves of drone and reverb."

"When we started working on the Zonal sketches, I already had the Octatrack, Analog Four, and Rytm."

"...I lost touch with the original demos really, and I became obsessed with Pro Tools plug-ins...."

"“I use digital technology too,” he says. “I record with Logic [Audio]. Whatever it takes to realize the idea."

Martin recorded her vocals in a cheap recording studio, as he was typically just using a Shure SM58 mic and an Avalon compressor. “I was embarrassed, feeling it would be impossible to get a good sound for her with what I felt was my lo-fi studio set-up at the time,” he says.

Martin recorded her vocals in a cheap recording studio, as he was typically just using a Shure SM58 mic and an Avalon compressor. “I was embarrassed, feeling it would be impossible to get a good sound for her with what I felt was my lo-fi studio set-up at the time,” he says.

"...I realized that we seem to bring the best out of each other in the studio, as we have been able to increasingly throw fresh ideas at each other every time we work together. And finally I have assembled a vocal recording chain I feel does justice to her unbelievably unique voice. By recording through a Neumann U87 AI into a distressor and my Soundcraft Ghost desk, I feel it’s been possible to get a clear, warm tone that avoids being too harsh or top-heavy.”

"...With Techno Animal I used to use an EMS Synthi-A which was this kind of really rare synth that was housed in a suitcase. That and a VCS3 were used on the old Dr Who incidental music. It made sounds that were pure sci-fi. It's that analogue sound which has a link to history. It gives you a tone that you can’t get in any other way. So there’s no disparity there."

In a photo from Liberation, The Bug is seen with a Doepfer A-100 Analog Modular System in the background, highlighting its use in his setup.

My studio is predominantly analogue but I’m not an analogue or nothing person, I think the hybrid is good. Analogue is amazing but there are certain things that digital can do that are incredible so the marriage of the two is perfect. And I’ve become obsessed over the years with synths. With Techno Animal I used to use an EMS Synthi-A which was this kind of really rare synth that was housed in a suitcase. That and a VCS3 were used on the old Dr Who incidental music. It made sounds that were pure sci-fi. It's that analogue sound which has a link to history. It gives you a tone that you can’t get in any other way. So there’s no disparity there.

"...I love Elektron gear, I love the Elektron sounds, but I wasn’t really a fan of the onscreen interfaces. For me, Overbridge was the final, huge plus mark. When I started using Overbridge with Analog Four, I was able to layer harmonics and distortions and overdrives. As I was sending it to Just, I was so excited by the tones I was able to achieve. The Analog Four is all over the Zonal stuff."

The Bug praises the Elektron Analog Heat as "an absolute revelation" on Elektronauts, highlighting its impact on his sound processing setup.