01/10/2009
La Roux are singer-synth player Elly Jackson and co-writer/producer Ben Langmaid. There self titled debut album has delivered some of the years biggest tracks in No.1 selling single Bulletproof and In for the Kill charting at No.2.
We caught up with Ben during a busy live touring schedule to chat about how La Roux have used Focusrite gear on the current and forthcoming albums…
Your sound is very electro based… Did your routes begin in dance music?
I started as a DJ and moved into production after helping a friend of mine (Rollo) set up the band Faithless. I went on to produce my own records under the guises of Huff & Puff and Huff & Herb to name a few.
What inspirations and creative direction were behind your 1st studio album with La Roux?
Bands like Tears for Fears, Heaven 17, and the Eurythmics were big inspirations. As were our own ideas and emotions...
How are you using the liquid channel in the studio?
I’m using the Liquid Channel mainly for vocals and currently testing out all the combinations of vintage compressors, eq’s and pre-amps to see how it performs!
What are your main reasons for going with Focusrite Hardware?
They’re a solid company with a very strong reputation. I used the Saffire Pro 26 and the ISA430MKII to record all of Elly’s vocals on the first La Roux album and they produced some quality results.
And the key features you love on the Liquid Channel?
I’m into the different combinations of compression and pre-amps. The precise emulations offer me a lot of variety and access to a vast array of classic units in the studio, which I’d otherwise spend a small fortune on! Been able to save my presets is a handy feature as well…
What benefits have the liquid channel brought to your studio work?
Quite simply its quick to setup and easy to use. You can tailor the kit to your vocalist’s sound and tone whilst tapping into the vast bank of presets. I’m only just scratching the sides of its full potential.
If you could add another feature to the liquid channel what would it be?
It’s such a feature rich unit I wouldn’t add anything at present but in time, who knows… Maybe something will show up when I get deep into using it.
How have you found the linkup with the liquid channel to your DAW?
The seamless linkup with my mac made it quick and easy to setup. We had it plugged in straight out the box and running in a few minutes. I’m also able to back up my presets…
La Roux have just finished touring the US/Canada and are currently finishing off a busy summer festival schedule. They head to Australia and finish 2009 with a tour of bigger UK venues.More info on live dates/venues can be found via the links below.
http://www.laroux.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/larouxuk
