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“Welcome to my studio—my home away from home,” Oliver says.
In celebration of the release of his new Power Tools Decades – ’00s sample pack, Oliver invited us to his studio to share the insights and anecdotes behind his go-to gear, including several instruments that have shaped his acclaimed packs and award-winning records. Join us for his full walkthrough above, and see highlights alongside his comments below.
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Oliver’s go-to gear
Keys and synths
- Roland SH-5: “This is the oldest synth I have, and honestly probably my favorite one. It doesn’t actually have MIDI on it, but I use a Kenton device for CC to MIDI so I can still run MIDI from Ableton to this. It’s a mono synth, and I love it because I never really know what I’m going to get out of it.”
- Roland Jupiter-8: “The Roland Jupiter-8 has to be one of the most coveted synths of all time; it’s hard to find and pretty expensive. It’s just got a crazy sound to it—I love arps, and this thing is so great for that.”
- Roland Juno-106: “This is probably the one I use more than anything, just because it’s hard to make it sound bad. It’s a classic poly synth that’s really warm sounding. The most famous thing about it is probably its chorus—without the chorus, it’s pretty standard. With the chorus, it’s just insane. You get this huge stereo sound. I probably have that on more records than anything else.”
- Sequential Prophet-10: “This synth features poly unison, which is a really cool, unique thing it can do. It has chord memory too, which I love.”
- Roland Jupiter-6: “This is another amazing synth. It kind of has a bad rap because people always talk about the Jupiter-8, but I actually like this equally, if not better.”
- Rhodes MK8: “After I had success in music and with my packs, I wanted to get something for myself as a reward. Some people get a new car or a Rolex—I was like, ‘I want the new Rhodes.’ This thing’s amazing. I know it sounds silly, but it’s cool to have something in the studio you can just turn on and make sound with. A lot of studios you go into, you’re like, ‘Wait, what key is this in?’ and there’s nothing to hit to quickly make sound.”
Guitars and basses
- Charvel guitar: “This guitar is a shredder, ’80s-kind-of instrument. It’s basically a Strat, but it’s got the Floyd Rose whammy. It’s a really great studio guitar—it stays in tune and just sounds really clean.”
- Strat guitar: “This is my go-to; I always have it plugged in near my workstation.”
- Music Man bass: “This one isn’t actually mine, but if you know disco music, this is the chosen one. All of those old Chic records were made with a Music Man.”
- P-Bass: “The P-Bass is just a great workhorse—everyone knows this one.”
Studio monitors
- PMC 6-2: “These are the best monitors I’ve ever had. Before them, I had these JBLs that were just kind of… meh. With that said, honestly, you just get used to what you’re used to. A lot of the stuff I thought sounded the best was made on super cheap $100 speakers. It’s more about knowing how stuff should sound on your speakers and referencing music you like. That said, the PMC 6-2s are incredible, and now I can’t go back. They’re so pristine sounding.”
Keep learning with Oliver
For additional insights into his go-to microphones, outboard gear, vocal chain, and more, be sure to check out the full tour above, and for more insights from Oliver on his sound design and pack creation processes, check out our recent interview below:
And there you have it! Which part of Oliver’s tour was your favorite? Whose studio would you like to see a tour of next? Let us know in the comments section of the video, and subscribe to the Splice YouTube channel for more artist-led tips, tutorials and insights.
Incorporate Oliver’s ’00s-inspired drum grooves, guitar loops, and more into your own productions:
April 14, 2025
