\u201cHe listed everything,\u201d P-Thugg recalls. \u201cNot only does he show his setup, but it\u2019s listed in the credits.\u201d Next to a photograph of Hancock\u2019s own stage setup was a rundown of his entire synth and instrument rig, from his Sennheiser VSM 201 to his Minimoog and Yamaha Polyphonic. To an impressionable and young producer, this was his field guide for learning synthesis. \u201cIt was all pieces of the puzzle – so this sound is done by this.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"chromeo-studio-essentials-in-post-01\"](\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\")
\nFrom top to bottom: A Sequential Circuits Pro-One, Korg MS-20, and Korg Monopoly (left), a Moog Grandmother (center), and a\u00a0Mini-Moog, Nord Modular, and Dave Smith Prophet-5 (right)<\/em><\/h6>\nWe met P-Thugg at the Private Sector, Chromeo\u2019s studio in Burbank, California. The duo amass a collection of synths, hardware, instruments, and other sonic goods that are enough to rival the back cover of Sunlight<\/em>. Yet, Chromeo started not in studios but in basements, like the one in Montreal, Canada where high school classmates P-Thugg and David “Dave 1” Macklovitch started their project. \u201cWe used to rent this smelly basement garage rehearsal room on Saturday mornings at 9:00 am. Just complete nerds. Throughout high school, we just kept rehearsing, playing, and writing songs. We barely ever played covers. We always played original songs.\u201d<\/p>\nBack then, the duo was primarily writing and recording rock music, but their roots and musical passions originated in hip hop. In his teens, P-Thugg was listening primarily to rap records and playing guitar to samples before knowing what sampling even was. \u201cWhen I was 13, I discovered my grandmother\u2019s toy guitar. There was a song called \u201cBack By Dope Demand\u201d by King Bee<\/a> and I picked up the guitar line by ear.\u201d He then researched the track further: \u201cI later discovered the sample for this song, which was James Brown’s \u2018Funky Drummer,\u2019 and in my head, I was trying to figure out – \u2018how do you make this, and how do you produce music?’\u201d<\/p>\n
\nAn MXR Drum Computer and Linn LM1\u00a0<\/em><\/h6>\n
Back then, the duo was primarily writing and recording rock music, but their roots and musical passions originated in hip hop. In his teens, P-Thugg was listening primarily to rap records and playing guitar to samples before knowing what sampling even was. \u201cWhen I was 13, I discovered my grandmother\u2019s toy guitar. There was a song called \u201cBack By Dope Demand\u201d by King Bee<\/a> and I picked up the guitar line by ear.\u201d He then researched the track further: \u201cI later discovered the sample for this song, which was James Brown’s \u2018Funky Drummer,\u2019 and in my head, I was trying to figure out – \u2018how do you make this, and how do you produce music?’\u201d<\/p>\n![\"chromeo-studio-essentials-in-post-02\"](\"http:\/\/mediad.publicbroadcasting.net\/p\/shared\/npr\/styles\/x_large\/nprshared\/201708\/541569870.jpeg\")
\nAn MXR Drum Computer and Linn LM1\u00a0<\/em><\/h6>\n