In The Studio

In the studio with Marine Gay

This week, we catch up with French DJ and producer, Marine Gay!

Jaz from the RepostExchange Team

How long have you been producing music and how did you learn?

I started producing music five years ago. I discovered EDM back in 2011 and instantly liked it. When I was about 12, I bought a mini controller to try to DJ. Needless to say, it was a catastrophe at first. But as I grew up I upgraded my gear and developed my skills. I was happy with DJing but I wanted to create my own thing.

I searched on YouTube how I could make my own music, and I discovered a lot of videos where people were using FL Studio. So I decided to get it.

At first, I tried to produce progressive house and big room because those were the most popular genres. But I wasn't really happy with what I was doing.

At that point, I was listening to more and more EDM music, and I came across other artists like Krewella, Virtual Riot, DJ Snake, and Skrillex. It was at this moment I realised I liked some genres of EDM that are considered more 'hardcore', with way more BPM and heavy basses.

It took me a while to learn how to produce those genres, but fortunately, there are a lot of tutorials on YouTube to help you.

I learned how to play the piano for two years when I was younger and it helped me to have some basic knowledge in music theory, so I wasn't completely lost.

I've been producing new tracks recently (dubstep and trap/hybrid trap) but haven't released them yet! Hopefully, some of them will be out by the end of February.

What DAW(s) do you use and why?

I use FL Studio, it's the first DAW I came across and found it pretty amazing. I found it easy to use, intuitive and aesthetically pleasing. I tried using Ableton but it didn't felt as natural to use it and I was actually losing a lot of time trying to get a hold of it.

What are your favourite pieces of gear and why?

I recently bought new monitors (PreSonus Eris E3.5) and I have been really happy with the quality of the sound. If you have a low budget I definitely recommend them.

Also, I really love my computer screen (Acer EB243YAbix 24”) because it's large and I can use FL Studio easily on it.

I, as well, own a mini keyboard (Keystation Mini 32 – M Audio) which is practical because I can take it with me wherever I go.

What are your favourite software plugins and why?

My favorite plugin definitely has to be Xfer Serum because you can make any sound you want with it. And I would also choose OTT and Sausage Fattener, I use them all the time!

How would you summarise your approach/workflow when creating a track?

Most part of the time I don't really have any song ideas. I just start with some chords I like, then a melody and go with it from there.

I always start with the intro, then the build-up so I can have some inspiration for the drop. If I don't have those first two elements, I find it harder to create a drop I like.

What resources do you use to improve your craft?

I definitely watch a lot of tutorials about different genres so I can learn different techniques and develop my skills. I also listen to a lot of music and try to recreate them so I can improve.

What is the last YouTube tutorial you watched that you would recommend to other Re-Ex Members?

The last YouTube video I watched was actually one from Cymatics, in which Virtual Riot was making a song from start to finish. It was really great because you could see how he was processing some of his basses. It was really helpful but they deleted it recently and can't find it on their channel anymore. (Hopefully, it will be re-uploaded?)

What knowledge or advice do you wish you'd learned earlier?

You need time. It's impossible to produce good music instantly, it takes a lot of time to learn and it's ok.

In the first years, I was disappointed in myself because my tracks didn't sound nice and it was really frustrating. But with some time, my productions got better and better and I started being really happy with it.

What challenges related to making music do you face and how do you overcome them?

When I get writer's block I like to detach myself completely from music and do something else (like watching a movie or go out with friends).

But what's the most annoying for me is that I don't have as much time as I would like to produce music. I'm still in college and it takes a lot of my time in a week, so the majority of the time I'm feeling a bit tired and not really in the mood to make music. But I still force myself though, otherwise, I would never get anything done.