John Robinson
Occupation:
drummer
Official Website:
http://www.johnjrrobinson.com
Background:
Drummer John Robinson got his start when Rufus and Chaka Khan came into the club where he was playing and by the third set, the band Rufus was sitting in with John! Within a few weeks, John had moved to Los Angeles to finish the 1978 Rufus world tour. In late 1978, John was introduced to Quincy Jones and soon John was in the studio recording Off The Wall for Michael Jackson. In 1983 Robinson won a Grammy with Rufus and Chaka Khan for “Ain’t Nobody”.
Robinson has become the most recorded drummer in history, even surpassing the great Hal Blaine. He has been the drummer for Quincy Jones since 1979 and the drummer for Barbara Streisand since 1993. Robinson has also played on a number of motion pictures including My Cousin Vinny, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Independence Day, Jerry McGuire, South Park, Space Jam, Dodgeball, Collateral and Team America.
Robinson just released his solo CD, Funkshuiand is producing several projects including his rock band, TRW. He maintains a recording studio in Thousand Oaks, CA.”
John Robinson
Robinson on M-Audio Hardware: “I use M-Audio microphones to help create my drum sound. My room microphones are two Solaris’ running through a pair of Tampa mic preamps. This gives me the ultimate in clean or crunchy room options. I use a Luna microphone between my two rack toms and another Luna between my two floor toms. When traveling or doing clinics I use the FireWire 1814 with my G4 Mac. This gives me the ability to get a separate click feed. Sometimes I write in a smaller situation so I use the Oxygen 8 with my laptop.
“On stage I use the FireWire 1814 with my G4 Mac. All of the records and movies out of Homecourt Studios have M-Audio gear on them. Two examples are the movie Ladder 49 and my work with Latin sensation, Chayanne.
“When I’m touring for drum clinics, I use an Apple laptop with the FireWire 1814. This makes it extremely easy to connect into the PA system and monitor system so I can get my stereo mix out cleanly and have a separate click running.”
On M-Audio Software: “I use Wizoo’s Darbuka and Latigo virtual percussion software. They allow me to create percussion loops that normally I could not play and add a freshness to my tracks.”
What he’s proud of: “I am most proud of my achievements working with Rufus & Chaka Khan, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Steve Winwood, being inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and being the most recorded drummer in history.”
His songwriting process: “I come up with a melody on piano or guitar and apply it using the tools of technology. In my current band, TRW, all of us are in different cities. Once we have written the songs, one of us will start the song in a programmed way and pass it along until it’s complete. This method only works if the musicians have known each other for years.”
Why M-Audio? “For the musician who has questions about getting started, M-Audio has the perfect combination of software and hardware to get your writing off the ground. For me, as a drummer, writer and most importantly, as a musician, M-Audio has allowed me to share myself with the world. With my new band TRW, the M-Audio products and support team will play an integral part of our future.”
