TAKE
Occupation:
Dj/Producer
Background:
With 10 years of music making under his belt, TAKE (a.k.a. Thomas Wilson) has continually positioned himself on the forefront of emerging electronic genres and styles. After a string of successful EPs that pushed instrumental hip-hop in wild new directions, TAKE released his first full-length album, Earthtones & Concrete. The inventive and highly acclaimed work features organic and inorganic samples set to a wide range of complex vocals and beats. Take has become one of LA’s most popular DJs, performing with artists like Mos Def, Edit and Daedelus. Always in demand, TAKE can be found laying beats for Hollywood parties, film premieres, fashion shows and celebrity hot spots. He is also a co-founder of Sketchbook, a legendary beat showcase event held in Los Angeles.
TAKE
What gear are you currently using for live DJ performances?
When I’m DJing high-end events, I need to be ready for all types of situations. That involves having a vast array of music at my fingertips. I always use Torq because of its reliability and ease of use. Plus I no longer have to carry five crates of records. I just bring a small external hard drive and use Torq DJ software with the Conectiv interface. It sounds great, has zero latency and when I want to scratch real records, I just turn the knob on Conectiv and I’m playing regular vinyl again.
For stage performances, I use the Axiom 25 MIDI controller to play softsynths and trigger all my effects. I typically use it in conjunction with my laptop and the M-Audio FireWire 410 as my interface. It’s seamless and easy to operate under any setting. Over the last few years, M-Audio has really taken over in producing cutting-edge tools for hip-hop, dance and electronic music producers.
What M-Audio Gear can be found in your studio?
I use my Studiophile BX8a monitors for everything I do—from DJ mixes to serious mixdowns. They replaced my Yamaha NS10 Nearfield Monitors about 4 years ago. They sound super clean and can handle anything I give them. My last five records have been recorded and mixed on those monitors.
Torq started out as my live performance rig but quickly found its way into my studio. I love being able to manipulate digital files just like you would a record. When I sample audio or create drum loops, I can easily drop the audio files into Torq. It lets me control the loop like a record—beat-matching, scratching or mixing it with another original track. The possibilities are limitless. Torq provides better vinyl emulation, more creative options and less latency than other digital DJ applications.
What drew you to using M-Audio products?
I choose M-Audio gear for several reasons. It’s easy to configure and made to use right out of the box, which means I spend less time learning how to use the gear and more time making music. M-Audio has always been stylish and cutting edge—on the pulse of what creative artists want and need. I constantly use my M-Audio gear and have become quite dependent on it!
