Remixer, producer and artist Victor Calderone has a recording studio in Brooklyn filled with synthesizers, samplers, outboard gear, a mixing desk — and Macs.
“The Mac is user friendly and that’s very important to me,” Calderone said in an Apple profile. Speaking of his Power Mac G4, he added, “This is my baby. This is the heart of the studio.”
The high profile dance music producer takes a hands-on approach to his craft; something he says predisposes him as a “Mac-head.” He has friends who work with Wintel systems, but he thinks the Mac is a musician’s computer. “It’s like when they built it, they had us in mind,” Calderone said.
“My Mac is a communication tool that enables my creativity,” he added. “Since I don’t really consider myself a musician, the fact that I can easily create and edit my music is essential.”
Calderone’s main machine is a Power Mac G4 with 256MB of RAM and “lots” of hard disk space. It serves as the command center for all his equipment. In conjunction with Logic Audio, the Mac is his musical canvas.
“I usually start by importing the vocals into my Mac,” Calderone said. “After I lay them out in Logic, I would program the drums around the vocals until I’m happy with it, fill in other musical elements like bass and keys, and then do the arrangement.”
He uses lots of synths, samplers, and other gear in his work. And he has a fond spot for virtual synths such as the Virus and Retro. Calderone also likes his vintage analog synths — the Roland Juno 106, JP8000, and the Oberheim Xpander — and their “warm, big sounds.”
Eventually, he wants to be known more for his production than remixing. To reach this end, he’s been working on new projects and directions “while still making my fans dance,” Calderone told Apple. He knows technology, and the Mac, will help him achieve those goals.