Joachim Polack and Juliette Davis, better known as Pearl & the Oysters, recommend some studio essentials!
Check out their new album, Planet Pearl, out now on Stones Throw Records.
Photos provided by Max Flick for Synth History.
1. Suzuki Omnichord
Twinkle twinkle Suzuki. It’s been with us since the start, to the point where it has almost become a signature texture in the P&TO sonic palette, if there is such a thing. It really shines when processed through our special effect chain (secret family recipe).
2. Korg Monotron
The secret sauce. This little thing has to be one of the cheapest electronic gadgets around, basically a really wild filter in a tiny plastic casing. Since our very first record, we’ve been making a lot of our noises with the Monotron.
3. Roland Space Echo
For the vocals. It’s been a recording studio staple since its release, and for good reason. Of course, it’s amazing for special effects and noises, but it’s also become an inherent part of our vocal production process. We typically double-track the lead vocals and do one dry take and then one with the space echo in a slap-back setting, which we then spread across the stereo field. We produced most of the vocals on our last record using some type of variation on that basic formula.
4. The living room Piano
Where it all starts. That’s where most of our songs begin. We tend to have a pretty old-fashioned approach when it comes to songwriting and it often starts with the piano. When an interesting chord progression/melodic idea first materializes, it’s not rare that we keep tinkering at the piano for weeks before it gradually morphs into the tune that will end up on the record, so we definitely spend a lot of time on that instrument overall. A key ingredient for sure!
5. Percussion box
Salt and pepper. Over time, percussion has become a very important dimension of our sound and a huge part of our process, too, in the sense that busting out the percussion box can sometimes totally detangle a knot in the arrangement. We used to look at percussion as ornament but in more recent instances it's not rare that it ends up being the driving musical idea behind a specific section or even an entire track.
6. Roland JX-3P
Presets are cool. We love this little synth! Basically a cheaper 106, so we've been told. Ideal for touring, but equally handy in the studio, especially if you can get your hands on its proprietary programmer thingie. It’s still pretty underrated in our opinion.
7. Rhodes Mark II 73 Suitcase
He ain’t heavy he’s my brother. Again, this particular instrument is paramount to the live sound we’ve developed over the years, but we also use it quite a bit on our records, typically direct with some kind of modulation effect (pick your fav, they all sound great on the Rhodes).
8. RMI Electra Piano
Our new best friend. Electronic pianos are so cool! It’s the sound of some of our favorite 70s records. They were first invented and commercialized as a cheaper alternative to electric pianos like Rhodes and Wurlys but in the end they’re their own thing, and we absolutely love the color that they bring. We recorded the RMI a bunch on our new record and processed it through some MXR flanger/doubler and it just sounds so beautiful. Really adore this one!
9. Crumar Organizer T1
Come for the organ, stay for the synth bass. This fun little hammond organ emulation has a secret weapon inside it: the synth bass section. The organ sound is worth the price of admission alone (you can control the speed and depth of the vibrato, LFO-style), but the bass is just incredible. We use it a lot!
10. Roland RS-09
Sunshine note provider. Arguably one of the worst—certainly one of the cheapest—string machines on the second-hand market, but somehow perfect for our needs. Stereo too, which makes it great for effect-processing through stereo phaser/chorus/delay etc! It’s appeared in some form or another on all of our records, and we’re about to bring it into our live rig for the first time.
11. Roland Rhythm 77
Smoothest (drum machine) guiro around. We love these old analog preset-based drum machines. The Roland CR-68 and Maestro Rhythm King are ones that we use a lot, but this Rhythm 77 has some really amazing sounds and features too. Our favorite drum machine guiro ever.
12. Our cat Charlie
For the emotional support. Inspiration doesn’t always come easy, when the writing and/or recording becomes frustrating, we can always rely on our cat Charlie to come to cheer us up, either by goofing around or lying next to us in support. We adopted him in France, years ago, and he's been our faithful companion through all of our adventures ever since. We both spent hours observing his sweet little face. He helps us remember what's truly important in life (love).
Synth History Exclusive.
Photos by Max Flick.
Assisted by Ambar Navarro.
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