qd30 Jordan GCZ Q&A Part Two, production and studio chat

Last day of half-price too

Feb 28, 2025

Hi friends - hope all good :)

Thanks again for so much positivity for Jordan’s album - today’s the last day to pick up the digital for half-price, some CDs still left too (message me for the long-form if you bought one!).

Now Part Two of our chat with Jordan - huge thanks to him!

Please can you give us an overview of your studio and favourite instruments?

Please can you give us a quick breakdown of how you made each track?

Since moving from the Amsterdam to Toronto I got rid of my mixer and instead got 12 very decent audient preamps. My synths/keyboards include Yamaha DX11, DX7, Korg Wavestation SR, Casio CZ1, Roland D-50, Juno 60, Korg Polysix, Sequential Circuits Pro One, Oberheim Matrix 1000, ARP Pro/DGX, Eminent Solina, a Yamaha CS30 and a wonderful white 1973 Fender Rhodes.

Besides the keyboards I also have a bunch of drum machines and frequently record a melodica and a bunch of percussion and flutes.

Occasionally I record my voice attempting falsetto and a bass guitar.

FX-wise, a Korg Stage Echo, a Yamaha analog delay, a couple spring reverbs, a Lexicon multi-effect, an Eventide H3000, most importantly maybe is a Klemt Echolette which I only use as a tube preamp on almost everything, and a bunch of pedals I’m too lazy to deal with these days.

I love them all but the Fender Rhodes is probably what I’m most attached to, and the Klemt preamp is really irreplaceable to me. It’s like magic.

In this album I tried to limit what I use. All the tracks are very heavy on the DX7 and Fender Rhodes. Wavestation and Casio in a couple of them, as well as the melodica, percussion and my voice.

Track by track:

New Path in the Brush

Mainly a Yamaha DX7 and a melodica. I love that DX7 electric guitar patch

Pleasantly Disappointed

DX7 again doing the heavy lifting and a very expressive ARP Pro/DXG making the noodles

Patiently Waiting for the Crash

A Casio CZ-1 with the main chord pads, some noise from a pro one thru a pitch shifty Eventide H3000 and a Rhodes Rhodesing

You can do it!

My favorite Wavestation SR drum kit preset going nuts with a pleasant Rhodes theme on top. I love this Wavestation kit with the little vocal snippets

Don't Be Sad, Life is Sweet

DX7 classic electric piano layered with my Rhodes, melodica theme, and me attempting falsetto as the pads

Hope isn't a Four Letter Word

DX7, Wavestation pads, percussion and a melodica thru the Eventide H3000. I really love what you can do with the Eventide. Music you can hear played in a sexy space lounge

I Can Tell You a Thing or Two

DX7 percussion, Rhodes, Pro/dgx theme, bass guitar slaps

Clarity by Dint of Misdirection

Again, layers of DX7 percussion, Rhodes, Pro/DXG, Juno 60

Just Going Through a Rough Patch

Pro One noise, Juno 60 noise, Rhodes, melodica, Pro/DXG, this one sounds heavy on the tape echo and spring reverbs.

Honestly I don’t quite remember