Jessica Fennelly of DateNite
PHASE OUT
Excluding cables and power supplies, what 5 pieces of music gear would sustain your ability to be happy writing music for a lifetime, and why?
I know I would be happy with!!!
SP404- battery power ensures I can use it anytime ANYWHERE and I can sample anything anywhere. I have built in effects- its really one of the best all-in-one pieces of gear I think that anyone can start with.
Definitely need some type of key action- I'd say Juno 6 because its one of my dream synths!
Tempest or OG 808 for some fun drum action- Probably the 808 because it never goes out of style apparently (and I'm definitely fine with that).
It would be nice to have something “acoustic"- I've always wanted a Koto or Celtic harp- so probably one of those ** and I could sample it one the 404. ;)
Definitely would want some type of stand alone production station- unless I can say laptop.. then literally any laptop that’s better than my old Dell Inspiron :) (Oh and Maschine…I'm HOOKED on NI).
WINDFALL
What unexpected piece of music gear has inspired you the most and why?
Probably the Maschine- I didn't know much about it, I remember seeing controllers at Guitar Centers and thinking it looked really overwhelming. Once I actually had one for a commission I learned the program and was blown away at the sound packs and specifically how well the MK3 fits with Maschine- I know Ableton has Push, but there’s something about it that was so quick for me to learn and really left me with that super inspired and free feeling- that great thing where gear feels like an extension of your creative self and technicalities aren't holding you back.
PINE AWAY
What piece of music gear do you wish you still had, and/or perhaps something you regret not buying when you had the opportunity? Also, what ever happened to that midi guitar you used to play?
I definitely regret selling my Moog DFAM- I also sold a Fuzz Factory I liked a lot, but the DFAM would be great right now with my writing especially. I found it for a stupid price but basically sold it because I needed the Money. The MIDI guitar was a dream on paper but was basically still in progress and had a lot of technical issues- that was definitely a sore spot money wise so I was very thankful to sell it and make some of it back.
WILD CARD
Are your recordings mostly hardware based or do you primarily use virtual instruments (and if so, what plugins are you into)?
I use a mix of hardware and virtual instruments- I always use my Korg Minilogue/ Novation Peak and even some Circuit drums and synths- right now my go to is to produce mostly in Maschine ( Komplete has some amazing packs!) and then do any finally mastering in Ableton- although I was lucky enough to get my hands on Ableton 10 and just started playing around more with some sound packs so that has been fun.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Any shout outs, plugs, or random tidbits of advice?
Hmmm…check out my EP --Home School-- on all streaming platforms :) haha otherwise definitely don't give up on whatever your dreams are, you're the only one in charge of your life and experiences so think about what makes you happy and go for that, that’s all you can really do.
