Workspace and Environment: Zach Goheen

Hi.

How long have you been involved with making music?
For fun: Since birth.
For fun and money: Since college

What is your current favorite piece of hardware?
Wurlitzer "super-sprite" funmaker. It's a 70s console organ with built in drum machine and speakers. It has buttons labeled with things like "magic chords" and "latin". Of all the keyboards in the studio, thats the first one to get played when someone new comes over. It;s a one man fun band - especially when the Echoplex has its way with it.

What is your current favorite software or plugin?
Probably the new Native Instruments soft synth bundle as a whole. I prefer to have real things that make real sounds but sometimes you gotta fake it. I especially like the 'Akoustic Piano' plugin because theres no fucking way we could get a real piano up here. Five guys almost died trying to get the tape machine up the stairs.

How does your physical space and surroundings influence your workflow?
I think it influences it quite a bit. Compared to other spaces that I've worked in, I seem to make much 'happier' music in this room. I was sick of working in a dark attic and now there are windows and colors and a wonderful sounding room. That's actually the biggest part for me, this room sounds amazing with the hardwood floors and the brick walls. If it was just a little bit smaller it would be echo-y, but at this size it sounds very much alive. I think its also important to not feel overwhelmed by gear in a studio. Most musicians could care less about how many plugins you have or the 300 different piano patches some keyboard may have. Especially when there's a steep learning curve that you have to overcome just to play a sound out of a
keyboard or box. We try to keep everything 'grab-and-twist': no menus or display screens.

Are you involved in any music/sound work outside of your own projects?
You (Surachai) and I just finished a score for a movie (don't you remember? It was last month!) which was shot by my roommate Ben Chappell. Most of the time I'm working with other artists to record their music. I produced an album with JT and the Clouds last year and will be working on a side project with them this winter. I like to keep the keyboards happy so I encourage friends to come over whenever they want to write. I make them keys.

What was the first piece of hardware you remember obtaining?
Tascam 414 casette 4track

What is on your current 'wish list' for new hardware or software?
I need to build a monitor controller with volume, input selection, and a mono/stereo switch. Im currently weeding through schematics.

Zach Goheen lives in chicago and can be found at:
bishopst.net