Inside the Setup: Audiobruz

Italian producer and multi-instrumentalist Audiobruz opens up his creative space for this edition of Inside the Setup. Known for blending infectious groove with deep musical detail, he crafts a sound that moves effortlessly between underground dance floors and refined listening experiences. Ahead of his new funky house release “The Flow,” out November 7th on Us & Machines, Audiobruz walks us through the hardware, software, and studio techniques that shape his signature energy, from twisting basslines to textured rhythms built for both festival systems and late-night sessions

What does your current studio setup look like, and what piece of gear could you never live without?

I only have a Neumann U87 for vocals, a silent MIDI keyboard, an Apollo interface, great monitors, and a treated room. Then an endless list of plugins that could really make your head spin, haha.

Which DAW do you primarily use, and what makes it the right fit for your workflow?

I’ve tried pretty much all of them, but I think Ableton is by far the best for anyone performing live with a band like I do. It’s perfect for both production and live management, and its built-in wrapper gives you so much room to experiment. Playing around with it often leads to amazing results.

Are you more of a gear minimalist or a collector?

Definitely a minimalist. I barely have any hardware gear, and I’ve never really felt the need for it.

What’s the first thing you do when you open a blank project?

I usually open one of the Arturia plugins and just let it guide me.

Do you design your own sounds from scratch or start with presets and shape them into your own?

I’m not great at creating sounds from scratch with VSTs, but I’m really good at editing them. So I often use several plugins together to build something original. I always like to blend a more digital sound with something warm and organic.

What’s your go-to synth or plugin for basslines, and what makes it special to you?

I use Sublab XL a lot for sub-bass, then RickenBass from Kontakt or sometimes Pigments. I often layer sounds to create a more unique and personal bass tone.

Which plugin or effect do you find yourself using on almost every track?

FabFilter Pro-Q. It’s literally on every single track.

What’s one plugin or piece of hardware you think is underrated, and one that’s overrated?

I think Zebra 2 is really underrated. It’s an incredible synth but not many people use it. Even though it’s a bit old, it still offers very modern and sophisticated sounds. When I can’t find what I need in Pigments, I often end up using Zebra 2 for unique background textures. As for overrated, maybe Sound of God, or generally all those so-called “game changer” plugins that turn out to be just another good plugin among many.

How do you approach layering sounds to create that big, full dance-floor energy?

As I mentioned before, I like to mix different identities: something real like guitars or bass, with something more synthetic. Even with keyboards, I often use Pigments to add some magic to a Wurlitzer or other emulated instruments.

How do you balance the technical side of production with staying creative and inspired?

I try to keep the technical stuff for the mix phase. During the creative process, I always chase the “happy mistake” — that wrong note or weird effect that somehow works perfectly in context.

What’s one workflow trick or production habit that changed everything for you?

I download a lot of samples of people playing bass and guitar and then chop them up. Often, my songs start from these chopped samples that I later recreate. By slicing, pitching, and rearranging, I stay more creative and rely less on pure technicality. When I play myself, I tend to make more predictable choices.

Do you prepare your sets in detail or leave room for spontaneity on stage?

I have different folders divided by mood, and I pick tracks depending on how I see the crowd reacting. When I try to plan things too much in advance, it rarely works out.

How do you see technology shaping the future of dance music production and performance?

Honestly, not great. I feel there’s a lot of flattening happening and things are starting to sound too similar.

Have any recent plugins or tools completely changed how you produce?

Not really in terms of composition. Technically though, Soothe has been a game changer: with it, almost any microphone can sound decent in a mix. But creatively, I haven’t found a tool that truly revolutionized my process.

What’s the most unusual sound source you’ve ever turned into a track?

With an older track, Blow, I started from just two guitar hits, one slide and one note. After chopping, pitching, and processing, it became a great bassline.

If your studio caught fire and you could only save one piece of gear, what would it be and why?

Definitely the microphone, because it’s expensive, haha. Luckily, everything else is backed up in the cloud.

What advice would you give to up-and-coming producers about building their own sound through technology?

Use samples and slice them up in the craziest ways possible. That’s where true creativity comes from. Ableton’s wrapper gives endless possibilities, and if you play around with it, you can discover some incredible results.

You can grab his new single "The Flow" on preorder:
https://www.beatport.com/track/the-flow/22313455

Follow Audiobruz here:
https://www.instagram.com/audiobruz
https://www.facebook.com/audiobruz
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7hTBMPw5vjWBDnNSzB8AEc