I was just wondering if anyone could give me any insight on the type(s) or equipment Aphex Twin and/or Squarepusher and other artists who make techno/IDM use to create their masterpieces and how it works. I am really interested in purchasing some equipment for my studio. I'd appreciate any help.

Thanks!

from what i've heard and read aphex twin actually built most of his gear from scratch... and squarepusher acutally PLAYS most of what you hear on real instruments before tweaking it in some audio editing software...

equinox and halcyon days should be able to add more info (and verify my claims) though

No.1 is creativity.

Most of Aphex's stuff is on basic stuff (delays and sampler/synth), but he used creativity to bring the Jamesness. Same with Squarepusher really, he just pushed drum machines and samplers to their zenith. And he plays bass well.

Don't buy myths, these are guys in bedrooms who have great ideas - which are then copied by other guys in bedrooms.

Can someone tell me the names of the actual equipment? Any type of professional eqip. to make IDM/techno beats (not Fruity Loops or some computer bullshit). Thanks.

I'm afraid it's mostly computer bullshit these days. You could go the long route and get hardware sequencers and stuff, but I can't help you there.

Nord Lead 2 was a preferred choice for Autechre back in the day and Clavia (the makers of Nord) tend to put out great products each and every year. They are of the 21st century like Roland was of the 20th...

Some people still use the same synths like the yamaha dx-7 and dx-11, or the juno synth, but most people are all about the knobs and tweeking, as has been said before.

akai makes great drum machines which are widely used in all kinds of music, and also make a good sampler, so just check it all out. Also, if you can think of any IDM artists that you care for, just go to their websites (if they have any) and see if any of their equipment is listed.

You can use anything. That's the great thing about it. Some people use sounds recorded from surgeries.

Matmos' "A chance to cut is a chance to cure"...

oh yes!

Get the akai mpc-1000 and start tapping out your primo-esque beats with a kanye tidda feel. BITE their style hard. Then buy a $100.00 Sony microcassette recorder and start collecting sounds... I recommend 'the subway', 'the overheard conversation', 'the ambient cafeteria', and 'nature sounds in the park'. Now take out a bank loan and buy a laptop. Make sure its grossly over-powered and fancy. Dont buy ANY software, pirate everything. Then, go into the kitchen and take a 1 3/4 wrench and bang it against a saucepan. Record the sound, then chop quanta in some of that pirated software you have. Flange it, time-stretch, and drop a primo-beat in behind it. Include the ambient sounds that you collected earlier... they give it a really raw 'analog' artsy feel. Then take RDJ's sample from Come to Daddy, run it through an echo chamber, and play it in reverse -- at various intervals throughout the track. This will eventually taunt psychotic richard into fashioning a diss-track against you (IDMBeef = sales). Now... go to your local art college and sign-up some eager weirdo to design your album cover. Make sure its bizarre, and make sure you caution him to go easy on the womb imagery (otherwise they'll make it about womb imagery -- artfags got a one track mind). Have him scribble some nonsensical rambling 'art theory' stuff in eye-strainingly small typeface on the front. This adds allure and makes your project mysterious. Finally, you yourself write out extensive liner notes explaining how your music is not 'trip-hop', nor is it really 'idm' -- and then include a polemic about how IDM was always a stillborn genre.

you must really hate the way music is today. I'd like to hear your productions.