David Guetta talks about his influences, workflow and more with Rhodes

David Guetta is one of the most influential DJs of all time and has been around in the EDM scene for a long time. Recently, he sat down with Rhodes Piano in his Ibiza studio for a conversation. Here are some of the excerpts and talking points from the interview:

David Guetta on his musical influences:

Speaking about his musical influences, he said “I grew up listening to funk, from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. It’s a sound that is very present in my life”.  Even though he is known for his dance hits, he revealed that he takes quite a lot of inspiration from soul music. “Soul doesn’t have to be only in soul music. You can bring it to house music, and this is what I’m trying to do in many of my records. If you want to add soul, Rhodes is the weapon to do that.”

How does David Guetta work with the Rhodes MK8?

Due to the busy nature of his lifestyle, which means he’s constantly travelling, Guetta prefers a completely mobile, in-the-box workflow. So, he has all the tools he needs to make music inside his DAW. However, Guetta has added a new Rhodes MK8 MIDI controller in his Ibiza studio. He says, “Sometimes it’s about inspiration, so I’m using the MK8 as a MIDI controller and as an inspiration source”.

For his workflow, Guetta uses it with the Rhodes V8 Pro as a controller. With polyphonic aftertouch and assignable MIDI controls, it lets producers control individual notes within a DAW, . The knobs can be mapped to virtual instruments, effects, or external hardware. Additionally, it can also be used to record software instruments. Since the MK8 comes with a touch-sensitive keybed, it gives more control for producers.  “I’m not classically trained, so I don’t like when it’s (the keybed) too heavy, but I also don’t like when it’s too light. For me, this is really perfect.”

You can watch the full interview on YouTube here

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