Tell us a bit about how you got started recording and what you’re up to now?
I suppose it all started around the tail-end of the Acid House thing really. Prior to that I was studying art and design and wanted to become a product designer. But I started going out a lot – there were lots of parties going on around the M25 and I was getting really inspired by the music to the point where I was hearing these tunes in my head and decided to start putting my own studio together. So I saved up and gradually started buying second-hand gear and working on my own productions. I sent out tapes to everyone I could think of and then around 1993 I got offered studio time via a management deal. The breakthrough I suppose was “Spend The Night” which came out on Locked On and went Top 30, and no.1 on the club charts. It all started from there really. More recently I’ve been producing and remixing as Spiritual South, DJing and teaching Intermediate Music Production at the Point Blank Music College in London.

How long have you been using Cubase?
Since the Atari days. It was my first sequencer – I guess this would have been version 3?

How has it changed since you started?
It’s changed loads. The first time I used it on a PC was around 1996 I guess and the performance was a little bit shaky because at that point the PC probably wasn’t the ideal platform for music production. The Atari was a real workhorse, but the early PC versions weren’t really as solid and reliable. It really came of age for me though when Steinberg introduced Cubase SX.
 
Have you used anything else?
Cubase has always been my first choice package, but I often use Rewire to sync Cubase with other applications such as Reason. That’s a really popular lecture with the students as well. We spend a whole day exploring what you can do with the Rewire facility in Cubase.

Why Cubase?
Well, obviously it’s the package that I’m most familiar with, having used it since the Atari days. For me it’s also the fastest environment to work in, especially if you’re working with audio. If you’re editing vocal takes or comping things together, the whole process is just so speedy. Generally just programming and recording in Cubase is so fast.
 
What are the best features?
The Inspector has always been the key for me and that’s why so many other programs have copied it I think. They’ve incorporated more and more features into it so everything you need is accessible. The audio editing is superb as I’ve mentioned and since the last update it’s just very, very solid and very reliable. I also like the RoomWorks reverb in SX3 – that’s a good addition.
 
What kind of plug-ins do you use with it?
I use a UAD card which has some great plug ins. The 1176 compressor is a particular favourite, plus the Pulteq EQ, and I like the TC Powercore as well.
 
How much of your recording do you trust to Cubase (mixing etc)?
All of it. I sold my mixing desk last year and now I do everything in Cubase.
 
Is there anything you’ve got coming up you’d like to plug?
There’s a couple of remixes in the shops at the moment. The Spiritual South Remix of DJ Technics “Gabryelle” is out now on Defected, plus a remix of Bebel Gilberto’s “Aganju” which features on her “Remixed” album. Steve Hillier also teaches at Point Blank and he has a mix on there as well.
 
Is there anything about Cubase you think you need to spend more time getting to grips with?
Never really got to grips with the Logical editing side of things. It looks quite interesting, but I’ve just never really found the time.
 
Any advice to people just starting out with Cubase?
Come and do the course at Point Blank! It’s a huge program but obviously starting out, you don’t need to use anywhere near all of it, in fact you may only need Cubase SL or SE to start out. But don’t be afraid of it because of it’s size and the scope of what it can do. We can teach you everything you need to know to start making tunes within a matter of weeks because we take it one step at a time and focus on the essential skills. Plus everyone who teaches here is a pro producer.
 
How did you get into teaching Cubase in the first place?
Once I'd been producing for a few years, friends would ask me for assistance with their own set-ups and it seemed that I was able to give one-to-one tuition in the kind of terms that people could understand. I was aware of Point Blank because I'd met Rob (the CEO) previously and they were the coolest name on the street so things went from there. I've been teaching on the Music Production course now for about three years.
 
And is it rewarding?
Absolutely. I think anyone who produces music knows that sometimes it can be quite a solitary process, so the teaching gives it all a much more human element. Plus there's a reciprocal feel to it - a lot of producers are very precious about sharing their secrets and the music industry generally can be quite a "closed shop" so it's good to give something back to people who are just getting into it. One of the things we do on the course that I teach is to reveal a lot of the tricks that the pro's use and demystify the whole production process. It's especially satisfying when you get students who have been making music for a while and who are already pretty competent coming out of a class saying "wow, I never realised you could that..."

 
Find out more about Danny:   www.dannyjlewis.com
More about Point Blank Music College, London:   www.pointblanklondon.com