SoundGym Hero: Ruben Degendorfer

Inspired at 17 by a riverfront guitarist, Ruben jumped into music, and now starts his mornings with coffee and SoundGym, sharpening frequency detection for the stage. Ruben is this month’s SoundGym Hero!

How did you first find your way into making music?

When I was 17 years old, I had an inspiring encounter with a guitar player by my local river. A circle of people had formed around him, and whenever he finished singing a song, someone would ask for another.

He could play them all. His repertoire must have been huge, and on top of that, he was an amazing singer. When the people were gone, I asked him when he had started his music journey, thinking he must have been some kind of wonder kid. But he told me he had only started when he was 18.

Then I thought: “Oh, I can also do it!”

Aside from music, what hobbies or activities do you enjoy?

I am the father of a one-year-old girl, so family time is really important to me. I love powerful nature, sci-fi novels, and meditation.

What’s something you're surprisingly good at that has nothing to do with music?

I know kung fu!

If you could play or create with any artist, who would it be and why?

I would love to spend some time in the studio with Rick Rubin and whatever team of musicians and producers he brings together.

What piece of music gear do you love the most, and what makes it irreplaceable in your creative process?

I really like my Yamaha CP. It sits right at my desk, and I can play it (with a bigger MIDI controller) after pressing only one button. Sometimes I take it out when the sun is setting. I like playing the piano, even though it’s not my main instrument.

What daily or weekly habits do you have in place to keep you creating?

First thing in the morning: coffee and SoundGym. These two habits are connected and often lead to producing sessions afterwards. I also have the habit of grabbing a guitar and starting to sing.

What keeps you motivated to continue making music?

I love the feeling of being on stage, sharing my music. I don’t really enjoy organizing everything, so my motivation is to become so good that things flow easily and naturally.

What song would you choose as the soundtrack of your life?

“Fever to the Form” - Nick Mulvey.

What's your favorite feature on SoundGym, and how has it helped you in your musical journey?

All the games about frequency detection. When my wife and I played a tour last summer, there was one stage at a festival with really difficult acoustics.

While others were struggling with feedback, I was able to confidently cut out the 150 Hz that was causing the problem, thanks to SoundGym!

What’s something exciting you're working on or looking forward to?

Lately, I’ve been recording a lot of people. I’m saving up for a big studio upgrade, including an Apollo interface and some System 500 components for an analog vocal chain.

You can follow Oskar on their Instagram, and Facebook; and listen to their music on Spotify.

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