Danny Cudd, one half of Hang specialists Hang Massive, speaks to us about using the RME Fireface UFX and the RME Octamic XTC preamp
Hang Massive are Danny Cudd and Markus Offbeat, two musicians who make music based around the unique pitched-percussion instrument known as the ‘Hang’. In 2011 the music video for their first release ‘Once Again‘ went viral, racking up over 60 million views from countries around the world. Since then they’ve gone on to release more music whilst touring across the globe, introducing the instrument to an ever-growing fanbase.
The pair’s musical experiments and constantly evolving sound have seen them collaborate with a number of other musicians over a variety of genres and styles, all the while utilising their skills on the Hang. Danny was kind enough to speak to us about how they’re using the RME Fireface UFX and RME Octamic XTC preamp, which form the basis of the group’s studio setup and live show.
“I love the sound of the pre-amps, and the functionality that TotalMix FX gives us”
To start with, Danny gave us a bit of background about the band’s musical direction, before going on to give a few details about how they play live.
“Our music is centered around the magical instrument called Hang, a new instrument from Switzerland” he explained. “We’ve released a few of our own albums and also collaborated with various artists in a range of genres, fusing the sounds of the hang with all kinds of styles of music and production. In the electronic field we have collaborated with dub meastro Gaudi and Bristol based producer Bleecker, and we’ve also made a more acoustical album with The Many Rivers Ensemble. We also we have many more exciting projects lined up for the future.”
“The Hang is a very complicated instrument to amplify and record. We were looking to get high quality studio recordings and also a very high quality live sound, so the equipment has to be super reliable. We also wanted to be as portable and practical as possible as we’re touring a lot. We’re based in India for six months of the year where we have a nice studio, so we wanted to be able to record whilst there too.”
The RME Octamic XTC, which features 8x mic/line preamps
along with a variety of digital I/O – ADAT, AES/EBU and MADI.
“For now in the live show we’re using an RME Fireface UFX and an RME Octamic XTC for the inputs of the hangs, with Schertler and K&K contact mics for amplification. We then apply processing via Ableton Live, which is then fed into another Fireface UFX and a laptop, where some other inputs such as vocals are added and sent to the main laptop. We also use the UFX and Octamic in the studio for recording – the ability to route anything anywhere is really awesome!”
The main centre-piece of the setup is the RME Fireface UFX, RME’s flagship 60-channel audio interface, which the guys use for recording and routing in the studio, and on tour for playback and mixing. All RME interfaces also include TotalMix FX, RME’s comprehensive routing and mixing software, which provides complete control over all inputs and outputs on the device.
To add further mic pres to their rig, an RME Octamic XTC (pictured above) is connected via ADAT. An incredibly flexible device, it’s often been described as the “pro audio swiss army knife” due to the variety of analogue and digital I/O, plus the ability to operate as a digital patchbay and format converter. The driver was also recently updated to add plug and play operation with Windows, so the Octamic XTC can now also be used as a 24-channel audio interface (on both Windows and Mac).
“the ability to route anything anywhere is really awesome!”
“We use TotalMix FX to route everything in and out of the DAW, and also to other RME devices in our stage set up. It’s a really useful feature, and although how we’re using it is probably on the simpler side of its capabilities, it really does everything we need it to.”
To finish off, we asked Danny to tell us why they chose RME for their studio and live rigs.
“We worked with two producers that were both using Fireface UFXs, so that’s why we purchased our first one. Then when we needed more inputs, the Octamic XTC was a logical addition. In future I would love to also purchase the RME Micstasy preamp. Mainly for recording, but also to see how it would affect our live sound.”
“All of the devices have been totally 100% reliable”
“All of the devices have been totally 100% reliable – we’ve never had any issues at all. That is for sure one of the greatest things about RME. I love the sound of the pre-amps, and the functionality that TotalMix FX gives us. With the RMEs we can do everything that we need with a very small set up, instead of needing other more massive pieces of hardware.”
Our thanks to Danny and Hang Massive. Their latest album ‘Distant Light’ is available to buy now.
To listen to more music and keep up with news about their latest tour, visit the Hang Massive website.
Main photograph by Maryell Finisterre.
If you’d like to know more about any of the equipment mentioned in this article, give us a call on 01727 821 870 to speak to one of our team or to arrange a demo.
Find out more about the RME Fireface UFX
Find out more about the RME Octamic XTC
Find out more about the RME Micstasy
RME recently announced they’re offering a 20% discount (while stocks last) when UK customers trade in their old audio interface. If you’d like to upgrade your studio to the RME Fireface UFX, follow the link below to find out more about this fantastic offer.
