Top 5Seen using
Korg
MS-20Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Photo: Krists Luhaers (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY 2.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Air. Every item links to its public source.
55 items · Last checked What DAW does Air use?
Air have been seen using a studio built around vintage keyboards: a Korg MS-20, Minimoog, Prophet-5, Solina String Ensemble and Fender Rhodes, mixed on a Trident T24 console and Pro Tools. Nicolas Godin has said they use an Akai S1000 sampler and a Peavey Classic 50 amp.
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Top 5
Where to start with Air's gear.
01
02
Top 5Has said they use
Moog
MinimoogSaid in Air's Nicolas Godin reveals the secrets of their Sexy Boy (MusicRadar), June 2025
03
Top 5Has said they use
Sequential
Prophet-5“We had bought some new instruments that we had never used in our records until then: a Moog Source, a PPG Wave 2.2, a Prophet 5”
Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
04
Top 5Has said they use
Moog
Moog SourceSaid in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
05
Top 5Has said they use
PPG
PPG Wave 2.2Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
What studio gear Air uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Studio synths
Seen using
Korg
MS-20Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Has said they use
Moog
MinimoogSaid in Air's Nicolas Godin reveals the secrets of their Sexy Boy (MusicRadar), June 2025
Has said they use
Sequential
Prophet-5“We had bought some new instruments that we had never used in our records until then: a Moog Source, a PPG Wave 2.2, a Prophet 5”
Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Has said they use
Moog
Moog SourceSaid in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
PPG
PPG Wave 2.2Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Find it on
Has said they use
Elektron
Monomachine SFX-60+“a Vermona DRM1, an Elektron Monomachine SFX60”
Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Seen using
Seen using
Yamaha
CS-60Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Seen using
Yamaha
DX7Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Seen using
Seen using
ARP
ARP 2600Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Seen using
Manikin Electronic
MemotronSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Solina
String Ensemble“I got off the couch and I played it on the Solina String Ensemble.”
Said in Air's Nicolas Godin reveals the secrets of their Sexy Boy (MusicRadar), June 2025
Seen using
Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Find it on
Seen using
Korg
VC-10 VocoderSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Studio
Seen using
Yamaha
Grand pianoSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Trident Audio
T24 console“There's an analogue console in the middle, a 28-channel Trident T24”
Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Speck Electronics
X-Sum line mixer“connected to a 16-input Speck X-Sum, used as a line mixer”
Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Acoustic Energy
AE1 monitors
Has said they use
Acoustic Energy
AE1 monitors“Acoustic Energy AE1, K+H O300 and Auratone speakers. No large speakers, we don't need them.”
Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Klein + Hummel
O 300 monitorsSaid in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Auratone
Auratone speakersSaid in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Avalon Design
VT-737SPSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Also at
Seen using
Chandler Limited
Germanium CompressorSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Seen using
Demeter
Stereo Tube DirectSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Universal Audio
1176 compressorSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Ibanez
AD230 analog delay
Seen using
Ibanez
AD230 analog delaySeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Seen using
Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Lexicon
200 digital reverbSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Peavey
Classic 50“we only had one guitar amp, a Peavey Classic 50. To give the sound some texture we put it in the guitar amp”
Said in Air's Nicolas Godin reveals the secrets of their Sexy Boy (MusicRadar), June 2025
No store page for this one.
Vox
Guitar amplifier
Has said they use
“We even bought a Vox guitar amplifier, for its warm sound and its tremolo”
Said in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Drum machines
Has said they use
Vermona
DRM1 drum synthesizerSaid in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Linn Electronics
Linn 9000Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Linn Electronics
LinnDrumSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Seen using
Seen using
Roland
CR-78Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
No store page for this one.
Recording
Has said they use
Akai Professional
S1000“I sampled it in my Akai S1000 and put it into a jack into the amp and the Leslie”
Said in Air's Nicolas Godin reveals the secrets of their Sexy Boy (MusicRadar), June 2025
Has said they use
“An Akai S1000 and then after three songs we moved the first tracks to a Fostex D80 digital 8 track.”
Said in Air interview (Tape Op #39), January 2004
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Avid
Pro ToolsSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Seen using
Native Instruments
ReaktorSeen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Seen using
Neumann
U 47Seen in Nicolas Godin & Jean-Benoît Dunckel (AIR): Building Atlas Studio (Sound On Sound), September 2011
Stage
Seen using
Korg
MS-20 FSSeen in AIR played Moon Safari at Royal Albert Hall: the synth setup (Synth Anatomy), September 2024
Seen using
Fender
Rhodes Mark I Stage 73Seen in AIR played Moon Safari at Royal Albert Hall: the synth setup (Synth Anatomy), September 2024
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Moog
SirinSeen in AIR played Moon Safari at Royal Albert Hall: the synth setup (Synth Anatomy), September 2024
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Arturia
KeyStep ProSeen in AIR played Moon Safari at Royal Albert Hall: the synth setup (Synth Anatomy), September 2024
Seen using
Arturia
MiniLab 3Seen in AIR played Moon Safari at Royal Albert Hall: the synth setup (Synth Anatomy), September 2024
Seen using
Native Instruments
Komplete Kontrol S25Seen in AIR played Moon Safari at Royal Albert Hall: the synth setup (Synth Anatomy), September 2024
Seen using
Records that shaped me
Has said they love
Portishead
Dummy“it gave me the confidence to create music based on soundtrack's influence.”
Said in Foundations: Air's Nicolas Godin (Clash), February 2020
Has said they love
Serge Gainsbourg
Histoire de Melody Nelson“The drum sound was my reference for many of my recordings”
Said in Foundations: Air's Nicolas Godin (Clash), February 2020
Has said they love
David Bowie
Hunky Dory“it could be any album from Bowie between this one and 'Let’s Dance' included, considering that they’re all classics”
Said in Foundations: Air's Nicolas Godin (Clash), February 2020
Has said they love
Prince
Sign O' The Times“The perfect mix between funk and pop music”
Said in Foundations: Air's Nicolas Godin (Clash), February 2020
Listen
Has said they love
Herbie Hancock
Head Hunters“Basically I bought all the gear of my studio”
Said in Foundations: Air's Nicolas Godin (Clash), February 2020
Questions
About Air's gear.
What DAW does Air use?
Air have been seen using Avid Pro Tools. Sound On Sound's 2011 visit to their Atlas studio reports that Godin and Dunckel recorded Love 2 in Pro Tools at 96kHz, and that Godin had started working with Native Instruments Reaktor.
What synth does Air use?
Air have been seen using a Korg MS-20, Memorymoog, Prophet-5, Roland SH-101, ARP 2600 and Yamaha CS-60 in their studio. Godin has said the Sexy Boy bass is a Minimoog through a talkbox. On the 2024 Moon Safari tour they were seen using a Korg MS-20 FS and a Moog Sirin.
What MIDI keyboard does Air use?
On the 2024 Moon Safari tour, Air have been seen using an Arturia KeyStep Pro, an Arturia MiniLab 3 and a Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S25 to play their synths.
What studio monitors does Air use?
Jean-Benoît Dunckel has said their Atlas studio runs Acoustic Energy AE1, K+H O300 and Auratone speakers, and that they do not need large speakers.
What sampler did Air use on Moon Safari?
Nicolas Godin has said they use an Akai S1000 sampler, with early tracks moved to a Fostex D80 digital 8-track. He has said the Sexy Boy vocal was sampled into the S1000 and played through a Leslie.
What albums influenced Nicolas Godin of Air?
Nicolas Godin has said he loves Portishead's Dummy, Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire de Melody Nelson, David Bowie's Hunky Dory, Prince's Sign O' The Times and Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters, whose back cover guided his studio buying.
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A
Air
About this guide · Last checked
Air is the French duo of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel, the band behind Moon Safari and The Virgin Suicides score. This guide covers the vintage synths, drum machines and outboard in their Atlas studio, their recent stage rig and the records Godin says shaped him.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Air didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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