Top 5Has said they use
Neumann
U 87“we record my voice with a Neumann U87 and run it through an Avalon mic pre and the right compressor”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
Photo: Candice Rose, LBF! (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by J. Cole. Every item links to its public source.
28 items · Last checked What DAW does J. Cole use?
J. Cole has said he makes beats in Logic with an M-Audio keyboard, BX8 monitors and Beats headphones, and demos vocals on a Neumann TLM 103 through an Apogee Duet. In the studio his vocals go through a Neumann U 87 and an Avalon 737 into Pro Tools.
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Shop J. Cole's setup.
Top 5
Where to start with J. Cole's gear.
01
02
Top 5Seen using
Avalon Design
VT-737SPSeen in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
03
Top 5Has said they use
Neumann
TLM 103“I also record myself into Logic, using a small Neumann microphone, the Neumann TLM103”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
04
Top 5Has said they use
PreSonus
FireStudio audio interfaceSaid in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
No store page for this one.
05
Top 5Has said they use
Apple
Logic Pro“I'm comfortable with my current setup, with Logic and the USB keyboard and some headphones”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
What studio gear J. Cole uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Studio
Has said they use
Neumann
U 87“we record my voice with a Neumann U87 and run it through an Avalon mic pre and the right compressor”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
Seen using
Avalon Design
VT-737SPSeen in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
Also at
Seen using
Avid
Pro ToolsSeen in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
Solid State Logic
SSL mixing console (Premier Studios and the Record Plant)“We use the board only during the mixing stage”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Waves
Kramer Master TapeSeen in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
Seen using
Waves
DoublerSeen in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
Home studio
Has said they use
Neumann
TLM 103“I also record myself into Logic, using a small Neumann microphone, the Neumann TLM103”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
Apogee
Duet audio interface
Has said they use
Apogee
Duet audio interface“an Apogee Duet or Presonus Firestudio interface to create demos of my vocal hooks”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
PreSonus
FireStudio audio interfaceSaid in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Apple
Logic Pro“I'm comfortable with my current setup, with Logic and the USB keyboard and some headphones”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
Apple
EXS24 sampler in Logic
Has said they use
“I'll then load it into EXS in Logic to play around with it and have it play the way I hear it.”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Reason Studios
ReCycle“I use [Propellerhead] ReCycle to sample and chop the sample up”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
M-Audio
49 or 69-key USB keyboard
Has said they use
M-Audio
49 or 69-key USB keyboard“I don't mind what keyboard I use, but normally it's the M-Audio 49 or 69”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
No store page for this one.
M-Audio
BX8 studio monitors
Has said they use
M-Audio
BX8 studio monitors“I love them and often take them with me.”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
No store page for this one.
Beats
Over-ear headphones (the largest Beats model)
Has said they use
“I didn't like them in the beginning, but eventually grew to love them.”
Said in Sound On Sound: J. Cole and Juro 'Mez' Davis, recording Born Sinner, September 2013
No store page for this one.
What I wear
Dreamer
Dreamer Indie 5000 sneakers
SponsoredSeen wearing
Dreamer
Dreamer Indie 5000 sneakers“They are finished, manufactured, and ready to go.”
Seen in Sole Retriever: J. Cole teases Indie 5000 sneaker in The Fall-Off Magazine, July 2026
No store page for this one.
Puma
RS-Dreamer signature basketball sneaker
SponsoredHas said they love
“The Dreamer hopes to change that reality.”
No store page for this one.
Puma
Sky Dreamer sneakers
SponsoredSeen wearing
Seen in PUMA: PUMA and J.Cole announce official partnership, February 2020
No store page for this one.
Vetements
White Limited Edition tee
Seen wearing
Vetements
White Limited Edition teeSeen in Highsnobiety: J. Cole's Vetements game is strong during Drake tour stop, July 2023
No store page for this one.
Balenciaga
Graphic tees and baggy track pants
Seen wearing
Balenciaga
Graphic tees and baggy track pantsSeen in Highsnobiety: J. Cole's Vetements game is strong during Drake tour stop, July 2023
No store page for this one.
Stage
Mitchell & Ness
Dreamer jerseys (The Off-Season tour)
SponsoredSeen wearing
Mitchell & Ness
Dreamer jerseys (The Off-Season tour)Seen in Complex: Meet the woman behind some of J. Cole's most memorable fashion moments, March 2022
No store page for this one.
Crocs
Crocs (2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards)
Seen wearing
Seen in Complex: Meet the woman behind some of J. Cole's most memorable fashion moments, March 2022
No store page for this one.
Gallery Dept.
Socks (2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards)Seen in Complex: Meet the woman behind some of J. Cole's most memorable fashion moments, March 2022
No store page for this one.
Vetements
Oversized Gamechanging tee
Seen wearing
Vetements
Oversized Gamechanging teeSeen in Highsnobiety: J. Cole's Vetements game is strong during Drake tour stop, July 2023
No store page for this one.
Vetements
Navy logo tee with a red stripe
Seen wearing
Vetements
Navy logo tee with a red stripeSeen in Highsnobiety: J. Cole's Vetements game is strong during Drake tour stop, July 2023
No store page for this one.
Seen wearing
Seen in Complex: J.Cole rocked the Air Jordan 1 "Chicago" during his OVO Fest performance, August 2015
No store page for this one.
Jordan
Air Jordan III Retro (Collezione package)
Seen wearing
Seen in Sneaker News: Celebrity feet, J. Cole in the Air Jordan III Retro Collezione, September 2010
No store page for this one.
Music videos
Nike
Air More Money sneakers (ATM video)
Seen wearing
Seen in Complex: J. Cole wears Nike Air More Money in 'ATM' video, April 2018
No store page for this one.
Questions
About J. Cole's gear.
What DAW does J. Cole use?
J. Cole has said he writes and makes beats in Apple Logic, chopping samples in ReCycle and playing them from Logic's EXS sampler. Engineer Mez Davis then moves the sessions to Pro Tools in the studio.
What microphone does J. Cole use?
In the studio J. Cole has said his vocals are recorded on a Neumann U 87 through an Avalon mic pre. For demos at home he has said he records himself on a Neumann TLM 103.
What studio monitors does J. Cole use?
J. Cole has named M-Audio BX8 monitors and said he often takes them with him.
What headphones does J. Cole use?
J. Cole has said he works with the largest Beats by Dr. Dre headphones and grew to love them.
What audio interface does J. Cole use?
J. Cole has said he demos vocal hooks through an Apogee Duet or a PreSonus FireStudio interface.
What sneakers does J. Cole wear?
J. Cole had PUMA signature sneakers (the Sky Dreamer and RS-Dreamer) and has been seen wearing his own Dreamer Indie 5000, plus Air Jordan 1 "Chicago" and Air Jordan III pairs on stage.
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Named in this guide
JC
J. Cole
About this guide · Last checked
J. Cole is the North Carolina rapper and producer behind 2014 Forest Hills Drive, KOD and The Fall-Off, and the founder of Dreamville. This guide covers the home and studio setup he and engineer Juro 'Mez' Davis described, plus his PUMA and Dreamer sneakers and what he wears on stage.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. J. Cole didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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