Top 5Has said they use
Ableton
Live“I use Ableton Live for production and I have all the soft synths in there”
Said in DJ LIFE Magazine: John Summit: Life at the Top [Interview], August 2023
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by John Summit. Every item links to its public source.
17 items · Last checked What DJ gear does John Summit use?
John Summit has said he produces in Ableton Live on a laptop, with u-he Diva as his main synth plugin plus Sylenth1, reFX Nexus, Soundtoys Decapitator and FabFilter Saturn. In the booth he has said he plays Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000s and a DJM-V10 mixer, matching his home setup.
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Top 5
Where to start with John Summit's gear.
01
02
Top 5Has said they use
u-he
Diva“it has this thickness and just sounds so analogue”
Said in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
03
Top 5Has said they use
LennarDigital
Sylenth1Said in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
04
Top 5Has said they use
reFX
NexusSaid in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
05
Top 5Has said they use
Soundtoys
Decapitator“give them more grit”
Said in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
What studio gear John Summit uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Studio
Has said they use
Ableton
Live“I use Ableton Live for production and I have all the soft synths in there”
Said in DJ LIFE Magazine: John Summit: Life at the Top [Interview], August 2023
Has said they use
u-he
Diva“it has this thickness and just sounds so analogue”
Said in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
Has said they use
LennarDigital
Sylenth1Said in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
Also at
Has said they use
reFX
NexusSaid in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
Has said they use
Soundtoys
Decapitator“give them more grit”
Said in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
Has said they use
FabFilter
Saturn“I actually distort almost every sound I make (with both FabFilter's Saturn and Soundtoys' Decapitator).”
Said in Dance Music NW: John Summit Talks Chicago, Tech House, and The Future (Interview), September 2018
Has said they use
reFuse Software
Lowender“I've been using reFuse Software's Lowender to enhance the sub and make sure my basslines really have that extra pump inside the club.”
Said in Dance Music NW: John Summit Talks Chicago, Tech House, and The Future (Interview), September 2018
Apple
Headphones (model not named)
Has said they use
Splice
Splice samples
Has said they use
Splice
Splice samplesSaid in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
No store page for this one.
Tour bag
Has said they use
Apple
MacBookSaid in MusicTech: For John Summit, the only real challenge is knowing when to slow down, August 2024
SponsoredHas said they use
Bose
SoundLink Max“It's sweet because it fits in my backpack.”
Said in NYLON: John Summit On His Bose Campaign, Coachella, and His Debut Album, May 2024
DJ booth
Has said they use
AlphaTheta / Pioneer DJ
CDJ-3000“Same set-up at home that I use in shows”
Said in DJ LIFE Magazine: John Summit: Life at the Top [Interview], August 2023
Has said they use
AlphaTheta / Pioneer DJ
DJM-V10“I am completely sold on the V10.”
Said in DJ LIFE Magazine: John Summit: Life at the Top [Interview], August 2023
Has said they use
AlphaTheta / Pioneer DJ
RMX-1000“I like to use the RMX to add snare rolls, echoes, and a lot more effects.”
Said in DJ LIFE Magazine: John Summit: Life at the Top [Interview], August 2023
Where it started
Has said they use
Serato
Serato DJ“Serato and a Pioneer DJ DDJ-SB2 controller.”
Said in DJ LIFE Magazine: John Summit: Life at the Top [Interview], August 2023
Has said they use
AlphaTheta / Pioneer DJ
DDJ-SB2“You just plug it right in, and it wasn't too expensive, like $200, which was all I had to my name.”
Said in DJ LIFE Magazine: John Summit: Life at the Top [Interview], August 2023
No store page for this one.
Records that shaped me
Has said they love
deadmau5
deadmau5 and Kaskade, I Remember“I needed to make an edit of it for the Essential Mix to show my love”
Said in Billboard: John Summit on Remixing One of the Sacred Texts of Dance Music, I Remember, July 2023
No store page for this one.
Questions
About John Summit's gear.
What DAW does John Summit use?
Ableton Live. He told DJ LIFE in 2023 that he is all in the box on a laptop, produces in Ableton Live and keeps all his soft synths inside it.
What plugins does John Summit use?
He told MusicTech in 2024 he started out with Diva, Sylenth1, Nexus and Soundtoys effects, and puts Decapitator on vocals to give them more grit. In 2018 he told Dance Music NW he distorts almost every sound with FabFilter Saturn and Decapitator, and has been using reFuse Lowender on the sub.
What synth does John Summit use?
The u-he Diva plugin. He credits it as the main synth heard throughout his album Comfort In Chaos, telling MusicTech it has a thickness and sounds so analogue. The album's strings were made mainly with reFX Nexus.
What headphones does John Summit use?
In a 2020 post he said he was producing with Apple headphones, reasoning that if a track sounds good on them it will sound good on anything. MusicTech reported in 2024 that he does the detailed mixing work on headphones.
What studio monitors does John Summit use?
MusicTech reported in 2024 that he does not reference his tracks on studio monitors. He listens on his MacBook speakers, then mixes on headphones. On the road he has said he makes music on a Bose SoundLink Max, a paid partner.
What DJ equipment does John Summit use?
He told DJ LIFE in 2023 that he has the same setup at home and at shows: Pioneer DJ CDJ-3000s and a DJM-V10 mixer. He said the V10's 4-band EQ matters for long blends, and that the RMX-1000 on his rider is mainly for snare rolls and echoes.
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JS
John Summit
About this guide · Last checked
John Summit is a Chicago-born house DJ and producer who runs the Experts Only label and festival. This guide covers the laptop production setup, plugins and DJ booth gear he has named in interviews and posts, plus his Bose speaker partnership.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. John Summit didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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