Top 5Has said they use
Steinberg
Cubase“The Kenton converters meant I was able to sequence a lot of them in Cubase, which is still my DAW of choice”
Photo: Paulblank · CC BY-SA 3.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Junkie XL. Every item links to its public source.
50 items · Last checked What DAW does Junkie XL use?
Junkie XL has named Cubase as his DAW of choice and a Universal Audio Apollo as his one interface, with Vienna Ensemble Pro running his template. He has said he owns a Moog One, Yamaha Montage and Waldorf Quantum, and has been seen using a Buchla modular system.
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Top 5
Where to start with Junkie XL's gear.
01
02
Top 5Has said they use
Universal Audio
Apollo audio interface“In fact, I only use one interface which is the Universal Audio Apollo”
Said in Junkie XL Interview - Geeking out with the XL Gear Junkie, May 2018
03
Top 5Has said they use
Dynaudio
AIR 25 studio monitors“The speakers are very important to me. I've had the DynAudio AIR 25s almost 14 years. They really work for me.”
Said in Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) outlines workflow built with help of GC Pro, February 2016
No store page for this one.
04
Top 5Has said they use
PreSonus
StudioLive 32 digital mixer“Then, I go through a PreSonus StudioLive 32 digital mixer.”
Said in Tom Holkenborg: "I think I paid about £15 for my Memorymoog synth - in 1983 you couldn't give them away", April 2021
No store page for this one.
05
Top 5Has said they use
U&I Software
MetaSynth“Yes, I still use it and it is one of the secret pleasures of sound design”
Said in Junkie XL Interview - Geeking out with the XL Gear Junkie, May 2018
What studio gear Junkie XL uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Studio
Has said they use
Steinberg
Cubase“The Kenton converters meant I was able to sequence a lot of them in Cubase, which is still my DAW of choice”
Has said they use
Universal Audio
Apollo audio interface“In fact, I only use one interface which is the Universal Audio Apollo”
Said in Junkie XL Interview - Geeking out with the XL Gear Junkie, May 2018
Vienna Symphonic Library
Vienna Ensemble Pro
Has said they use
Vienna Symphonic Library
Vienna Ensemble Pro“It's hooked up to six servers via ethernet and through this program called Vienna Ensemble Pro.”
Said in Junkie XL Interview - Geeking out with the XL Gear Junkie, May 2018
Has said they use
Dynaudio
AIR 25 studio monitors“The speakers are very important to me. I've had the DynAudio AIR 25s almost 14 years. They really work for me.”
Said in Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) outlines workflow built with help of GC Pro, February 2016
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
PreSonus
StudioLive 32 digital mixer“Then, I go through a PreSonus StudioLive 32 digital mixer.”
Said in Tom Holkenborg: "I think I paid about £15 for my Memorymoog synth - in 1983 you couldn't give them away", April 2021
No store page for this one.
Kenton Electronics
MIDI converters
Has said they use
Kenton Electronics
MIDI convertersSound design
Has said they use
U&I Software
MetaSynth“Yes, I still use it and it is one of the secret pleasures of sound design”
Said in Junkie XL Interview - Geeking out with the XL Gear Junkie, May 2018
Symbolic Sound
Kyma with Capybara hardware
Has said they use
Symbolic Sound
Kyma with Capybara hardware“I bought a computer system called Kyma which runs with hardware called Capybara.”
Said in Junkie XL Interview - Geeking out with the XL Gear Junkie, May 2018
Plugins
Has said they use
Soundtoys
Decapitator“I use Decapitator on a lot of different things, especially on the close mics of strings and brass to give them edge.”
Said in Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) - Soundtoys, April 2016
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Massive“With Massive, we are able to produce insane basslines, soundscapes and other freaky stuff that is hard to make with any other machine.”
Said in Massive - Native Instruments, September 2026
Has said they use
Spectrasonics
Omnisphere
Has said they use
Has said they use
Has said they use
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Kontakt
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Reaktor
Has said they use
Native Instruments
MonarkRob Papen
Blue II
Has said they use
Rob Papen
Blue II
Has said they use
FabFilter
Pro-QOrchestral Tools
Junkie XL Brass (now Tom Holkenborg's Brass)
SponsoredHas said they use
Orchestral Tools
Junkie XL Brass (now Tom Holkenborg's Brass)“maybe I should just record a brass library for myself?”
Synths
Has said they use
Waldorf
Quantum“At this point I have the Waldorf Quantum, I've got the Modulus 002, I've got the Moog One and Matriarch.”
Has said they use
Modulus
Modulus 002Said in Tom Holkenborg: "I think I paid about £15 for my Memorymoog synth - in 1983 you couldn't give them away", April 2021
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Has said they use
Has said they use
GRP Synthesizer
A4Said in Tom Holkenborg: "I think I paid about £15 for my Memorymoog synth - in 1983 you couldn't give them away", April 2021
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Has said they use
Yamaha
Montage“The same with the Montage. I bought it for the 8-operator DX and TX sounds.”
Has said they use
Studio Electronics
Code 8
Has said they use
Studio Electronics
MidimoogSaid in Tom Holkenborg: "I think I paid about £15 for my Memorymoog synth - in 1983 you couldn't give them away", April 2021
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Has said they use
Gamechanger Audio
Motor Synth“I've got the Motor Synth from Gamechanger Audio - I was actually part of their startup around three years ago.”
Modular
Erica Synths
Modular system
Has said they use
Has said they use
Analogue Solutions
Vostok semi-modularSaid in Tom Holkenborg: "I think I paid about £15 for my Memorymoog synth - in 1983 you couldn't give them away", April 2021
Find it on
Buchla
Three-boat Buchla modular system
Seen using
Seen in 3-Boat Buchla Modular System, In-Depth Look (Junkie XL YouTube), December 2023
Outboard
Has said they use
Yamaha
REV7 reverbSaid in Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) outlines workflow built with help of GC Pro, February 2016
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Said in Tom Holkenborg (Junkie XL) outlines workflow built with help of GC Pro, February 2016
No store page for this one.
Vintage collection
Seen using
Digital Keyboards
SynergySeen in Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL: Multi-Platinum Producer & Film Composer, February 2019
No store page for this one.
Teisco
SX-240
Seen using
Teisco
SX-240Seen in Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL: Multi-Platinum Producer & Film Composer, February 2019
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Seen using
E-mu
Emulator IISeen in Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL: Multi-Platinum Producer & Film Composer, February 2019
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Yamaha
DX1Seen in Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL: Multi-Platinum Producer & Film Composer, February 2019
No store page for this one.
Guitars and amps
Seen using
Roland
JC-120 Jazz ChorusSeen in Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL: Multi-Platinum Producer & Film Composer, February 2019
Seen using
Marshall
Marshall JCM800Seen in Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL: Multi-Platinum Producer & Film Composer, February 2019
Orange
Thunderverb
Seen using
Orange
ThunderverbSeen in Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL: Multi-Platinum Producer & Film Composer, February 2019
No store page for this one.
Seen using
Fender
Johnny Marr JaguarSeen in Tom Holkenborg, aka Junkie XL: Multi-Platinum Producer & Film Composer, February 2019
Also at
Early recordings
Has said they use
Has said they use
Yamaha
Rev 5 reverbSaid in Composer Tom Holkenborg (AKA JUNKIE XL), October 2017
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Oberheim
DMXSaid in Composer Tom Holkenborg (AKA JUNKIE XL), October 2017
TASCAM
Portastudio 4-track cassette recorder
Has said they use
Said in Composer Tom Holkenborg (AKA JUNKIE XL), October 2017
No store page for this one.
Records that shaped me
Has said they love
Questions
About Junkie XL's gear.
What DAW does Junkie XL use?
Junkie XL said in 2021 that Cubase is still his DAW of choice, with Kenton MIDI converters letting him sequence his older synths in it. In 2016 he said he had moved between Cubase, Pro Tools and Logic before settling on Cubase.
What plugins does Junkie XL use?
He has said he puts Soundtoys Decapitator on string and brass close mics and praised Native Instruments Massive for basslines. A 2017 Studio Time episode on his plugins covered Omnisphere, u-he Zebra2, Kontakt, Reaktor and FabFilter Pro-Q.
What synth does Junkie XL use?
In 2021 he named a Moog One, Moog Matriarch, Waldorf Quantum, Yamaha Montage, Prophet-12, Erica Synths Syntrx and Gamechanger Audio Motor Synth among his synths. He has also been seen using a three-boat Buchla modular system.
What studio monitors does Junkie XL use?
In 2016 he said he had owned Dynaudio AIR 25 monitors for almost 14 years and that he gets good mixes out of them.
What audio interface does Junkie XL use?
He has said a Universal Audio Apollo is the only interface in his setup, with six servers linked to Cubase over ethernet through Vienna Ensemble Pro.
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Junkie XL
About this guide · Last checked
Junkie XL is the Dutch producer Tom Holkenborg, known for big beat albums and the A Little Less Conversation remix before he became a film composer. This guide covers his DAW, plugins, synths, modular systems, outboard, guitars and a record that shaped him.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Junkie XL didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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