Top 5Has said they use
Ableton
Live“I decided to go with Ableton instead of ProTools because it kept the music going.”
Photo: James Minchin III · CC BY-SA 4.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Mike Shinoda. Every item links to its public source.
43 items · Last checked What DAW does Mike Shinoda use?
Mike Shinoda has said he uses Ableton Live and Pro Tools, Native Instruments Maschine, a Komplete Kontrol S49 keyboard, Kontakt and Massive, plus Mackie HR824 monitors. On the From Zero tour he uses a hand-painted Fender Stratocaster, a Fender Blacktop Baritone Telecaster and two Fractal Axe-Fx III units.
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Top 5
Where to start with Mike Shinoda's gear.
01
02
Top 5Has said they use
Avid
Pro Tools“My two primary DAWs are Ableton and Pro Tools.”
03
Top 5Has said they use
Native Instruments
MASCHINE MK3“I really push Maschine”
04
Top 5Has said they use
Native Instruments
Komplete Kontrol S49“I’ve got a Komplete Kontrol S49 keyboard because it fits in my desk perfectly.”
05
Top 5Has said they use
Teenage Engineering
OP-1“I find myself using the Teenage Engineering OP-1 a lot actually”
What studio gear Mike Shinoda 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 decided to go with Ableton instead of ProTools because it kept the music going.”
Has said they use
Avid
Pro Tools“My two primary DAWs are Ableton and Pro Tools.”
Has said they use
Native Instruments
MASCHINE MK3“I really push Maschine”
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Komplete Kontrol S49“I’ve got a Komplete Kontrol S49 keyboard because it fits in my desk perfectly.”
Has said they use
Teenage Engineering
OP-1“I find myself using the Teenage Engineering OP-1 a lot actually”
Has said they use
Roland
MC-707“occasionally, a Roland MC-707 or an MPC 60 just for fun.”
Said in Native Instruments: Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda on mashing up Bollywood, hip hop, and metal, live on Twitch, August 2020
Has said they use
Akai Professional
MPC60“occasionally, a Roland MC-707 or an MPC 60 just for fun.”
Mackie
Onyx 1220 mixer (as his computer interface)
Has said they use
“The preamps on the Onyx have a really good sound, and the EQ feels just right to me.”
Said in Mix: Linkin Park on the Road With Mackie Onyx 1220, HR Series Monitors, March 2005
Has said they use
Mackie
HR824“I use HR824s in my home studio as my main go-to monitors”
Said in Mix: Linkin Park on the Road With Mackie Onyx 1220, HR Series Monitors, March 2005
Mackie
HR624 studio monitors (tour bus)
Has said they use
“I used HR624s on the bus during the Projekt Revolution tour.”
Said in Mix: Linkin Park on the Road With Mackie Onyx 1220, HR Series Monitors, March 2005
No store page for this one.
Plugins
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Kontakt“I use a bunch of the different piano plug-ins in NI’s Kontakt because I play piano”
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Una Corda“I use a bunch of the different piano plug-ins in NI’s Kontakt because I play piano”
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Analog Dreams“I use a bunch of the different piano plug-ins in NI’s Kontakt because I play piano”
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Hybrid Keys“I use a bunch of the different piano plug-ins in NI’s Kontakt because I play piano”
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Lo-Fi Glow“Lo-Fi Glow is awesome.”
Native Instruments
Symphony Series String Ensemble
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Symphony Series String Ensemble“I love the Symphony Series String Ensemble, and Retro Machines I use quite a bit too.”
Said in Native Instruments: Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda on mashing up Bollywood, hip hop, and metal, live on Twitch, August 2020
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Native Instruments
Retro Machines
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Retro Machines“I love the Symphony Series String Ensemble, and Retro Machines I use quite a bit too.”
Said in Native Instruments: Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda on mashing up Bollywood, hip hop, and metal, live on Twitch, August 2020
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Massive“I went through a heavy Massive phase”
Heavyocity
Damage
Has said they use
Heavyocity
Damage“I use some VSTs that are made by other people but they’re formatted for Kontakt”
Has said they use
Output
Exhale“I use some VSTs that are made by other people but they’re formatted for Kontakt”
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Transient Master“I’m more apt to use the Maschine plug-ins”
Has said they use
Native Instruments
Supercharger GT“I’m more apt to use the Maschine plug-ins”
Native Instruments
RC 24 reverb
Has said they use
Native Instruments
RC 24 reverb“I’m more apt to use the Maschine plug-ins”
Said in Native Instruments: Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda on mashing up Bollywood, hip hop, and metal, live on Twitch, August 2020
No store page for this one.
Native Instruments
RC 48 reverb
Has said they use
Native Instruments
RC 48 reverb“I’m more apt to use the Maschine plug-ins”
Said in Native Instruments: Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda on mashing up Bollywood, hip hop, and metal, live on Twitch, August 2020
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
“I use the basics a lot. Renaissance compressor and EQ, DeEsser, L2, MondoMod, and MetaFlanger are must-haves.”
Said in Waves: Mike Shinoda on Linkin Park and Waves in the studio, June 2009
Has said they use
“I use the basics a lot. Renaissance compressor and EQ, DeEsser, L2, MondoMod, and MetaFlanger are must-haves.”
Said in Waves: Mike Shinoda on Linkin Park and Waves in the studio, June 2009
Has said they use
Waves
DeEsser“I use the basics a lot. Renaissance compressor and EQ, DeEsser, L2, MondoMod, and MetaFlanger are must-haves.”
Said in Waves: Mike Shinoda on Linkin Park and Waves in the studio, June 2009
Has said they use
Waves
L2 Ultramaximizer“I use the basics a lot. Renaissance compressor and EQ, DeEsser, L2, MondoMod, and MetaFlanger are must-haves.”
Said in Waves: Mike Shinoda on Linkin Park and Waves in the studio, June 2009
Waves
MondoMod
Has said they use
Waves
MondoMod“I use the basics a lot. Renaissance compressor and EQ, DeEsser, L2, MondoMod, and MetaFlanger are must-haves.”
Said in Waves: Mike Shinoda on Linkin Park and Waves in the studio, June 2009
Has said they use
Waves
MetaFlanger“I use the basics a lot. Renaissance compressor and EQ, DeEsser, L2, MondoMod, and MetaFlanger are must-haves.”
Said in Waves: Mike Shinoda on Linkin Park and Waves in the studio, June 2009
Has said they use
“We set up a chain that ended in Waves C4 compressor and L2 Ultramaximizer that helped make all the mixes sound good.”
Said in Waves: Mike Shinoda on Linkin Park and Waves in the studio, June 2009
Guitars
Said in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Said in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Said in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Gibson
SG "Blackout"Said in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Has said they use
Fender
Telecaster“It's mostly Fender Strat, Tele and P-Bass. Occasionally PRS.”
Fender
Precision Bass
Has said they use
Fender
Precision Bass“It's mostly Fender Strat, Tele and P-Bass. Occasionally PRS.”
Kill Spencer
Custom guitar strapsSaid in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Stage rack
Fractal Audio
Axe-Fx III (two units)Said in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
Electro-Harmonix
HOG2 Harmonic Octave Generator (two units)Said in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Radial Engineering
KL-8 keyboard mixerSaid in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Radial Engineering
JX44 guitar signal manager (two units)Said in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Said in Premier Guitar: Linkin Park Rig Rundown, September 2025
No store page for this one.
Questions
About Mike Shinoda's gear.
What DAW does Mike Shinoda use?
Mike Shinoda has said his two primary DAWs are Ableton and Pro Tools: Pro Tools when he records live instruments and comps vocals, and Ableton Live on his Twitch streams because the music keeps playing while he edits (MusicRadar, 2020).
What plugins does Mike Shinoda use?
He has said he uses Native Instruments Kontakt pianos such as Una Corda and Hybrid Keys, Massive, and Maschine effects like Transient Master and Supercharger GT. In 2009 he called Waves Renaissance Compressor, L2, MondoMod and MetaFlanger must-haves.
What synth does Mike Shinoda use?
He has said he finds himself using the Teenage Engineering OP-1 a lot, and that a Roland MC-707 or an Akai MPC60 come out occasionally just for fun. In software, he went through a heavy Native Instruments Massive phase.
What MIDI keyboard does Mike Shinoda use?
A Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S49, which he has said he uses because it fits in his desk perfectly, next to a Maschine MK3 for beats (Native Instruments, 2020).
What studio monitors does Mike Shinoda use?
Mackie HR824s, which he has said were his main go-to monitors in his home studio, with Mackie HR624s on the tour bus (Mix, 2005).
What audio interface does Mike Shinoda use?
Mix reported in 2005 that a Mackie Onyx 1220 mixer was his interface with the computer, small enough to take on the road, and he has said he runs most of his keyboard modules through it.
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Named in this guide
MS
Mike Shinoda
About this guide · Last checked
Mike Shinoda is the Linkin Park co-founder, rapper, singer and producer behind Fort Minor and Post Traumatic. This guide covers his production setup, from his DAWs, Maschine and plugins to the guitars and rack he plays on Linkin Park's From Zero tour.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Mike Shinoda didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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