“I have always used Cubase.”

Photo: Charito Yap · CC BY 2.0
What DAW does Zedd use?
Zedd has said they produce everything in Cubase, the DAW they have used since their teens, with Xfer Serum as the main synth and Auto-Tune and Melodyne on vocals. The studio has an Antelope Orion interface, Augspurger and KRK monitors and a Nord Stage, and they have DJed on Traktor.
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Studio
“I have always used Cubase.”
“I will sometimes use something like the Cubase Envelope Shaper, which is a good transient designer, but that's all.”
“My main synth these days is Xfer's Serum, which is probably the most powerful soft synth out there right now.”
“I also love Tone2's Gladiator, Lennar Digital's Sylenth, and Native Instruments' Damage, the latter for more cinematic sounds.”
“I also love Tone2's Gladiator, Lennar Digital's Sylenth, and Native Instruments' Damage, the latter for more cinematic sounds.”
“I also love Tone2's Gladiator, Lennar Digital's Sylenth, and Native Instruments' Damage, the latter for more cinematic sounds.”
“I also use the reFX Nexus plug-in for my piano sounds.”
“So I use ClipShifter, which handles transients that go over zero better than your DAW.”
“The signal then goes into the iZotope's Ozone, in which I use a preset that gives me all the highs I need, with stereo widening.”
“At the very end I'll then add a limiter, like the AOM Invisible Limiter or the FabFilter Pro-L, just for a little more volume.”
“At the very end I'll then add a limiter, like the AOM Invisible Limiter or the FabFilter Pro-L, just for a little more volume.”
“The Augspurgers are my main speakers, with plenty of low-end information, which I can drive hard when needed.”
“But I use the KRKs to check things, most of all for comping vocals.”
“If I want to record some demo or backing vocals at my studio I use the Slate Digital Virtual Microphone System.”
“I use the Nord Stage because I really like the electric piano sound, and it has pitch-bend when I need it.”
Vocals
“I mostly use Auto-Tune, and occasionally Melodyne for individual words”
“I mostly use Auto-Tune, and occasionally Melodyne for individual words”
DJ booth
“I always use it before I add a new song to my set to make sure I know which key it is in.”
About Zedd's gear.
What DAW does Zedd use?
Zedd has said they have always used Cubase, since running it with a band at 14, and still produce and create everything in it, on a Mac Pro (Sound On Sound, 2017). Vocals are tuned with Auto-Tune, and occasionally Melodyne for single words.
What plugins does Zedd use?
Zedd has said Xfer Serum is their main synth, with Tone2 Gladiator, Lennar Digital Sylenth, Native Instruments Damage and reFX Nexus, plus Auto-Tune and Melodyne on vocals and ClipShifter, iZotope Ozone and the AOM Invisible Limiter or FabFilter Pro-L on the master.
What studio monitors does Zedd use?
Zedd has said large Augspurger speakers are their main monitors, with small five-inch KRK monitors for checking mixes and comping vocals. A Dangerous Music Monitor ST controller has been seen in the studio.
What MIDI keyboard does Zedd use?
Zedd has said they play a Nord Stage EX88 for its electric piano sound, alongside a weighted main keyboard and a small two-octave MIDI controller for checking sounds.
What audio interface does Zedd use?
Zedd has said they use an Antelope Audio Orion soundcard, and a 2016 ProSoundWeb report shows the home studio built around an Antelope Orion Studio, with a Slate Raven controller screen.
What DJ equipment does Zedd use?
Zedd was seen mixing on a Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4 at Ultra in 2013, and has said they run every new song through Mixed In Key before adding it to a set.
Zedd is a Russian-German DJ and producer based in Los Angeles, behind Clarity, Stay the Night, The Middle and Stay. This guide covers the DAW, synths, vocal and mastering plugins, monitors, keyboards and outboard in the Zedd home studio, plus the DJ setup seen at festivals.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Zedd didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
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