Looking Back at the Studio Journey (and Forward to 2026)

With the close of 2025, I can’t help but reflect on how this journey began—and how little I understood where it would eventually lead. In some ways, I’m still not entirely finished. There’s work left to do. But for the first time, I can clearly see the shape of the studio I’m building and understand what the end result will look like.

When I started this redesign, my synth collection was fairly modest. At that time, my studio consisted of:

• Maschine+
  
• AKAI Force
  
• Korg Minilogue
  
• Arturia MiniBrute
  
• Arturia DrumBrute
  
• Four Korg Volcas
  
• Behringer DeepMind 12
  
• Yamaha MODX
  
• Roland FA-06
  

Over time, as shelves were added and space was rethought, the studio slowly expanded to include:

• Roland SP-404MKII
  
• ASM Hydrasynth Explorer
  
• Arturia MiniFreak
  
• Behringer 2600
  
• Behringer Model D
  
• Behringer Wasp
  
• Behringer Pro-1
  
• Behringer K-2 MKII
  
• Behringer Kobol Expander
  
• Behringer Cat
  

At the beginning, I had no rack-mounted gear at all. That changed dramatically. My rack now includes a collection of ART units—two power stations, a power conditioner, an optical tube compressor and preamp, a FET-style compressor and preamp, a VCA compressor, a submixer, three patchbays—and two Klark Teknik EQP-KT Pultec-style EQs.

The studio I’m sitting in now is nothing like what I started with. And honestly, there’s no way I could have imagined this outcome at the beginning.

Not the Biggest—Just the Right One

Let’s be clear: this is not the nicest studio, the most expensive studio, or the most elaborate studio you’ll find online. A quick visit to YouTube will show countless home studios that dwarf mine in size, cost, and spectacle—and that’s perfectly fine.

This studio isn’t about competing with anyone else. It’s about being right for me.

That thought brought me back to something I wrote about earlier: the idea of a dream studio. I think there are two very different ways to define that term.

One version of a dream studio is the fantasy—the unlimited-budget space with professional designers, world-class acoustics, massive consoles, and gear most major record labels would envy. The other version is quieter and more personal: a studio that’s affordable, functional, comfortable, and filled with tools you genuinely enjoy using.

From the beginning, my goal has always been the second version.

Work, Enjoyment, and Everything in Between

That raises another question: is your studio purely for enjoyment, or is it also a place of work?

That question hits close to home for me. My studio originally started as a simple home office—a place to do paperwork, compose the occasional software track, and store teaching materials. Until about 2019, it wasn’t a central part of my daily life.

Then everything changed.

Like many people, the pandemic years reshaped my world in ways I never expected. My studio transformed from a space I used for thirty minutes in the evening into a place where I was spending up to twelve hours a day, teaching piano and theory to students across seven different countries. I don’t mention that as a point of pride or self-importance—only with gratitude. It’s a blessing, not something I take credit for.

That same year marked my first synth purchase, and with my teaching practice now fully online, the studio redesign naturally followed.

Ending 2025 with Gratitude

Looking back, I had no idea I would end up here. And while my studio may be modest by many standards, it feels complete in the ways that matter most to me. It’s comfortable. It’s functional. It inspires me. And it fits my life.

Whether you’re just starting your studio journey, deep in the middle of a redesign, or already working in a space that feels perfect for you, I wish you all the best.

Here’s to a great start to 2026—and many more moments of creativity ahead.