Lee Groves Gets with the Program
Lee Groves Gets with the Program
The programmer/engineer (Gwen Stefani, Depeche Mode) makes GForce products his “go-to” soft synths
The programmer/engineer (Gwen Stefani, Depeche Mode) makes GForce products his “go-to” soft synths
With a background as a remixer, sound designer and artist, programmer Lee Groves brought a wealth of experience to the table when he teamed up with acclaimed producer/engineer/mixer Mark "Spike" Stent. Together the two have worked with a diverse roster of artists including Gwen Stefani, Janet Jackson, Craig David, Goldfrapp, Texas, Black Eyed Peas, Fischerspooner, Natasha Bedingfield and Depeche Mode. Programming for the best artists means using the best tools, and Lee is a huge fan of GForce software—especially the impOSCar.
"I’ve always been a great fan of the original Oscar synth, and this sounded so good that I had to have it," says Groves. "I use it with Logic on a lot of my projects. When I'm working on my own, I simply use it as an awesome sound and texture generation tool. When I'm working on something with Spike, I tend to double up existing sounds with something from it, just to give them more of an edge.
"I love the way the impOSCar sounds," he continues. "It's raw and it sounds very much like a real one. The filters are vicious! I also love the way you can the sync the LFOs to create massive moving sounds and also spectacularly tough but beautiful sounds too. No one else makes a soft synth that gives me the sounds and flexibility that this one does!"
One notable instance when Groves used the impOSCar was unfortunately overshadowed by Janet Jackson's now-infamous wardrobe malfunction. "I was lucky enough to remix and produce the music for Janet Jackson's Superbowl appearance," he relates. "There's a really cool synth sound in that production, and it came off the impOSCar. Of course, no one will remember the Rhythm Nation remix that I did for that show—everyone was too interested 'other things'!"
It's been a busy year for Groves, from working on a mix of Enya's new single, to production for Aussie singer Deni Hines to mixes for dance gurus Vandalism and United State of Electronica. He's even juggling several other writing/production projects as he prepares for a big move to Sydney, Australia. But no matter where he travels, this diverse talent is sure to keep his impOSCar close at hand.
"I’ve always been a great fan of the original Oscar synth, and this sounded so good that I had to have it," says Groves. "I use it with Logic on a lot of my projects. When I'm working on my own, I simply use it as an awesome sound and texture generation tool. When I'm working on something with Spike, I tend to double up existing sounds with something from it, just to give them more of an edge.
"I love the way the impOSCar sounds," he continues. "It's raw and it sounds very much like a real one. The filters are vicious! I also love the way you can the sync the LFOs to create massive moving sounds and also spectacularly tough but beautiful sounds too. No one else makes a soft synth that gives me the sounds and flexibility that this one does!"
One notable instance when Groves used the impOSCar was unfortunately overshadowed by Janet Jackson's now-infamous wardrobe malfunction. "I was lucky enough to remix and produce the music for Janet Jackson's Superbowl appearance," he relates. "There's a really cool synth sound in that production, and it came off the impOSCar. Of course, no one will remember the Rhythm Nation remix that I did for that show—everyone was too interested 'other things'!"
It's been a busy year for Groves, from working on a mix of Enya's new single, to production for Aussie singer Deni Hines to mixes for dance gurus Vandalism and United State of Electronica. He's even juggling several other writing/production projects as he prepares for a big move to Sydney, Australia. But no matter where he travels, this diverse talent is sure to keep his impOSCar close at hand.
