Ross Lara is a music composer, producer, and mix engineer who has created music for Epic Games, Meta, Red Bull, and dozens of artists that have topped international Billboard charts while amassing over 1 billion streams and listens across various platforms.
Ross’s musical journey began when he was 13 and bought his first pieces of music equipment: a Numark CDN-12 CD Player and a Behringer 2-Channel DJ mixer. His passions originally led him to begin DJing, but eventually, he realized he wanted to produce and compose music as well. Through a series of fortunate events, he fell into writing, producing, and mixing K-Pop. After some initial success, Archipelago Entertainment was born. The journey has taken him through multiple genres of music and many different roles within the industry. As time went by while living in Los Angeles, Ross had an epiphany of what he really wanted to do in music. From there his focus shifted to producing and composing music for films, video games, and experiences. In 2020, there was an opportunity for Ross to go back to his roots, the mountains of Colorado, where he built the highest-altitude Dolby Atmos studio in the world. Throughout all of this, he has blended his passion for the outdoors, adrenaline, and being present with nature and the people around him into his music.
Trinnov D-Mon 12 Optimizer
This unit, overnight, changed the way I hear and perceive sound. This machine is the port for each speaker in my studio. It has superior technology that calibrates my room with fine detail for stereo, surround sound, and Dolby Atmos. When using their WaveForming, 3D microphone, and 3D Remapping, it has the ability to flawlessly phase align, time compensate, and apply hundreds of additive or subtractive filters for amazing sound quality. I hear the audio in a totally raw shape. As a result, my mixes are more musical, and my time is saved. This unit has been a game changer for our studio.
Sequential OB-6 Synthesizer
The Sequential OB-6 has been my go-to synthesizer. The sound is pure, has hints of a vintage soul, and has an intuitive layout to navigate and sculpt sound easily. Oftentimes, I will start this instrument with a blank slate and then dial in one oscillator and modulation source at a time. I’ll engage the built-in distortion and run the audio output through dynamic and time-based effects. The OB-6 has continued to play a role in countless pieces of music for me.
Baldwin Upright Piano
My Baldwin piano, from the late 70’s, is recorded in almost every piece of music that I produce. The way this piano resonates with the sustain pedal is ethereal. Often, I will set up felt or cotton on the piano for that intimate sound we all know and love. When we introduced this upright piano to our studio several years ago, it was the beginning of the next musical chapter. As a producer who uses a lot of electronic instruments, the piano breathes life into our music. To me, there is no comparison between an acoustic instrument like this and a virtual piano.
Solid State Logic UF8 DAW Controller
The SSL UF8 was introduced into my workflow as a piece of technology to help take off stress from my wrists and neck. It has helped my wrist pains and has greatly inspired the mixing process. Mixing is a musical process, and being hands-on like the good ole days has injected that energy into my music. When I am working on electronic music, I find myself using the UF8 almost like a DJ would use their mixer in a club. I’m putting tracks in an automation mode at one tap of a finger, and using both hands to automate plug-in parameters, volume, pan, etc, all at once! It’s sooo fun. It is super helpful that the majority of plugins are auto-mapped to the UF8, making it easy to control plugin parameters.
Roland JUNO-106 Synthesizer
My Juno 106 is one of my main composing synths. Turning on this instrument and using the low pass filter to create emotive pads buss’d to a Lexicon 224 reverb gives me the feels every time. When I play bass parts, this synth shakes my home. The Juno is a timeless instrument!
TASCAM 122 MKII Master Cassette Deck
My Tascam 122 MKII is a vibe machine! I run all kinds of instruments, stems, and mixes through this tape machine to give the audio source grit and subtle modulation. Sometimes when working with virtual orchestral instruments I will sum the virtual tracks into this unit, then go into a Specular Tempus reverb pedal, go back into Logic, and those virtual instruments that had lacked life, suddenly come alive.
Korg MS-20 Monophonic Analog Synthesizer
The KORG MS-20 is a go-to instrument for bass and leads. It can be a clean triangle waveform or super dirty when you want it to be. This instrument was given to me by a local rancher that had it sitting in his attic since 1979. When we met, he offered the synth as a gift so that it would have a good home and be put to use. He opened up the box, and this unit fired up, and has been in mint condition since. I feel so fortunate to not only receive a gift like this but have the opportunity to use a rare synth like this day to day in my studio.
GFI Specular Tempus: Reverb and Delay Effect Processor Pedal
The Specular Tempus has been an incredible addition to my outboard effects setup. These reverb and delay algorithms are so musical and inspire new ideas when playing an instrument through them. I run all kinds of instruments, textures, and parts out of Logic, into this pedal, and back in, instead of using time-based effects in the box. It’s another simple, yet, big component to bridging the gap of this hybrid environment we have built over the years.
Monkwood SD-49 Studio Desk
My desk has been one of the most meaningful additions to my space. This desk was crafted by Brandon Monkwood. It is a sit/stand desk, so when I am exporting stems or doing admin work, I am standing, helping my posture. Day after day, year after year, this desk welcomes me to create and is the centerpiece of the studio. I am grateful to Brandon and all craftsmen out there who put everything they have into furniture that we coexist with and create on.
Summit Audio DCl-200 Dual Compressor Limiter
The Summit Audio DCL-200 tube compressor is a warm hug around any audio source I send through it. This was my first piece of analog gear and I don’t see myself parting ways with it anytime soon. From acoustic arrangements to cinematic music, this compressor has totally fulfilled my compression love on my 2-bus and also for tracking and recording
