Voltage Labs x Space Dimension Controller: Amsterdam Studio Tour with Sampler Obsession and Acid Tech Tricks

Space Dimension Controller doesn’t stroll into the studio with a spreadsheet and a chai latte. He’s up and running fast, letting gear and mood dictate the day’s direction – unless he’s already deep in a track, in which case it’s all about finishing the mission. Gone are the days of creative gridlock; the new setup means ideas flow quicker, and nothing gets between a spark and a finished groove.

According to Voltage Labs, the shift is down to how the studio’s rig is dialled and how software, sequencing, and gear all talk to each other. The result? Spontaneity is king, and the system’s built for speed. If you’re after surgical precision and endless menu-diving, look elsewhere – this is a street weapon, not a science lab.

Ableton never quite clicked for SDC’s studio productions – too stiff, not enough vibe. Enter Bitwig, the Goldilocks DAW that finally stuck: somewhere between Cubase’s old-school structure and Ableton’s live grid, but with modulation tricks up its sleeve. That hybrid workflow means classic sequencing with the freedom to mess about, so tracks can evolve without feeling boxed in by the software.

Let’s talk Akai – specifically, SDC’s renewed obsession with old-school samplers. From the S1000 that died a noble death to the S3000, S3000XL, S900, S2000, and even the bargain-bin S01, every model in the rack has a story (and a weird power supply issue waiting to happen). But it’s not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake – these boxes are core to his sound. The S900, previously just for synth oddities, now handles one-shots and is a secret weapon for drums with grit.

Voltage Labs makes it clear: SDC treats these samplers as throwaway sketchpads for ideas – record, mess around, maybe don’t even save, just rinse and repeat. Instant, raw, and sometimes beautifully temporary. If you want to know exactly how the S900 sounds with a kick through it, you’ll have to watch the video. Some things just don’t translate to text.

Software sequencing alone was never going to cut it. When SDC got his hands on the HAPAX (after a love affair with the Pyramid), the whole workflow shifted. Hardware sequencing brought spontaneity and a sense of realness that Cubase alone couldn’t deliver. Now, acid jams and drum machines are on tap, and the vibe is all about hands-on chaos and instant evolution.