Eugene Tsai
|
Eugene Tsai In a very short time, Canadian producer and multi-instrumentalist Eugene Tsai has already made major waves in Hip Hop. Having only begun producing in 2020, the talented musician has already been nominated for a GRAMMY and collaborated with many of the biggest stars in the genre, including Quavo, Lil Dicky, Rich Homie Quan, and more. Boasting an admirable collection of synths and guitars (we’re jealous), Eugene’s skills and an instrumentalist are apparent in his unique production style. Ever since first searching for the “best music software for beginners” a few years ago, he’s been using FL Studio as his DAW of choice, and we’re thrilled to welcome him as an official Power User. Lil Dicky – Honestly (prod. by Eugene Tsai) Tell us about yourself and how you got into music. I’ve been playing instruments my whole life; I’ve played the piano since I was 3, was classically trained, and then moved into jazz after finding a random Herbie Hancock video on Youtube. In high school I picked up drums, trombone and guitar, and over the past few years started playing bass as well. I actually didn’t know music production was a thing back then (i.e, I thought Drake made his own beats, I didn’t know there were “producers”). I wanted to be a touring musician and the goal was to be Justin Bieber or Bruno Mars’ pianist for example. It wasn’t until the end of 2019/early 2020 where my friend sat me down and said I should try this production thing. At the time I was in college, and it was fine, but I definitely wasn’t happy with where my life was going, so I took a semester off and started looking into music production. The first software I came across was FL Studio! Since it was free to try, it was a great way for me to figure out what was what without spending too much money. Fast forward 4-5 years, here we are haha. How did you start using FL Studio & what does it mean to your productions? It was the first software that came up when I looked up “best music software for beginners”. The interface was really easy to learn once you get the gist of everything, and once you learn all the hotkeys, you can really make whatever you can imagine on it. I’ve scored full orchestral pieces as well as made some of the hardest beats within the same day because of how versatile FL Studio can be. |
Quavo – WITHOUT YOU (prod. by Eugene Tsai) Tell us about your work and some of the artists you have worked with. As of stuff that has been released at the moment, I’ve worked with Quavo, Tory Lanez, Logic, Russ, Lil Dicky, Muni Long, Rich Homie Quan, & more. I think my “sound” is the classic sampled sound but with my instruments added on top. I think that combo creates some really cool textures. Tell us about your production environment and the gear you use. I love analogue gear — way too much maybe, but I love being able to physically touch the things I play. I currently use a Prophet 10, Prophet Rev2, Moog Grandmother and Roland Jupiter X for synths. As for guitars: Fender P bass, Sire 5 string bass, Telecaster, Gretsch & Martin. I recently got into reel-to-reels and have been running instruments into them as well.
Eugene’s Studio What is your top FL Studio tip for up-and-coming producers? We are in a time where there are world class producers giving out free tips and advice on YouTube. Watch and learn as much as you can as there is now more info out there than ever before for pretty much any genre you want to make. And also, just have fun and enjoy the process of it all. Too many young producers worry about getting placements, etc. etc. — just have fun with it and make the best music you can make. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? Just wanted to thank you guys for the work you do as well as creating a company that supports creatives like us. Eugene Tsai Links: Studio Talks: Eugene Tsai – “Focus on making the best music and let everything else follow” |
