At Home with David Wall
What inspired you to start creating?
I’ve always been “creative”. My father bought me an acoustic guitar when I was 14 years old and as far as I remember I’ve always been evaluating picture and sound. After a few months I bought my first electric guitar. Actually, it was a kit with a transistor amp that sounded really bad and an Epiphone Les Paul which I liked a lot. When I was about 19, I started taking pictures and soon I went over to fulltime video and started my own company, Denhef Digital. Back then I lived in the Netherlands and was inspired by a bridge in Rotterdam called De Hef!
What was your first ever piece of recording gear?
I’ve always owned a couple of instruments and production gear and my first was the AudioBox USB interface from PreSonus.
What was the last piece of gear that you bought?
The Mix-Pre 6 II portable audio recorder from Sound Devices.
In which room in your home is your studio based and were there any challenges in setting it up?
I have my studio in my apartment at Slottsholmen in Västervik. The apartment is quite small with only two rooms but the view is amazing! I have a pretty famous neighbour, Björn Ulvaeus from ABBA. This is where he grew up as a teenager and back in 2018 he built this unique building. The building has a sloping roof if you live on the top floor, like me, and the maximum height is 4.8 metres - which means trouble when setting up speakers!
Which Genelec models do you have?
The Genelec 8331 and a Genelec 7350 sub.
What type of projects do you use your speakers for?
I mainly mix my video productions with them.
What you think of the speakers, and what do you like about them?
They are really true to me. I also know that my studio space or my room are not ideal but the GLM 4 calibration software made the setup so easy. I have different GLM presets for what I am doing - either my sound design or just listening to music.
Describe your perfect day in the studio and what’s your top tip for being creative at home?
Breakfast and coffee at 9 am. I start by reading emails and usually can be most creative when I’m under low pressure. A tight schedule can slow my creative work down. I like having pressure - for example working with bigger brands gives me pressure in a good way. But a lot of work gives me pressure in a bad way and my creativity will then suffer. My tip for being creative is to eat and sleep well, and go to the gym. Health is the foundation for everything.
Which three creatives would you love to collaborate with in a Zoom lockdown session?
Peter McKinnon, Philip Bloom and Hans Zimmer.
Have you picked up any new skills during lockdown?
Yes, I can moonwalk!
If there was one recording session you could have attended, which one would it have been?
Paradise Valley by John Mayer.
Since working at home, what has become your ’Desert Island’ piece of gear? What can’t you live without?
Black Magic’s DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor. I’ve been editing a lot lately, and the unit has saved me a lot of time.
Do you want to be featured in our ‘At Home’ series? If so, just post some pictures of your home setup on Instagram using the #GenelecProAtHome hashtag. We’ll be keeping a look out for the most interesting home rigs, so who knows? We may be in touch with you!