Having owned his iD14 for the best part of a year now, Northlane’s bass player, Alex Milovic finds he takes his bus-powered audio interface with him pretty much everywhere. “Playing in a heavy rock band and touring quite a bit, I found that nothing ever sounded quite right on the road compared to my small home studio. Nowadays I can take a project with me along with my iD14, and not have to worry about the mix sounding off or there being any inconsistencies with the recording.”
“iD14 is a great help with the writing process. It means that at any chance I get, I can sit down open a session and get straight to work.”
Due to be in the northern hemisphere for a second time later this year showcasing their fourth studio album, ‘Mesmer’, the Australian band is never far from the road, which has the potential to hamper creativity – but not any more. “iD14 is a great help with the writing process,” he continues. “It means that at any chance I get, I can sit down open a session and get straight to work. Whilst travelling, you don’t always have that time at home to write or prepare yourself for the studio, so having the iD14 with me is essential to being able to do everything I need to wherever I am.”
Apart from briefly toying with the idea of becoming an airline pilot, he realised early on that making music was where his heart lay, and has directed all his energies at that ever since. He has no shortage of drive and creativity; playing bass with Northlane since the band’s formation in 2009 and currently working on a solo project as well. “I am lucky enough to meet so many amazing people: producers, people in bands, DJ’s and everything in between; it is a constant source of inspiration to create and better myself.”
“I wanted something that sounded good and can handle being moved around.”
He had a very clear idea of what he was after when looking for his new interface, which is integral to his core setup along with a pair of Yamaha HS8s, a self-built Microsoft computer and Ableton Live. “Small enough to take away on tour, but I also wanted the option to expand it for more ins and outs via ADAT when I‘m at home. Above all, I wanted something that sounded good and can handle being moved around.”
He certainly got that with the iD14, which has two channels of console-grade mic pres delivering 10 in/4 out with Burr-Brown AD converters. “I love the layout of the iD14; it’s simple yet effective. Having the volume encoder nice and big in front of you also double up as a form of control for parameters inside the DAW, is amazing. I use this the most when I’m working on more electronic music and needing to automate effects or sculpting sounds,” enthuses Alex, who believes firmly in the value of musicians being able to record themselves. “When preparing for a tour and practising material to be played out on the road I always record myself playing so I can go back and listen to see where I can improve on my playing – it really has helped me become a better musician overall,” he explains.
“I love the layout of the iD14; it’s simple yet effective.”
Check out Northlane on their website here where you can find videos (including Quantum Flux which has had over 5.5 million views to date), gateways to all their social media and links to their music. Alex suggests new listeners try Citizen on their latest record, which “…encompasses our heavy elements as well our more radio-friendly side.”
Audient wishes Alex and the band all the best with the next tour (and wonders whether Alex has clocked up as many airmiles as he would have as a pilot after all!)
