Tyler Lyle of synth-pop duo The Midnight told about his CM15 love...
Tyler Lyle: Teenage Engineering has always had this knack for cramming maximum capability into a minimal footprint—tools that look almost toy-like until you realize what they’re up to. That design philosophy is exactly why the CM15 (part of their Field Kit) is the one piece of gear I can’t live without. The idea of a “minimum viable studio” used to be pretty fixed: an audio interface, a microphone, and a MIDI keyboard (which would all fit in a medium sized backpack. Now the whole studio can collapse into a laptop and a proper microphone. No matter how far you can get with sample packs and virtual instruments, you eventually have to capture a real performance with real detail—and for me, the CM15 is the last link between inspiration and something that actually sounds like a record.
What makes it even more essential is how ridiculous it is: a microphone about the size of two matchbooks that can deliver vocals I’d happily keep in a “real” session. This mic makes high-quality vocals available, anywhere. I can throw it in a backpack and track studio-quality demos from anywhere in the world, and they don’t feel like travel demos—they feel like sessions. I’ve used it on co-writes, I’ve recorded podcasts for friends, I’ve captured the moments that would’ve evaporated if I had to wait until I was back in the studio. It’s a constant companion because it removes friction. We’re entering an age where we can get a lot farther with less, and as a touring singer and songwriter, that’s exciting.
The Midnight's new album Syndicate is out now.
