MILAN RING

from Come Play With / #017 / NOV2021

M(H)AOL

THE KIT LIST MILAN RING

INTRODUCTION

Milan Ring is an Australian singer, rapper, guitarist, producer, mix engineer and mentor at the forefront of Sydney's R&B scene. On December 3rd she releases her debut album I'm Feeling Hopeful on Aussie tastemaker label Astral People via [PIAS]. The album features contributions from fellow artists including the UK's own Che Lingo, Chicago singer and rapper Jean Deaux, and fellow Aussie artist BLESSED. Milan Ring meticulously curates each and every aspect of the creative process, from the first chord struck on the guitar to the final mix. She has worked in the studio with artists including SZA, DRAM, Chance The Rapper's group The Social Experiment, BJ The Chicago Kid, The Avalanches, Cosmo’s Midnight and more.

FENDER STRATOCASTER AM PRO II

My baby Creamy was a new gift from Fender earlier this year! She’s smooth and sings sweetly and I love the updated whammy bar which only needs a gentle press to create the pitch bends I love to do. This picture is from my first time performing with her outside the iconic Sydney Opera House. I had slight worries about using a new guitar without much time to wear her in, so I had my tried and true loyal ol’ Strat with me on a stand on stage just in case, but she ended up just kicking back and enjoying the sunshine whilst Creamy did all the work. (Picture by Ken Leanfore.)

ROLAND RC-505

This loop station is the main workhorse on my live shows. It has my backing tracks, so I can drop sections of songs and samples, as well as create live guitar and vocal loops, mixing them on the fly. I’ve had her for 5 years now and she is still going super strong - well actually come

to think of it I definitely fried one unit from a power surge at a show whoops - but this is the replacement! It is MIDI linked with an RC-202 for extra vocal loops. Pictured below is a BOSS FS-6 footswitch to control the looper, and my Roland GT-1000 guitar effects unit.

STUDIO PROJECTS T3 MICROPHONE

When I landed my first publishing deal this was one of my first purchases. I was in LA and went to a bunch of different music shops around Hollywood, trying out numerous mics, I ended up with this Studio Projects T3. It is a vacuum tube mic based on a 1950s design, and they are made in California so it seemed fitting to buy a locally made mic! It has been the sole mic used on all of my releases since 2014. She is super warm but still with clarity in the high end and she probably knows me better than anyone in my life ha!

BOSS DR 880 DRUM MACHINE

I like to credit the beginnings of my production to this drum machine. In my teens, before I had a laptop or any production software it was my first exploration of making beat loops and with the inbuilt bass, recording little bass lines that I could play the guitar along to. It is an old classic with some dated drum kits but there are always some little gems, many of which have made their way onto my songs. It sits on the left of my desk always ready to go - I like being able to just quickly tap something out and go with the flow, to avoid getting stuck on a midi grid, scrolling through hundreds of different snares on hard drives. Plus it is nostalgic!

DIMARZIO GOLD GUITAR LEAD

Yes I know, it’s just a lead, but it’s the shiniest gold lead that I have ever seen and I love it. I found it in a guitar shop in January this year right before I was about to do my album cover shoot, so it is seen cascading on the floor of my album cover, and it’s actually just a really good quality lead that I use every day. (Picture by James Evans)