“We get too lost in the gear, plugins and processes… they need to have a specific purpose”: Oliver Patrice WederYou may not know Oliver Patrice Weder by name, but there’s a strong chance you’ve heard the Swiss pianist’s work. It might be through his hundreds of samples and loops available on Spitfire Audio, or his composition for film and TV which has been broadcast on the likes of BBC 2 and ITV. He has become an expert in versatility and adaptability, merging his talents in classical and electronic composition, and writing his own works too, such as the latest EP Grand Piano Works Vol.II.

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We dive into what bloomed his combined interests in the classical and the electronic, as well as the production techniques that make his sprawling discography uniquely him. He also talks us through his plugin essentials and the techniques he uses to compose the tracks that are sampled by thousands of people across the world.
Oliver and his synths. Image: Oliver Patrice Weder
Where did the inspiration to combine your interests in classical and electronic music come from?
My inspiration is the people, connections, culture, places and situations I surround myself with. One of the strongest inspirations I have is the blues and jazz. It began when I was 12 years old and I started listening to my father’s huge vinyl collection which included The Doors, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, BB King and much more. But at 10 years old, I started learning the classical piano, and the ability to play those pieces allowed me to learn all of Ray Manzarek’s (The Doors’ Keyboardist) parts. And I suppose that was the first time I combined these interests in classical and more modern music.
I used to be a purist: everything needed to be analogue, playing live, bringing an analogue organ and Wurlitzer piano to every gig I played. That changed when I was 25 years old, when I first opened Logic Pro 9. I started layering and looping cello and violin samples to imitate an orchestra and realised the endless possibilities of creativity, sound and technology.
My ultimate interest in the combination of classical and electronic music came with my involvement with Spitfire Audio in 2014. I started working with founders Christian Henson and Paul Thomson and got first-hand experience with combining live orchestras with virtual instruments and synthesizers.
Synths in Oliver’s studio. Image: Oliver Patrice Weder
On your new EP, Grand Piano Works Vol.II, how heavily do you lean into the resonance of the spaces you record in when mixing the tracks?
If the room sounds nice then that’s a plus, but for this project, I focused on close-micing and delicate, quiet playing, so the sound doesn’t travel that far within the room. By doing it that way, I have less trouble in post-production because the spaces could get tricky — many times, grand pianos don’t stand in a perfectly treated room.
I used to use the RCompressor by Waves, but switched recently to the Cenozoix Compressor which Ben Onono recommended when I was working on a Netflix and Disney+ show with him. For the EQ I’m sticking to the Fabfilter Q3; for the reverb, I’m using a combination of outboard gear (my Chorus Echo, Big Sky, Space Echo) and reverb plugins such as the Fabfilter Pro-R, Blackhole Immersive, UAD EMT140 and 250.
The bungalow of Oliver’s studio. Image: Oliver Patrice Weder
Tell us a bit about your studio.
The HQ of my production company Smokestack Music is in my hometown of Lucerne, Switzerland. The creative processes for my artist and composer output happen in my home studio in the Tramuntana mountains of Mallorca.
The studio is divided in two:
My bungalow, at the end of the garden, is acoustically treated and I’ve measured speaker and seating position to optimize the sound for mixing, mastering and recording solo players. I use the studio to write, record and sometimes collaborate with another producer or artist.
The second part is the shoe factory, which in everyday life, it’s the family living room. It can be converted quickly into a recording studio or live room, so musicians feel comfortable playing and recording in there. I use it to have small orchestral sessions, or sometimes I bring all my gear and invite other artists along to play and record some original material.
Oliver’s plugins. Image: Oliver Patrice Weder
What’s your latest gear or plugin purchase?
As part of Grand Piano Works Vol.II, which I worked on with Ben (Onono), he kindly gifted me some nice plugins.
Some of them I incorporated into my workflow now, such as the Cenozoic Compressor. I also started using SoundShifter a lot, which has a nice and natural sound. For distortion I started using Kraftur — just really crisp and lovely stuff when you move that one slider. A massive addition is the Blackhole Immersive reverb — that just sounds gorgeous.
My latest outboard gear was the Microcosm. I still don’t quite understand it, though I send different things through it and twiddle some knobs, then something aleatoric happens and I might be positively surprised. I’ve created a lot of sounds for the Shoe Factory sample library with that.
What’s the best free plugin you own? Why?
PaulStretch when creating something textural and ambient. It allows you to time stretch especially make sounds slow, creating these artifacts that just sound so gorgeous.
I’m also enjoying the Crow Hills Vaults series. Those libraries are done with so much care and it makes them extremely playable.
Oliver’s Schimmel upright piano. Image: Oliver Patrice Weder
What’s been the biggest investment in your career/studio? Was it worth it? Why?
Probably my MacBook Pro M3, though that’s more of a necessity rather than a fun thing to invest in.
Other than that I always invest in a nice upright piano wherever I am (I usually sell them again when I leave that specific location, mainly due to transport reasons but also due to the change of climate). At the moment, I have a Schimmel upright piano which sounds so lovely.
You have composed hundreds of samples for Spitfire Audio’s library. How do you approach composing something that will be tweaked and pulled apart for years to come?
When approaching a new idea, you might start with a chord sequence or melody. But you might also start with creating a sound you like, tweaking a preset, sending a synth through an effects pedal or reversing some audio, before even knowing the chord or the melody. And that’s the starting point of creating a virtual instrument; once I like a sound, I then sample each note in different dynamic layers. I might use that sound in my album, too, so in a sense, these two things go hand in hand.
I’m honoured if someone used a sound in their production that I’ve created. I’m also excited by the thought of giving away a sound that I have created for everybody to use, so it pushes me to create fresh things in the next production.
Strymon Timeline. Image: Oliver Patrice Weder
You have a wide and ranging discography from film music, advertisements, classical albums and so much more. Do you feel you have a signature sound or technique that ties all of your work together?
I have my Wurlitzer piano through a Strymon Flint reverb, Ibanez Tube Screamer, wah-wah (chain inspired by SRV) and a Strymon Timeline, where I have the reverse mix set to max, and finally through a BlueSky. I get this heavenly, otherworldly, slightly gritty sound which is great for melodies but also endlessly ambient textures.
I also like to use my Juno-60 arpeggiator as a sort of drum machine. I have the ADSR settings quite low, not a lot of high frequencies and an automatic LFO for variation I’m sending this through the Chorus and a Roland Space Echo for additional depth. The bass turns into a warm kick and the high notes are reminiscent of toms or bongos.
Behind all of that, I usually have some warm strings or orchestral beds, with a sustain on the bass going through. I like that meditative yet suspense vibe this creates, almost like a drone note on a bagpipe.
Do you have a dream piece of gear?
A Hammond B3 organ with a Leslie speaker. I’ve only heard this combination live in action once in my life in a studio in LA and wow, the sound, the sheer massiveness, depth and power of that sound is mind-blowing!

What’s a music production myth you think needs debunking?
I observe a lot (in myself as well) that we can get lost in all the gear, plugins and processes.
I recently cleared my mastering chain as I’ve had about eight plugins on there and, when I bypassed them all, it sounded much better. I always think a plugin or an effect needs to have a specific purpose to work — a problem that needs solving.
Who gave you the biggest lesson in your career? Can you tell us about how it impacted you?
I have worked with Christian Henson quite extensively as his assistant. He never gives up, there’s always a solution, always forward-moving, efficient and positive. I was incredibly stunned that he rarely deletes or disregards an idea.
The whole experience of observing his work ethic and attitude was utterly insightful and inspiring. I’m trying to implement that in my daily life as a composer and creator, just keep going, step by step, don’t question things and move forward.
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