VICTOR WONG  (September 2008) | Interview By:

      

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Interview was done by phone in August 2008

Questions Asked By: Chad Kiser & Jonathan Hay
 

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Dubcnn: First off, a little history about Open Labs would be great. How did you get into the sampling/workstation business, and what exactly was your start?

I have always been involved in computers since High School, so when I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, I started working in a Macintosh mail order company. One thing lead to another and eventually I founded a company named Power Tools, Inc., which was one of a selected number of Mac OS compatible computer manufacturers in the U.S. Power Tools created computers for the creative professional and at one time, produced the world’s most powerful Mac OS computers.

When Mac cloning ended, I took some time off and thought about what I would like to do next. I have been a drummer since junior high school so I thought that it would be interesting if I can combine music with computers.

In 2002, my friend Craig was complaining about having to take his computer, musical keyboards, video monitor and other items from place to place to do his work. He said it would be great to have it all in one product. So, Lary, another friend who is a very talented engineer, Craig and I designed and built the first NeKo (named eKo at the time).

We took the prototypes to the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim (the largest musical instrument maker’s trade show) and showed it downstairs in the basement in a small 10’ X 10’ both. To our surprise, it was a big hit. In fact, by the second day, we had virtually every major artist, press agent and competitor in the booth. It really showed that we were onto something.

So, I sold my Lamborghini Diablo and used the money to initially fund Open Labs. Heinz, who is a patent attorney, joined the team and since I had extra room in my garage, now that the car was gone, we started Open Labs in it and the rest is history. Five short years later, our instruments have really become the new standard in music production and performance. I guess all the hard work and sacrifices was worth it, but I still kinda miss my Lambo. *laughs*


Dubcnn: What do you consider your first “big break”? When did you know that Open Labs was going to be a force in the music industry?

The first big break was when we shipped the first unit. We knew we had a winning concept, but turning it into a reality was unbelievably difficult. We did not know however, the extent of what we had started until “A-List” artists and producers began to call us and drop by to check out our gear.

What really made it set in is when we realized one day that 8 of the top 10 songs being played on pop / rap radio was produced using our gear and seeing Prince live at the Super Bowl half-time show using our keyboards in the pouring rain. We are very proud and scared at the same time!


Dubcnn: How have producer’s expectations for their studio equipment shaped the development of your products?

The funny thing is that there were always the bleeding-edge producers that got what we did day one, but it has been more that we have shown the producers a new way of doing things that is faster, more creative and of higher production value than what they were used to doing. But that does not mean we do not listen to our users, in fact, once they get it, they are full of helpful suggestions, which we take very seriously.


Dubcnn: What are the some of the more popular products that Open labs has?

The NeKo and MiKo series have both been very big hits for us. The Timbaland models are very popular in general.


Dubcnn: Who are some of the producer’s who are currently using the Open labs equipment?

Timbaland, Polow Da Don, Lil’ Jon, Scott Spock, Tim and Bob, Teddy Riley, Poke, Denaun Porter, FAB, Mo B Dick, The HeavyWeights, The Beat Factory, Ace’ Lo, Happy Perez…


Dubcnn: What is it about the Neko and the Miko that is garnering so much attention?

It puts an entire studio in a single box that you can take with you. It can clone any other keyboard in the world and can run any VST, VSTi or Windows XP based audio software, which provides the best sounds and highest audio quality out of any keyboard workstation or digital recording hardware device. It can also run Pro Tools, and even SSL plugins that will give you the punch that you may be looking for; and it costs only $3500 to $5000, instead of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Finally, unlike other hardware products that are essentially outdated once you by it, the NeKo and MiKo are both perpetually upgradeable, making the first day you own it the starting point for growth, not the end of it.


Dubcnn: If you’re Pro-Tools, Cakewalk Sonar, Reason, Logic, Cubase user, or a windows user, you can run those applications on these keyboards?

Yes, any Windows XP Compatible software.


Dubcnn: What’s the difference between the Neko and the Miko?

The NeKo is designed for keyboard players and as the main piece in any studio. The MiKo is a more portable version that is designed specifically for Producers.


Dubcnn: What can people expect from you, and Open Labs, next?

We have some fantastic new products coming out. There is Tanto, which is a hybrid instrument that we hope will change the industry again. It is not a keyboard. And, we are continually making advancements in our current product lines.


Dubcnn: Timbaland endorsees your products, so when you hear a track produced by Timbaland, do you recognize any of your sounds in his hit songs?

Yes…we hear them all the time, but it is usually slightly altered by him to give it his special touch. But the thing we really hear the most is the clarity in the audio. This is very apparent because the sounds and audio I/O are all 24-bit / 96KHz or higher coming out of our machines. 16-bit grunge is cool sometimes, but the clarity and punch that is possible now is something to behold when listening on some decent speakers.


Dubcnn: I remember last year, when I was doing some publicity for Teddy Riley in preparation for his Hall of Fame introduction, he mentioned your keyboard in an interview we were doing. I remember being in his Atlanta studio and noticing your keyboard, thinking back, that was really before he exploded again with so many hit records. So in retrospect, do you think the Neko helped get Teddy back on the hit-making track?

Well, let me be very clear, the man has talent plain and simple. And when you give someone with that much talent an instrument like the MiKo and NeKo, well, you’ve seen what happens.


Dubcnn: What do you think about the overall sound of music these days?

I am very pleased with the great number of choices for music these days, there are more people making music than ever. The sound changes from genre to genre; artist to artist, and that’s what’s great. We have choices.


Dubcnn: Obviously, you have a great ear for music, so have you personally been involved with any hit making recording experiences?

I have certainly been in the studio when hits were being made, but have not jumped into the efforts yet. While I may have a good ear, I’m in the studio with some of the best producers and artists in the world, and even having as big of an ego as I have *laughs*, I am not brash enough to jump right in and tell them what to do…But, I have been working on a few things on my own and I have learn a lot of insider tricks on how to make hits, perhaps once I get a few hits under my belt, maybe I’ll reconsider speaking up in sessions with these guys. So, anyone want to collaborate with me and make a few hits out there?*laughs*


Dubcnn: Any final words for our readers here at Dubcnn?

I have been in music for a while and to be honest, I think the Hip-Hop / RAP / Urban artists and producers are a very hard working group. They are always hustling and trying to make better music, make better deals and more money. I am really encouraged by that and there have been many great success stories.

So, I would like to end this by saying don’t ever stop and don’t ever let any one tell you what you can or can’t do. Your destiny is in your own hands; this is something very special and it is a gift. Don’t ever forget it.

Be true to yourself and your craft and you WILL make it. After all, who would have ever thought that a Chinese kid born in Hong Kong would end up here in the U.S. doing this interview for you guys to read? Nothing is impossible, you just have to reach out and grab it.