Micah Frank is the founder of Puremagnetik, a sound design studio that takes a unique approach to developing and delivering original content to DJ’s and producers all over the world. They recently settled into a custom-built production facility in Brooklyn’s artist and technology friendly neighborhood Dumbo, NYC where we had the chance to sit down with Micah for a brief interview!

What platforms does Puremagnetik develop content for?

MF: We develop sample and sound libraries for Ableton Live, Kontakt, Logic and GarageBand. We also make DJ Tools that are available on Beatport.com as regular .wav file downloads. We’re trying to find someone to develop a native proprietary plug-in that will run all of our sounds in any DAW. I challenge someone in New York to make a native plug-in for us!

How is that content delivered to producers and where can I sign up?

MF: Every month we come out with new sound packs. If you are a PM subscriber you can download the sounds immediately when they come out. After 2 months it’s in the “back catalog” and you can purchase the Micropak as a one-off. The whole concept is that you get a manageable amount of sounds each month as opposed to the Mega Gigabyte collections that are quite popular these days. This way you can slowly build and learn your sound library without being completely overwhelmed. You can sign up on our website puremagnetik.com.

Do you have any notable subscribers?

MF: Yeah, we have a few recognizable names that have signed up: Vernon Reid, Matt Chamberlain, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, John Tejada, Jeremy Caulfield just to name a few.

How do you create the original Micropaks and are they geared towards any particular genres of music?

MF: The primary goal for us is to deliver unique content. We have a few “bread & butter” Micropaks but our catalog definitely lends itself toward electronica. Each Micropak’s production is different. Maybe we’ll salvage an old synth, or have someone wire up a Commodore 64 SID chip so that we can sample it. In other cases we might find the “funkiest” Fender Rhodes in New Jersey and have an 70 year jazz musician play it for us. It all varies. I always encourage users to not approach our packs as “genre” packs but take them as they are. Maybe an 8-bit Nintendo sound is just what your orchestral film score needs!

You just moved into a new custom designed production facility for Puremagnetik here in Dumbo. How will the neighborhood and new facility contribute to PM’s output?

MF: I think Dumbo is an ideal neighborhood for young companies like Puremagnetik. It has Manhattan’s professional edge but not at the same caffeinated 9-5 intensity. I was looking for almost 8 months before I found our current space on Washington Street. It’s a great spot with the park and river right downstairs. Overall, I think the new space will give us greater flexibility when it comes to recording sessions with live musicians. There’s also room to expand if we need another adjacent studio.

What do you have planned for Puremagnetik’s immediate future and where can I learn more about PM?

MF: We’ll be busy for a while. We’re just gonna keep cranking out the hits and try to get more people involved with what we’re doing. Of course all of our news is posted on the Puremagnetik homepage so you can always find out what we’re up to.

Be sure to check out Puremagnetik.com for more information!