About

Bio

Andrew Aversa, better known as zircon, has been a covert ops electronic audio specialist since 2002, and currently focuses on developing cutting-edge, rhythm-based defensive systems. His headquarters are presently located on the outskirts of Philadelphia, where he has developed an "organic electronic" compound used to construct his powerful brand of music inspired by artists such as the Prodigy, BT, The Chemical Brothers, Hybrid, Pendulum, and Fatboy Slim.

Though initially deployed with only classical knowledge in the field, zircon's training at OverClocked ReMix (www.ocremix.org) outfitted him with modern methods of sonic delivery and he has spent the last six years honing his technique.

zircon's continually expanding arsenal of full-length albums and EPs has been met with both critical and popular acclaim - Impulse Prime (Zircon Studios, 2005) achieved a dual victory at the 2006 Just Plain Folks Music Awards, winning "Best Techno Album" and the single "Tomorrow" winning "Best Techno Song".

The EPs System (Progressive Grooves, 2008) and Breathing You In (Progressive Grooves, 2008) infiltrated both Beatport and Juno Records, reaching as high as #1 on the Juno Progressive Trance charts. Songs from the discography have also entered the OurStage finals on four separate occasions, reaching the upper 0.1st percentile each time.

Recent breakthrough research has led zircon to pursue music supply operations to film, TV, video games, ads, and other media platforms; his music has been detected on the soundtrack of the hit game Super Street Fighter II Turbo: HD Remix (360/PS3, 2008) as well as the U.K. drama Skins and a host of other outlets.

When he is not crafting organic electronic mixtures for such employers, zircon can be found assisting other musicians in the fields of production, mastering, and sound design, having written a variety of tutorials, guides and other resources that have been carefully prepared for consumption by the general public.

Tools of the Trade

  • Digital Audio Workstation
  • Custom-built PC with Windows XP 32 & 64bit, Intel Q9450 (Quad 2.66ghz processor), 6gb DDR2 RAM, 1.5tb storage, Presonus Firebox interface
  • Hardware
  • * Korg X-50 Synthesizer
  • * Oktava MK-319 Floating Dome Mod
  • * M-Audio Sputnik
  • * M-Audio Pulsar II (x2)
  • * MXL v67g Condenser Mic
  • * Shure SM57 & 58
  • * Studio Projects VTB-1 Tube Preamp
  • * Fender Affinity Strat
  • Monitoring
  • * TASCAM VL-S21 Monitors
  • * Beyerdynamic DT880 studio headphones
  • Software (Hosts / Sequencers)
  • * Image-Line FLStudio 8
  • * Propellerhead Reason 3
  • * Magix Samplitude 6 Studio
  • Software (Synthesizers / Samplers)
  • * u-he Zebra 2
  • * Cakewalk Dimension Pro
  • * Korg Legacy Digital Edition
  • * Native Instruments Komplete 4
  • * GMedia impOSCar
  • * Spectrasonics Stylus RMX
  • * Spectrasonics Trilogy
  • * Spectrasonics Omnisphere
  • * IK Multimedia SampleTank L
  • * IK Multimedia Sonik Synth 2
  • * White Noise Additive Synth
  • * White Noise ZeroVector
  • * Image-Line Wasp
  • * Image-Line WaspXT
  • * Image-Line Simsynth
  • * Psychic Modulation Synth Pack
  • * Synapse Audio Junglist
  • * Wusik Wusikstation 3
  • * Aciddose Xhip
  • * Andreas Ersson polyIblit
  • * antii Asynth
  • * antii Augur
  • * Big Tick Cheeze Machine
  • * Big Tick TickyClav
  • * Brooks & Stegner Arppe2600va
  • * Brooks & Stegner MinimogueVA
  • * buzzroom BB303i2
  • * e-phonic Drumatic
  • * Green Oak Crystal
  • * Ichiro Toda Synth1
  • * Oxe Oxe FM Synth
  • * rgc:audio Triangle II
  • * SK Ganymed
  • * Steinberg Neon
  • * Superwave Superwave P8
  • * Ugo Motion
  • * Ugo Texture
  • * Ugo String Theory
  • Software (Processors / Effects)
  • * ArtsAcoustic Reverb
  • * IK Multimedia T-Racks Classic
  • * Har-Bal Visual Mastering System
  • * Wizoo Wizooverb W5 Surround Reverb
  • * Native Instruments Guitar Rig 2
  • * Native Instruments Spektral Delay
  • * Native Instruments Vokator
  • * PSP Nitro
  • * iZotope Vinyl
  • * dBlue Glitch
  • * DaSample GlaceVerb
  • * dfx Buffer Override
  • * digitalfishphones Dominion
  • * digitalfishphones Endorphin
  • * Kjaerhus Audio Classic Effects Series
  • * mda Effects Series
  • * MDSP Compressor
  • * Prosoniq Northpole
  • * Smart Electronix Ambience
  • * Smart Electronix Cyanide 2
  • * Subtek lofi PLUS
  • * Tiny God Murmur
  • Soundware / Samples
  • * East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra Gold Complete
  • * East West Quantum Leap Colossus
  • * East West Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs
  • * East West/PMI Bosendorfer 290
  • * East West Ultimate Pianos
  • * East West Percussive Adventures 1 & 2
  • * Quantum Leap Stormdrum
  • * Quantum Leap RA
  • * Quantum Leap Brass
  • * Quantum Leap Guitar & Bass
  • * Bela D Media The Giovani Edition
  • * Bela D Media Lyrical Distortion vol. 1
  • * Bela D Media Diva: Extended
  • * Bela D Media Diva by Design
  • * BT Twisted Textures
  • * The Producer's Vault: Big Shots
  • * Spectrasonics Symphony of Voices
  • * Best Service Blue Box 16-CD Sound Effects Set
  • * Soniccouture Abstrakt vol. 1
  • * Soniccouture Abstrakt Breaks
  • * Ueberschall VCP120 Vintage Chord Progressions
  • * Prodyon Spacehawk
  • * Prodyon Rough Slices 1 & 2
  • * Goldbaby MPC Vol. 2 Vinyl Drum Samples
  • * Roland L-CDX Volume 4 (Strings and Orchestral Percussion)
  • * Sonic Reality R.A.W. Universal Groove Kit
  • * Sonic Reality Acoustic Guitars Capsule
  • * Sonic Reality Eletric Guitars Capsule
  • * Sonic Reality Bass Guitars Capsule
  • * Sonic Reality Studio Drums Capsule
  • * Sonic Reality Eclectic Drums Capsule
  • * Sonic Reality Groove Capsule
  • * Doru Malaia Super Percussions FX
  • * Doru Malaia 230 Ethnic Drums & Percussions
  • * Doru Malaia Superdrums 8000
  • * e-LAB Smoker's Delight
  • * e-LAB Smoker's Relight Deux
  • * e-LAB Foundation
  • * e-LAB Obsession
  • * Bob Clearmountain Drums II
  • * Steve Smith Rhythmic Journey
  • * Gota Yashiki "Groove Activator"

zircon (Andrew Aversa)