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Berlin-based duo Pan-Pot - Tassilo Ippenberger and Thomas Benedix - share a bit of love and a lot of knowledge about the techniques and technology that they drive into their tracks. Pan-Pot are regular contributors to mobilee and were given the honour of delivering, among other releases, the very first artist album, Pan-O-Rama, to Anja Schneider's label. They relentlessly tour the global clubbing circuit and in 2010 have already peddled their moody techno in Japan and across Europe, before they head out to America.

Through a production darkly, Pan-Pot's work is frequently underpinned by several trademark features - which is something the guys recognise as vital to any up-and-comer who wants to make an impact. In their case, these signature signals include bowel-rumbling bottom end frequencies and glutinous grooves that command subwoofer attention and really come alive when counter-balanced with the hiss of a hi-hat.

Consequently, in this Down the Production Hole feature, Pan-Pot confront such fundamental methods as analogue summing/mixing and side-chaining, which are, basically, concerned with compression, headroom and dynamics, as well as something they call back ‘upping'. Now it may seem like sparse advice from the minimalist duo, but this truly does give you some great direction on how to get more tweak in your beats; more punch for your productions.

And, of course, who better to dispense such wisdom than a twosome that takes its name from a panoramic potentiometer (which for any non-techy readers is, simply, a level control rotary knob, like that found on a piece of kit)...

So turn it up, as we continue on our journey into the infinite world of music making and travel Down the Production Hole with Pan-Pot...

First, can you tell us something about your frames of reference/what you think makes for a high quality electronic sound recording?
From a technical point of view, the quality of your analogue and digital signal flow should be as good as possible. All components should be as good as possible. Things like bit-rate, dithering or headroom have to be taken care of on the digital side, whilst on the analogue side the quality of the pre-amps and AD/DA converters should be as high as possible. Analogue summing is a very interesting thing.

What's your current music production set-up like?
Mac Pro with the highest configuration, RME HDSP, RME Hammerfall, Multiface II, summing amp, Dynaudio BM6 and BM14 sub, UAD 2 Quad, Logic 9, ReWire Live, NI bundle, Arturia Suite and many more soft synths and effects.

What is/are your most essential tool/s of the trade within that set-up?
UAD compressors and EQs.

Can you reveal a secret about your production technique/s?
Side-chaining and back ‘upping'.

Do you have a general top tip for budding producers?
Develop a certain kind of trademark in sound.

Finally, what's your take on the future of electronic music production?
The chance to develop something completely pretty much won't happen, so everybody will try to mix up more and more different styles and combine elements from different musical directions. The tools of hardware or software will offer new ways of producing.