Sara Simms

Sara Simms

Sara Simms captivates the world as an innovative musician, DJ, turntablist and electronic music producer. She's a multi-instrumentalist who's known for her love of music technology. Sara makes her mark in the music community by crafting diverse sets with styles ranging from pulsating techno to house. She balances technical skills with a refined musical sensibility and her approach to DJing focuses on improvisation through multi-deck mixing. Her passion for music has led her to tour through North America, Japan and Europe. Recently, she's played sets for Allen and Heath's live broadcast at the Amsterdam Dance Event, on Detroit's 313.FM and on Toronto's CTRL Room. Sara has an intriguing background as a jazz guitarist turned turntablist. She's competed in DJ battles in both Canada and the US, and was a runner in up the 'Scratch' – The Ultimate DJ Contest. Sara's DJ career began in Toronto with residencies at venues like This Is London, The Courthouse and The Ritz-Carlton. She's now focused on studio work and has founded her own label, Simmetry Sounds to release productions and collaborations. As an artist who stays on the cutting edge of new technologies, Sara has worked together with brands like Arturia, Casio, Fender, Genelec, Pioneer DJ, Mixed in Key, Moog Music Inc, Native Instruments and Roland. As a DJ, Sara has played events for legendary brands like Dior, Guess, M.A.C. Cosmetics, Victoria's Secret and Volvo. Sara's career highlights include: playing at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, opening for the Friendly Fires in Cannes, France, appearing on DJ QBert's 'Skratch University', a US tour with Melleefresh (Play Records), judging the Canadian DMC Championships, playing at AIR (Tokyo), W Hotel (Miami and Seattle) and performing at Pride Toronto.

Articles by Sara Simms

/ 163 Articles

Nirvana's Gear in the Nevermind Era

Tutorial | Apr 28, 2017 by Sara Simms

The gear that iconic bands use is just as big a part of their identity as the music they make or the place they come from. So what were Nirvana using when they made Nevermind?

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Review: AudioHero

Review | Apr 21, 2017 by Sara Simms

A site where you can choose a bespoke way to buy just the samples you need is always a welcome addition to the market. Could AudioHero save the day?

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Using Traktor FX for Techno Sets

Tutorial | Mar 31, 2017 by Sara Simms

Traktor's effects can be tailored to suit many kinds of music performance. Here, Sara Simms shares her secrets for great-sounding techno FX with audio examples.

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How to Sync NI Traktor and Ableton Live

Tutorial | Mar 11, 2017 by Sara Simms

Ableton Live and NI's Traktor are both supreme live performance tools, so what could be better than linking them together? Sara Simms shows you some easy ways to do it.

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Review: Black Rooster Audio VLA-3A

Review | Mar 01, 2017 by Sara Simms

Compression is a core part of any mixer's toolbox but sometimes you need to go that extra mile. Sara Simms checks out the Black Rooster Audio VLA-3A.

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Tips for Recording a Live Percussionist

Tutorial | Feb 27, 2017 by Sara Simms

Live percussion can add a lot to a recording session. Here are some tips to help you capture it as accurately as possible.

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Review: Black Rooster Audio VLA-2A Compressor

Review | Feb 21, 2017 by Sara Simms

A power-efficient, great sounding and cool-looking compressor plugin that is also affordable sounds too good to be true, but Sara Simms knows the truth about the VLA-2A compressor...

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Review: Mojave MA-1000 Vacuum Tube Microphone

Review | Feb 08, 2017 by Sara Simms

A vacuum tube microphone can give you great recordings. But can the Mojave MA-1000 really sound as good as mics costing ten times as much?

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Review: Rupert Neve Shelford 5052 Mic Pre/Inductor EQ

Review | Feb 03, 2017 by Sara Simms

The Rupert Neve Shelford 5052 Mic Pre/Inductor EQ carries the prestigious Neve label, but how did it fare in our tests? Read on to find out.

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5 Tips for Opening DJ Sets

Tutorial | Jan 14, 2017 by Sara Simms

An opening DJ set is an art form and considered one of the most challenging DJ sets to play. Opening DJs need to set the mood, warm up an empty venue and gradually coax people onto the dance floor.

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Roland DJ-808 Review

Review | Dec 24, 2016 by Sara Simms

The new Roland DJ-808 DJ controller seeks to be the hub for every DJ setup. featuring a 4-channel mixer, jog wheels, 16-step sequencer with Roland's iconic 909, 808, 707 and 606 drum sounds and more.

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12 Christmas Gift Ideas for DJs Under $500

News | Dec 16, 2016 by Sara Simms

The Christmas & Winter Holidays are here. If you're thinking of a gift for a DJ or live musician friend/relative or for yourself, here are 12 inspiring music gifts suggested by Sara Simms.

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Turntablism Skratching Tips From deejay stutter & Sara Simms

Tutorial | Dec 13, 2016 by Sara Simms

You say scratching, I say sktratching... In this article turntablists Sara Simms and deejay stutter share some exclusive scratching tips and tricks for DJs.

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Review: Modor NF-1 Digital Hardware Synthesizer

Review | Nov 29, 2016 by Sara Simms

An unashamedly digital hardware synthesizer, the Modor NF-1, captured our attention with its beautiful, minimal, sleek design and left us curious whether its sounds would live up to its aesthetics.

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Evolving Your DJ Setup

Tutorial | Nov 10, 2016 by Sara Simms

While having a DJ gear setup you can rely on is great, getting stuck in familiar patterns can lead to predictable live performances. In this tutorial Sara Simms explores how to evolve your DJ setup.

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