As the main composer for NBC’s hit medical comedy Scrubs for over seven seasons strong, you could say that Jan Stevens has TV scoring down to a science. Not just the creator of Scrubs’ soundscape, the Emmy-nominee also writes music for ABC’s recent success Samantha Who along with a variety of other commercial and film projects. A multi-instrumentalist, Jan plays nearly all his own guitar and percussion parts, and his most recent piece of go-to gear is Roland’s VG-99 V-Guitar System. He also relies heavily on the HPD-15 HandSonic and the XV-5080 synth module for his percussion sounds. We recently sat down with Jan and got an inside look at his creative process, as he talked about how he uses Roland instruments to create the unique personality of these two top-rated TV shows.

How did you first get into TV and film composing?

I came out to LA over 20 years ago from the East Coast, without any contacts. I had gone to Berklee College of Music in Boston, and I was in the second-ever graduating class of Film Scoring majors. In LA, I took Film Scoring at UCLA Extension also, and I took private orchestration lessons.

Shortly after I arrived in LA, I was lucky enough to meet someone who was doing children’s music. So I did music for books and cassettes for children’s subjects, and then I became a music creator for Mattel toys. I did that on and off for over 12 years while I was developing my reel—doing a lot of industrial films and student films—anything I could get my hands on.

You’ve been composing for Scrubs from the beginning of the show, right?

Yes, we’re going on our eighth season.

It’s such a fun show, and I think the music really helps create that vibe.

Right—it’s the happy-go-lucky ‘Scrubs sound,’ which I developed. We just finished a fantastic episode that was a fairy tale. I had about a 30-piece orchestra and we recorded at Capitol [Records]—it was very exciting. Every character in Scrubs becomes a fairy tale character. It was a very cute episode and really rewarding. And of course last year, we did the “Scrubs Musical” that got nominated for multiple Emmys.

Scrubs has a lot of types of music – jazz, upbeat pop/rock, and almost techno club music sometimes.

For me, it’s a dream job that involves creating all styles of music. I mix slide guitar with classical. With Scrubs, it’s all about odd, offbeat and sensitive moments—it’s a party.

Do you collaborate with anyone else?

I write all of the weekly underscore for each episode. The “Musical Episode” was an exception. On that episode, there were five other composers writing songs. My job on that show was also Musical Director.

You used the VG-8 V-Guitar System for a long time, and now you’ve got the VG-99. How did you first get into the VG-8?

The story about the VG-8 is that when I first started on Scrubs, I was spending a lot of money on session players. And a buddy of mine said, “You’re a good enough guitar player,” and I said, “But these guys have all this equipment that I don’t have!” He said, “Go get a VG-8, it’ll be your best investment.” So I went and got it and it just changed everything.

I would say the VG-8 is on every episode, without a doubt. I found the sounds in it very inspiring—that’s why I was so eager to get my hands on the VG-99 immediately.

How are you liking the VG-99?

I was able to start programming it right away, and the sound quality is just amazing. The presets are good, and the programmability in it is insanely great. There are some things in there like the 12-string that I thought were just incredible. I also mic and play a lot of acoustic guitars live, so I’m really getting into those alternate tunings and storing them in the VG-99.

How does the VG-99 help you create the quirky personality of Samantha Who?

What I like to do is log musical sounds and ideas on paper, recorded, or in my head. Then, when I watch a scene, I go right to that guitar sound because it’s got something unusual and something that talks to me creatively.

There are at least three full instruments inside the VG-99—the amp models, plus the guitars, plus the GI-20. There’s just so much to work with.

So when you’re putting together an arrangement, and say a banjo comes to mind…

It’s funny you say that, because I immediately went to the banjo sound on the VG-99! I always use a banjo in Samantha Who, and that thing sounds great.

How are you using the HandSonic for Scrubs?

I love the HandSonic. I use it for most of the hand percussion on Scrubs. The ethnic percussion is just fantastic. What I like especially about the HandSonic is some of the offbeat sounds and the fun of playing it with my hands.

As far as actual drums, I would say that 90% of the drum sounds on Scrubs come from the SR-JV80-10 card for my XV-5080, and a good portion of the bass sounds come from there, too. I have kept that piece of gear because I want to keep going back to those same sounds—they are in my template. Somehow the expression I can get out of those drum sounds is incredible—they have stayed current the whole time. People come up to me and say, “Hey, what are you using for those drum sounds?” and I tell them, and they go out and get one.

• • • • •

Catch Scrubs Thursday nights at 9:30pm on NBC, and Samantha Who Mondays at 9:30pm on ABC. Click here to listen to a Scrubs cue by Jan Stevens featuring the VG-99.