Studer is a self-taught musician who started playing drums when he was 16 years old and appeared in a wide range of bands from rock through jazz to experimental. In 1970, he moved to Rome with a rock trio. He became a consultant for the development of Paiste cymbals. Throughout the 70s he was with the jazz/rock band Om and then played in the rock band Hand In Hand. Studer formed a trio with Rainer Brüninghaus and Markus Stockhausen between 1981 and 1984 and then played in the Charlie Mariano / Jasper Van’t Hof band. He also performed in the percussion group Singing Drums with Pierre Favre, Paul Motian and Nana Vasconcelos. Studer has toured extensively, including trips to the USA, Central and South America, the Caribbean, North Africa and Japan.