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I assume it wasnt radically different to the following:
Seq Circuits Pro One, Powertran Transcendent 2000 w/ Powertran 1024 Seq, ARP Omni, ARP 2600 w/ ARP Seq, Simmons SDS2, ARP Quadra, Moog Source, Boss Dr Rhythm, Prophet 5 w/ Seq Circuits PolySequencer, Oberheim DMX, Emu Emulator, Octave Plateau Voyetra. Various Yamahas
Probably upgraded to Emulator II's at this point, also something capable of doing MIDI.
Also, drugs. Loads of drugs & alcohol too.
HAL 9000 wrote: what kind of drugs?
extasy, pot ?
Whatever they could get their paws on the mucky pups 
But probably, yes, and beer, lots of beer, and pernod.
Fuckface: Not that you deserve owt but public flogging, but since you are asking a sensible question..........
I suspect the kit was a touch more digital on Brotherhood, there's not a lot of stinking steam powered kit to be heard on it, but lots of what I've always filed in my head as "80's American Digital" noises (a cannonical example of such a sound, from a coupla years later is the synth bassline on TBTHOG), many of which eminate from the emulator's wave synthesis abilities. The Voyetri sound like they're still in evidence on a few tracks.
But I think the bucket load of good drugs was more important.
Did Wilson/Factory provide all the new equipment they could desire during the mid 80s, or did they have to record on the cheap? Did they spend all the money on drugs?
0_o wrote: Did Wilson/Factory provide all the new equipment they could desire during the mid 80s, or did they have to record on the cheap? Did they spend all the money on drugs?
As long as you steered clear of Fairlight (already going titsup at the time), and NED's Synclavier, kit wasn't THAT expensive. The Emulator's woulda been the most expensive thing on stage, some models were £10K+ Moat of the rest of the machinery wouldn't have exceeded two grand a go, with many things like sequencers and drum machines being decidedly sub £1000.
'Ready kids?.....no?........well fook yer then wrote: I assume it wasnt radically different to the following:
Seq Circuits Pro One, Powertran Transcendent 2000 w/ Powertran 1024 Seq, ARP Omni, ARP 2600 w/ ARP Seq, Simmons SDS2, ARP Quadra, Moog Source, Boss Dr Rhythm, Prophet 5 w/ Seq Circuits PolySequencer, Oberheim DMX, Emu Emulator, Octave Plateau Voyetra. Various Yamahas
Most of the stuff you list would have been used in the period 1979-1983. As others have pointed out, by 1985-1986 the Voyetras and Emulators would still be in use. Sequencing would have come from the Yamaha QX1 and the chunky synth bass from the Yamaha TX802 (or is it TX816?) module. I think there are some Fairlight sounds on Brotherhood, from an instrument that would have been available in or rented by the studio. I assume that 'All day long' uses a TR808 drum machine, but I don't know which drum machine is used on the other tracks.
PhilBarnes wrote:
'Ready kids?.....no?........well fook yer then wrote: I assume it wasnt radically different to the following:
Seq Circuits Pro One, Powertran Transcendent 2000 w/ Powertran 1024 Seq, ARP Omni, ARP 2600 w/ ARP Seq, Simmons SDS2, ARP Quadra, Moog Source, Boss Dr Rhythm, Prophet 5 w/ Seq Circuits PolySequencer, Oberheim DMX, Emu Emulator, Octave Plateau Voyetra. Various Yamahas
Most of the stuff you list would have been used in the period 1979-1983. As others have pointed out, by 1985-1986 the Voyetras and Emulators would still be in use. Sequencing would have come from the Yamaha QX1 and the chunky synth bass from the Yamaha TX802 (or is it TX816?) module. I think there are some Fairlight sounds on Brotherhood, from an instrument that would have been available in or rented by the studio. I assume that 'All day long' uses a TR808 drum machine, but I don't know which drum machine is used on the other tracks.
The DMXs, Pro One, Polysequencers and Prophet 5s were plagued with loads of reliabilty, connectivity & sequencing issues(especially live) and were getting replaced in 1984/85 by the Voyetras, Yamaha QX1 sequencers, Yamaha TX816 module(8 DX7's in a box effectively) and Yamaha RX11 drum machines. Emulators would have been around since late 82 and up to at least Technique when they would been using the Emulator III series. The Fairlight was a one-off when they re-recorded Bizarre Love Triangle with Shep Pettibone.
Not to be a super geek but I believe you mean the Yamaha TX81Z tone generator.
Okay, no more annoying geeky equipment comments from me.
Kerry Harris wrote: Not to be a super geek but I believe you mean the Yamaha TX81Z tone generator.
Okay, no more annoying geeky equipment comments from me.
Sorry Kerry, out geeking you, it's both, the TX816 which is massive, as stated above it's the equivalent of eight dDX7s in a rack mounted box and looks like this:
read more here:
Geeky Link
And the TX81Z was a 1U rack mount, was basically a DX11 in a box and looked like this:
Find out more here:
another geeky link
the TX816 and TX81Z can be seen being used by Hooky on this clip, the TX81Z is on top of the TX816 at about 2:03 :
Sorry mate
Can I just add that the TX81Z has one of the sweetest bass sounds ever - I've had numerous synths from Oberheim, Korg, and Roland, but sequencing the Yamaha just gives you something else.
I reckon New Order used this a lot.
I HATE FM bass sounds as a general rule. Though there are some good ones, they are all too often vile, cheezy and stink of awful 80's pop.
Must admit though it's the abject lack of a user interface that puts me off Dx/Tx machines more than anything...it's no accident that the pre-programmed soundset industry blossomed when every studio had RACKS full of Tx's.
I do love the Dx1 though, I would really REALLY like one.....but there are like hobby horse shite.
Doctor? wrote: I HATE FM bass sounds as a general rule. Though there are some good ones, they are all too often vile, cheezy and stink of awful 80's pop.
There are a few good ones... the bass on Orbital's "Halcyon +on +on" is the patch "solid bass" out of a DX 100. Would rahter saw off my own foot with a spoon than to program one though...
Also known as the "Lately Bass" from the TX81z, which is very similar if not identical. They probably used one or the other or both in the mid/late 80s...sounds like the True Faith and 1963 basslines both used it (courtesy of the DX5).
One of the first synths I ever played with was a DX7, the programming was impenetrable and most of the presets were uninteresting (I preferred the Juno), but I remember liking that bass.
