Le Matériel des Claviéristes pro

The Grand Illusion is one of the best records ever made, period. A complete masterpiece from beginning to end. For this record, Dennis had aquired a new synth called an Oberheim SEM 4 Voice, and began using it on every song, along with the Hammond B3, Arp Solina String Ensemble, Arp Odyssey, a Fender Rhodes, and Yamaha C3 grand piano. The HUGE synthesizers you hear on this record are all Oberheim 4 Voice.

Pieces of Eight was released in 1978, on this record, Dennis used the same synths, except he upgraded to an Oberheim 8 Voice, and bought a couple of Oberheim OBX's.

Hi Dennis,

1) What synthesizers did you use for the arpeggiated intro and solos on the old Styx song "Fooling Yourself"?
2) I know that you used the Minimoog a lot on the album "Equinoxe", did you use it on any other Styx album(s) from that era? if so, which one(s)?
3) What synths did you use on the albums like "The serpent is rising" (1973), Man of miracles (1974) and "Crystal Ball" (1976)?
4) I've read that you used an Arp Pro-Soloist at some point, could you point me to some examples/songs with Styx where I can hear it.

I'd really appreciate if you could send me a reply on this.

Mikael

_________


Dear Mike,
Thanks for your e-mail.


1. No synthesizers were used on arpeggio's or intro. An Oberheim 4 voice was used.
2. Minimoog never used after 'E.'
3. ARP 2600's and Oberheim.
4. Solo on 'Crystal Ball.'

Synths:
Yamaha DX7 (2)
Yamaha DX7 Mk II
SCI Prophet VS
Yamaha TG77

Sampling:
Akai S1100
E-mu Pro-cussion

Mixing & Monitoring:
Mackie 1604
Denon PMA 520 amplifier
Acoustic Research
Teledyne Monitors

Recording & Sequencing:
Panasonic SV-3700 DAT
Sony DTC-100ES DAT
PowerMac 7100
Digidesign Audio Media II
Digidesign Sound Tools
Opcode Musicshop

Outboards:
Eventide H3000 Harmonizer
BBE Sonic Maximiser
Yamaha SPX 90
Court Graphic EQ
Neve Shep EQ
Korg A3 effects

Au fait, as-tu des liens intéressants pour le matériel (synthés) d'Archive ?

Artist Interviews
Darius Keeler


Collapses, Collisions, and Minor Epiphanies
Darius Keeler (Archive)

Since their initial album release, Londinium, back in 1996, Archive have been slowly and surely securing a huge following across Europe and in the UK fans recently packed out the Scala for triumphant homecoming gig after a hectic year that saw the band touring the larger festivals of Europe.

The Scala gig was a minor epiphany for the GForce contingent. We walked in (late as usual) to the solitary sound of the M-Tron during a particularly haunting section of the first track. Goosebumps immediately ensued and we each thought "Wow, that sounds GOOD"...

Archive co-founder and producer/keyboard player Darius Keeler explains:-

"The M-Tron is an essential ingredient in the Archive sound as it allows us the full selection of choirs, strings and orchestral instruments that would probably be hard to find with the real thing. We do use a real tron from time to time and it usually comes with only 5 or 6 tapes. With the M-Tron there is so much to discover, and it is easy to edit with Logic. My favorite sound at the moment is the Mk11 piano. It is fucking sinister."

Q. In terms of equipment what's the major differences between your live and studio set-up? Do you take a computer out on the road?

"Of course. I'm a big fan of sequencing since I saw the Eurythmics on television with their tape machine when I was a kid. We can't obviously take the real Mellotron on the road but the G-Force stuff has such a great sound it's perfect for live use within the computer, as you witnessed at the Scala gig."

Q. What GForce instruments do you use?

"M-Tron, Minimonsta, Oddity & VSM"

Q. If you had to pick a 'top two' which two would you choose?

"All of them are very important to me so it would be an impossible choice.

I will say though that I have owned a Minimoog for about 10 years, in which time it has become an important part of the Archive sound. I never had it MIDI retro-fitted so I was more than happy when I played the Minimonsta.

The important thing about the Minimoog is that it is RAW, no frills and always leaves an unforgettable mark on a tune, especially the bottom end, so I was relieved to find that the Minimonsta has definitely achieved this and a whole lot more. If you delve in to it, as I have, you can go to outer space, especially with the morphing and the automation in Logic.

There really are no limits to this software and you can really create you own sound rather than have it always sounding like a Minimoog. It's a must-have piece of software for any progressive, electronica band."

Q. Can you give me an example of a GForce instrument appearing on an Archive track?

"When you hear the new album you will hear loads. For example, the MkII Piano sound I talked about before is amazing and that's used a lot."



Q. And what about VSM? How does that fit into your music?

"I have used it heavily on a song called collapse, collide, very haunting, I love its sound.

As a producer who often uses string sounds it is very difficult to find string samples that have their own identity. The G-Force VSM, however, has exactly this and at last I have a machine that has the capability to create the depth of this sound. The bottom end resonates, the mids can be warm and pulsating, and the top end both pure and piercing without sounding like a digital mess. There is also a unique eeriness about this machine and all of the controllers, the filters etc are both subtle and effective, and add to the overall diversity of this machine."

Aussi, j'ai vu qu'ils avaient tous les deux des Mac portables ces derniers temps.