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#32177 12/22/07 10:29 AM
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Hi all!

Whilst some of you are busy doing the last minute Christmas shopping, for those who have finished and have some spare time, let's spot the synths!!

A few months ago on Ultravox.org we had a rare visit by John Wesley Barker where he wrote (and courtesy of this site of course):

"Synths and other keyboards used on Metamatic were:

Arp Odyssey
Roland CR-78

Farfisa String Synth
MiniMoog
Hammond B-3
Hohner Clavinet
Upright piano (out of tune Pathway monster)

Those marked in bold were the main synths. Hope that clarifies things."

I was surprised not to see the Elka Rhapsody 610 on that list:

http://till-kopper.de/elka.html

but this eek :

http://till-kopper.de/syntorchestra.html

On the Underpass video there apears to be synths that look like a Yamaha SS30:

http://www.vintagesynth.com/

(select Yamaha from the list of synths and then SS-30)

or one of the Yamaha CS's:

http://www.vintagesynth.com/

(again select Yamaha from same and then CS-80 or any of the other CS's)

Can anybody spot the synths on the Underpass, No-one Driving and Burning Car videos?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gED_P13h1-0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rf50BG-tuxE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOVVHQi_W1k

Merry Xmas all!

Chris wink

#32178 12/22/07 01:14 PM
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Great thread Chris!

As the Burning Car video looks like it was shot on a hand-held camcorder pointed at a TV screen playing a poor quality VHS tape, it's nigh impossible to recognise John, never mind the synths! However, in the other two videos they look to me like Yamaha CS80's - do I win £5?

http://www.eboardmuseum.com/FOTO%20YAMAHA%20CS%2080.jpg

http://matrixsynth.com/blog/media/yamcs80_web3.jpg

As a matter of no interest whatsoever, my first synth was a Yamaha CS5.

Metamatic Christmas to you all!

Graeme

ΤΏΤ

P.S. The Roland CR-78 is a drum machine, not a synth.

ΤΏΤ

#32179 12/22/07 03:20 PM
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Hi Graeme

The CS-80 is a beauty of a synth. Along with SS-30 there have never been any string synths like these. laugh

There are other some other fine synth strings around like the ARP Solina and it's cousin the ARP Omni 2, the Elka and Farfisa that I've mentioned, the Crumar Performer, the Polymoog and the SC Prophet 5.

Do you still keep your CS-15? I don't understand why some artists want to sell their old equipment especially analogues as the digital synths don't even come close in sound. Anyhow vintage analogue synths are coming back in fashion. There are now quite a number of demonstrations on youTube.

My first synths have been the miniKorg 700S, the charming Casio Tone one and everyone's fave the Dubreq Stylophone. I'm getting a couple of Rolands over the festive period.

Oh the drum machine, believe it or not, J W Barker highlighted it as a synth! :rolleyes:

Keep it vintage!

Chris wink
PS A fiver? You'll get free entry to John Foxx's synth museum!

#32180 01/21/08 06:58 PM
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It is evident that such an elaborate work like Metamatic involved more than the listed synths.

Underpass' synth riff comes from none other than a Polymoog. Possibly the Numanesque Vox Humana.

Eddie Maleov plays one on the video.

Chris wink

#32181 01/21/08 10:34 PM
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I'm very unknowing when it comes to this kind of thing, so forgive me if this is a ignorant question.

But how 'safe' is it to assume that just because a synth is (apparently) being played in the video, that the same synth was actually played on the recording?


For archive snippets, sparks of electroflesh and news about this website follow me on Twitter @foxxmetamatic
#32182 01/22/08 07:27 AM
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Got cut-off last night. Here's the rest of my post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA-aFWOZOw

Eddie does play the Polymoog on the video although it's not too clear what Sunshine Patersson plays, could be the Yamaha CS80 .Perhaps it's another Polymoog!

Metamatic involved more synths and accessories than meets the eye or could fit into the tiny Pathway sudios. From Young Love and the early demos to Underpass, completing Metamatic and Burning Car John had progressed significanly in sound and all this can be brought about by the best technology and the best sounding synths at the time.

Underpass does have that Polymoog sound, that Numan sound, but John does so well here that he makes into his own.

On the link below on the page 2 of comments there is also a comment from a fan who asked the same question as I would have asked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gED_P13h1-0&feature=related

"I met Mr Foxx a few years ago at an Gary Numan afterparty. He was very kind. This song is mainly created with Polymoog keyboards (the famous vox humana sound) and not the CS80 in this video. I remember I was 9 when both Numan's "The Pleasure Principle" and Mr Foxx's "Metamatic" were released." (Courtesy of youTube member jd800lover)

John could never have had 3 Polymoogs on Top of the Pops as this would have copied Gary Numan. Instead he showed up with 3 CS80s! laugh

It's just pure coincidence that Numan and Foxx both used the Polymoog....and other synths.

They both compliment each other and they are both influenced by each other...well in the early days. smile I don't see John playing now Gothic metal! eek

Chris wink

#32183 01/22/08 01:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by Harmonia Mundi:
As a matter of no interest whatsoever, my first synth was a Yamaha CS5.
Graeme

ΤΏΤ


ΤΏΤ
I still have my Yamaha CS-5. It's in the loft.
Bought it from Steve Cochrane, now owner of the Psyche fashion empire (as seen on TV), back in the 80s

Quote:
Originally posted by Chris C:
Eddie Maleov plays one on the video.

Chris wink
I have a couple of "Eddie and Sunshine" 12" singles as well. (Eddie Maelov and Sunshine Patterson)

"Somewhere in Europe" and "Perfect Stranger".

I didn't realise that there was a Foxx connection, though.

#32184 01/22/08 10:21 PM
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In answer to your earlier question, Chris, I kept selling my synth, buying a guitar then selling my guitar to buy a synth so I've had a few but needless to say, I don't have my CS-5 now, in fact I don't have any synths now, other than the software versions I use in FL studio, including Absynth 2.0, Korg Legacy and Wavestation and the classic PPG Wave.

Hardware synths I've owned or played since the CS-5 include:

Roland SH-09
Roland SH-101
Roland Juno 6
Roland Juno 60
Roland Juno 106
Roland D20 Workstation
Moog Prodigy
Wasp
Yamaha SY55
Kawai K4

I think that's all!

I have a collection of Eddie And Sunshine 7" singles, though sadly the sleeves got badly damaged by condensation. Admittedly, I didn't realize that was them in John's videos, even though I once saw them live supporting Ultravox in Glasgow (the post-John Ultravox with wee Jimmy on vocals). As I'm not taking any of my vinyl records with me when I emigrate, if anyone wants to offer me a fiver for the Eddie & Sunshine singles (I think I have five in total), let me know.

ΤΏΤ

#32185 01/23/08 07:26 PM
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Chris C Offline OP
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Quote:
Originally posted by Harmonia Mundi:

Hardware synths I've owned or played since the CS-5 include:

Roland SH-09
Roland SH-101
Roland Juno 6
Roland Juno 60
Roland Juno 106
Roland D20 Workstation
Moog Prodigy
Wasp
Yamaha SY55
Kawai K4

I think that's all!


ΤΏΤ
That's a rather nice history you have there. I couldn't part away from my synths. These have been bought recently, second hand of course, to fulfill one of my lifetime ambitions - to have fun with synths smile

My synths and gadgets are:

Roland Jupiter-4
Roland Juno-60
Roland SH-09
miniKorg 700S
Korg M500 Micro-Preset SP
Casio VL-Tone VL-1
Dubreq Stylophone
The compact green Hohner Soprano Melodica

A synth I would like to own is the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 Rev 2 but it's bloody expensive, even today! It's pretty good on strings and its sequencers are landmark.

It'll be great to find out what John's collection of synths are and were. laugh

BTW What's the WASP like? Did you know that it was Nick Rhodes first keyboard. Any landmark sounds out of it?

Chris C wink

#32186 01/24/08 06:52 AM
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Hi Chris.

The Wasp was an absolute bugger to play live (not that I played live very many times) with that flat keyboard because the black keys were so thin that your finger (and mine are not particularly fat) could easily touch and trigger the adjacent yellow key by mistake. The only other person I ever saw play one live was that guy in Eyeless In Gaza, not the front man, the other one, though I can't remember his name.

As for sounds, I think it was better for noises rather than music. I used it for playing bass lines in the band I was in (Final Program) but at home in my 'experimental' moments I got some fantastic noises out of it. There's a software version that comes with Fruity Loops earlier versions but it's only a demo version so I never used it. The real thing costs well over £300 these days if you're lucky enough to find one on eBay.

Sadly, lack of money has prevented me from owning a synth for quite a while now and anyway, the house I'll be living in when I emigrate has barely enough room for my PC and guitar, never mind a synth.

My dream synth? I know you didn't ask but I'm telling you anyway - I always wanted a Roland Jupiter 8, but that's mainly because I'm originally from Jupiter!

Anyway, it's breakfast time and I can hear the Weetabix calling me from the kitchen so time to sign off.

ΤΏΤ

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