The Synths: A Quest For Specific Types of Synths Used On Songs

  • This is a quest that has been lingering for long since I came on this board. We all know that the ARP Pro Soloist was the first synth used by Genesis on Selling England By The Pound. There was another synth used on The Lamb though. The Elka Rhapsody 610 Synthesizer, best recognizable as the synth that Supertramp used the most. Today we will start with the Lamb as we identify the synths used on each song (songs without synths will be excluded like the title track). This will continue until we reach either Invisible Touch or We Can’t Dance.


    I’ll start it off


    Fly On A Windshield has the Pro Soloist


    And the first question: Eno was involved and credited with Enossification. Was this just treatments? Was the VCS 3 used on In The Cage & The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging?

  • Ok well the Elka was used on Hairless Heart (with Mellotron) & Anyway. If there’s more someone can point it out to me, but the rest of the synth on the album is ARP Pro Soloist (also not sure about the Enossification thing).


    Next up will be A Trick Of The Tail. Things will get very interesting here! Feel free to contribute! I’m looking for help here! :)

  • As far as I was aware the "Enossification" was the sound effects on Peter's vocals on Cuckoo Cocoon, In The Cage and The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging. Possibly, but not sure, a humming sound in the very beginning of the album. It has been a myth for long times that Eno played keyboards on this album, probably tracing back to clueless journalists who knew Eno primarily as the keyboardist of Roxy Music.

  • Thanks for that information!


    Back into A Trick Of The Tail, here’s what I think is on the first three tracks.


    Dance On A Volcano sounds like a Pro Soloist to me.


    Entangled is more like an example of the 2600 here.


    Squonk is definitely Pro Soloist.

    More info on the rest of the tracks & the b-side It’s Yourself. Later at 5.

  • Behind schedule:


    Mad Man Moon sounds like both Pro Soloist and 2600


    Robbery is Pro Soloist no doubt


    Ripples is definitely 2600


    A Trick Of The Tail is 2600 to me


    I have a feeling that Los Endos and It’s Yourself are just Pro Soloist.


    Any corrections? I’m not sure about Mad Man Moon and the last one.

    • Official Post

    Wish I could participate, I don’t know anything about specific types of synths. Those among us who are musically inclined may be able to participate. Cool thread though.

  • Alright


    Eleventh Earl Of Mar - feels like a mix between Pro Soloist & 2600, then of course there’s the Roland RS-202


    One For The Vine - same as above


    Your Own Special Way - Judging by the sounds the synth riff is the 2600 while the chords with the organ are the RS-202


    Wot Gorilla - Same as above


    More tonight.

  • All In A Mouse’s Night - sounds like the same case as One For The Vine and Eleventh Earl Of Mar


    Blood On The Rooftops - ARP 2600


    Unquiet Slumbers - ARP 2600


    In That Quiet Earth - Pro Soloist & 2600


    Afterglow - no synth


    Match Of The Day - no synth


    Pigeons - 2600 & Roland RS-202


    Inside & Out - Pro Soloist, 2600 & RS-202

  • Stay tuned tonight for the whole of …And Then There Were 3…!

    I know nothing about keyboards and synths but I know what I like (and don’t like). I was never a big fan of some of the keyboard/synths sounds on ATTWT, beginning with the intro to Down and Out.

  • Well that intro was entirely the Roland RS-202. Then the ARP 2600 and a bit of Polymoog follows afterwards. If you don’t like the intro to Down & Out, you can blame the RS-202.


    The rest of the album tonight!

  • Undertow - mix between Roland RS-202, Polymoog & ARP 2600


    Ballad Of Big - ARP 2600 and Roland GR-500 Guitar Synthesizer


    Snowbound - ARP 2600, Roland RS-202 and Polymoog


    Burning Rope - 2600, Polymoog & GR-500


    Deep In The Motherlode - GR-500, 2600 and Polymoog


    Many Too Many - RS-202


    Scenes From A Night’s Dream - Polymoog, RS-202, 2600 & GR-500


    Say It’s Alright Joe - 2600 and Polymoog


    The Lady Lies - 2600, Polymoog & GR-500


    Follow You Follow Me - 2600 and GR-500


    The Day The Light Went Out - 2600 & Polymoog


    Vancouver - 2600 and Polymoog

  • Behind The Lines - ARP Quadra, Prophet 5 & Yamaha CS-80


    Duchess - Yamaha CS-80


    Guide Vocal - Prophet 5


    The rest (and maybe some corrections) in a bit.

    Yep I messed up somewhere. BTL & Duchess also has GR-500. VP-330 Vocoder is in Duchess.


    Now as for the rest:


    Man Of Our Times - ARP Avatar Guitar Synthesizer & Quadra


    Misunderstanding - Quadra or Prophet 5


    Heathaze - Quadra & CS-80


    Turn It On Again - Quadra & CS-80


    Alone Tonight - GR-500, Prophet 5 & Quadra


    Cul-De-Sac - Quadra, Prophet 5 & Avatar


    Please Don’t Ask - Quadra


    Duke’s Travels / Duke’s End - Quadra, Prophet 5, CS-80 & Avatar


    Open Door - Quadra & Prophet 5


    Evidence Of Autumn - Quadra, Prophet 5, CS-80 & VP-330 (unsure aside from vocoder)