What synths didd Depeche Mode use on Speak & Spell?

[chinchee]

What synths were used by Depeche Mode on Speak and Spell? Also, note any sequencers....ie, what was used for the bassline of the song Nodisco, and the sequenced parts in Photographic.

Thanks to all

[iProg]

Moog Source, Kawai something mono synth...

[ronP]

oo


You can see several different models of vintage analog suitcase synths in DM's "Just Can't Get Enough" video, which begins with a close up of a ROLAND SH-02.

Here is what I know . . .

YAMAHA CS-5 -- Martin

ROLAND SH-02 & Jupiter 4 -- Vince

MOOG Prodigy (replaced on tour with a Source) -- Fletch

They also used a tape machine back then, too.






oo

[Byrthfood]

They also used Daniel Millers Arp 2600. The bassline to nodisco was probably the prodigy and the photographic sequence is probably the 2600.

[Micke]

Moog Prodigy (bass lines) - they didn't aquire the Source until after the album was recorded.
Yamaha CS-5
Kawai 100F
Roland Jupiter 4
ARP 2600 (used for kick drum sounds as well as some sequencing in conjunction with a Roland MC-4)
Korg KR-55 (snares & hi-hats)

Daniel Miller owned a Roland SH-1 but I'm not sure if it actually made it onto this album.

Micke

[sandwich]

They did have all that gear but it wasn't necessarily all used on the recording of the album. When they were gigging, before they had recorded anything in the studio, Vince had a Kawai K100FS, Martin had a Yamaha CS5 and Fletch had a Moog Prodigy.

They had already recorded 'Dreamin Of Me', 'New Life', 'Just Can't Get Enough', and the Some Bizzare version of 'Photographic', before starting on the rest of the album. Vince bought the JP4 with proceeds from, 'New Life' so it obviously couldn't have been used until after 'New Life'. Fletch did buy a Moog Source but I think that was used for gigging.

The ARP 2600 was used far more than previously mentioned. It actually belonged to Daniel Miller (who apparently bought it from Elton John!). That synth is probably the backbone of the whole album. Vince was really taken in with its sequencing capability and the fact that it could hook up to some synths. Consequently, it was the ARP that did all the sequencing, the majority of the bass lines, and much of the percussion (including Daniel's great kick drum sound!). Vince was disappointed that the K100FS would not hook up to the ARP so I wonder how much it actually got used in the studio. As for the MC4, Vince bought that with proceeds from the album, and started using that when he was writing stuff for Yazoo.

Kind Regards!
Sandwich

[sandwich]

Moog Prodigy (bass lines) - they didn't aquire the Source until after the album was recorded.
Yamaha CS-5
Kawai 100F
Roland Jupiter 4
ARP 2600 (used for kick drum sounds as well as some sequencing in conjunction with a Roland MC-4)
Korg KR-55 (snares & hi-hats)

Daniel Miller owned a Roland SH-1 but I'm not sure if it actually made it onto this album.

Micke

Micke,

You're right Daniel did have a Roland SH-1 but he used that with an MC4 for Depeche Mode's second album. Apparently, he wrote the numbers that you enter into the MC4 on the keys of the SH-1. They also used the MC4 with an RSF Kobol on the third album, 'Construction Time Again'.

Kind Regards,
Sandwich.

[iProg]

"A Broken Frame" sounds stuffed with PPG Wave!

[Micke]

They had already recorded 'Dreamin Of Me', 'New Life', 'Just Can't Get Enough', and the Some Bizzare version of 'Photographic', before starting on the rest of the album. Vince bought the JP4 with proceeds from, 'New Life' so it obviously couldn't have been used until after 'New Life'. Fletch did buy a Moog Source but I think that was used for gigging.

Yes you're probably right about 'New Life' and 'Just can't get enough', but 'Photographic' and 'Dreamin Of Me'--originally recorded in Nov and Dec 1980 respectively--were afaik re-recorded specifically for the S&S album in Aug/Sep '81. I think we can safely say therefore that the Jup 4 was used on most of the tracks that ended up on the album. I've seen studio footage from June '81 where Vince is using that synth so he definitely had it before starting on the rest of the album.

Micke

[sandwich]

Hi Micke,

yeah I think you're right, I only meant the Some Bizzare version of 'Photographic', but I don't think 'Dreaming Of Me' was re-recorded though.

Kind Regards,
Sandwich

[Micke]

Yes you're right, the Lp version of 'Dreaming Of Me' appears to be identical to the single version. It's just that the
version on the (re-issued) album is the full lenght one. I just realized that the song wasn't included on the first original 'Speak & Spell' LP, only on the re-issue.

'Just can't get enough' and 'Any Second Now' were apparently recorded in Aug '81 so I'm suspecting the Jup-4 made it onto those as well.

[synthshaw]

Here's an article from SOS with John Fryer the engineer, apparently most of the keyboard parts were played 'live' not sequenced.http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan06/a ... nfryer.htm

[Blue Monster 65]

That's an interesting article - thanks for sharing.

Scott

[sandwich]

Hi guys,

you might also find this one of Daniel Miller interesting. He mentions the ARP and Depeche Mode a bit.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec98/a ... el.624.htm

Regards

[waveterm]

Micke,

You're right Daniel did have a Roland SH-1 but he used that with an MC4 for Depeche Mode's second album. Apparently, he wrote the numbers that you enter into the MC4 on the keys of the SH-1. They also used the MC4 with an RSF Kobol on the third album, 'Construction Time Again'.

Kind Regards,
Sandwich.

I think they used the RSF Kobol Expander on A Broken Frame as well. It can be seen pictured on the inner sleeve along with an ARP 2600 and an unidentifiable keyboard behind Fletch.

WT