Which Synth Artists do you want us to interview?

[Board Admin]

As many of you have heard, we will be able to update our old content and start to add new articles to VSE very soon. We are planning to do regular interviews with well known synth artists/bands and would love your input on who you want us to approach.

Suzanne Ciani has already agreed to an interview, so if you have any specific questions you want us to ask her - add them here!

[CS_TBL]

While being an interesting idea, and while seemingly logical to nominate the usual pack o' Vangelis, Jarre, Oldfield, Parsons, Kitaro, Moroder and Zimmer, I also see a few issues.

Are they really that interesting to us regarding synths? These artists had industry leading synths that most ordinary people could only dream of, back in the vintage years. But did they actually program them, or were they merely preset users? Did they do anything with these synths that *we* haven't figured out yet? Should I ask Vangelis how to make a Blade Runner horn, knowing that I've done countless of 'em myself already? Should we ask Jarre how those Oxygene strings were done, while we already know about the Eminent organ and the phaser unit? I think it'd be more interesting to ask for composing and producing methods, but that may be beyond the scope of VSE.

[vcs3]

Vangelis of course!

[Psy_Free]

Klaus Schulze of course.

[gcoudert]

Jean-Michel Jarre, Hans Zimmer, Harold Faltermeyer, Georgio Moroder, Vangelis, Benny Anderson, Magne Furuholmen, Anne Dudley, JJ Jeczalik, Trevor Horn, Andy Richards, Wally Badarou, Nick Rhodes, Richard Tandy, Paul 'Wix' Wickens, Mike Lindup, Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (Nena), Ulf Wahlberg (Secret Service), Mike Oldfield, Chris Lowe, Steve Porcaro, Brian Eno, Billy Currie, Peter Vettese... assuming they're all still alive!

And let's not forget Yanni! [GC grabs his coat and leaves the room quietly...]

[Tekhed66]

As many of you have heard, we will be able to update our old content and start to add new articles to VSE very soon.

I completely missed that.... sounds FAB ... does that mean the site can update and add more equipment reviews too?

My suggestions for interviewees:

Vince Clarke / Depeche Mode
Rick Wakeman
Kraftwerk
Underworld
Air
Richard Tandy
Jon Hopkins
Nick Rhodes

Good luck with the new site.... can't wait to see how all this develops

[ppg_wavecomputer]

Me, of course.

Stephen

[jxalex]

Mike Oldfield
Chris Lowe / Neil Tennant
Jean Michel Jarre
Vangelis

[Music Bird]

Jean Michel Jarre
Praga Khan
Vangelis
Doris Norton
Jordan Rudess
Rick Wakeman
Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant
Greg Phillanganes
Harold Faltermeyer
Geddy Lee
Tony Banks
Geoff Downes
Billy Currie
John Foxx
Fred Zarr
Richard James Burgess
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Yello
Todd Rundgren/Mike Powell
David Frank
David Bryan from Bon Jovi
Nick Plytas
Arthur Baker
Vince Clarke
Gary Numan
The questions I would ask would be: Did you use only presets or did you program sounds? How can I program such and such patch on such and such synth on my iPad.


Edit: gotta add Larry Fast, Wally Badarou and Steve Porcaro/David Paich.

[meatballfulton]

Question for Suzanne:

After starting with analog you made the transition into digital but have returned to analog again. What is your view on the strengths of digital that attracted you at the time and why have you chosen to leave it behind?

[jxalex]

Our beloved FAIRLIGHT!!
The question to ALL of them: Do You use the Fairlight in the creation process? When was it last time, or do You still use it and arrange with that machine everything or it is just partly in their process?

Especially that question goes to Chris Lowe. THere was one interview article that he bought Fairlight again on 1999. Do You still use the Fairlight?

To Mike Oldfield:
(somewhat out of musical context).
You have several motorcycles: which is Your favourite of them? Do you like to repair and maintain these Yourself too?

[Music Bird]

To Chris Lowe: Do you still use the Synclavier, Fairlight and Emulator?
To Suzanne Ciani: What did you think about the Buchla synths that you use when they first came out and what caused you to choose them?
To Wally Badarou: How was it like working with Level 42 and Talking Heads?
To all of them: What is your favorite album you have worked on? What is your favorite synth you have used?
About polysynths: Did polysynths change the way you thought about synth playing style?
About analog to digital: What did you think about how synth technology has changed from analog to digital from the 70's to the 90's?
About the DX7: (to artists that didn't use it) Why did you not choose the DX7 in the 80's? (To all others) What was the biggest challenge you had using an FM synth?
To all of them as well the following,
Did you ever buy a synth you thought was going to be bad, but it turned out you liked it?
The Prophet 5 was released 40 years ago in 1978, do you remember what patches you liked on it?
Did you ever skip buying a synth that you wanted (as in wanting to get one, but being distracted by another and buying that instead)?
To Vince Clarke: Do you still use the Casio CZ-101?
To Depeche Mode: What's your favorite song you have made together?