Update: Add the Oxford Synthesizer Company's Oscar to the list. Can't beleive I forgot that one.
Ultravox at one point was my favorite band growing up. They defined a pivotal period in my adolescence and had a huge impact on me. They are actually what prompted me into wanting to play synths to begin with. There is an excellent thread going on Vintage Synth Explorer on Ultravox and the synths they used.
Listed so far (the majority of credit goes to Micke:
- Elka Rhapsody 610 - first three albums (pre Midge Ure)
- Yamaha SS30 string machines - Vienna up until the mid 80s
- Yamaha CS80
- PPG Wave 2.2 - 1982/83 onwards
- Yamaha DX7/TX816 - TX816 sometime in 1984
- Oberheim OB-X - on 1981's "Rage in Eden"
- Emu Emulator I - Sampled Synclavier strings on Hymn
- ARP Odyssey - Lead on Hymn
- Emu Emulator II - Strings on Reap the Wild Wind live (the Yamaha SS30 was originally used - I always wanted to know what those beautiful strings were)
- Moog Minimoog - in Vienna
Amazing. I always wondered what they used. The strings in Ultravox's Reap the Wild Wind and early New Order/Joy Division are my absolute two favorite string sounds. New Order/Joy Division used ARP strings.
Yamaha SS30
Ultravox used solinastrings also a lot (combined with the ss30) also
ReplyDeleteoberheim 4 voice and prophet 5.
Currie's main axe was of course the
odyssey driven through a guitar amplifier for his trademark leadsound.
Minimoogs were used for bass everywhere.
i have a lot of ultravox videoconcerts you can mail
jvangent@web.de
Awesome post, this is info is truly going to come in handy while mixing an ultravox'ish production.
ReplyDeleteThank you