Favorite Keyboards/Sounds

What are your favorite keyboards and sounds used in Prog ?

Personally I like analog keyboards like Bob Moog's famous Minimoog used by most prog masters

and also the VCS used by Pink Floyd for those amazing sounds on Dark side of the Moon & Wish you were here.

I love the mellotron sounds but I would never play a real one live ; that thing is a mechanical nightmare waiting to happen not to say that the others were perfect ie: the Minimoog would constantly detune on stage !

As for the digital keyboards I'd go for the Tony Banks / Genesis  string sounds on the Roland Jupiter 8 .

Your turn !

Edited by diddy

This isn't the fisrt time I have opined on my favorite subject, but I have to again........ That wonder of the 20th century, the Hammond Organ.

This instrument plays such a major role in Progressive Rock, and its leading exponents are too numerous to mention in full, but for examples:

Keith Emmerson
Tony Banks
Rick Wakeman
Dave Greenslade

The list goes on......... One day, this list may even include yours truly , as I finally caved in to the dreams of my mis-spent youth & bought one of the beasts a while ago & am now taking lessons.

In addition to the above, of course, the Mellotron - lovely sounds, absolute nightmare as a touring musical instrument (King Crimson actually used 2 on stage at one point - I pity their poor keyboard technicians, not to mention the roadies, who had to lift the beasts!!)

The Moog....... aaah! Nuff said ("the bugger's gone out of tune again"....... "both oscillators have failed....AGAIN")

Happy days.... when keyboard players were surrounded by huge pieces of furniture, as opposed to sitting in front of what looks like a small coffee table, as is the case today.

Little piece of trivia for you, Tony Banks bought his first Mellotron from none other than Robert Fripp.

Edited by Jim Garten

Ah yessss : The Arp 2600 sounds... One sound well known is the First few notes played in Close Encounter of the Third Kind.

"Kurzweil" Keyboards they are OK (I have one: K1200) but they are late comers in the game and are of the digital synth/sampler genre.

The Hammond B3 Organ : yes a classic for sure ! used by Focus ,YES etc...

Tony had a different type of Hammond the L100 model I think ?

I did not know this cool trivia :Tony Banks bought his first Mellotron from none other than Robert Fripp.

I wish Keyboard players would go back to the majestic "U" shape keboard placement with all the knobs and buttons .That was so cool looking ! Now mostly all you have are 2 boring black keyboards atop one another with an unnoticeable black stand.How cold ! 

 

 

Aztech wrote: The Hammond B3 Organ : yes a classic for sure ! used by Focus ,YES etc... Tony had a different type of Hammond the L100 model I think ?

Oh dear, I'm gonna sound like such an annorak, now!

Focus used an L100 in the early days, but now Van Leer uses a B3, Wakeman always used a C3 & Tony Banks used the T500 series.

Emmerson actually used a C3 and an L100 on stage.....

Just thought I'd clarify that for you - sorry..... what a saddo

 HI Jim,   

You seem to really know your Keyboard stuff !

I know the C3 : an electronic version of the B3 by korg I believe.

I read a long while back Tony used a L100 but I may be mistaken.

the T500 : don't know that one

Yes Van Leer does use a B3 now  : I saw him last year in Montreal .Great Show !

I actually have a Book called Vintage Syntesizers from keyboard magasine its a great book to get if you don't already have it.

Emerson's moog modular system has always amazed me. It is a piece of genious!!!!!   the Hammond L100 makes a good sound aswell....i suppose Korg aint bad, but i prefer hammond!! 

I don't know diddley-squat about the specs and capabilities of keyboards, but I know what I like.  Warm, fat sounds from synths, and ooomphy deep organ sounds.  Basically, I feel old = good, new = bad.  However, I may be speaking in complete ignorance.  But my ears tell me a lot.  A lot of modern keyboards, especially the ones people use on stage today, sound like cheeze whiz.

I may sound like a broken record, but Moogs, Mellotrons, and HAMMOND f**kIN' ORGANS!!!!!  YEAH!

Peace,

Ulf  

There's no question about it. The Cinema Show has one of the most beautiful keyboard solos ever... It's beauty in a can, and all you have to do is pop the lid

Other than that... I'd have to say emerson's virtuso work, especially on Trilogy, and ELP's debut album.

Rudess is another exceptional keyboardist, and provides the sound that Dream Theater was looking for after dropping Moore and Sherinan.

I personnaly like all vintage stuffs before the coming of real analog synth...I love the use of electric organ 'Teisco' and 'Farfisa' by Schulze or Froese at the beginning of their career...I also love the sound of the melotron choir, the mini and big Moog. 'Affenstunde', the first album in prog rock only composed on the big Moog is incredible...deeply spacey and etheral...