Does anyone know definitively what the deal was with the drums set up for the 80s tours?

I know for the Purple Rain tour, there were times it seemed like Bobby was playing just cymbals, but I don't think that was the case for all songs,

Especially some of the extended jams like Irrisitble Bitch or Baby I'm A Star where Prince would cue many stops and call out random number of hits... it would seem like Bobby must have been playing pads hooked up to the Linn cuz how would they pre-program all that stuff?

Also, we know at times he played pads...he told Per Nilson that in the book, and in the live video for "America" the whole drum kit is made up fo white octoganal pads (I think Simmons drums), and Prince takes over the kit and we see him playing the snare and it has the Linn sound.

But then on the Parade tour, Bobby is mostly playing live drums, but sometimes we also hear a Linn clap or snare, so he must've had the pads too. I know Jerome had a little pad but I never could hear anything synched to his tapping (although at the Family Jamm I asked him and he said it is hooked up to "claps").

But then on other songs, like Mountains, the whole thing must be pre-prgorammed cuz the pattern is just too complicated for one drummer to play live.

Does anyone know for sure what the setup was and how it changed over time?

After all the Bobby Z bashing I've seen on here.... noone has any answers??

Should I move this to the Musican's Hangout thread?

This could be a very interesting read from whoever knows how those are set up.

We know for sure that the sound of the Linn appears on the mid 80's tours, and that there is some spontaneity, yet some very complex patterns.