The keyboard sound towards the end of Musicology has been used many many times in Princes songs.

Does anyone know what type of sound that is? Is it from a specific vendor?

Thanks

yeah, WHITE MANSION on the EMANCIPATION album.

oops!! my bad, i hadn't fully read your question and i haven't the slightest idea of the type of keyboard used.

TheAStarr said:

Prince often has been extremely secretive about the keyboards he uses, even resorting to covering their backs with drapes and curtains when in concert.

However, he did an interview with Keyboard magazine's December 1999 issue, in an effort to promote "Rave..." (He did similar interviews for guitar and bass magazines.)

Some synths listed in a sidebar to that article:

Korg TR rack
Clavia Nord Lead II
Roland JV-2080 and/or an Oberheim OB-8
Two Roland JD-800s
Two hybrid synths made mostly from Roland parts
Roland VK-7 organ
Roland A-90
Roland Octapad II
Roland JV-80 for pads and strings

The Nord & A-90 are run through a Boss RV-3 reverb/delay pedal.

Thanks!

Anyone else have anything to add?

It could be a VA (virtual analog) synth or a real old analog moog -style synthesizer doing those riffs. I think it's the same vintage gear he used on all of those old "MPLS sound" -records.

You can recreate similiar sounds with completely free software these days if you are interested TheAStarr.

Novabreaker said:

I sent you a PM and a pop up note. I'm not sure if I sent either of them right. Let me know if you didn't get them

The NPGMC / Rainbow Children tracks were smothered with the Korg Triton and also the Yamaha Motif (For that amazing Rhodes).....
He has been using the Motif as his main board for several years now (BTW< the Motif is THE King Shiznigity of keys).

Renato uses a Nord and a Motif.

And I would suspect a vast array of RTAS synths to be used along side Reason on much of his future material (He SHOULD be running Cubase but whatever, ProTools wins again).

T

in the 80's & 90's he was using only a couple of models. i can't remeber which, but they were Rolands. They were proffesional, but not the best. He seemed to stick with what he knew - like how he stuck with the Linn and the honer guitar.

I was in a studio one day (a pretty basic one) and the producer was into prince and showed me one of the keyboards. it didn't look impressive, but i could choose almost any 'sound' option and it would send shivers down my spine. it was ALL there. The end of When Doves Cry, Nothing Compares 2 U, Christopher Tracy...

it was amaysing.