kraftwerk sound (klang)

Sun Jul 2 23:44:44 CEST 2000

> :::I am just listening to Kraftwerks Man-Machine, wondering how thet get that
> :::clear crispy sound in for instance robots (the bassline is very clean, yet
> :::thumping).
> :::Does anyone know anything about their designs? Is it all home-built, or
> :::could they be using 'regularly available' synths?

Ah, my fav band :-)

Kraftwerk used/uses available synthesizers. MiniMoog, ARP 2600, Prophet, Vako Orchestron
for the vocal sounds, a drum machine from an organ connected to metal drum pads as the
electronic drums, farfisa organ, Polymoog, waldorf microwave (contains a patch called
Kraftwerk, which is a drum sound on Pocket Calculator), Eventide harmonizers, Sennheiser
and EMS5000 vocoder, Synclavier, Fairlight CMI, Korg PS-3100,...

Bartos played the bass lines live in '81, allegedly using a Korg PS3100. The Man Machine
was recorded in '78, so it could be those basses are from a PS3100. 

Apparently they quite often have equipment modified to their liking. I read in an 
interview, long ago, that Huetter doesn't like "big modulars", but instead prefers
portables, like the minimoog, prophet 5 etc. It takes too long before you get
anything nice from the modulars, while "portables" are more intimate. Given the time
it takes Kraftwerk to produce a next album I guess they are back to the modulars!
But seriously, for example the album Radioactivity contains quite some great experimenting
and a lot of fun with synths! And, no MIDI in those days...

Kraftwerk have a patent for a device called "Robovox", a system for machine generated singing
using a speech chip.

Below is a text I saved some time ago. I have more equipment lists, but I'll have to look for
those.

Rick Jansen

From:
                                                                       20:01
Subject: Re: Kraftwerk instrumentation

Equipment ab 1970:

2 Spur Tonbandgerät, EMS VCS 3 Synthesizer, Hagstrom Gitarre, Schlagzeug,
Violine, Percussion, Farfisa Rhythmuscomputer,

Equipment ab 1971:

Rhythmusmaschine, elektronisches Klavier, Fender Bass, Glocken,
Harmonika,Gitarre, Flöten, Geige, ARP 2600 Synthesizer, Hammond Orgel,
selbstgebaute Oszillatoren, Echolette Echo Box

Equipment ab 1972:

Farfisa Professional Piano, Mini Moog Synthesizer, EMS Sythi-A Synthesizer,
elektronische Drumbox, Mellotron Sampler,

Equipment ab 1974:

ARP Odyssey Synthesizer, Compact-Phasing-A, modifizierte Rhythmusgeräte, Vox
Rhythmking, Farfisa Rhythm Unit10, medizinische Sprachcomputer, Vako
Orchestron, EMS Vokoder, diverse Racks zur Klangbearbeitung mit Equalizer,
Effektgeräte (zbs. Delay, Chorus, Flanger, Exiter, Limiter, Noise-Gate,
De-Esser), Hallgeräte, Oszilatoren, Amplifier, Fader, Resonanz-, Band und
Hochpassfilter, Sennheiser VSM-201 Vokoder, Echolette Drummer One Box

Equipment ab 1975:

Laserlichtorgel, sprechende Schreibmaschine, elektronische Flöte

Equipment ab 1976/1977:

16 Spur Tonbandmaschine, Synthesizerstudio Bonn Synthanorma Analog-Sequenzer
(Sonderanfertigung), Polymoog, ARP Omni, Oberheim SEM Bausteine, 4-Spur
Kassettenrecorder mit Sync-Spur, Maestro Percussiuon King

Equipment ab 1981:

4 Sony Videoschirme (Sonderanfertigung), einen selbstgebauten
Flöten-Synthesizer, mehrere Polymoog Synthesizer, Sequential Prophet 5
Synthesizer, Emulator1 Sampler, Stylophon, Vibraphone, elektronisches
Schlagzeug, Casio Fx 5018 Taschenrechner, Texas Intruments Computer und
Taschenrechner, Hohner Keyboard, Polymoog Resonatorbank, Roland System 100,
mehrere Digital-Sequencer Roland MC-8 Microcomposer mit erweitertem
Speicher, Korg PS-3100 Polyphonic Synthesizer, Drum Machine mit 6
Schalternreihen und Pedalen (elektronisches Schlagzeug), Syndrum,
elektronische Flöte, Sennheiser VSM-201 Vocoder, Akai Sampler, Synclavier,
Akai DD1000 Digital-Recorder, Atari ST für die Grafik, electronisches Piano
von Farfisa, MicroMoog, EMS Rheberg, Eventide Clockwerks FX, Eventide
Harmoniser, Eventide Digital Delay, Eventide Limiter, Trigger Pad,

Equipment ab 1984/1986:

Roland TR-808, Roland TB-303, Synclavier, Dat, Adat

Equipmment ab 1990:

A-100, Vocoder A-129-1/2/3/4/5, Frequency Shifter A-126, Theremin A-178,
mehrere MAQ, mehrere MMR4/4, speziell modifizierte LMK2-Keyboards mit
liturgischer 5-Oktaven-Tastatur, MIDI-Fader-Box VMC32, MMK-Mini Keyboard mit
digitastern (Quelle Fa. Doepfer)

Spezialanfertigungen: ein MIDI-Interface für eine Phonem-Tastatur, die
Mini-Keyboards , eine MIDI-fizierung des EMS-Vocoders, Analog-Sequencer
MAQ16/3r (Quelle Fa. Doepfer)

Equipment bei den Konzerten 1991/1992:

Studio Electronics Midi-Mini, AMS Digital-Delay, Eventide Clockworks Instant
Flanger, Quantec Room Symlator, Roland M120, Atari Mega ST4 w/Cubase, Akai
S1000 Sampler, Waldorf Microwave Synclavier II w/HD mit Aufnahmefunktion,
Optical Disc Drive

Equipment ab 1993:

Doepfer Datenhandschuh MOGLI (Quelle Fa.Doepfer)

Equipment ab 1995:

Quasar Synthesizer, Raven Synthesizer, Cyber 6 Masterkeyboard (Quelle Fa.
Quasimidi)

Equipment ab 1997/1998:

Analog-Sequencer A-155, A-134 VC-Panning, A-142 VC-Decay/Gate, A-156 Dual
Quantizer, Digital-Sequencer Schaltwerk, Regelwerk (alles Fa. Doepfer),
Quasimidi Sirius, Quasimidi Rave-o-Lution 309, (Quelle Fa. Doepfer und
Quasimidi)

Equipment bei den Konzerten 1997/1998:

Yamaha MSSI, Ensoniq DP/4, Waldorf Microwave, Studio Electronics Midi Mini,
Akai s 1000 PB, Roland M16 E, Akai DD 1000, Akai DL 1000, Roland SBF-325,
Digitech Studio Vocalist, Kawai K 5000 R, Clavia DMI NordRack AMS und DMX
16, Akai S 3000 XL, Analog Systems FB-3, MAM VF-11, T.C. Electronic
Fireworx, Eventide H 3500, Roland SE-50, Yamaha SPX 900, Nitche Audio
Control Module, Akai MB 76, Korg SDD-3000, Drawmer DS 201, Robovox, Pylon
A4, ART, Data-Switch, Sony 5¼" Disk-Drive, (Quelle ist die japanische
Zeitschrift Musik Life 1998) Natürlich wurden auch alle oben angegebenen
Doepfer und Quasimidi Geräte bei den Konzerten genutzt.

-- 
Web: http://www.euronet.nl/~rja/
email: rja at euronet.nl