For me, the role that the EMS500 played in the Devo Sound was enough
for me.
EMS synths are a whole different experience. They are wonderfully
made and you can see where the money is. But, there is a reason why
you don't hear many lead lines on PF albums until the late
seventies. Keeping a EMS in tune AND intonated is the hardest of
any analog synth I have ever used. Moogs, Arps and OB FVS are all
much easier to use.
They are great for sound effects and as a filter processor, but they
are a real challenge as a lead instrument. My hats off to Eno,
Rundgren and others, but only with a Kenton Midi to CV controller
have I been able to use my VCS3 MKI melodically.
--- In
emlsynth@yahoogroups.com, "nicholas_kent"
<nicholas_kent@y...> wrote:
>
> > >
> > >While it's possible to drive samples somehow, it's incredibly
> > >improbable someone would use a Control Voltage based
> > >sequencer to conntrol samples. Let alone risk doing so
> reliably
> > >in a live context.
> > >
> > >Also wouldn't you think EML would have used the fact PF
> used
> > >their gear for their marketing somewhere sometime if it was
> > >used on any kind of regular basis?
> > >
> > >There just has to be more of a mistake than just the sampling
> > >one. Like that gear belongs to an openning act, or someone
> > >thought that pic was cool, kept it and then years later guessed
> > >it came from a PF gig.
> > >
> >
> >
> > I was just trying to conjure up some idea of a way the
> sequencer could
> > conceivably be used in conjunction with samples. But it's really
> of another
> > era, there would be better ways. Have to doubt that caption.
>
> Yes, it's something an experimenter might think about, it's not
> beyond possibility but really no one does that sort of thing on a
> commercial tour.
>
> >
> > I'm skeptical that PF ever used that gear, but I wouldn't be
> surprized to
> > learn that they did , Even if they just tried it out. I seem to
recall
> > reading that Frank Zappa played around with a 101 too but the
> company never
> > capitalized on that either. (Altho my recollection is that Zappa
> wasn't
> > very complimentary of it....)
>
> Well thats sort off why. Also now that I think about it if someone
> on the artist's side thinks it looks like an endorsement they
might
> demand something in return. On the other hand if someone
> uses visible gear live word does get out.
>
> Which of course brings up that for example Zappa was a well
> known Emu user . EMS use is well documented in the 70s. (Pink
> Floyd, Eno, Schulze, Jarre, etc.).
>
> What other pre-1990s users of EML were there who are well
> documented ? The only ones I ever hear are Pere Ubu and Devo.
> Why, if it's true that it wasn't known PF were using them before
> that site.