Wakeman told me in person that "Two went to Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze also took one", but I was thinking he might be counting twice - that one Birotron could have went to Klaus Schulze (a former TD member) and the other went to Chris Franke.
Anyway you can indeed hear it throughout Force Majeure (1979) and Hyperborea (1983) but that Loop Mellotron reference goes back to 1976 I think.
I wasn't sure what to tell the student because although I'm familiar with some of the Birotron sounds, I can't pick out the ones I know on Cyclone or Stratosfear, and I didn't want to give him wrong info.
If TD was using the Birotron that early, they had to be absolutely the first customers to get them.
So, am I right in thinking that TD used a Birotron into the early '80s, possibly on several albums? Does that explain the 'odd' choir sound on Tangram and White Eagle, to name but two? I'm trying to locate some filmed or pictorial evidence, but no luck so far.
Andy T.