Radiohead – Kid A album cover

Radiohead – Kid A

Album 2000

The music gear and equipment used by the artists, producers, engineers, and more involved in the making of the 2000 album Kid A.

Music from Kid A

Gear Used On Kid A

Explore the instruments, equipment, software, and production tools used in the making of Radiohead – Kid A (2000). Click more on each item to see exactly how it was used.

Keyboards and Synthesizers used by Jonny Greenwood on Kid A

Synthesizers

Moog Rogue

Avg price: $999.00

Used by Jonny in studio. He played it during the March 1998 attempt at recording Big Boots. Some say that Thom or Jonny used the synth quite a lot during the Kid A/Amnesiac sessions, though I don’t know if those sounds are actually from the Rogue. It has also been mistakenly claimed to have been used on 2+2=5, when the synth used on that song is quite probably the Martenot.

Synthesizers

Ondes Martenot

Avg price: $114.00

Jonny began using the Ondes Martenot during the recording of Radiohead's Kid A, and has used it in many of his subsequent projects. His advocacy of the instrument helped revived public interest in it after years of falling into obscurity.

Synthesizers

Korg Prophecy

Avg price: $425.00

Jonny used the Korg Prophecy in the studio version of "Lift", he also used it in the live concerts, as shown in the source, you can see Jonny playing the Korg Prophecy at minute 2:23.

Jonny's Korg Prophecy was the band's "secret weapon" during the "Ok Computer" sessions between 1995-1998. Besides using the Prophecy on "Lift", it was also used on the studio version of "Airbag" and "Climbing Up The Walls", on these tracks he used it as an attempt to emulate an Ondes Martenot (that's why when he got a real Ondes Martenot he got rid of the Prophecy before the Kid A/Amnesiac sessions). You can also see the Prophecy in action in live performances of the tracks "Talk Show Host", "Planet Telex", and "Paranoid Android" (the latter he only used it once live) between 1996 and 1998.

Studio Equipment used by Jonny Greenwood on Kid A

Audio Samplers

Korg KP2 Kaoss Pad 2

Avg price: $89.00

In a live performance of "Everything In Its Right Place" in Paris in 2001, Jonny Greenwood used the Korg KP2 Kaoss Pad 2, showcasing its role in Radiohead's electronic sound during their "Kid A" era. This performance is captured in a YouTube video by afeliafail.

Effects Pedals used by Thom Yorke on Kid A

Switch Effects Pedals

Boss PSM-5 Power Supply & Master Switch

Avg price: $40.00

This article mentions Thom's use of a PSM-5 around the Kid A/Amnesiac era

Compressor Effects Pedals

Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer

Avg price: $105.38

Thom Yorke is confirmed to use the Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer, as evidenced by an image showing him with his pedals during a performance of "The National Anthem" at the 2001 Pinkpop festival.

Studio Equipment used by Thom Yorke on Kid A

Production & Groove

Roland MC-505 Groovebox

Avg price: $300.00

In Ed O'Brien's official diary, he talks about Radiohead's: Optimistic and Kid A being initially sketched on a Roland MC-505. This evidence is enforced by The King Of Gear's Blog Archive called "Thom's Percussion" where it states >According to Ed’s diary, the song Kid A "started off as a Thom doodle on the [Roland MC] 505…“

However the Roland MC-505 isn't actually used on the track but was known to be originally wrote on this.

Keyboards and Synthesizers used by Thom Yorke on Kid A

Organs

Vox Super Continental

Avg price: $1,314.71

Thom Yorke is confirmed to use the Vox Super Continental organ, as evidenced by a screenshot showing him playing it during the performance of "Motion Picture Soundtrack" at Air Studios in late November 2000. This footage is officially available only within the Kid A Mnesia Exhibition video game.

Guitars used by Ed O'Brien on Kid A

Solid Body Electric Guitars

Fender Telecaster

"To whoever ends up with this Tele... It was bought in the summer of '98, just prior to us going into record the albums which came out as Kid A and Amnesiac. It was pretty much the only guitar I used at that time. It's also been gigged a lot, up until and including the In Rainbows tour. Hope you enjoy it - all the best," says Ed, in the description section of his Telecaster's eBay auction page.

A Tele was used by Ed for a few songs on Radiohead's 2012 The King of Limbs tour and the from the basement sessions, including "Morning Mr. Magpie". The guitar can be seen at 0:06.

Other Gear used by Ed O'Brien on Kid A

Electric Guitar Pickups

Lace Sensor Gold

Avg price: $212.00

Acquired in July, 1995. During Fender’s 2014 “A Conversation with Radiohead’s Ed O'Brien” interview, Ed said that he bought the guitar in San Francisco in the week after the band finished their tour with REM. Originally fitted with three gold lace sensors. Ed replaced the white pickguard with a black one. As with his original Squire Strat, the guitar was a favorite of Ed’s and a key part of Ed’s setup – especially for use on songs with many effects.