Aphex Twin

In an article of Future Music Magazine, written in April 1993, the author claims that Aphex Twin used the Casio FZ10 sampler on 80% of his tracks.

Key portions of this interview have been reprinted by MusicRadar here for easier search/reading... enjoy!

The FZ-10 and FZ-20M are also listed in the Syro gear list and Richard is still talking up the Casio FZ line more than a quarter century after his first FZ tracks in this archived 2014 interview.

'The SH-101 didn't survive the surgeon's screwdriver: "It doesn't look like a 101 anymore – I use the sliders, but for different things."'

The official and extensive Syro gear list mentions "Roland R8/R8M", which stands for two pieces: The Roland R-8 Human Composer and the Roland R-8M Total Percussion Sound Module, respectively.

The official and extensive Syro gear list mentions "Roland R8/R8M", which stands for two pieces: The Roland R-8 Human Composer and the Roland R-8M Total Percussion Sound Module, respectively.

Aphex Twin lists the Cirklon Sequencer amongst the gear used in the recording of his 2014 album Syro.

On this 2014 interview, Richard mentions using this kind of headphones to make some tracks off the Syro album.

Listed in the Syro "gear list", and used entirely in the japanese bonus track of the album "MARCHROMT30A edit 2b 96 [104.98]"

Richard David James seems to enjoy the usage of this piece of gear, as he mentions the Yamaha RS7000 quite a lot. Notably on his SoundCloud page, with comments like "oh , u gotta check it, the midi feedback, you can do stuff like press one key and get a whole load of cascading notes ascending or descending and u can even have the repeitions increase or decrease, lilke bouncing ball or inverse, sounds a bit like a pitchshifter, top 4 a bloody rs7000" and "yo eod, RS7000 has some cool tricks though, i like the user LFO's and the midi feedback parameters!" (these comments can be found on user18081971's [i.e Richard's SoundCloud page] track called "Love 7"), as well as his own appeal to Yamaha on his now-archived-extremely-lenghty Syro interview: "used fz's on many things ,like the kik & snare drum on isopropophlex! Which got used in some yamaha gear like the rs7000! i was so chuffed when i heard it, i was like yeah yamaha got one of me sounds! they even have a description of it in the manual, rs7000's are dope btw yamaha please release the source code for that ffs you bastards!"

The official gear list included in the packaging of Aphex Twin's album Syro mentions the "Sci Prophet 5 racked/keyboard," suggesting Richard D. James owns both the traditional Prophet-5 synthesizer and a racked version. Although the list is somewhat ambiguous, it indicates his use of the Prophet-5 in some form. Known for extensively modifying his equipment since 1993, James could have customized a Prophet-5 himself or had someone else do it. Regardless, the core sound remains consistent across variations, aligning with his collection of rare vintage gear.

Despite being considered a little innacurate by Richard himself on the 2014 Syrobonkers interview by Dave Noyze (https://web.archive.org/web/20141103131334/http://noyzelab.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/syrobonkers-part1.html), the list on the Syro album packaging confirms the BOSS GE7 as being of the devices using during the recording of it.

Besides being confirmed on Richard David James's SoundCloud page, it also appears on the Syro gear list. "soz not all the drums, sampled loads of sounds in the fz20m, forgot".

To the right of him is clearly an Atari Mega ST 2 or 4 with Atari monitor taken from a performance in Paris circa: 1993. Likely he was sequencing with it, but it's unclear what software he might have used as the monitor is turned off.

On the Syro gear list, the Yamaha DX100 is mentioned. It is important to note that it is not a regular DX100, but a modded one.

Aphex Twin lists the ARP 2500 modular synthesizer amongst the gear used on his 2014 album Syro.

Listed on the Syro album packaging as being one of the pieces of gear used sometime during the recording of it. The list is not 100% according to Richard (https://web.archive.org/web/20141103131334/http://noyzelab.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/syrobonkers-part1.html) on the 2014 Syrobonkers interview, and many do not believe what he says during interviews due to his reputation of compulsive liar, which is only one of the mysteries that surround the artist.

On the official Syro album packaging, there is a gear list which shows WHERE, WHAT gear was used in EACH song. One of the entries reads "Musicaid Claptrap x4", which indicates that Richard owns four instances of the very first Clap Trap. The first one was produced by Musicaid and has distinctive knobs, the second one was produced by Simmons, has three distinctive grey keys and is a follow-up to the original. The third and final one is the Digital Clap Trap.

The cover artwork for Aphex Twin's Syro album, designed by The Designers Republic, lists the Intellijel Rubicon VCO as being used in the production of the album.

This is one of the tracks where it is confirmed the TX16W was used. The TX16W was also used on a Syro track, "S950tx16wasr10" [the title is made up of equipment used]. Aphex Twin confirmed usage of the TX16W in the description of this SoundCloud track.

Listed on the Syro album packaging as being one of the pieces of gear used on the recording of it. It is important to note that the list is not 100% accurate, as it is confirmed by Richard on the 2014 Syrobonkers interview by Dave Noyze. Also, not everyone believes what Richard says on interviews since he has been accused of lying excessively on many of them.

Richard David James appears to be an extensive collector of expensive rare gear. On the Syro album packaging, the gear list shows us that he owns not one, but three instances of the Korg PS-3300 Polyphonic Synthesizer. It is important to note that this is not an ordinary synth: Sources claim that only 20 to 50 units have been produced. This synthesizer is not only the biggest, but one of the most expensive pieces of rare analog gear ever. Of course, to some people, this list can be somewhat of a fraud, based on the various rumours that surround the Aphex Twin's history. The rumours that he owns a tank, a submarine, has a bank converted to a house, at the age of 11 made a Sinclair ZX Spectrum produce sound after tweaking it and many others has led many to believe that the artist is a compulsive liar. Especially in some interviews. Some of these were confirmed, some weren't. The Analord series itself has its own mythology of what was used to produce it. But after all, this is for each one to decide. Despite having a few mistakes according to Richard himself on a 2014 interview with Dave Noyze, the Syro album packaging is an official product, and it is one's choice to decide wether he/she believes what is written there.

Aphex Twin lists the Akai S950HXC amongst the gear used in the recording of his 2014 album Syro.

on the syro gear list it is listed as Jomox Sunsyn V1x2 which suggests he has two of them.

Besides being mentioned on the Syro gear list, Richard gives more details about this piece of gear with a comment about microtunings left on his SoundCloud page (user18081971). Comment can be found on his uploaded track called "Love 7": "with the chroma, i just use midi for sysex midi tuning dumps to get them in, bit more tricky getting them out but doable."

Listed on the Syro album packaging as being one of the pieces of gear used sometime during the recording of such album is the famous Ensoniq ASR-10.

Present on the Syro gear list, which is part of the album's packaging.

Stated on the Syro gear list as one piece of gear used on the recording of some song(s).

Aphex Twin's album Syro packaging includes a detailed list of gear used in its production, featuring the Make Noise DPO modular synthesizer.

Despite being noted as "not 100% accurate" by Richard himself (source:https://web.archive.org/web/20141103131334/http://noyzelab.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/syrobonkers-part1.html), the list on the Syro album packaging confirms the usage of the Calrec Mini Mixer on the recording of the Syro album.

Aphex Twin lists the ADT Toolkit (x4) amongst the gear used in the recording of his 2014 album Syro.

Despite being noted as "definitely not 100% accurate" by Richard David James himself on the Syrobonkers 2014 interview (link:https://web.archive.org/web/20141103131334/http://noyzelab.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/syrobonkers-part1.html), this list confirms the usage of the Calrec RQP3200 Channel Strip sometime during the recording of Syro.