Aphex Twin

Used on the track: 4x Atlantis take1

"I bought a Roland 100M monosynth when I was 13 – it's like a [SH-]101 – but I got really pissed off with it."

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

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.

Yet another item that Richard mentions using on his SoundCloud's comment page is the Alyseum MS-Matrix: "forgot to say how the modular bit is working, have 10 outputs from the modular into the Midas 160 and 7 outputs from the midas160 into the modular. Midas is really good for this as, I use the group out sliders and the aux out sliders, which are really nice and fast to set on the fly, can play them as opposed to turning a knob which is a slower to do in live situ. Do a little bit of patching on the go but automate a few different routings with the WMDmatrix, I used to use the Alyseum matrix for that but ran out of room, need a bigger case..as always…still its great trying to work with a limited set of modules, wish there was a eurorack matrix module with built in attenuverters per routing like the totally awesome Buchla 210e."

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

In this Fact Magazine piece from 2017, every known module of RDJ's live modular rig (for 2017) is detailed, including the Make Noise Erbe-Verb.

Per this FACT Magazine feature from June 2017, Aphex Twin was spotted using an Intenllijel 7U Performance Case for live dates that year.

The entire track is made with a Digisound 80. Aphex Twin also includes an excerpt from what seems to be an official manual or handbook that came with the synthesizer.

Per this June 2017 feature in Fact Magazine, Aphex Twin was spotted using an Epoch Modular Benjamin as part of their modular live rig that same year.

Per this June 2017 feature in Fact Magazine, Aphex Twin was spotted with an Analogue Systems RS-35 as part of their live modular rig used in tour dates that same year.

Per this June, 2017 feature in FACT Magazine, Aphex Twin was spotted using a Qu-Bit Tri-Ger for live dates that year.

On this link, there are Richard David James's comments/replies to some of his fans (back when the account had a different name: "user487363530"). In response to the user @kinbotte, Richard not only confirms that he owns the Elektron Analogue Rytm, but also a bunch of other gear: "ive never found one i really liked. i would love to design my own with someone who could build it for me, I dont really want to spend my time building instruments. Elektron RYTM is prob fave right now, although it doesn't sample which is a shame, dsi tempest, RSF SD140, Pearl fightman[needs mods], Pearl sc40,doepfer a112, Dynacord Add one,loads good plugins these days, sds3, Klone dual perc synth. For synth drum sounds, always best to make your own on a modular+imagination, can make more complex and original sounds than any of the above really, just more of a pain to conjure up."

From a MusicRadar interview with Aphex Twin:

I bought a Roland 100M monosynth when I was 13 - it’s like an [SH-]101 - but I got really pissed off with it. I started customising my keyboards, then changing the components. When we started secondary school there was an electronic course, so music and electronics went hand in hand. Plus the fact that I didn't have any money! If I wanted to get anything different, I had to change what I had or make something.

Original source here.

In this photo, Aphex Twin can be seen sitting at his EMS Synthi 100.

From an interview with David Burraston of Noyzelab.

Dave: "wow, great stuff, thats a whole bunch of top modular racketing! hey that reminds me, ow's the System 700?! i rem u showing it me when i came over before i came to oz, first time i'd ever seen one in the flesh."

Rich: "I mean as far as analogue synths go, all you really need is a system700, If I had to keep only one synth it would be that, absolutely the most beautifully designed synth of all time, it's the best for all the conventional type synth sounds, you can go weird on it but it really begs you to set it up and play it like a proper instrument. Its so inspiring to look at and use, system100m's are absolutely gorgeous but 700's sounds and look 4 times as good, and about tht many times heavier. Ive got 2 of the sequencers for it which are just ridiculous to look at, the size of them! and are actually pretty unique."

In the comments, Aphex Twin/user18081971 wrote: "@peter-marigold: no samples or vocals, all generated on the JH fx matrix".

Per this June 2017 feature in Fact Magazine, Aphex Twin was spotted using the 4ms Company Spectral Multiband Resonant Filter as part of their live rig.

Per this June, 2017 feature in FACT Magazine, Aphex Twin was spotted using a Deeper A-186-1 as part of their modular live rig that same year.

Per the Modulargrid profile submitted using alias "user1808197", Richard James used the Tiptop Audio Z-DSP in his Field Day 2017 live set.

This fact was verified, coincidentally, by FACT Magazine in their 2017 feature on the modular rig in question, thank to Richard James' once-unthinkable-but-now-consistent transparency re: his gear choices.

Per this Fact Magazine feature from June 2017, Aphex Twin was spotted using a M.A.S.F. Mo.s Model OSC 03 for live dates that year.

Listed on the Syro album packaging as being one of the pieces of gear used on the recording of such album. It was confirmed by Richard that this list is not 100% accurate, and contains few mistakes. Besides that, the list indicates that Richard owns not 1, but 3 of these.

Listed on the Syro album packaging as being one of the pieces of gear used sometime around the recording.

Per this 2017 Fact Magazine feature, Aphex Twin was spotted using an Intellijel µVCA II as part of their live modular rig for dates that same year.

Per this 2017 Fact Magazine feature, Richard James (aka Aphex Twin) was spotted using a WMD Sequential Switch Matrix as part of their live modular setup for dates that year.

Per this June 2017 FACT Magazine feature, Aphex Twin was spotted using a Cwejman FSH-1 as part of their live modular rig for that same year.

In a YouTube video by Alex Ball titled "Aphex Twin's Old Synth," Richard D. James is shown using the Theis Modular Synthesizer (TMSS).

In a 2014 interview with Dave Noyze, it was confirmed that Aphex Twin uses the Synton Fenix. When asked, "so is that a synton fenix in that?" Aphex Twin responded, "Yes, actually it's TWO synton fenix's patched together making that vocal baseline riff, using all the bandpass filters on both machines.... it sounded a bit more vocal on an earlier pass." This information is sourced from the article "Aphex Twin Releases New Music, Talks Gear, Ice Sculpture" by Corban Goble, published on Pitchfork.