Gary Numan

Gary Numan is shown using the Roland AIRA TR-8 in a post on his official Facebook page.

"I use the E-magic Logic sequencer through a Mac Quadra 650 computer. This is linked to the instruments and to the studio via an Opcode Studio 4 interface. The studio desk is a Soundtracs Quartz (32 Channel, the little one), Quad amp and Tannoy Little Gold speakers. I have an Otari MX-80 24 track 2" tape recorder which I mix onto DAT via a Soundtools hard disc editor. (An Atari version so it will have to go soon). I wired the room myself and, surprisingly, it works quite well."

"...the tiresome role of drumming currently being handled by an Akai S1000 sampler/Apple Macintosh Quadra 650 computer/Emagic Notator Logic sequencer combination..."

Used during the 90s; this article was published in the July 1996 issue of Sound On Sound magazine.

As used by Roxy Music, Ultravox, Gary Numan, Phil Collins, John Foxx, OMD, Blondie, Japan, etc.

Brought in to supplement the touring set up in 2006 and was used until 2014. It was also used on the early Splinter demo’s and some of the songs on Dead Son Rising.

Numan reveals yet more Roland gear. In pride of place on top of the piano is the ubiquitous TR-808 of which Gary says: You can often hear me with that going at home sitting at my old piano waiting for inspiration to strike. It's got some really good sounds in it and I don't know if it's me or not but it seems to have a better feel than some of the other drum machines I've heard.'

Looking back rather than forward, the main studio area of Rock City is equipped with a very nice Bosendorfer grand which unfortunately will have to be sold off. Gary also has a good selection of guitars and keyboards lying around, including a Linn LM-1 drum machine, Oberheim OBXa and the Wave Team's new Yamaha DX5.

Gary Numan used the Roland TR-77 Rhythm 77 drum machine on the track "I Nearly Married a Human" from the album Replicas, as detailed on Dubsounds.

"Although Numan writes all of his music on an aged upright piano, slowly adding effects, synth sounds and big beats, he also works with modern gear: Emagic Logic Audio Platinum and Digidesign Pro Tools on an Apple Mac G4 with two iZ Technology RADAR 24 digital recorders and a Mackie d8b desk. His synths are both soft and hard: Korg Wavestation, Alesis QuadraSynth, Korg M1, Roland D50 LA, GEM S2 Turbo and a Korg electric piano."

"Although Numan writes all of his music on an aged upright piano, slowly adding effects, synth sounds and big beats, he also works with modern gear: Emagic Logic Audio Platinum and Digidesign Pro Tools on an Apple Mac G4 with two iZ Technology RADAR 24 digital recorders and a Mackie d8b desk. His synths are both soft and hard: Korg Wavestation, Alesis QuadraSynth, Korg M1, Roland D50 LA, GEM S2 Turbo and a Korg electric piano."

This machine was used solely on the Pure album. Ideas were sent backwards and forwards between producers Rob/Monti and me via this ADAT. It hasn’t been used since Pure was finished.

"I have a Mac and I run Pro Tools 10. I would go up to Pro Tools 11 but with 11 Avid, in typical fashion, stopped supporting the desk I use, my Control 24, and I love that desk, so I’ve stayed with 10 for the time being."

In the effects rack lie the new Roland delays the SDE-1000 and SDE-3000. It transpires that these were quite a find for Gary and they now get put to great use on both voices and instruments.

"I use the E-magic Logic sequencer through a Mac Quadra 650 computer. This is linked to the instruments and to the studio via an Opcode Studio 4 interface. The studio desk is a Soundtracs Quartz (32 Channel, the little one), Quad amp and Tannoy Little Gold speakers. I have an Otari MX-80 24 track 2" tape recorder which I mix onto DAT via a Soundtools hard disc editor. (An Atari version so it will have to go soon). I wired the room myself and, surprisingly, it works quite well."

"I use the E-magic Logic sequencer through a Mac Quadra 650 computer. This is linked to the instruments and to the studio via an Opcode Studio 4 interface. The studio desk is a Soundtracs Quartz (32 Channel, the little one), Quad amp and Tannoy Little Gold speakers. I have an Otari MX-80 24 track 2" tape recorder which I mix onto DAT via a Soundtools hard disc editor. (An Atari version so it will have to go soon). I wired the room myself and, surprisingly, it works quite well."

Gary Numan used the Simmons SDS-V Drum Synthesizer, a staple of electronic drums in the mid-80s, as mentioned in the Bloodfetish91 article "Gary Numan: Berserker."

Photo from Gary Numan's Twitter, in which he can be seen playing a Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S61 MKII keyboard.

In the effects rack lie the new Roland delays the SDE-1000 and SDE-3000. It transpires that these were quite a find for Gary and they now get put to great use on both voices and instruments.

"The new AMS units will still be there - the DMX 15-80S has a 1.6 second delay which is quite enough, and if we want to fly in longer samples like hook lines or multiple backing vocals, we do it from quarter-inch tape. Because the studio isn't being used commercially I don't feel we need 35 second digital delays and I have to be a bit frugal on the financial side. The AMS RMX16 reverb and the Lexicon will stay, although we don't really need all the compressors and noise gates we have. There's a Scamp rack, some Drawmers, Kepex gates, a Universal Audio Limiter and a few other things - I think the Drawmers are my favourites."

"The new AMS units will still be there - the DMX 15-80S has a 1.6 second delay which is quite enough, and if we want to fly in longer samples like hook lines or multiple backing vocals, we do it from quarter-inch tape. Because the studio isn't being used commercially I don't feel we need 35 second digital delays and I have to be a bit frugal on the financial side. The AMS RMX16 reverb and the Lexicon will stay, although we don't really need all the compressors and noise gates we have. There's a Scamp rack, some Drawmers, Kepex gates, a Universal Audio Limiter and a few other things - I think the Drawmers are my favourites."