Grandmaster Flash

Featured at the end of this August 19, 2016 HOT 97 interview. There is a performance at 51:06 and an overview of its history at 52:21. It was notably used on "Flash to the Beat", as featured in this May 5, 2020 Reverb.com article.

What it was is, we was very competitive back then. So, we four, whether it was Breakout, or whether it was Herc, or whether it was Bam, or whether it was Flash, we always tried to come up with either that great beat, eBro, or just something innovative. So, there was this guy who lived in the Jackson Projects on 149th Street in Jackson Avenue, he was a drummer and he used to use this to practice with and I always stayed in touch with him. I said "If you ever wanted to get rid of it, I will buy it off you." The time came and he says "Flash, it's for sale" and I paid 150 dollars for it. You know, I've had this inside of a bank vault at Chase for probably a good 30 years. I'm very careful with it. I'm extremely careful with it.

Flash's first mixer, which he modified to have a cue system. He discusses its origins in this 1994 interview excerpt, erroneously describing it as having eight channels.

Actually, the first particular mixer I had was by Sony, was a Sony MX-8. It was a eight-channel mic mixer. And what I had to do is build an external cueing system, so what I did is I went to RadioShack and bought what's called a single-pole, double-throw switch where as in the center it would be off. When you clicked it to the left you pre-heard the left turntable and when you double-click it to the right, you pre-heard the other one. And what I did is I Krazy-glued it to the top of the mixer. Then, what I did was I wired between the switches an external amplifier that pushed about five or six watts, just enough wattage to drive a headphone. This enabled me to pre-hear what it was that I was doing and the mixers of that time didn't have crossfaders, so I was actually doing it with a up and down [mimes adjusting faders], sort o' mix it. So I took a mic mixer and just totally converted it.

Created for Grandmaster Flash. It is visible in this August 14, 2017 video starting at 0:40.

Developed in collaboration with Grandmaster Flash. They were featured in this September 17, 2014 Facebook post.

My special edition SOL REPUBLIC headphones have bass-rich V8 sound engines. See how I listen to Hip Hop. I gave ya a chance to win em but now you can buy em!

"Designed by Grandmaster Flash", as featured on the front of the device and in this June 29, 2017 Facebook post by Gemini DJ South Africa.

#ThrowbackThursday before transform and kill switches made their way onto mixer there was the "Flash Former" designed by the great Grandmaster Flash himself! Thanks to DJWORX for the post.

Visible in this August 14, 2017 video starting at 0:40. They are also mentioned in this October 20, 2016 Forbes interview and this September 26, 2019 Reddit post of Flash's live setup.

I like to use Traktor, and I use two turntables. I really like the Pioneer PLX-1000. The [Rane] TTM 7SL mixer, two microphones—one for the crowd, one for me. I bring about 4 terrabytes of hard drives, so now I put a good portion of my collection in there. I play festivals and large performances. That's what I do a lot these days, and it's pretty cool.

Gifted to the National Museum of American History.

This Technics brand turntable was made by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., in Japan. It is a SL-1200 MK2 model, serial number CG972F184, originally released in 1979 as a high fidelity record player for the average consumer, and was soon adopted by radio and club deejays. This model also became very popular with early hip hop deejays and was used by hip hop pioneer, Grandmaster Flash.

(...) Credit Line

Gift of Grandmaster Flash

Visible throughout this July 16, 2009 video starting at 0:04.

Two are visible in this August 14, 2017 video starting at 0:40.

Visible in this August 14, 2017 video starting at 0:40.

Featured in this February 19, 2010 Native Instruments interview at 1:41. It also appears in this July 16, 2009 video at 3:13.

A blue one is featured in this photo of Flash. It was also used during his demo of Native Instruments' Traktor Scratch.

Visible in this July 16, 2009 video at 3:30.

Comes into clear view in this July 16, 2009 video at 0:57, identifiable by its windscreen's distinct shape.

Part of Flash's 2019 setup, as featured in this September 26, 2019 Reddit post. It is also mentioned in this October 20, 2016 Forbes interview.

I like to use Traktor, and I use two turntables. I really like the Pioneer PLX-1000. The [Rane] TTM 7SL mixer, two microphones—one for the crowd, one for me. I bring about 4 terrabytes of hard drives, so now I put a good portion of my collection in there. I play festivals and large performances. That's what I do a lot these days, and it's pretty cool.

Part of Flash's 2019 setup, as featured in this September 2016, 2019 Reddit post.

Two are part of Flash's 2019 setup, as featured in this September 2016, 2019 Reddit post. One can be seen in this August 14, 2017 video starting at 0:40.

Visible throughout this January 3, 2014 video starting at 0:05.

Visible throughout this January 3, 2014 video starting at 0:05.

In this interview about Grandmaster Flash's most well known hit "The message" the guy who wrote and performed the iconic synthline, Ed “Duke Bootee” Fletcher, states he used a Prophet 5 synth, an Oberheim DMX drum machine, "Skip's guitar" and some percussions for the instrumental lines of the song (almost exactly in the middle of the interview).

In this interview about Grandmaster Flash's most well known hit "The message" the guy who wrote and performed the iconic synthline, Ed “Duke Bootee” Fletcher, states he used a Prophet 5 synth, an Oberheim DMX drum machine, "Skip's guitar" and some percussions for the instrumental lines of the song (almost exactly in the middle of the interview).