BOC Live gear ID

Either_Bridge · Post by **Either_Bridge** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:14 am

Maybe this has been covered somewhere else already but I figured I'd check into it b/c I'm just so dang curious. I've seen some pics of boc from the sparse number of live performances they've done and I wish I could identify some of the equipment that's right in front of them, has anyone been able to id any of their gear? On bocpages they mention the Yamaha CS1x Marcus is using in the infamous Warp Lighthouse Party live pic, but what about all the other gear? I know it's mostly rear panels and brand names covered with BOC labels but surely somebody who maybe owns some of that gear can recognize it from the back? Plus there are some pics from other angles on bocpages, I'm just wondering if anybody has tackled this conundrum before?

Pretzel · Post by **Pretzel** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 2:38 am

I'd just like to start off by saying that BOC are not defined by the exact equipment that they happen to use. Give the lads nothing but a couple of acoustic guitars and they will still work the wonders that we have come to appreciate them for. If it wasn't one particular sampler, it would be another. If it wasn't one particular mono-synth, it would be another.

For me the point of determining their equipment is the intellectual challenge of looking closely, listening closely, and trying to reverse engineer the sound that I hear. It's an enjoyable puzzle that I pick up and put back down from time to time, nothing more.

All Shows:

Soundcraft Spirit Folio SX
http://www.soundcraft.com/products/product.aspx?pid=25
http://www.zikinf.com/_gfx/matos/dyn/la ... lio-sx.jpg

Yamaha AN1x
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical- ... mode=model

Akai S3000i
http://www.vintagesynth.com/akai/s3000.php

Lighthouse:

Yamaha A3000 (with optional AIEB1 I/O expansion board)
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music-pr ... mode=model
http://www.dancetech.com/aa_dt_new/hard ... 0_main.jpg

All Tomorrow's Parties:

Alesis ADAT (original 1992 blackface model)
http://www.alesis.com/stuff/contentmgr/ ... _color.jpg

bluesky · Post by **Fredd-E** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 9:34 am

http://bocpages.org/wiki/Equipment

robotanalysis · Post by **robotanalysis** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:43 pm

Didn't think it was a CS1X on stage, rather an AN1X. I owned one for 10+ years and it was AWESOME. The majority of my sounds were from that one synth - http://robotana.startlogic.com/music.

IanRedpoint · Post by **IanRedpoint** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 6:51 pm

robotanalysis wrote:Didn't think it was a CS1X on stage, rather an AN1X. I owned one for 10+ years and it was AWESOME. The majority of my sounds were from that one synth - http://robotana.startlogic.com/music.

The AN1x is definitely a much better synth than the CS1x (which I finally learned to program... and it still sounded rubbish!). Impossible to tell from that photo which it is. If we could see the sockets at the back then I could tell.

SonicDimension · Post by **SonicDimension** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 10:30 am

If it was a CS1x, it was probably being used as a MIDI controller to play an Akai sampler or some other piece of gear. The AN1x sounds really cool, but I doubt they would be using it because they have said they do not like virtual analog synths. btw, for those who don't know, the CS1x and AN1x have the same case, so they would be indistinguishable in the photo.

Either_Bridge · Post by **Either_Bridge** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 5:35 am

Thanks Pretzel, exactly what I was looking for. On the subject of the CS1x vs the AN1x in the photo you can see (sortof) the empty panel the AN1x has next to the midi in/out ports that the CS1x doesn't have (where the CS1x has "to host" and input) if you fiddle with contrast/saturation. So it looks like it was in fact an AN1x they were using; but you can also clearly see no audio cables coming from output, only midi out so it was just a controller anyways.
Good stuff.

Either_Bridge · Post by **Either_Bridge** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 6:18 am

Anybody have any idea what type of sequencer they're using?

SonicDimension · Post by **SonicDimension** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 9:34 pm

Either_Bridge wrote:Anybody have any idea what type of sequencer they're using?

From what I have read in interviews, they like to record parts to tape, do all their wild sound manipulations, and then record the tracks into Logic when they are ready to do the arrangement. I don't know whether they mix & master in the box or out of the box, though.

As far as I know, they do not use any software instruments and their use of effects plug-ins is minimal. They said they have used a software convolution reverb, but I think generally if they can use hardware effects, they choose them over software.

So really, it's not important which sequencer and software they use because they use it in such a basic way. But who knows, maybe their workflow is different these days.

hexagonLife · Post by **hexagonLife** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 10:36 pm

Numerator · Post by **Numerator** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 12:22 pm

do we actually know how much of the live material was played "live" so to speak? I love boc to death but I wouldn't be suprised if they had mostly been playing a backing track and the majority of their live tweaking was to do with the video projections etc.

mucephei · Post by **mucephei** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 1:41 pm

Looks like a couple of Ferguson TVs there

Turrican808 · Post by **Turrican808** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:02 pm

Its definately a Yamaha CS1x or an AN1x.

They both have the same case as each other.

If I had to guess which - looking at the colour of it I'd say it was more likely a CS1x. Ive owned a CS1x in the past and currently own an AN1x and the CS1x is a lighter blue colour than the AN1x. The colour of it in the photo is more of a lighter blue than the AN1x case. The AN1x is a darker blue.

Either way we know its one of the two!

Yes its most probably being used as a controller keyboard.

Turrican808 · Post by **Turrican808** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:12 pm

The rack on the right in the foreground is also obscuring the right hand side of the synth on the photo, which is where the midi sockets / audio outputs / select switch (if it is a CS1x) etc are so you cant see the cables coming out the back of it.

The two wires that you can see are going underneath it to another piece of gear presumably...
Wonder whats on the table behind the racks?

Would have loved to have been there and seen them play live!

re-phaelam-ed · Post by **re-phaelam-ed** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:57 am

middle rack bottom: AKAI Sxxxx [note the SCSI connection]

SonicDimension · Post by **SonicDimension** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 7:50 am

Here are a few more photos of them performing live:

It must have been a real pain to lug all that gear to the shows.