BOC Gear - Old Tunes/Early Era

[Mr?]

I know this has been discussed loads of times but was there ever a breakdown/definitive list of equipment used for the old tunes / early BOC era?

[Aerial Boundaries]

Nope. We're pretty sure they have been using an SH 101 for a long time though.

[d e n]

a tape deck for manipulations and sampling as well ... that is my confident assumption

[Peacock Tail]

They definitely used a Yamaha CS1X synth for some drum tracks (like the end of Chinook and XYZ, maybe 747 too.)

They had a particular scratchy, distorted quality tone wise. Basically on the drums setting, each synth key had a different varying loop so you could create the most bizarre linear drum patterns by pressing a different key every 4 beats. These could then be manipulated in real time using the analogue knobs/filters and pitch shift wheel.

[noisy]

I most certainly agree with AB as I have an SH101and myself and a fellow musical collaborator have come up with many similar BOC like sounds and a few exact ones like ROYGBIV. we try to be careful as to not sound to plagiaristic and have our own sound.
I also have a CS1X and haven't noticed the drum sounds, don't use them that much but nice to know that now , PT.
Looks like im well BOC'd up now

[Aerial Boundaries]

They definitely used a Yamaha CS1X synth for some drum tracks (like the end of Chinook and XYZ, maybe 747 too.)

They had a particular scratchy, distorted quality tone wise. Basically on the drums setting, each synth key had a different varying loop so you could create the most bizarre linear drum patterns by pressing a different key every 4 beats. These could then be manipulated in real time using the analogue knobs/filters and pitch shift wheel.

That sounds like a really cool piece of equipment

Did they mention an Akai Sampler too? I seem to remember they did in an interview

[noisy]

Forgot to mention it but if you take a look at the ATP photos you can Clearly see a CSIX with a BOC Sticker on it and it Does look like they have an akai rack mounted in the bottom of a case

[Negamuse]

The Bocpages gives some information.

http://bocpages.org/wiki/Equipment

It confirms the S1000 from an interview ("We have five or six samplers, but my favorite by far is still the Akai S1000"). Really though, who wasn't using an S1000 in those days?

Also confirms the CS1x via a live photo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Board ... y_1999.jpg That blue colour is a dead giveaway. I reckon you can hear that used on some R35TT stuff.

Lots of speculation over the years over the rest... whether or not a CS80 or SH101 has been used for monosynth sounds. They haven't said, as far as I've seen. As the bocpages notes, the SH101 can make a lot of their signature sounds, as can the other. Also an intreguing quote from someone who saw them live "The synth used by BOC often mistaken for a CS80 is a Crumar with a BOC emblem covering the name of the synth on the back." I've always liked this theory because of this video but it's not as if other synths can't make that sound too.

[Peacock Tail]

I most certainly agree with AB as I have an SH101and myself and a fellow musical collaborator have come up with many similar BOC like sounds and a few exact ones like ROYGBIV. we try to be careful as to not sound to plagiaristic and have our own sound.
I also have a CS1X and haven't noticed the drum sounds, don't use them that much but nice to know that now , PT.
Looks like im well BOC'd up now

Having thought about it further (it's been a while since I used one), I think you get the different loops by holding a configuration of keys whilst using the arpeggiator.

Also, if anyone is interested, you can pick up a second hand one off ebay now for about £100. Some nifty features on it too for that price!

[Peacock Tail]

Also confirms the CS1x via a live photo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Board ... y_1999.jpg That blue colour is a dead giveaway. I reckon you can hear that used on some R35TT stuff.

Yes, the drums on B11 for example.

[Mr?]

CS1X wasn't released till 1996 so wouldn't have been used on old tunes or early boc.
first officialish release was Twoism in 1995?

I think most thing would have been done on the s1000 but how they sequenced this i don't know?

[noisy]

Sorry Mr? I guess we didn't answer your original question with regards to the Old Tunes early BOC stuff, just that we think we know some of the gear they went on to use.
Looking back its the Lighthouse Party Picture that has the CS1X in it , that was October 2000.
Its one of the Greatest mysteries for all the muso,s into BOC . That's why we would all love to see pictures of their studio set up, see what we can spot. they are supposed to have quite a cache of retro gear, so many old analogue synths have similar sounds but always have a few key sounds which are unmistakable.

[Peacock Tail]

CS1X wasn't released till 1996 so wouldn't have been used on old tunes or early boc.
first officialish release was Twoism in 1995?

I think most thing would have been done on the s1000 but how they sequenced this i don't know?

There definitely sounds like one or two examples on R35TT. Is it possible that R35TT has tracks from 1996 or later?

For instance, I wouldn't be surprised if B15 was the CS1X too...?

As for Old Tunes 1 & 2, I can be of no assistance... sorry

[noisy]

Buckie High has the almighty Roland TR808 Rhythm Composer doing kick drum all the way from start to finish .
How could I forget that. I love the track

[DBN44]

This thing oozes an emotive BOC riff - an old Soviet synth called Estradin 314 Solaris

[Kyla]

I Highly doubt that they use A CSX1 on their records, mainly because BOC tend to use the same affordable gear (mainly Roland) over and over to form a cohesive sound.
When they do use piano I'm pretty sure it's either the same synth or sample used over and over. For example, BOC Maxima was released in 1996 and the Roygbiv piano is the same as Olson, Driving Station and even Nothing Is Real. The CSX1 came out in 1996 so I highly doubt they bought a untested new synth that made it on to their demo at the last minute. My guess is that it's the factory default grand piano and chorus piano samples that came with the Akai s1000 or one of the many piano patches for the Yamaha DX7. Why I think it might be the Yamaha DX7 is that the flute sound in Hey Saturday sun is the backwards tape saturated E Piano patch for the DX7 thus making it much more likely the Piano samples at least are from the DX7 rather then them buying a new synth just for one piano sample. The DX7 is so so much better anyways, it's a classic.

As for the Crumar or a Yamaha CS-80 these are ridiculous myths and they need to die now. The Roygbiv base is and it's lead are definitively an SH-101 End of story.
I have the proof if you would like to hear it.

The Yamaha CS-80 even in the mid 90's was one of the best synthesizers ever created It never dipped below 6k and it's valued today at 12-20 k. Not a synth likely a 26 year old would buy just for a demo tape.

Everything else is a special FX recipe chain going out to likely a cassette tape to Tascam 144, Portastudio or a Tascam 246 at 3.5 -7.5 iPS for tape saturation (ie lead of Nothing Is Real) and possibly to something like a Revox PR 99 at 15iPS and a Tascam MSR-16 before or after mixing and mastering is done.

And the secret weapon well thats the most important part of it all It's ....

[DBN44]

I agree Kyla - I owned a CS1X for 5 years, and I knew that machine like the back of my hand. Not once did any of the presets, or the editing capabilities, give any sign to me that BOC used it for anything. For the most part the presets are very 'standard' and uninteresting - and you are limited on editing capabilities as well.

I just think they use a lot of old analog equipment between the 1970s-1980s. I struggle to believe they heavily utilise synths from the 1990s.

Some of the old soviet synths give off interesting sounds - I have to repost that youtube link I posted the other day as a reminder:


I also think they probably use loop pedals with their synths to layer melodies on top of each other. Tracks like Julie and Candy and Jacquard Causeway make me think of them having fun with looping melodies one after the other live.

[Peacock Tail]

May I ask you both which machine you think makes up the drum tracks for Chinook (ending) and XYZ then?

If you read my post it says nothing about presets. I said DRUMS!

[noisy]

Okay! As for the CS1X maybe it was just speculation . But they do own one, it can be seen on the photo taken at the lighthouse gig in 2000. No doubt it is used as a midi master keyboard for controlling other gear on stage

[Kyla]

Unfortunately the dates still don't line up for it to be the CSX1 on drums chinook was likely created in 95 at somepoint. I have a sample bank of the CSX1 Drums and as far as I can tell it's just Bit crushed and compressed roland drum machine sounds, I think the 808. Yes they most certainly do own a CSX1 but it was seen live and for all we know it could have been used a just as a midi controller. Though I suppose they might have used some fx processing but I don't know if you can process effects externally with that unit.