E-mail me at graemecoleman@yahoo.co.uk

I've managed to pick up quite a bit of gear over the past few years, so this is a comprehensive list of what I own, and what I think of it.

Definitely a favourite. I went in to my local friendly music shop to buy some MIDI leads, and got them. And spent £950 on this as well. The sounds are fantastic - it's based on the Juno range of Roland synths from the early 1980s - and it's been used by almost everyone who is anyone. Tragically, however, I heard one of the presets on a song by Shania Twain. Oi, Shania, NOOOOO!!!!

This synth provides quite a few nice basses and wierd wibbly sounds, but it doesn't really do "real" sounds (although this is one of its advantages!)

Korg 01/WFD (Released: 1991, bought by me: 2000)

Again, a synth bought on the spur of the moment at the same music store. I'd actually seen it a couple of times hiding away in the corner for a couple of months, wondering why it wasn't selling, like a lost puppy at some dog home. I just decided to buy it one day on the strength that I like the name "Korg".

I tend to use it for string and piano sounds. Some of the sounds are gorgeous and fat. For what I paid for it, I got a bargain. Since its children, those wierd silver Korg Tritons, have come out, you can pick them up at bargain prices, and they still sound up to date. Famous users: Not sure, but I recognise some of the presets in loads of early-1990s American songs (plus the first preset you come to is the introduction to that "Spaceman" song from the old Levi Jeans advert)

Ensoniq SQ1 (Released: 1990, bought by me: 1997)

Bought from a skint student when I was a skint student. Sadly, due to space restrictions, this synth is currently residing under my parents bed but once I move out again it'll get set up once more.

It produces the most amazing analogue-y, early 1980s type sounds you can imagine. Putting it through a phaser effect makes you think Captain Kirk is going to enter the room at any moment. Nice bass sounds as well. Famous users: Adamski (yeah, well, his one hit was really cool) and, um, well, that's it I think. Wasn't a big seller, I don't think, which is a shame.

Yamaha DX100 (Released: 1986, bought by me: 2002)

Bought purely for vanity reasons. It has a guitar strap, so you can wear it round your neck and pose in front of the mirror. Not that I ever do that. Some of the sounds are nice, but you have to put them through an effects unit, otherwise they sound like a "My Little Pony Keyboard for the Under 5's". Very noisy too - you have to put tonnes of EQ on it otherwise the sounds sound, how can I put this, "farty".

Famous users: Oh god, hundreds - possibly people who went on Top Of The Pops, because of the whole "put it round your neck" thing. I recognise some of the bass sounds from house music, the organ from "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" by Kylie, and the vibraphone sound from "Say You'll Be There" by the Spice Girls (I think).

Roland SH101 (Released: 1982, bought by me: 2003)

Wow...wow...wow...just amazing. What can you say about this thing? I got it from e-bay for £227, with the mod grip and everything, so I can stick this round my neck. Quite possibly, the most amazing synth ever made, even though it can only play one note at a time.

Boss DS330 "Doctor Synth" sound module (Released: 1992, bought by me: 1992)

I'm going to get a little emotional now. This was my first ever "proper" synth, even though it is just a "module", i.e. a synth without a keyboard, just sounds (so you can play the sounds from another keyboard, to save space, y'see). It still sounds really good, although I rarely use it now (I sample the sounds if I need them), but I'll never sell it because I know it inside out. There are a couple of amazing string sounds, and I have fiddled with the bass sounds to get a wibbly, TB303 (bass synth from the 1980s, hideously overpriced in the second hand market because it is "cool") type effect which I use from time to time. Just fantastic. The "old man" of the team as I've had it the longest, although not the oldest synth in my collection.

Famous users: No-one. Very much a "synth for beginners". Although Pop Will Eat Itself (early 1990s indie mad mental people) used one, apparently.

Yamaha TX81Z sound module(Released: 1986/7, bought by me: 2003)

Literally bought about 3 days ago at a bargain price from E-bay. Similar sounding to the DX100, I can't really say much about it as I've not used it for very long. The "Lately Bass" preset is used by so many dance acts it has its own pimp. Fantastic bell and organ sounds, strings are rubbish.

Famous users: Quite a few, actually, I think - it was a "studio module" in quite a few studios in the late 1980s.

What can I say? Industry standard, brilliant to control, top quality sampling. I've added a USB board to control it from the PC, and an effects board to beef up my samples. I use it for sampling drum loops or vocals (not my own, I'm not that mad). Fun thing to do: Get a microphone, connect it to the S5000, swear into it, reverse it, listen to the swear word backwords, try and imitate it and record it backwards again, then reverse it so that you've recorded it backwards, but it plays it back forwards (I've not lost you, have I?). Sounds wierd - a bit Russian/South African. Or, record your voice and speed it up and slow it down - it keeps young cousins amused.

Famous users: There probably isn't a studio in the country without one.

Again, another item bought from E-bay about 3 days ago, this time at the bargain £30!!!! I've stuck it through the effects in my Boss studio thingy (see below) and, to be honest, thousands of New Romantic bands might sue. 1980s drumming ahoy! My intention is probably to sample the 9 (yes, that's just 9) drum sounds and then resell the thing, cos it takes up a wee bit too much space. But, it does have nice pads on it, so you can spend an evening pretending to be a drummer.

Famous users: Again, I'm not sure, but stick the sounds through reverb and you get a fairly standard 1980s drum pattern.

It does it's job. Basically, it "mixes" the sounds of each synth/sampler/drum machine together so that one can record the final song to CD, or just to listen to it using headphones. Sadly, this might be next on the "For Sale" list, as I've run out of inputs - it only has 4 stereo inputs and, as I've got more than 4 sound sources (see all the gear above!), I really need to get a bigger one.

Famous users: Too many - Soundcraft is industry standard, so loads of people have one.

Well, I guess I needed something to run all this equipment in sequence, so I got one of those wierd PC computer thingies. I also managed to get the sequencer Cubase SL thrown in too, which is a bit of a nightmare to use if you've never used it before - I'm going to have to sit down one day and learn how to use it. Octamed is another sequencer which I've used for years and is far easier, although not many people like it. I do, so na na na.

Famous users: Just about 99% of producers use Cubase SL. 80/20 PC/Mac, I think. 0.01% use Octamed (I think that's only me).

A bit wierd this thing. I didn't really mean to buy it, but I did. I actually went in to get a compressor, and ended up with this "all in one" thing. Still, it has its uses (it's really cool) - the effects on it are mad, so I drive some of the older synths through its inputs. I never use it to its full potential, but I imagine it can be quite powerful.

One of these things which you're never quite sure why you've got it, but can't do without it.The musical equivalent of a woman.

Phillips CDR770 CD Recorder NOW SOLD!!!

Bought before you could get a CD recorder for a computer. Not used as much now, as I have a recordable CD player within my PC tower, but it's useful as a player.

I don't think I'll get rid of it, as it's quite useful to have round the house. The musical equivalent of...etc. etc.

Back to my home page