Famous users and use of the EIII on records

[dvdborn]

I'm guessing that most of us were lusting after an EIII when they first came out and were too expensive.

What were the records or artists that pointed you towards the EIII?

First time I saw an EIII on television was when the Pet Shop Boys used it with their playback performances on Top of The Pops. It must have been during their 'What have I done to deserve this' period. Around that time New Order also started using the EIII. Have a look at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/BkWxlb8EIYE&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/BkWxlb8EIYE&rel=1</a> to see them in action live with an EIII.

The album that really got me wanting an EIII was 'Chansons des mers froides' (1994) by Hector Zazou. The whole album was made with an EIII. You can read more about it here: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/jun95/hectorzazou.html

Also Depeche Mode with their Violator (1990) album increased my EIII lust.

David

[rokuez]

Depeche Mode's Violator album got me into the EIII.

I heard that Dr. Dre used the EIII for most of the NWA albums along with the sp.

Yanni also used the EIII "Yanni - used Emulators most notably in Yanni Live at Acropolis" from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mu_Emulator

Supposedly Yanni has more EIII's then any other artist...

respect

[EIII]

My emulator III was previously owned by Mr Musarama which made quite some cheezey 80's french pop hits such as Stephanie de Monaca 's pathetic songs or Jeanne Mass's stuff also....

Went to the EIII because of Hector Zazou and indeed the seminal album "chansons des mers froides" on Cramned records which is simply the E3 at its best when it's manipulated by such talented people.

 

[buchla]

I've read somewhere that Front 242 made their "Tragedy for You" album with the EIII. They used the EI and EII a lot for on their first records and are still using a EII+.

Other guys who used the EIII are CJ Bolland and David Morley.

The picture below is the EIII from CJ but I'm not sure if he still owns it because he moved his studio last year.

[buchla]

I just uploaded a video of CJ making a sample with the EIII in the R&S studio in 1991: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/3vPhaCe2RyU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/3vPhaCe2RyU&rel=1</a>

[buchla]

Sorry but I've put the link to quickly on this forum. It seems that the video has to be accepted by the youtube crew first before sharing with all the public. So you should try the link later. If it isn't viewable tomorrow I'll upload it again. So stay tuned guys!

[vds242]

Hello!

FRONT 242 never used an EIII.

On their "tyranny for You" album, they have created most of the sounds with the following gear:

AKAI S1000
Oberheim XPander
Roland R8
Yamaha DX7
and "sometimes" Emulator II

They only have one Emulator II !!!! No Emulator II+ or +HD

greetings from germany....

chris

[buchla]

FRONT 242 never used an EIII.
They only have one Emulator II !!!! No Emulator II+ or +HD

I had wrong info and it's indeed an EII no II+

[Sleepwalker]

Heaven 17 use an Elll

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/HUCUHNUeNDw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/HUCUHNUeNDw&rel=1</a>

[dvdborn]

Here is Alan Wilder producing Nitzer Ebb.
The first minute features the EIII

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/kSYTaUbP4xU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/kSYTaUbP4xU&rel=1</a>

[buchla]

Hector Zazou used the Emulator III for the songs on his album "Songs From The Cold Seas" (Chansons Des Mers Froides). Info: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/jun95/hectorzazou.html

Excerpt from that article:

Zazou's main home studio tool is, apart from three ADATs, his Emulator III. Virtually all the backing sounds on Songs From The Cold Seas were created or sampled or processed in the Emu III, with only a few exceptions, such as the keyboard sounds on Bjork's track, which were Lightwave-designed and played on a Roland JD800, the electric piano on Jane Siberry's magnificent Newfoundland song, 'She's Like A Swallow', played on a DX7II, and some Emulator SP12 that was applied to the stark-sounding Ainu lullaby 'Yaisa Maneena'. For other Lightwave sounds, Zazou would visit their studio in Paris, record the sounds he liked on DAT and sample them with his Emulator III back at base. Various synth sounds, such as sounds from Jean-Michael Jarre's ARP 2700 (heard at the beginning of 'Yaisa Maneena') were also sampled and processed in the Emulator.

Zazou's sounds are very clear, with a strong, modern, digital quality to them, yet also have true warmth and depth. Zazou explains: "For Sahara Blue I used the Emulator II, and for Cold Seas it's mainly Emulator III and a little bit of the II. I'm very very happy with the Emulator III, even to the point that when I have created a sound that I like in my TX816, I will sample it with my Emu. I think that DX7 sounds are too cold and recognisable, and the Emu makes them warmer and gives them more character. The Emulator has a great warmth and a huge, beautiful bass that you don't get from the Akai samplers, for example. I do many sound treatments in the Emulator: using the LFO, or the reverse function, or the EQ, or the filters. I find that by putting everything through the Emulator I have been able to create a coherent sound universe.

"The Emulator gives a new lease of life to old sounds, which is why I have sampled most of my old synths on it, and sold them or put them in the attic. I used to have many synths -- Juno 106, JX8P, Oberheim OB8, OBX, ARP 2600, M1, D50 and so on -- but I find that when you're going back to the same sounds on them for most of the time, it's better to stop using them. It doesn't mean that the instrument is finished and that you can't find something new on it, but you're simply losing too much time with it. Now when new equipment comes out, I borrow it from a shop, work with it for two weeks, sample what I want, and give it back, because I think that very few of them are actually worth having, especially since I much prefer the sounds of older, analogue synths. So over the years I've built up an enormous sound library."

Does anyone of you have listen to this album yet?

[dvdborn]

Yup, I listened to it a lot.

It is one of my all time favorite albums. And the one album that started me lust for the EIII.

Beware, it's no ordinary pop album. At the time, in 1994, it was sounding very fresh and new to my ears.

David

[buchla]

Hector Zazou died yesterday.

[dvdborn]

Yes, a great loss...

A while ago I chatted with him about the synthesizers he used on his, than latest album, l'absence. We also talked about the EIII which he used on Songs from the cold seas.

I am a fan of his music.

David

[Elmbeatz]

May he rest in peace!
How old was he?