Prince Purple Rain

(last updated: 20/8/24)

Instruments (Prince, except where noted)

Drums, drum machines & percussion:

  • Linn Electronics LM-1
  • Linn Electronics LinnDrum: “Take Me With You” tom-toms and/or crashes
  • Simmons SDS-V electronic drum system: Bobby Z, Prince – also for triggering LM-1 live
  • Zildjian cymbals (Bobby Z, possibly Prince): 14” hi-hat, 16" & 18" crashes, 20" ride

Keyboards & synthesizers:

  • ARP Omni-2: Prince (e.g. “When Doves Cry”), Matt Fink
  • Oberheim OB-X
  • Oberheim OB-Xa: Prince, Lisa Coleman & Matt Fink
  • Oberheim OB-SX: Lisa Coleman
  • Oberheim OB-8

Pianos:

  • 1907 Steinway & Sons B 7’ acoustic grand: Sunset Sound’s, e.g. “The Beautiful Ones”
  • Yamaha CP-70: Matt Fink’s, played on songs like “Let’s Go Crazy” (solo on extended version), “Purple Rain”

Guitar rig (Prince):

  • Hohner HG490 “MadCat”
  • Mesa Boogie Mk. IIC+ heads /w Bag End D-12M cabinets
  • Mesa Boogie 500
  • Pedalboard:
    • Boss BF-2 Flanger
    • Boss OC-2 Octaver
    • Boss SD-1 SuperOverdrive
    • Boss DS-2 Distortion
    • Boss VB-2 Vibrato
    • Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Guitar rig (Wendy Melvoin):

  • Rickenbacker 360/12 /w Seymour Duncan pickups: Wendy Melvoin’s
  • Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp heads
  • JBL speakers
  • Effects:
    • Boss CE-1 Chorus (e.g. “Purple Rain”)
    • Boss CS-1 Compressor
    • TC Electronics Vintage Dual Distortion pedal
    • MXR MX401 boost
    • Dunlop Cry Baby Wah

Basses:

  • Fender Jazz (various, hired in for Prince sessions)
  • Fender Jazz (refinished purple): Brown Mark’s, through Ampeg SVT and occasionally a Boss DS-1 Distortion (“Let’s Go Crazy”, “Computer Blue”)
  • Fender Precision (various, hired in for Prince sessions)

Recording equipment (studio/live)

Microphones:

  • Sunset Sound Studio 3:
    • AKG C414 EB (“The Beautiful Ones” piano)
    • Neumann U47 (vocals, cello)
    • Neumann U87 (overheads)
    • Sennheiser MD421 (tom-toms)
    • Telefunken 251 (violins)
  • The Warehouse:
    • Sennheiser MD421 (guitars)
    • Sennheiser SKM-4031 (vocals)
    • Shure SM57 (various instruments)
  • First Avenue concert:
    • 6 x AKG 451 (four for audience and ambience tracks, two for overheads)
    • Neumann KM84 (hi-hat)
    • Shure SM57 (Prince & Wendy guitar amps, snare)
    • Sennheiser SKM-4031 (live vocals, as kept on "Purple Rain") 

Tape recorders:

  • Ampex MM1200 24-track: First Avenue, Warehouse, Kiowa Trail & Sunset Sound. Two of these were synced via Q-lock at Sunset Sound for overdubs to 48-track on the First Avenue tracks.
  • Ampex ATR-100 ½-inch 2-track
  • Ampex ATR-100 ¼-inch 2-track

Outboard (partial list):

  • Eventide H910 Harmonizer
  • Eventide H949 Harmonizer
  • Lexicon T-102 Delta T digital delay
  • Lexicon 224X digital reverb
  • Teletronix LA-2A compressor: vocal chain at Sunset Sound
  • UREI 1176LN peak limiter
  • Valley People Kepex II noise gates: Sunset Sound

Mixing consoles:

  • API Custom 44/24: First Avenue concert recordings from Record Plant ‘Black’ mobile truck
  • API/JBL Sunset Industries custom 32-in/24-out: Sunset Sound Studio 3
  • API: St. Louis Park Warehouse, tracking of “Let’s Go Crazy” and “Computer Blue”
  • Soundcraft 3B: Kiowa Trail Home Studio

Other:

  • Ampex 456 tape
  • Scotch 250 tape
  • Auratone 5C monitors
  • Yamaha NS-10 monitors

Sources

https://prince.org/msg/5/343143

https://www.housequake.com/2004/02/02/dr-fink-interview/

Prince In The Studio 1975-1995 by Jake Brown

Prince and the Purple Rain era studio sessions 1983 and 1984 by Duane Tudahl

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpAMiFkwK0w

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o6BeTB1n64M

https://www.guitarplayer.com/amp/gear/how-princes-purple-rain-mesaboogie-mark-iic-turned-up-in-a-minneapolis-music-store

http://web.archive.org/web/20120604000040/http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/prince-the-unsung-guitar-hero

https://www.guitarworld.com/amp/features/the-secrets-behind-princes-tone-on-lets-go-crazy

guitarcloud.com

Musician October 1984

Peggy McCreary Sunset Sound interview

Guitar Cloud

Various

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