Prince Purple Rain

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(last updated: 22/4/21)

Instruments & gear

Prince (studio/live gear)

  • Drum machines/drums:
    • Linn LM-1 drum machine
    • Simmons SDS-V drums
  • Basses:
    • Fender Precision
    • Fender Jazz
  • Synthesizers:
    • Oberheim OB-X?
    • Oberheim OB-SX?
    • Oberheim OB-Xa
    • Oberheim OB-8 (possibly "Take Me With U" and "When Doves Cry")
    • Yamaha DX7? (“When Doves Cry”)
    • Arp Omni-2
  • Pianos:
    • 1907 Steinway B 7' grand piano (Sunset Sound equipment, "Beautiful Ones" piano)
    • Yamaha CP-80?
    • Yamaha CP70 (home)
  • Guitars &amps:
    • Hohner MadCat guitar /w Strat-style pickups
    • Mesa Boogie Mk. IIC+ heads
    • Mesa Boogie 500 amp
    • Marshall amps
  • Effects:
    • Roland Boss Pedals:
      • Boss BF-2 Flanger
      • Boss OC-2 Octaver
      • Boss SD-1 SuperOverdrive
      • Boss DS-2 Distortion
      • Boss VB-2 Vibrato
    • Dunlop Cry Baby Wah pedal
  • Other:
    • Bag End D-12M speakers

Bobby Z.:

  • 2 x Linn LM-1 drum machine
  • Simmons SDS-V black pads
  • Simmons SDS-V module
  • 2x Pearl Syncussion SY-1 module
  • 2x Pearl Syncussion SY-1 (black) trigger pads
  • Zildjian cymbals:
    • 14” hi-hat
    • 18” crash
    • 16” crash
    • 20” ride

Matt Fink:

  • Arp Omni-2
  • Oberheim OB-Xa
  • Yamaha CP-70
  • Arp Pro Soloist
  • Memorymoog Plus (“I Would Die 4 U” bass synth part from First Avenue concert, possibly replaced later)

Lisa Coleman:

  • Oberheim OB-SX
  • Oberheim OB-Xa

Brown Mark

  • Fender Jazz bass
  • Ampeg SVT

Wendy Melvoin:

  • Guitars:
    •  Modified Purple Rickenbacker 330 /w EMG pickups
  • Effects:
    • Boss CS-1
    • TC Electronics Vintage Dual Distortion pedal
    • MXR MC401 boost
    • Dunlop Cry Baby Wah pedal
  • Other:
    • Mesa/Boogie Mark IIC+ amp heads
    • JBL speakers

Recording equipment (studio/live)

Microphones:

  • Sunset Sound Studio 3:
    • AKG C414s (“The Beautiful Ones” piano)
    • Neumann U47 (vocals, cello)
    • Telefunken 251 (violins)
  • The Warehouse:
    • Sennheiser MD 421s (guitars)
    • Sennheiser D330 (vocals)
    • Shure SM57s (various instruments)
  • First Avenue concert:
    • 6xAKG 451 (four for audience and ambience tracks, two for overheads)
    • AKG D-12 (kick drum)
    • Neumann KM84 condenser (hi-hat)
    • Shure SM57 dynamic microphones (vocals, Prince & Wendy guitar amps, snare)
    • Sennheiser 421 (rack toms)

Outboard Equipment:

  • Sunset Sound Studio 3:
    • Kepex noise gate (listed on TMWY session)
    • EMT plate 250 reverb
    • Eventide H949 Harmonizer
    • Lexicon 224X reverb
    • Lexicon Delta T delay
    • Universal Audio Teletronix LA-2A compressor
    • UREI 1176 compressors/limiters
  • Warehouse:
    • EMT 140 reverb
    • EMT 250 reverb
    • Eventide H910 harmonizer (assumed)
    • Eventide H949 harmonizer (assumed)
    • Lexicon 224X reverb
    • Lexicon Prime Time delay (assumed)
    • U.A. LA2A/3A (?)
    • Unknown gating units
  •  First Avenue:
    • Dbx 160 compressor
    • UREI 1176 compressors/limiters
    • UREI LA3A
  • Kiowa Trail:
    • Lexicon 224X reverb
    • Teletronix compressors?

Tape Machines:

  • Ampex MM1200 2-inch 24-track machine (Kiowa Trail, Warehouse & First Avenue) – two lots of these were used for overdubs onto the First Avenue tracks (plus the studio version of Computer Blue) at Sunset Sound, thus expanding the number of tracks from 24 to 48 tracks.
  • Ampex ATR-100 1/2-inch 2-track (Kiowa Trail & Sunset Sound)
  • Ampex ATR-100 1/4-inch 2-track (Kiowa Trail & Sunset Sound)

Mixing Consoles:

  • API custom 40-input Frank DeMideo console /w JBL components (Sunset Sound Studio 3)
  • API console from Westlake (Warehouse)
  • Soundcraft 3B console (Kiowa Trail Home Studio, Darling Nikki)

Miscellaneous equipment:

  • Ampex 456 tape
  • Ampex 250 tape
  • Q-lock tape machine synchronizer (Sunset Sound Studio 3)
  • Yamaha NS-10 monitors
  • Auratones monitors

References

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

https://mixdownmag.com.au/features/columns/gear-rundown-princes-purple-rain/

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

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