Thompson Twins Here’s To Future Days recording gear

(last updated:)

Instruments

Tom Bailey:

• Movement MCS-2 drum computer
• Oberheim OB-Xa ("workhorse" synth)
• Yamaha DX7
• Yamaha CP-70 piano
• Fairlight CMI Series IIx
• Casio CZ-5000 (owned by Nile Rodgers)
• Fender Telecaster – later stolen en route from Paris to New York
• ESP Mirage 1984 black (Skyline & Live Aid)
• ESP Pocket studio

Joe Leeway:

• Emulator II synth
• Handmade congas
• H Van Zalinge Z-bass

Alannah Currie:

• Marimba MIDI’d to Yamaha DX-7
• Xylophone
• Castanets
• Tuned percussion

Nile Rodgers:   

• New England Digital Synclavier II
• ESP Eclipse guitar
• "The Rat" distortion pedal (on "King For A Day")
• Seymour Duncan amp

Miscellaneous studio equipment & microphones:

• AKG C414 (vocals)
• Shure SM57 (Nile Rodgers guitar)
• Simmons SDS-9 (or SDS-7) (tom samples)
• 3M Digital Mastering System 32-track (Marcadet studios)
• 2 x Sony 3324 digital 24-track machines (Skyline studios) – locked together for transferring 32 track recordings
• Sony RM-3310 remote control (Skyline)
• SSL 4000 E-series console (Skyline)
• Harrison ‘consolette’ (Skyline)

References:

http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/track-record-the-thompson-twins/6758#

Keyboard 1986 (unknown issue)

Musician 1986 (unknown issue)

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/tom-bailey-live-aid-guitar

https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Recording-Engineer/80s/Recording-1985-10.pdf