Peter Gabriel 3 Melt equipment

(last updated: 22/08/24)

Musical equipment

Peter Gabriel:

Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
Yamaha CP-70 electric grand piano through a Roland JC-120
Roland CompuRhythm CR-78 drum machine: “Games Without Frontiers” main pattern
PAiA Programmable Drum Set drum machine: "Biko"

Larry Fast:

360 Systems frequency Shifter
Fairlight CMI Series I - rented for this album
Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
Moog Model 15
Moog Minimoog Model D
Moog Polymoog 203a - not used much
Oberheim DS-2 digital sequencer
Oberheim MS-1 minisequencers
Oberheim SEM modules

Tony Levin:

Chapman Stick ("I Don't Remember")

David Rhodes:

‘63 Fender Jazzmaster
Eurotec Black Box Fuzz module (“No Self Control”)

Jerry Marotta:

Yamaha drums?

Phil Collins:

Black Premier kit

John Giblin:

1958 Fender Precision sunburst electric bass
1960s Fender Jazz bass sunburst (fretless?)
1978 Wal Pro II bass natural

Dave Gregory:

Guitars:

Fender Stratocaster (1963): "I Don't Remember" rhythm guitar, "Family Snapshot"
Gibson ES-335 (1962): power chords on "I Don't Remember" choruses

Amplifiers:

Fender Tremolux (1969/70)
Mesa/Boogie: "Family Snapshot"
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus - probably borrowed

Paul Weller:

Guitars:

Rickenbacker 330 (?)

Amplification:

Marshall 100-watt amp
Marshall 1960A 4x12 cabinet
Roland JC-120 (possibly)

Robert Fripp:

Note:it's unclear what exactly Fripp had used on PG3, but the information listed below is an approximation based on existing sources
Guitars:

Gibson Les Paul Custom (1959)

Amplifiers:

1975/76 Fender Twin Reverb /w Partridge transformers
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus

Effects:

Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Electro-Harmonix Big Muff distortion
Farfisa wooden-bodied volume pedal

Other:

Radio Shack Realistic Micro Sonic Speaker-Amplifier (a.k.a. "$9.95"): Larry Fast's, used for plastic distortion treatments and as a mouth wah, like on "No Self Control"

Studio & recording equipment

Outboard gear (partial list):

AMS DMX 15-80 delay/harmonizer
Eventide H910 Harmonizer
EMT 140 plate reverb
UREI 1176LN limiter
Roland SDD-320 Dimension D

Microphones:

Neumann:

KM54: vocals
U47 FET: bass drum (Hugh's choice), front of Jerry Marotta's kit at Ashcombe
U47 valve: vocals, main for Peter's vocals
U87: overheads, (likely) drum ambience

Shure SM56 and/or SM-57: snare, tom-toms, back of Jerry's kit, guitar amplifiers (possibly), Radio Shack-processed sounds
STC:

4021 Ball & Biscuit: 'reverse talkback' mic on SSL desk - drum sound on "Intruder"
4038: possibly overheads

Tape recorders:

Manor Mobile:

Ampex MM-1200 2-inch 24-track
Ampex AG440C 2-track

The Town House:

Ampex MM-1200 2-inch 24-track
Ampex ATR-100 ¼-inch 2-track
Ampex AG440C 2 or 4-track

Recording:

Helios 40/24: Manor Mobile at Ashcombe House (main recording)
MCI JH-528: additional recording at House of Music, NJ (Tony Levin's bassline to "I Don't Remember"
Solid State Logic SL-4000B, Serial No. 2: The Town House, Studio 2

References

Home & Studio Recording, January 1985 (Hugh Padgham)

Studio Sound, March 1984 (Hugh Padgham)

Recording Engineer/Producer, June 1990 (Hugh Padgham)

Studio photos by Larry Fast

Without Frontiers: Life And Music of Peter Gabriel (2013) by Daryl Eslea (Dave Gregory)

Guitar Player, September 1987

Hugh Padgham AMS interview: https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Audio/Archive-Studio-Sound-IDX/IDX/80s/Studio-Sound-1985-07-OCR-Page-0106.pdf

Townhouse info: https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Studio-Sound/70s/Studio-Sound-1979-01.pdf

Peter Gabriel AMS interview: https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-Studio-Sound/80s/Studio-Sound-1986-07.pdf

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wVNKx7mTxFg

International Musician & Recording World, March 1985 (Phil Collins kit)