Nik Kershaw Human Racing gear

(last updated: 19/08/24)

Musical equipment

Drum machines:

• Oberheim DMX: “Wouldn't It Be Good” claps
• Roland TR808: “Dancing Girls”
• Yamaha Ensemble Mixer EM-90 /w built-in drum machine: “Human Racing” - combination of two presets

Synthesizers:

• Oberheim OB-Xa
• PPG Wave 2.2: e.g. “Wouldn't It Be Good” main riff, blended with DX7
• Roland Juno-60
• Yamaha DX7
• Yamaha CS-80: “Human Racing”, Reggie Webb

Basses:

• Wal Mk1 1983 model
• Yamaha fretless - possibly used someplace

Guitars:

• Dave Gladden custom /w Stratocaster body, Gibson Les Paul standard fingerboard and 2 Humbucker’s

Guitar amps:

• Roland Bolt 60

Effects:

• Boss RX100 reverb?
• Boss OD-1 Overdrive

Studio equipment

Microphones:

• AKG C414 EB
• AKG D12: bass drum
• Beyerdynamic M88: bass drum
• Beyerdynamic M201
• Neumann:
• KM84
• U47 FET: vocals
• U67
• U87: vocals, drum overheads
• Shure SM57: snare

Outboard (Sarm East):

• Aengus Graphic Equaliser
• Allison Research Kepex II noise gate
• AMS DMX 15-80S digital delay
• Audio & Design Recording Vocal Stresser F769X-R
• Audio & Design Recording Express limiter
• Audio & Design Recording SCAMP units:
• F300 Noise Gates/Expanders (x4)
• S23 Pan Effects Module (includes Auto-pan)
• S25 De-esser
• S100 Dual Gate
• BEL BF-20 Stereo Flanger (black)
• Deltalab DL-1 digital delay
• Dbx 160 compressor (x2)
• Dolby noise reduction
• Eventide Harmonizer H910
• EMT 140 valve stereo plate
• Lexicon 224 digital reverb
• Lexicon Prime Time Delay II
• Orban 622B Parametric equaliser
• Marshall Time Modulator Model 5002 "A" system
• Roger Mayer RM-57 Stereo Compressor
• UREI 1176N compressor
• UREI 565 filter set

Tape recorders:

• Sarm West Studio 2:
• Ampex ATR-104 ½-inch or ¼-inch 2-track
• Studer A800 Mk.III 24-track
• Studer A80 Mk.II 24-track
• Sarm East:
• 2 x Studer A80 VU Mk. II 24-track
• Ampex ATR-100 ½-inch 2-track
• Marcus Music UK:
• Studer A800 Mk. III 24-track
• Studer A80 2-track
• Revox 2-track

Mixing consoles:

• Harrison 28/28 (Marcus Music)
• Solid State Logic SL-4000E /w Total Recall: Sarm East (mixing) and Sarm West Studio 2

Sources:

VSE forums

Electronic Soundmaker, March 1984

International Musician & Recording World, March 1984 (including photos)

International Musician & Recording World, March 1986 – guitar info

Nik Kershaw Drum Talk archives 2008

Studio Sound, June 1983 (Sarm East)

Julian Mendelsohn

Studio Sound July 1979 (Marcus Music)

ZTT advert (Sarm info)