Equipment
Liam Howlett’s synths and gear in studio and live.
Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus
Release date: 1979
Type: Analog synthesizer
About:
Launched in 1979, the VP-330 Vocoder Plus was a 10-band vocoder combined with a 49-note keyboard, and it quickly became the machine behind the popular 'talking robot' sound of the early '80s. But there was more to the VP-330 than met the eye, thanks to three onboard sound sources that could be played and blended with your voice. The string section was particularly expansive and lush, thanks to the ensemble circuitry that widened the sound, while the choir and human voice sounds could be used either subtly or in a more adventurous manner, depending on how much color you needed. The VP-330 also became a firm favorite with more experimental musicians who were interested in merging tonal textures to create something entirely new. Ethereal and majestic in equal measure, the VP-330 is a fascinating stop-off point on the evolutionary journey of electronic musical instruments, and it remains in demand and in use to this day.
The strings sound very similar to Roland's RS Series. The VP-330 was built in two main versions. The original MK-1 had rocker switches and the MK-2 had buttons eith LED's. The MK-1 is said to sound richer.
Used:
Ghost Town
Liam's comment:
"I've got this upstairs -- I borrowed it from a friend to record some stuff for the new album. I think it's one of those things you can use a couple of times, and then throw in a cupboard. It's got some nice strings on it, but you can't get many sounds from the vocoder. The typical '80s electro voice, but not much else. "
"I'm using [the VP-330] on Ghost Town. I don't surround myself with loads of gear. I'm better with limited stuff and getting the most out of it."
Roland related articles
01 May 1992 | The Music Technology Magazine
The Lone Raver
01 Feb 1993 | Future Music
Prodigious talent
01 Oct 1996 | Sound On Sound
Liam Howlett • The Prodigy & Firestarter
01 Mar 1997 | The Mix
Playing with fire!
01 Jan 1999 | Power On
Catching Up With The Prodigy
01 Dec 2000 | Future Music
DIY Prodigy
01 Oct 2004 | Sound On Sound
Liam Howlett: Recording Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned
29 Nov 2004 | Korg magazine
Never Outgunned: Liam Howlett
01 Feb 2005 | Keyboard Magazine
Trim the Fat
01 Oct 2010 | Sound On Sound
Jon Burton: Mixing & Recording The Prodigy Live
18 May 2015 | MusicTech magazine
Landmark Productions: The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land
02 Nov 2018 | The Guardian
The Prodigy: No Tourists review – music for the jaded generation
30 Jul 2019 | MusicTech magazine
Prodigy engineer/co-producer Neil Mclellan remembers the Jilted Generation sessions
If you know something else about this piece of gear, please mail to me or contact me via feedback form.
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