Synth Icons with Andy Whitmore

Send us Fan Mail The Minimoog Model D is one of the most recognisable synth sounds ever recorded — from funk basslines to prog leads and classic pop hooks. In this episode, I’m doing a straight-up A/B comparison: a Vintage Minimoog Model D versus the 2016 Reissue , playing 21 famous riffs, leads, basslines, and effects back-to-back so you can hear what’s changed… and what hasn’t. To keep these rif...

Send us Fan Mail A real Roland Jupiter-4 playing 20 classic riffs across 8 famous songs — no plug-ins, no software, just the original vintage synth. Hear 20 classic riffs across 8 famous songs, recreated on the original Roland Jupiter-4. In this episode, I focus on the real sound of one of the most distinctive vintage analogue synths of the early 80s, known for its raw tone, punchy filter, unique...

Send us Fan Mail Watcher • Carpet Crawlers • Invisible Touch • Mama • Follow You Follow Me • I Can’t Dance — live-style JD-800 patch recreations + parts Tony Banks used the Roland JD-800 throughout Genesis’ 1990s tours—here are my closest recreations of his live patches, with the parts transcribed and played in Tony’s live style across six iconic songs. Tony Banks’ Genesis JD-800 live tour patches...

Send us Fan Mail Andy Whitmore recreates 13 famous Hoover riffs on the real Roland Alpha Juno-1, using the legendary “WhatThe” preset that helped define rave, hardcore, jungle and techno.  In this episode, I recreate 13 famous Hoover riffs on the real Roland Alpha Juno-1 , using the legendary “WhatThe” preset that became one of the most aggressive and recognisable synth sounds in dance music histo...

Send us Fan Mail Pure nostalgia and pure presets: the Korg M1 — one of the most recognisable keyboards of all time — and 21 famous parts you’ve definitely heard on records . This is the talky companion to my YouTube riffs video. In the video I reveal the song name + the preset before I play each part, so this isn’t a guessing game. It’s more like: here’s the sound, why it matters, and what to list...

Send us Fan Mail Andy Whitmore explores the underrated Yamaha CS-40M, recreating 27 classic synth parts from 9 famous songs by The Stranglers, Duran Duran, Ultravox, Simple Minds, Landscape, Section 25, Bill Nelson and Our Daughter’s Wedding. In this episode, Andy dives into the characterful sound of the Yamaha CS-40M — a classic 2-note duophonic analogue synth first released in 1979. It originall...

Send us Fan Mail Iconic JD-800 riffs you know—Faithless, Prodigy, Depeche Mode, Prince, Genesis—plus hardware vs plug-in A/B comparisons and patches programmed from scratch. Take a tour through the punchy, glossy world of the Roland JD-800 with a stack of iconic riffs and signature hooks you’ve definitely heard before… but maybe didn’t realise were JD-800. You’ll hear Faithless , The Prodigy , Dep...

Send us Fan Mail A blind Hoover sound test comparing the real Roland Alpha Juno-1 against Roland Cloud Zenology Pro. Can you tell which one is the real hardware? Can you tell the difference between the real Roland Alpha Juno-1 and Roland Cloud Zenology Pro ? In this episode, I turn the classic Hoover sound comparison into a blind test. You’ll hear the same famous Hoover riffs played twice — one ve...

Send us Fan Mail You know these riffs — but do you know which synths played them? I recreate 10 iconic tracks/hooks on the original (or closest practical) keyboards: DX7, Korg M1, JD-800, JP-8080, Jupiter-4, Prophet-5 and more — with quick narration before each performance. This is a performance-based recreation: I’m playing the parts, rebuilding the patches, and giving a quick intro to each track...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I play 20 of the greatest synth riffs ever , recreated on the original synths and classic keyboards that helped make them famous. From huge dance anthems to 80s synth-pop classics, rock keyboard hooks and legendary soundtrack themes, this episode brings together some of the most recognisable synth sounds in modern music. Featured tracks include: Darude – Sandstorm...

Send us Fan Mail A fast countdown of the 11 most valuable synthesizers of all time — famous owners, iconic tracks, and the wild prices behind the GX-1, CS-80, Moog modular systems, Jupiter-8 and more. Welcome to the top 11 most valuable synths of all time . From the Yamaha CS-80 to the legendary Yamaha GX-1 , this episode counts down the rarest, most iconic synthesizers ever made — the ones with t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I perform 20 of the greatest synth solos using real hardware from my studio collection, including the Yamaha CS-80, Minimoog Model D, Roland Jupiter-8, Prophet-5, Yamaha CS-40M, EMS Synthi AKS, Yamaha DX7 and Roland JD-800 . This episode focuses on proper synth solo moments — not just riffs, hooks or backing parts — where the synthesizer steps forward as the lead...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I recreate 20 of the greatest keyboard and synth parts from Michael Jackson songs, performed on original vintage synthesizers and keyboards associated with those classic recordings. From the analogue warmth of the Minimoog, Yamaha CS-80 and Roland Jupiter-8, to the digital sounds of the Yamaha DX7, Roland D-50 and Korg M1, this episode follows the evolution of Mic...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I recreate 20 of the greatest keyboard and synth parts from Michael Jackson songs, performed on original vintage synthesizers and keyboards associated with those classic recordings. From the analogue warmth of the Minimoog, Yamaha CS-80 and Roland Jupiter-8, to the digital sounds of the Yamaha DX7, Roland D-50 and Korg M1, this episode follows the evolution of Mic...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I play 20 of the greatest synth riffs ever , recreated on the original synths and classic keyboards that helped make them famous. From huge dance anthems to 80s synth-pop classics, rock keyboard hooks and legendary soundtrack themes, this episode brings together some of the most recognisable synth sounds in modern music. Featured tracks include: Darude – Sandstorm...

Send us Fan Mail A blind Hoover sound test comparing the real Roland Alpha Juno-1 against Roland Cloud Zenology Pro. Can you tell which one is the real hardware? Can you tell the difference between the real Roland Alpha Juno-1 and Roland Cloud Zenology Pro ? In this episode, I turn the classic Hoover sound comparison into a blind test. You’ll hear the same famous Hoover riffs played twice — one ve...

Send us Fan Mail Andy Whitmore explores the underrated Yamaha CS-40M, recreating 27 classic synth parts from 9 famous songs by The Stranglers, Duran Duran, Ultravox, Simple Minds, Landscape, Section 25, Bill Nelson and Our Daughter’s Wedding. In this episode, Andy dives into the characterful sound of the Yamaha CS-40M — a classic 2-note duophonic analogue synth first released in 1979. It originall...

Send us Fan Mail Andy Whitmore recreates 13 famous Hoover riffs on the real Roland Alpha Juno-1, using the legendary “WhatThe” preset that helped define rave, hardcore, jungle and techno.  In this episode, I recreate 13 famous Hoover riffs on the real Roland Alpha Juno-1 , using the legendary “WhatThe” preset that became one of the most aggressive and recognisable synth sounds in dance music histo...

Send us Fan Mail A real Roland Jupiter-4 playing 20 classic riffs across 8 famous songs — no plug-ins, no software, just the original vintage synth. Hear 20 classic riffs across 8 famous songs, recreated on the original Roland Jupiter-4. In this episode, I focus on the real sound of one of the most distinctive vintage analogue synths of the early 80s, known for its raw tone, punchy filter, unique...

Send us Fan Mail A keyboard-focused breakdown of Dark Side of the Moon , using the original Richard Wright instruments: Hammond C3, Wurlitzer 200A, EMS Synthi AKS and Steinway piano. Hear The Dark Side of the Moon as a keyboard-focused journey, recreated on the original instruments associated with Richard Wright’s parts on the album. In this episode, I break down the signature keyboard sounds of D...

Send us Fan Mail Roland Jupiter-8: 40 Iconic Riffs You Know (But Didn’t Know Were Jupiter-8) Andy Whitmore explores 40 iconic riffs played on the legendary Roland Jupiter-8, recreating famous brass hooks, pads, leads, basses and sequences from classic tracks by Europe, Harold Faltermeyer, Billy Idol, Duran Duran, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Journey, The Human League, Depeche Mode and more. In this...

Send us Fan Mail That “wait… I know that song!” moment — but it’s all clavinet . 🔥 In this episode, Andy plays 10 instantly recognisable clavinet riffs as short solo snippets — no backing tracks, no full songs, just the hook . From pop and disco to rock and deep funk cuts, this is the clavinet doing what it does best: snappy, percussive, and ridiculously funky . Play along: try to name each riff...

Send us Fan Mail That “wait… I know that song!” moment — but it’s all Wurlitzer electric piano. 🎹⚡️ In this episode, Andy plays 11 instantly recognisable Wurly riffs as short solo snippets — no backing tracks, no full songs, just the hook. From Supertramp , The Beatles and Marvin Gaye to Ray Charles , Queen and Beck , this is the Wurlitzer doing what it does best: bark, bite, and that warm, chew...

Send us Fan Mail You know these riffs — but do you know which synths played them? I recreate 10 iconic tracks/hooks on the original (or closest practical) keyboards: DX7, Korg M1, JD-800, JP-8080, Jupiter-4, Prophet-5 and more — with quick narration before each performance. This is a performance-based recreation: I’m playing the parts, rebuilding the patches, and giving a quick intro to each track...

Send us Fan Mail Iconic JD-800 riffs you know—Faithless, Prodigy, Depeche Mode, Prince, Genesis—plus hardware vs plug-in A/B comparisons and patches programmed from scratch. Take a tour through the punchy, glossy world of the Roland JD-800 with a stack of iconic riffs and signature hooks you’ve definitely heard before… but maybe didn’t realise were JD-800. You’ll hear Faithless , The Prodigy , Dep...