Gear and Equipment
Several pieces of vintage audio equipment and vintage musical instruments were used to record and manipulate the sounds heard throughout Canticum Sphaerarum. This page contains information on some of the most notable examples.
Rhodes Electric Piano
The Rhodes electric piano is a tine-based piano that can produce a range of tones from very warm in its lower-middle range to glassy and angelic in its upper register, deeming it appropriate to use as the foundation for the sound of the Sun. A 73-key Rhodes Mark II Stage Piano from 1980 is featured in the piece.
ARP 2500 Modular Synthesizer
To complement the historical timeline that Canticum Sphaerarum covers, it seemed appropriate to not only use analogue recording techniques of the era, but to also use instruments and other sound generators of the 1960s and 1970s. An ARP 2500 modular synthesizer from the early 1970s was used to produce elements of
Jupiter’s sound.
Sony TC-630 Tape Recorder
This tape recorder is a late 1960s consumer-oriented piece of stereo equipment and is one of the best machines for performing and creating with tape loops due to its 3 speed selection, easy tape head access and built-in echo circuit.
Otari MX-5050BII2 Tape Recorder
Varispeed functionality was essential in creating many of the sounds heard in Canticum Sphaerarum so this 2-track mastering tape machine became of much use due to its switchable pitch control and faster tape speeds, allowing for more fidelity to be preserved while recording with it.
3M M-79 (2 Track) Tape Recorder
The M79 has the most flexible varispeed control of any tape machine ever produced, allowing for an extended tuning range. This machine was used to tune the wine glasses to the desired pitches to create Saturn’s sound.