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🎹 Synth Icons is the podcast where legendary keyboards come back to life. Hosted by producer and synth expert Andy Whitmore, each episode dives into the world’s most iconic synthesizers — from the lush analog power of the Yamaha CS-80, to the digital sparkle of the DX7, to the unmistakable sounds of the Korg M1.
Andy recreates famous riffs, compares hardware to modern software emulations, and reveals the stories, sounds, and production secrets behind the instruments that shaped pop, film, and electronic music.
If you're a synth enthusiast, a producer, or just love classic hits, Synth Icons lets you hear the legends for yourself.
👉 Follow for more synth deep-dives, blind tests, and studio stories.
 🎧 Watch the full video versions on YouTube → @AndyWhitmore
19Â Episodes
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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, chewy midrange that cuts straight through a mix. Play along: try to name each riff before it’s revealed, then tell Andy you...
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 — then straight into the music. Accuracy note: Some originals are well-documented; others vary by source or studi...
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, Depeche Mode, Prince, Genesis—plus a few deeper cuts. For this episode I programmed most of the sounds from scratch (ve...
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 the biggest reputations and the most stratospheric values. You’ll hear the famous owners, classic songs they’re assoc...
A straight A/B test: iconic riffs played first on the Roland Cloud JD-800 plug-in, then on my real vintage JD-800—same parts, same context, no tricks. Can you hear a difference? Roland JD-800 plug-in vs real JD-800 hardware sound comparison. In this episode I do a proper A/B test: the Roland Cloud JD-800 versus the original vintage Roland JD-800 hardware. Here’s the format: for each track you’ll hear two quick clips—first the plug-in, then the real JD-800—using the same riff/lick and the sam...
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 listen for. Important note: these are M1 recreations / M1-style parts. That doesn’t automatically mean the original rec...
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 recreated (1990s). In this episode, I recreate Tony Banks’ Roland JD-800 live patches as heard on Genesis’ big 9...
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 riffs true to the records, I’m using light, “record-style” effects where needed (chorus/delay/reverb), but the core so...
Yamaha CS-80 — 28 Famous Riffs You Know (But Didn’t Know Were CS-80) The Yamaha CS-80 is one of the most expressive analog synthesizers ever made — and its sound is hiding in plain sight across classic pop, rock, TV themes, and film scores. In this episode, I’m playing 28 famous riffs you definitely know, all recreated on the Yamaha CS-80. From lush string pads and bold brass lines to flute-style leads and expressive glides, this is a tour of just how wide-ranging — and musical — the CS-80 re...
In this Synth Icons episode, Andy Whitmore powers up the legendary Roland Jupiter-8 to uncover 20 hidden 80s synth gems. From shimmering pads and string intros to bold brass, sequences and moody bass lines, every sound you hear comes straight from Andy’s own Jupiter-8 – no plugins, no emulations, just authentic analogue. 🎧 Riffs & tracks featured: Queen – I Want to Break Free (strings intro, solo + sequence stabs)Howard Jones – What Is Love? (brass & synth solo)Duran Duran – Save a Pr...
The Roland Juno-106 has been quietly sneaking onto hit records for decades. In this Synth Icon episode, I put it front and centre and show you why it became a true studio workhorse. I’ll play you 15 famous basslines, pads and leads from artists like Underworld, Daft Punk, Madonna, Tame Impala, The Weeknd, Com Truise, Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (Stranger Things) and more – all recreated live on my Juno-106 in the studio. No samples, no stems, just the real hardware with some chorus and FX....
In this Synth Icons episode, Andy Whitmore dives into the digital, glassy world of the Roland D-50 – with 20 iconic riffs you definitely know, but maybe never realised were D-50. Every sound in this episode comes from a real D-50, using classic factory presets like Pizzagogo, DigitalNativeDance, Staccato Heaven, Glass Voices, Metal Harp, Cathedral/pipe organs, Shakuhachi, Griitttarr and more. No other synths, no samples – just the D-50 doing what it does best. 🎧 Tracks & sounds featured i...
In this Synth Icons episode, Andy Whitmore fires up the real Yamaha CS-80 to recreate some of Vangelis’ most iconic moments – this time with the full effects chain rebuilt. Big reverbs, delays and chorus bring the CS-80 right back into that huge, cinematic Blade Runner / Chariots of Fire space. Across the episode you’ll hear eight classic Vangelis riffs, all played on an original CS-80, focusing on brass, strings, flutes and pads – with no soft synths and no emulations, just pure vintage hard...
Paste this into the main description box: In this Synth Icons episode, Andy Whitmore puts the Sequential Prophet-5 Rev 3.2 through its paces with a stack of famous riffs – from moody pads to punchy bass lines and full-on synth leads. You’ll hear classic parts from Radiohead, D Train, Cameo, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Phil Collins, Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Daryl Hall & John Oates – all played on Andy’s own Prophet-5, with no other synths in the chain. The episode finishes with a fulle...
In this episode of Synth Icons, we funk things up with one of the most instantly recognisable keyboards in music history — the Hohner Clavinet D6. With its sharp, percussive tone and rhythm guitar-like attack, the Clavinet became a cornerstone of funk, soul and rock throughout the 70s and early 80s. I recreate 12 classic riffs that defined its legendary sound — all played on a real Clavinet D6, no software, no emulations. 🎧 Featured riffs include: Stevie Wonder – SuperstitionStevie Wonder – H...
In this episode of Synth Icons, we shine a light on one of the most underrated classic analog synths of all time — the Roland Jupiter-4. Before the Juno-60 and Jupiter-8 stole the spotlight, this synth helped shape the sound of early synth-pop with its raw, punchy tone and lush analog character. I recreate 15 famous Jupiter-4 riffs from legendary artists including Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, The Human League, Gary Numan, Michael Jackson, Heaven 17 and more. Expect shimmering brass pads, pulsin...
The Korg M1 is one of the most iconic keyboards ever made — the sound of late-’80s and early-’90s pop, dance, and film music. In this episode of Synth Icons, producer and synth collector Andy Whitmore recreates 13 legendary riffs that defined the era. From the unmistakable Piano 16’ and Universe sounds to classic hits by House, Madonna, Inner City, and Pet Shop Boys, you’ll instantly recognise how the M1 shaped the sound of a generation. Every riff is performed on the original hardware — no s...
The Yamaha DX7 is one of the most iconic synthesizers of all time, shaping the sound of pop, rock, funk, electronic, and film music throughout the 80s and 90s. In this episode, I recreate 21 legendary riffs that defined decades of music — from Berlin and Toto to Michael Jackson, Vangelis, Madonna, Phil Collins, Sade, Daft Punk, and more. All played note-for-note on the original DX7 — no software, no emulation. From the lush E.Piano of Elton John’s Sacrifice to the haunting Syn-Vox of The X-Fi...
🎧 Can you tell the difference between the legendary Yamaha CS-80 and today’s best software emulations? In this blind test, I compare the real CS-80 with recreations from Arturia, Softube, Cherry Audio, and XILS Lab — and the results might surprise you! 🎹 You’ll hear iconic sounds made famous by Vangelis, Michael Jackson, Toto, and even Doctor Who, but only one of them is the true analog hardware. Play along, make your guesses, and see if your ears can spot the genuine CS-80 among the plugins....
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