Tame Impala has named the Sequential Pro One as one of his favorite synthesizers

With a massive career that has taken Australian producer Kevin Parker, better known as Tame Impala, to tremendous heights of success across his storied career, he has found a sound and style that resonates with fans worldwide.  For artists, inspiration and creation can flow in a variety of ways, and Parker recently discussed how one synthesizer helped define his early output.

Discovering his use of synthesizers and early influence, he reveals how he immediately fell in love with the sound after hearing the “gliding saw tooth” setting on the Sequential Pro One synthesizer.  Even though his funds were tight, he hopped on eBay and purchased one for his own use and production.  Recalling the experience, Tame Impala stated:

“I must have leaned on it or something and I hit a key (laughs). It’s a monophonic synth and was set to portamento, I’d just hit a few keys and it had this gliding sawtooth sound.  I just thought it sounded incredible, you know? The Pro One to this day is still one of my favourite synths. I guess just because of that reason, because of that time. It had this sound that I just fell in love with.  It sounded like crying in outer space.”

The Sequential Pro One, as well as a small Casio keyboard inherited from his father, were the main instruments used in creating his 2012 album, Lonerism.  Of course with great success comes great synthesizers and the producer notes that his studio is filled with a “rack of keyboards” and simply utilizes whatever is on that rack without much thought going into specific synthesizers and their sound.

While most producers would love a collection of synths to choose from when hopping in the studio, Tame Impala’s lack of focus on what is used showcases that it is important to find the right sound, and of course, write a great song.

Image Credit: Tame Impala / Provided by Outside Organisation