.jpg)
Synth Icons with Andy Whitmore
🎹 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
Synth Icons with Andy Whitmore
Genesis: Tony Banks’ JD-800 Live Patches Recreated (90s Tour Sounds)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
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 90s tours—then I play the parts the way Tony performed them on stage.
A lot of these lines began life in the studio on totally different instruments (Mellotron, Prophet-10, ARP 2600), but the live JD-800 versions have their own character: big, authoritative pads, punchy stabs, and that unmistakable 90s touring sheen.
Technical note: I’m playing the parts on my JD-800, but what you’re hearing here is the Roland Cloud JD-800 plug-in. Also, my hardware JD-800 buttons aren’t behaving, so I can’t reliably save patches—everything you hear is my best “get it right in the moment” recreation.
If you’re into Genesis keys, Tony Banks parts, and classic synth textures, you’ll enjoy this one.
Tell me your favourite patch/part, and what Genesis/Tony Banks sound I should tackle next (song + section if possible).
Chapters / Timestamps
Intro
Watcher of the Skies — Main string pad (studio origin: Mellotron)
Carpet Crawlers — Main string pad (studio origin: Mellotron layer)
Invisible Touch — Stabby keyboard (studio origin: Prophet-10)
Mama — Main pad (studio origin: Prophet-10)
Follow You Follow Me — Chorus lead riff (studio origin: ARP 2600)
I Can’t Dance — “Bruiser Tines”
Summary / What should I recreate next?
Note on authenticity: Live rigs aren’t always about perfectly matching the studio source—they’re about making the part translate through a PA, night after night. This episode focuses specifically on the live JD-800 vibe.
🎧 More Synth Icons episodes:
· Hohner Clavinet D6 – Famous Riffs You Instantly Know
· Roland Jupiter-4 – Famous Riffs You Know (But Didn’t Realise Were Jupiter-4)
· Korg M1 – Famous Riffs You Know (But Didn’t Realise Were M1)
🔧 Work with Andy
· Production, mixing & mastering: https://www.andywhitmore.com/
· Studio: https://greystokestudio.com/
📲 Connect with Andy
· YouTube: @AndyWhitmore
· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andywhitmore2014/
· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndyWhitmoreMusic
· TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@andywhitmore9583
Today I'm recreating Tony Banks Rolling JD 100 live at all patches from the Genesis nineties shows, and I'm playing the parts the way Tony played them live. A lot of these lines started live in the studio on totally different instruments, with things like the Metatron, the Prophet 10, and R2600. But on the Big Nineties tours, the JD800 became a key part of how the classic sounds were delivered live. So here's the format. I'll introduce each Genesis track, explain what the sound is doing in the arrangement, and then I'll play the lifestyle part. One technical note, I'm playing the parts of my JD800, but what you're hearing in this episode is the Roll on the Cloud JD800 plugin. Although my JD800 plays presets absolutely fine, I can't program sounds and save them because the yesno buttons are broken. Alright, let's get started with the big one. First up, Watcher of the Skies. On the studio version, the grand cinematic string sound is strongly associated with the Metatron territory. Live in the 90s, the JD 800 version is about recreating the same emotional weight. Huge, sustained, and authoritative. Here's my JD 800 Live Tour style patch for Watcher of the Skies. I'm curious, which one felt the most authentic to you? What should the skies? Drop a comment with your favourite and tell me what Genesis or Tony Banks sound you want next. The song title, and if possible, the exact section you want me to recreate. Thanks for listening, and I'll see you on the next one.