Early Thinking Aloud (and indeed Stonehenge) instrumentation was quite varied. An old Zender upright piano was a regular feature, whilst the main keyboards were an Ensoniq Mirage, Roland Juno-2, and an ancient Logan String Orchestra synth, with which I attempted to emulate the sounds of the Mellotron! Two drum machines (Yamaha RX-21 and Roland TR626) filled in for the lack of a drum kit, and a small-keyed Casio HT700 home keyboard made odd appearances where plinky sounds were required. In addition were flutes, cellos, percussion and the occasional appearance of clarinet or piano-accordion.

With the limitations of the cassette four-track, and the fact that I had microphones which came free with 1970s hi-fi equipment, all these were stretched to their limits trying to make a decent overall sound.

The modern set-up is significantly different, although piano still dominates.

Actually, I've been cheating a little, deciding to avoid the complexities of recording the Yamaha U1 upright, instead opting for the digital sound of EastWest's Bosendorfer 290. The orchestral sounds are from the EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphony Orchestra, and a combination of the Mellotron Archives sample CD and GForce's M-Tron provide the long-sought-after Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds.

Other bits and pieces, including various instrument libraries, Battery, Absynth and Virtual Guitarist provide fill and backing. Recording is accomplished via Cubase SX3 and Cubase 4.