The Synth Sounds of Rush: "Tom Sawyer," "Subdivisions" & More

Photos by Fin Costello / Staff / Getty Images.

From the huge opening Oberheim and searing Minimoog lead of "Tom Sawyer" to the lush chords and ominous bass of "Subdivisions," Rush's use of synthesizers set the tone for prog rock.

Our captain of Synth Sounds Of, Will Kurk, is here to show you exactly how Geddy Lee did it.

While Geddy employed an enviable collection of vintage synthesizers back in the day—including, at various times, a custom 8-voice Oberheim, Oberheim, OB-X, and OB-Xa, Moog Taurus, and, of course, a Minimoog Model D—we're using an assortment of vintage and modern synths to get as close to humanly possible to the original tracks.

Moog Music Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D

The most exciting piece of kit? The Moog Music Geddy Lee Minimoog Model D, the just-released, limited-edition Minimoog that is exclusively for sale in the United States right here on Reverb.

And did you know? Software is back on Reverb! So if you don't have the dough for a hardware synth, or just want to experiment without breaking the bank, you can find emulations of classic gear from Moog, Oberheim, and many more here.

comments powered by Disqus

Reverb Gives

Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music.

Carbon-Offset Shipping

Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments.

Oops, looks like you forgot something. Please check the fields highlighted in red.