The original used MT-32 for it's MIDI. I am not familiar enough with the music to say what the CD version's audio tracks were minted from, but it wasn't uncommon for CD tracks to be recorded from different synths or "mixed together" from different ones.

Having just listened to some on YouTube, it sounds to me like an SC-88 (possibly a JV-1080 or related). I don't think it's multiple synths, it sounds very much like Roland 90s samples to me.

After some lengthy research on YouTube as to how the SC-88 and JV-1080 sound (EDIT: looking it up, the JV-1080 was released in 1994 according to Wikipedia, SMI CD-ROM came out in 1992), I think I can safely confirm that neither of those particular synths were used for the Monkey Island CD audio recordings. The pan pipes and drums are just too contrasting from those devices. The drums in particular don't sound much to me like an early 90s Roland synth at all. At least, not a conventional one. Listen to the drums for the circus tent theme or Stan's Used Ships and you'll see what I mean. But those pan pipes...I'd recognize them anywhere if I could just find the synth...

Onto more research on YouTube!

The Stan track sounds a bit like a Yamaha MU device. Another synth used a lot in the era was the E-MU Proteus line, 1 and 2 at that time.

The piccolo (I don't think it's a pan pipe?) in the Circus theme sounds like the MT-32 a bit. The drums sound like a Roland sample set to me, possibly mastered to give a different sound. Could be the Roland U-220 as well, another Sound Canvas similar synth but with better quality samples and components.

The overall sound is very Roland to me still, the shakuhachi sounds I'd almost bet come from a Roland (possibly even a LA one). Check the SCUMM Bar for example, it sounds very Roland to me. Bass, drums, brass.. LeChuck's theme too. Voodoo Shop is interesting, sounds part Roland and part not like the drums you've touched on before. Possible that comes from something else. Or it's a drum kit I'm not familiar with. Then the Following the Shopkeeper track is clearly Roland drums.

So possible Roland synths from the era are:
- LA Synths (MT-32, D-110)
- SC-55
- U-220
- MV-30/D-70
- early JV synths maybe (eg JV-80)
- Samplers

To give an idea, the U-220 was heavily used on Mark Seibert's "Sierra Soundtrack Collection" CD from the same year as SOMI. As was the Roland S-750 sampler.

nobody ever comments Yamaha *sigh*

Thanks for your further insights. I'll be looking into more of those.

The piccolo (I don't think it's a pan pipe?) in the Circus theme sounds like the MT-32 a bit.

Sorry, no. I meant the drums from the Circus and Stan themes. I was referring to the Monkey Island main theme for the Pan Pipe (it's also featured in the Cannibals' theme).

Another one: apparently he extensively used a Kurzweil K2000 on the Dig score, and since it came out in 1991, it could easily have been used for this. He also mentions in interviews that he used samples as well as live players on digital orchestrations (but I'm not sure what time period).

The panpipe you're hearing in the two tracks you mentioned is I think a shakuhachi, BTW. Sounds a bit Roland LA ish to me, particularly the reverb.

zapbuzz wrote on 2022-06-05, 03:42:

nobody ever comments Yamaha *sigh*

First line of the post above yours, even. 😉

But in Western scores, I haven't heard of much composition for Yamaha devices. FM if you count that, but as far as sample based synths, nobody in the West composed for the Yamaha MU line that I'm aware of.
Most Yamaha synths of the era were pro or niche, with only the Yamaha MU line being a viable option. I suppose since Roland pipped Yamaha with the GM standard in 1991 and the SC-55 became widely adopted, this meant the SC-55 (and later generic GM) was basically the defacto choice for most.

Even in digital scores, I'm not familiar with any (Western) composer who used a Yamaha synth prominently.

For the record, I'm not biased against Yamaha, my flagship synth I own is a Yamaha MODX, and it's brilliant. Although I don't enjoy the Yamaha MU line as much as others in the community.

Doing more research I've discovered that the CD version used the sounds from the Korg M1 (SynMallet is used in the intro to the main theme), the E-MU Proteus (Marimba for the Lookout's theme from the intro, it's specifically the Proteus mono variation compared to the Emulator III's Wide Marimba in stereo), and the Roland D-50. I'm fairly positive that the main theme uses the D-50's Shakuhachi in some way...but there are subtle differences. Perhaps Michael Land created his own custom timbre. It seems to use the same attack PCM sound but with a softer tone for the LA-synthesis portion.

Spikey wrote on 2022-06-05, 05:30:

First line of the post above yours, even. ;) […]
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zapbuzz wrote on 2022-06-05, 03:42:

nobody ever comments Yamaha *sigh*

First line of the post above yours, even. 😉

But in Western scores, I haven't heard of much composition for Yamaha devices. FM if you count that, but as far as sample based synths, nobody in the West composed for the Yamaha MU line that I'm aware of.
Most Yamaha synths of the era were pro or niche, with only the Yamaha MU line being a viable option. I suppose since Roland pipped Yamaha with the GM standard in 1991 and the SC-55 became widely adopted, this meant the SC-55 (and later generic GM) was basically the defacto choice for most.

Even in digital scores, I'm not familiar with any (Western) composer who used a Yamaha synth prominently.

For the record, I'm not biased against Yamaha, my flagship synth I own is a Yamaha MODX, and it's brilliant. Although I don't enjoy the Yamaha MU line as much as others in the community.

I believe the settlers 2 has some Yamaha specific tracks , but that's the only game I know of.