The EMS Synthi A on 'Welcome to the Machine': How Pink Floyd Built the Industrial Soundscape

The EMS Synthi A is the metallic, rhythmic backbone of ‘Welcome to the Machine.’ Richard Wright and David Gilmour patched this portable modular synth to generate the clanging, factory-floor sequence that opens the track and runs through each verse. Its analog oscillators and envelope generators produce a staccato, percussive chug that sounds like a steam press or assembly line—completely inhuman and hypnotic.

Beyond the rhythm, the Synthi A also created the whooshing sweeps and glissandos that fill the background. By manually controlling the pitch wheel and tweaking the patch cords in real time, they added chaotic, almost animal-like moans to the